Underdog Falls Short in Championship Game
Published on April 15, 2005 under American Basketball Association (ABA) News Release
Bellevue, WA. The incredible maiden-season playoff run of the 13th-seeded Bellevue Blackhawks professional basketball team gasped its last breath in the Championship Game in Little Rock as the heavily-favored Arkansas Rimrockers reached their season goal with a convincing 118-103 win in the ABA Championship Game.
Bellevue, which had finished the 2004-2005 regular season with a 10-16 record and achieved its playoff ranking due to strength of schedule, enjoyed a 51-49 halftime advantage thanks to the efforts of shooting guard and team MVP, Tim Ellis, swingman Justin Murray and power forward Dontay Harris. But, the Blackhawks went cold-as-ice in the third quarter and the Rimrockers' experienced, battle-tested roster pulled away for good in the fourth period before a crowd of 14, 989 in Alltell Arena.
"Arkansas, in my view, was the best team in the ABA this season," said Blackhawks President and General Manager, Michael Tuckman. "Utah and Arkansas were the clear power teams. We lost to them a total of ten times combined."
"Right from the start, this was about showcasing Washington's basketball talent," Tuckman said. "In head coach Rick Turner's pre-game talk before the national semi-final game in Maryland, he wrote a three-digit number on the board - 884. He asked the players if they knew the significance of 884. It was the sum, literally, of the three area codes that make up the Puget Sound region - 206, 425, 253. Rick told them they were representing all of western Washington. The team was brimming with confidence after coach's speech - and went on to defeat a favored Maryland team to reach the finals.
The Bellevue Blackhawks travelled over 20,000 miles this season, by van, bus, sleeper coach, and mostly - airplane - visiting seven different states. The team capped its regular season with a four-game, six night, three state plan, bus and van rumble through Texas, Kansas, Arkansas - but by playing the ABA's #2, #4, #6 ranked teams, they earned their playoff spot. "I'm delighted with the way this team played this season," added Tuckman. "We're committed to re-signing about half of the players from the playoff team right away. The team consisted of ALL local players and coaches - and provide conclusively that the ABA could develop strong and competitive teams using regional players. The Bellevue Blackhawks showed what the ABA is all about - and is to be commended for its outstanding season. For more information, call Michael Tuckman at 206 686 4636, ext. 11 or visit www.blackhawkshoops.com or www.abalive.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.
American Basketball Association Stories from April 15, 2005
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- Underdog Falls Short in Championship Game - ABA
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