Steelheads look for rebound win
Published on January 29, 2006 under Continental Basketball Association 1 (CBA 1)
Gary Steelheads News Release
Following one of their most frustrating losses of the season, the Gary Steelheads return to action hosting the Albany Patroons at the Genesis Center. It is their 3rd game in 4 days.
On Saturday night, the Steelheads blew a 21 point lead in the fourth quarter and lost to the Sioux Falls Skyforce, 106-100. The defending CBA champions scored 50 points in the final quarter to seize the victory.
The Steelheads opened up with a strong first quarter performance, winning 28-22. Sioux Falls won the second quarter, but Gary still had a 48-42 lead at half. The Steelheads dominated the third quarter, as the Skyforce failed to score in the first 3:05. Gary lead 77-56 at the end of three quarters.
But the lead was not safe. Sioux Falls applied pressure defense, forcing 7 Steelheads fourth quarter turnovers. Trailing 87-69 with 8:46 to go, the Skyforce outscored Gary 33-10 to take the lead at 102-99 in the final minute of the game.
The Steelheads were paced by forward Randy Holcomb, who tossed in 22 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Holcomb hit 9-of-12 from the field. Guard Brian Chase scored 16 points with 5 assists, and forward Edmund Saunders added a double-double 14 points and 10 rebounds. Gino Carlisle paced Sioux Falls with 20 points and 7 assists.
The Steelheads won the battle of the boards, 49-41, but they committed 22 turnovers. The Skyforce outscored the Steelheads by 21 points from the foul line, 32-11. With the loss, the Steelheads fell to 15-14 on the season. They picked up 2 quarter points with the defeat.
Fish Hooks
- Tonight's game is the 6th meeting between the Steelheads and the Patroons, and the Steelheads have a 3-2 lead in the series. This is the third meeting at the Genesis Center. Each team has won once in Gary. During the first meeting, Albany prevailed 102-101. The game made CBA history, as rookie guard Ronald Thompson scored 53 points for the winners. Not only does this performance rank as the top scoring performance in the league this year, but it also stands out as the top rookie individual game scoring performance in CBA history.
- The Steelheads have won 5 of their last 9 games, reaching a season high water mark of three games over .500 twice in the past two weeks. The losses at Rockford and against Sioux Falls lowered the Steelheads' record to 15-14, but Gary firmly retains second place in the Eastern Conference.
- The Gary Steelheads opened the season losing 2 of their first 3 games at the Genesis Center. Since that time, Gary has gone 10-3 at home, accumulated an 11-5 home record for the season.
- The Gary Steelheads received a big lift as the second half of the CBA season began. Forward Randy Holcomb finished a ten-day call-up with the Chicago Bulls prior to the All Star Game. He flew to Boise for the mid-season classic and was named the game's MVP, the first player in Steelheads' history to earn an MVP award in the mid-season classic. Holcomb earned the honor, even though his Eastern team fell to the Western stars, 119-110. The 6-foot-8 forward scored 22 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a losing cause. Holcomb has anchored the Steelheads' front line from the beginning of the season. The last player cut in the Chicago Bulls' training camp, Holcomb ranked 9th in the CBA in scoring (20.2 ppg.) and 7th in the league in rebounding (7.8 rpg.) when he was signed to a 10-day contract. His six double-doubles still leads the team.
- Guard Jimmie "Snap" Hunter continues as the CBA's leading scorer with a 27.2 ppg. average. "Snap" now has logged three of the CBA's top six individual game scoring performances this year, including his 41-point effort at Rockford Thursday night. Hunter also ranks among the league leaders in assists (5.4 apg.), steals (2.0 spg.), three point shooting (.444) and blocked shots (1.0 bpg.).
- Steelheads' coach Jaren Jackson believes "Snap" is ready for the NBA. "Snap has proven that he belongs in the NBA," said Jackson, an NBA veteran himself. "He has improved his defensive game to compliment his great scoring ability. Since the beginning of this season, he has shown that he is the best guard in the CBA. I am happy to have been a part of his improved play this season. I have been in awe of Snap's basketball skills since becoming his coach. I mention him in the same light as many of the top NBA guards I played against in my own NBA career. Any NBA team will be lucky to have him."
- On Tuesday, the Steelheads placed 6-foot-10 forward Darius Rice on injured reserve with a foot injury. Gary moved guard Lonnie Randolph from the injured reserve back to the active roster.
- 7-foot-1 center Chris Alexander was the Steelheads' most recent nominee for CBA Player of the Week. Alexander turned in two double-double performances in Gary victories over Idaho and Yakama. He averaged 16 ppg. and 13.5 rpg. for the week. Rockford guard Marlon Parmer won the weekly award, averaging 23 ppg. and 11 apg. for the week. Alexander scored 12 points, grabbed 8 rebounds and blocked 5 shots against Sioux Falls Saturday night.
- Forward Edmund Saunders is continuing his solid contribution up front. In 13 games with the Steelheads, Saunders has averaged 14.4 ppg. and 7.4 rpg. He scored a career high 31 points at Albany on January 6th. Saunders contributed a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds against Sioux Falls Saturday night.
- Guard Brian Chase had a pair of sensational games earning him the team's Player of the Week nomination two weeks ago. Against the Michigan Mayhem, Chase connected for CBA career-best 26 points with 8 steals. The next night at Sioux Falls, Chase contributed a double-double 25 points with 10 assists. The honor went to Maurice Baker of Dakota. Chase hit 5 three point baskets in a 20-point effort against Rockford Thursday night. He scored 16 points with 5 assists against Sioux Falls Saturday night.
Continental Basketball Association 1 Stories from January 29, 2006
- Graham returns for third stint with 'Force - Sioux Falls Skyforce
- Big comeback nets Skyforce a win - Sioux Falls Skyforce
- Steelheads look for rebound win - Gary Steelheads
- Steelheads Lose 21 Point Lead, Fall to Skyforce - Gary Steelheads
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