Storied Franchises Compete for Title

Published on March 23, 2003 under United Indoor Football Association (UIF)
Ohio Valley Greyhounds News Release


Boise, Idaho (March 23, 2003)— The Grand Rapids Hoops and Yakima Sun Kings, two of the Continental Basketball Association's most successful and storied franchises, will compete for the Jay Ramsdell CBA Championship Trophy on Monday, March 24, from Yakima, Wash. Tip-off is scheduled for 10:05 p.m. EST.

The Hoops enter the contest in search of the 14-year-old franchise's first CBA title. The Hoops fell four-games-to-two to the Omaha Racers in their lone championship appearance (1993). First-year Head Coach Rod Baker continues a stretch in which every head coach in Hoops' history has made it to the playoffs in their rookie campaign (seventh coach overall).

Yakima also enters the championship with a first-year CBA head coach in Bill Bayno, marking the first time since the league's original season as the CBA, that two first-year CBA head coaches led their teams to the final game. In 1978-79, the first year the old Eastern Basketball Association (1946-78) was known as the CBA, rookie coach Mauro Pannagio led the Rochester Zeniths to a 4-0 sweep of Ron Moore's Anchorage Northern Knights.

The Sun Kings, who took home the Jay Ramsdell Trophy in 1995 and 2000, look to join the Tampa Bay/Rapid City Thrillers as the only CBA franchise to win three titles (1985, 1986, 1987). Leading the 17-year-old franchise in their race for history is a trio of veteran guards in Anthony Goldwire (31.0 ppg in playoffs), Darrick Martin (20.5 ppg in playoffs), and Mitchell Butler (15.5 ppg in playoffs). Goldwire rejoined the Sun Kings midway through the National Conference Finals after his release from the NBA's Washington Wizards. In his two playoff appearances, the 6-1, 190 lb. Houston ('94) product tallied game-highs with 36 and 26 points off the bench. Former UCLA teammates, Martin ('92) and Butler ('93) bring 15 years of combined NBA experience to the Sun Kings. Since joining the team in early January (Martin on Jan. 7 and Butler on Jan. 3), the former Bruins combined to average 18.5 ppg and 4.6 apg.

The Sun Kings also boast a pair of rebounding kings in playoffs leader Anthony "Pig" Miller (12.5 rpg) and regular season leader Damien Cantrell (12.8 rpg). Cantrell, the 2003 CBA Newcomer of the Year, is not only a terror on the boards but a marksmen from long range, trailing only teammate Fred Vinson with a .460 (40-87) regular season three-point shooting percentage. Vinson, a member of the 2003 National Conference All-Star Team, averaged a team-high 19.4 ppg during the regular season and shot .517 (104-201) from the arc.

The Hoops feature their own sharpshooter in All-League Second Teamer Alex Scales (23.3 ppg during playoffs, 19.7 ppg in regular season) and a front-court that includes All-League First Team member Jerald Honeycutt (23.8 ppg during playoffs, 23.0 ppg in regular season), Rookie of the Year Immanuel McElroy (18.8 ppg and 9.3 rpg during playoffs, 11.2 ppg in regular season), and 14-year NBA veteran Olden Polynice (18.5 ppg and 10.8 rpg during playoffs, 14.3 ppg and 10.9 rpg in regular season).

The 7-0, 250 lb. Polynice sees winning in the CBA as his ticket back to the show. "[The NBA] knows what I am capable of doing, but I think it will help me more if we can win. We have a chance to win a CBA championship and that is my goal. My mentality right now is to do whatever I can to help this team win."

For the second straight season the CBA Championship Game will be available on the Internet from SportsJuice.com. Veteran CBA broadcaster Scott Johnson (the current Director of Operations for the CBA) will provide the play-by-play. The pre-game show will begin at 9:30 PM EST.

Fans can access the broadcast through a link on www.cbahoopsonline.com or by logging on to www.sportsjuice.com and finding the link referencing the CBA Championship Game on the "Today on SportsJuice.com" schedule. SportsJuice.com events require Windows Media Player, which can be downloaded free via the SportsJuice.com website. Coupled with the live webcasting available on the official CBA website (www.cbahoopsonline.com), fans will have the ability to watch and hear the action unfold.

"For the second year in a row, SportsJuice has given us a tremendous opportunity to provide free live coverage of our Championship Game to CBA fans in each of our markets and around the world," said CBA Commissioner Gary Hunter.

SportsJuice.com broadcasts live and archived sporting events from around the world, as well as interesting sports features. It has been broadcasting minor league, semi-professional, amateur, collegiate and scholastic sports since 1999, and is one of the largest providers of sports broadcasting on the web.

"SportsJuice is happy to be working with the CBA again to broadcast the championship game," said SportsJuice President John Onorato. "Personally, I have been a basketball fan for years and I am glad to be able to extend this opportunity to the league."

Those who are unable to listen to the broadcast live can listen to an archived version, which will be available after the live broadcast.

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