Wide Open Field as IBL Playoffs Come to Bellingham
July 4, 2012 - International Basketball League (IBL)
Bellingham Slam News Release
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - It will be difficult to pick a favorite as the International Basketball League playoffs get under way in Bellingham on Thursday, with a champion for the 2012 season set to be crowned on Sunday.
The playoffs, hosted by the Bellingham Slam, will bring the IBL's top six teams all together in a single-elimination tournament. First round games get underway on Thursday, semi-final games on Friday, and the league championship game is set for Sunday at 5 p.m. All games are being held at Whatcom Pavilion, the Slam's home court.
Conventional wisdom would suggest that the Slam ought to be considered favorites to win the championship. History is on their side, as the host team has won the title every season since the IBL was founded in 2005 - the Slam being both a beneficiary and victim of that statistic, winning at home in 2008 and on the road in Albany, New York, in 2010. Despite having home court advantage and earning a first-round bye as the regular season champion, the Slam still face a difficult road in a league that has proven any team is capable of winning on a given night.
Their opponent on Friday will either be the Vancouver Volcanoes or Salem Soldiers, both teams that Bellingham has had trouble with. Last season, the Slam lost to the Volcanoes in the semi-finals with Vancouver playing as the host team and watched as they went on to capture the 2011 league championship, and this year two of the Slam's three losses in the regular season came against Salem - including their home opener back on April 21. Further, a possible opponent in the championship could be the Portland Chinooks, who are positioned opposite Bellingham in the bracket as the number two seed, and just beat the Slam in a close game on the road last weekend.
Nonetheless, Bellingham legitimately has the pieces to bring home a second championship. Guards Paul Hafford and Morris Anderson are both enjoying their best seasons in Slam uniforms, with Hafford leading the team in scoring with 23.7 points per game and Anderson not far behind with 21.4 per game.
Center Blake Poole is also impressing in his second season in the Slam frontcourt, with averages of 13.1 points and 18.2 rebounds per game. He finished with double-doubles in 13 of the Slam's 18 games during the regular season. Veteran Guard Jacob Stevenson has also come on strong for the Slam late in the season, boosting his scoring average to 16.9 points per game after a slow start to the year.
The Slam's title run will begin on Friday at 7:30pm at Whatcom Pavilion, as they await the winner of Thursday's first round game featuring #4 Vancouver and #5 Salem . Should the Slam win, they would advance to Sunday's championship game at 5 p.m.
The tournament will get started on Friday at 5p.m. as the #3 ranked Edmonton Energy battle the #6 Olympia Reign, with the winner moving on to face the #2 seeded Portland Chinooks, who also received a first round bye along with Bellingham, on Friday at 5 p.m.
Tickets are still available for all tournament games, with courtside seating costing $20 or $15 depending on location, and general admission tickets priced at $10 for adults, $8 for students and seniors, and $5 for children. Tickets purchased for the first round and semi-finals are valid for both games each day. Ticket can be purchased by calling the Slam at (360) 734-SLAM, on their website at www.bellinghamslam.com or at the Whatcom Pavilion box office starting at 4 p.m. on Thursday.
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International Basketball League Stories from July 4, 2012
- The IBL this Week: IBL Playoffs Tip in Bellingham on Thursday - IBL
- Wide Open Field as IBL Playoffs Come to Bellingham - Bellingham Slam
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