Steelheads Down League-Leading Legend, 110-87
Published on June 6, 2007 under United States Basketball League (USBL)
Gary Steelheads News Release
GARY, Indiana (June 5, 2007) - The Gary Steelheads picked the right time to play a great game Tuesday night, as they overwhelmed the Dodge City Legend at the Genesis Center, 110-87. Gary excelled at most key elements of the game, shooting, rebounding and defense.
The game was a stark contrast to the previous meeting between the two teams on Sunday night, where the Legend prevailed 94-86. Once again the Steelheads played without the services of 7-foot-1 center Chris Alexander, suspended by coach Cliff Levingston for disciplinary reasons. But this time, Gary went on the attack and never looked back.
Rookie Adam Schaper started in Alexander's place at center, and the Steelheads fed the ball right to him. Schaper responded with 12 points in the first quarter, and the Steelheads connected on .588 of their field goals while holding the Legend to .267.
Gary shooting improved in the second quarter, as the Steelheads built a 60-37 halftime lead. By then, Gary was shooting a blistering .632 from the field. And the Steelheads managed to neutralize Dodge City's three 7-footers for a 20-16 rebounding advantage.
In the second half, the Legend probed for an opening to get back into the game. They reduced the deficit to 18 points, but the Steelheads rapidly built the lead back up to 25. In the fourth quarter, Gary extended its lead to as many as 35 points before coasting home with the 110-87 victory.
Schaper made a case for strong consideration as the USBL's Rookie of the Year, finishing with a double-double performance of 26 points and 11 rebounds. He hit 10-of-14 shots from the field, and 6-of-7 from the foul line. In forty minutes, he committed just a single turnover.
Gary placed six players in double figures, with guard Carl Edwards scoring 24 points and grabbing six rebounds for the winners. Swingman Keith Salscheider, playing against his former team, hit all six of his field goal attempts. He finished with 16 points, while forward Corey Minnifield added 14 points, guard Louis White contributed a double-double of 12 points and 13 assists, and forward Jamario Moon added 10 points with three blocked shots.
Dodge City was paced by swingman Elvin Mims, who fired in 17 points. Guard Lincoln Glass contributed a double-double of 13 points and 10 assists in defeat.
For the game, the Steelheads shot .549, including a blistering .571 from three-point range. The Steelheads took the boards, 43-36. And Gary committed just 15 turnovers, while forcing 20 by the Legend.
With the win, Gary improved to 14-8 on the season. Dodge City fell to 14-5.
The Steelheads hit the road to take on the Oklahoma Storm in Enid, Oklahoma on Thursday night.
United States Basketball League Stories from June 6, 2007
- Steelheads Hit the Road; Face Oklahoma Thursday Night - Gary Steelheads
- Steelheads Down League-Leading Legend, 110-87 - Gary Steelheads
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
