Tropics Beat Imperials Again 106-91
Published on December 28, 2006 under American Basketball Association (ABA)
Miami Tropics News Release
There was a lot going on at the Miami Tropics' road game on Wednesday night at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton.
Guard Guillermo Diaz, the first player from the Tropic's program to be drafted by the NBA, was in attendance to watch his brother play and also visit courtside with his mentor, Tropics owner and president Art "Pilin" Alvarez.
FAU Coach Rex Walters, a former NBA player, was also in attendance as he is recruiting another one of the Tropics alumns, forward Sammy Hernandez.
And, oh by the way, the Tropics played an ABA game Wednesday night, pounding the Palm Beach Imperials, 106-91.
Diaz, who is on holiday break from his rookie pro season in the Czech Republic, is averaging 20 points a game for first-place Nymburk, which is off to a 12-1 start.
On Wednesday night, Diaz got to sit back and watch his brother, Tropics shooting guard Carlos Escalera, who had 15 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds.
With the win, the Tropics improve to 10-3 overall and 5-0 on the road in their first season in the ABA. The Tropics, who are 10-1 in their past 11 games, are ranked 8th among the 53 teams in the league.
Today, the team leaves for Jacksonville, where the Tropics will face the Jam on Friday night. The Jam are ranked 3rd in the league. A win on Friday would be the Tropics 4th in a row over Jacksonville.
The key to winning on Friday could be Tropics star forward Terence Shelman, who had a triple-double on Wednesday with 13 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists. It was the first-ever triple-double for a Tropics player.
"Terence is a great talent," Alvarez said. "He deserves recognition for the numbers he is putting up."
Wednesday's game was close early as the teams traded leads often in the first half. The Imperials led 21-19 after the first quarter, and the Tropics were on top 41-35 at halftime.
The Tropics blew the game open in the third quarter, outscoring the Imperials, 35-21, to take a 20-point lead into the final period.
Palm Beach, though, made a game of it in the final minutes, getting as close as 4 points with 4:08 remaining. But forward Angelo Reyes stopped the proverbial bleeding when he scored on a put-back off an Escalera miss.
That started an 11-0 run that clinched the game for the Tropics.
The Tropics won with balance as they had seven scorers in double figures. Reyes was high man with 20 points, and he added 13 rebounds in a great effort off the bench.
Backup point guard Ray Rose continues to be a defensive menace with 13 points and a game-high 6 steals. Forward Sylbrin Robinson had 11 points and 6 rebounds, and starting point guard Pachi Cruz chipped in with 10 points and 5 assists.
Perhaps the most unexpected stat was the season-high 12 points scored by reserve guard Andre Smith, a talented player who has struggled for much of the season.
Visit www.miamitropicslive.com for more Tropics action.
Note: OurSports Central no longer actively covers the American Basketball Association (ABA) as a professional league due in part to its inability to publish and play a schedule and the transitory nature of many of its teams. For information on professional minor leagues, please see OSC's basketball section.
American Basketball Association Stories from December 28, 2006
- Tycoons prepare for Waco - Texas Tycoons
- Aeros hang on down the stretch to defeat Mississippi - Arkansas Aeros
- RazorSharks Set Two Franchise Records in 92-88 Win - Rochester RazorSharks
- Buffalo Silverbacks Basketball This Friday and Saturday - Buffalo Silverbacks
- Tropics Beat Imperials Again 106-91 - Miami Tropics
- Ripknees erase big deficit in ninth straight victory - Minnesota Ripknees
- Record rebounding night helps Slam get past King County, 113-92 - Bellingham Slam
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.
