Yakama Sun Kings capture 2006 CBA championship with 111-101 victory over Gary Steelheads
March 27, 2006 - Continental Basketball Association 1 (CBA 1)
Yakama Sun Kings News Release
Yakama Captures 2006 CBA Championship With 111-101 Victory Over Gary Sun Kings take final two games of the series to earn their fourth CBA Title
Gary, IN (March 27, 2006) - The Yakama Sun Kings outscored the Gary Steelheads 12-2 over the final 1:20 to capture game three of the Continental Basketball Association Finals series and earned themselves their fourth CBA Championship in franchise history on Monday night with a 111-101 victory.
The Sun Kings won the best-of-three championship series by taking the final two games on the road at Gary within a 24-hour span.
Gary's Chris Alexander scored on a putback with 2:08 left in regulation to tie the game, 99-99. However, Yakama made its final six free throw attempts, including four by Rosell Ellis, in the final 80 seconds to seal the victory.
"It's very gratifying and I'm drained," said Yakama coach Paul Woolpert. "When you come and play a team like Gary on the road and win twice in 24 hours, it's a hell of an accomplishment.
"I want to congratulate Coach Jackson and the Steelheads on a great season. The Steelheads are heading in the right direction and Jaren has them where they need to be."
Each team earned its wins on the road, with Gary winning game one of the CBA Finals in Yakima, Wash., on March 23 (119-103). The Sun Kings then forced a game three by winning on Sunday, March 26 (91-87), in Gary, Ind.
Yakama guard Anthony Goldwire, who was named the CBA's Most Valuable Player for the regular season, earned CBA Finals MVP accolades, as well. Goldwire averaged 18.3 points and 7.3 assists in the championship series, including 20 points and three assists in the series-clinching game three.
"We feel comfortable on the road," said Goldwire. "We came in and had some young guys who can play and we had some veterans who stepped up, as well."
The Sun Kings were led by Elvin Mims, the No. 1 CBA draft pick of the Yakama Sun Kings in 2002, who scored 29 points with a game-high 11 rebounds.
"My boy Elvin (Mims) stepped up big time for us tonight," Goldwire said about his teammate.
Gary entered the 2006 CBA Playoffs as the No. 1 overall seed and won the Eastern Conference thanks to a league-best 197.0 quarter points.
"It's tough and disappointing," said Gary coach Jaren Jackson. "Our team is young, but each player grew, developed and I'm proud of what they did and accomplished. My guys played their hearts out all season long.
"This has been great all year. It's been a great experience for me. I want to thank the CBA, a league that helped me develop as a player and now as a coach. I'm humbled and appreciative of everything."
Yakama shot 56.4 pct. (44-of-78) from the field compared to Gary's 41.9 pct. (34-of-81). Gary had the edge in rebounding (43-40) and shot 80.7 pct. from the free-throw line (25-of-31) to Yakama's 64.3 pct. (18-of-28). Each team committed 11 turnovers in the game while Yakama's bench outscored Gary's, 44-18.
CBA Finals Notes.
- Gary finished the regular season with a 29-19 record and a league-best 197.0 quarter points (4.10 avg.), capturing the Eastern Conference title and the overall No. 1 seed for the CBA Playoffs. Yakama finished the regular season with a league-best record of 31-17 with 195.5 quarter points (4.07 avg.), good enough to win the Western Conference and earn the No. 2 seed for the CBA Playoffs. The Sun Kings have won their three previous CBA Finals appearances (1995, 2000 and 2003).
- Gary and Yakama earned the right to play in the CBA Finals after accumulating the most quarter points in their three first-round playoff games with 14 apiece.
- Prior to the start of the 2005-06 season, the Sun Kings changed the spelling of its name from Yakima to Yakama in honor of the Yakama Nation Tribal Council who took over ownership of the team.
- Gary head coach Jaren Jackson, making his first appearance as a coach in the CBA Finals, holds the all-time record for CBA Finals games played with 23 appearances as a player. Jackson played in the 1991, 1992, 1995, and 1996 CBA Finals, earning championship rings with Wichita Falls (1991) and La Crosse (1992). Jackson is also ranked among CBA Finals leaders in steals (5th, 27), minutes played (6th, 601) and points scored (8th, 275). The Georgetown alum was named the 2006 CBA Coach of the Year.
- This marked the first CBA Finals appearance for the Gary Steelheads in the six-year history of the franchise.
- Yakama had the best winning record on the road in the CBA during the regular season at 15-9 (.625 pct.).
- The Sun King are now 4-0 in the CBA Finals, having won the league title in 1995, 2000, 2003, and now 2006. This is Paul Woolpert's second CBA Championship, having led the Sun Kings in 2000.
- The average attendance at the three CBA Finals games was 4,122 (12,367 total).
- This marks the end of the CBA's 60th anniversary season. The CBA is the longest running professional basketball league in the world.
2006 CBA Playoff First-Round Results (Home Team in CAPS)
Tuesday, March 14
Yakama 114, Rockford 108 (6,1)
Wednesday, March 15
Sioux Falls 106, Albany 97 (5,2)
Thursday, March 16
Rockford 108, Idaho 105 (5,2)
Gary 106, Yakama 98 (6,1)
Saturday, March 18
Albany 108, Idaho 104 (5.5, 1.5)
Gary 124, Sioux Falls 92 (7,0)
Monday, March 20
Sioux Falls 104, Rockford 93 (7,0).
Tuesday, March 21
Idaho 100, Gary 90 (6,1)
Yakama 132, Albany 114 (7,0)
2006 CBA Finals Schedule
Thursday, March 23
Gary 119, YAKAMA 103
Sunday, March 26
Yakama 91, GARY 87
Monday, March 27
Yakama 111, GARY 101
• Discuss this story on the Continental Basketball Association 1 message board...
Continental Basketball Association 1 Stories from March 27, 2006
- Yakama Sun Kings capture 2006 CBA championship with 111-101 victory over Gary Steelheads - Yakama Sun Kings
- Skyforce Moving Offices - Sioux Falls Skyforce
- Steelheads, Sun Kings to decide CBA title tonight - Gary Steelheads
- Sun Kings Defeat Steelheads 91-87, Forcing Deciding Game in CBA Finals - Gary Steelheads
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.
