Tropics Win Fifth Straight Game, Third in 55 Hours
December 3, 2006 - American Basketball Association (ABA)
Miami Tropics News Release
It would be nearly impossible for any other ABA team to have a more impressive road trip than the one the Miami Tropics concluded on Sunday. The Tropics beat 3 teams in a span of 55 hours, and they won by an average of 23 points.
The Tropics, a first-year ABA franchise making its first-ever road trip, started out by blasting the Jacksonville Jam by 24 points on Friday. The Jam entered that game unbeaten and ranked No. 1 in the 53-team league.
The Tropics followed that by rallying from a 14-point deficit to beat Orlando by 13 on Saturday night.
On Sunday afternoon, the Tropics completed their hat trick, destroying Palm Beach, 114-83, at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton.
It was the fifth straight win for the Tropics (5-2), who can move into first place if they can beat visiting Jacksonville Monday night at 7:30. The game will be played at University Center Arena on the campus of Nova Southeastern.
The Tropics were never seriously challenged on Sunday by Palm Beach (2-4), who were literally run out of their own gymnasium right from the start.
The Tropics, despite being incredibly tired, somehow managed to burst out to a surreal 38-9 first-quarter lead. Shooting guard Carlos Escalera, the Tropics' leading scorer for the season, led the way with 15 first-quarter points.
The Tropics stretched their lead to 32 points early in the second quarter and led 60-29 at halftime. In fact, Escalera nearly outscored Palm Beach all by himself in the first half (25 to 29).
In the second half, the Tropics again showed how deep they are playing without Saturday's star Angelo Reyes and Escalera, who injured his groin but finished with 27 points.
Even without those two stars, the Tropics had plenty of talent. Pachi Cruz, the team's starting point guard, nearly had a triple-double. He finished with 11 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists.
Forward Terence Shelman was brilliant as usual, scoring 22 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, recording 3 steals and 2 assists. In seven games, he has proven to be a mismatch for every player he has faced. He is too quick outside for big guys and too strong inside for small players.
The Tropics also got major contributions from forward Sylbrin Robinson with 14 rebounds, center Karel Rosario, who scored 16 points, and Ray Rose, the team's defensive menace at point guard, who had 13 points, 4 steals and 3 assists.
Now the Tropics will see if they have anything left in the tank as they play host to Jacksonville again on Monday night.
For more Tropics information, go to www.miamitropicslive.com.
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.
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