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Hoop Dragons Edge Silver Sharks
After a two overtime defeat the last time these two met, everyone knew that this would be another great game. And it did live up to all the hype with a 96-95 final score in favor of the Hoop Dragons.
Both teams settled into their scoring rythym early. But that was to be expected. ASMV scores tons of points and allows a ton at the same time. The game saw 21 lead changes and neither team going up by more than three points.
As the 4th quarter palyed out, it was painfully clear to ASMV fans that another dreaded OT could be in the making. Luckily that did not materialize. OT has not been kind to the team so far, losing both times OT was needed.
Garrigus' 3 pointer with 12 seconds put the Hoop Dragons up by 1. A quick Khazaron timeout and they were in business. Teddy Adelmar( injured Shay Farley's replacement) got a wide open look with three ticks left on the clock. The pressure of the moment obviously affected him as the shot was too strong, and the Hoop Dragons escaped with the victory.
The of the game has to be Garrigus, who score 47 of ASMV's 96 points as his scoring mate Ayudan was shut down by the Sharks and finished with only 12 points. Nouri continued to challenge opposing shooter in the paint with 3 blocks and Malla, the Rodman of the AORBC, grabbed another 16 boards.
Next up for ASMV - The Nedalia Lions. This time for the group lead. Nedalia has played very well following a 103-101 loss to the Hoop Dragons to begin this tourney. Can we do it yet again? You will have to tune in to find that one out. |
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Was it Pacitalia, or was it Nojika?
The Hawks are now 4-1 with a win over someone today in the AORBC. The question is: "Was it Pacitalia, or was it Nojika?" The scores say Nojika, but the schedule says Pacitalia. Either way, the Hawks will face Nojika in their next match. This is another game that the Hawks are expected to win, and would give them a one win margin over everyone else in the AORBC. This would mean that Lamoni would be the number one seed in the AORBC knockouts, with a VERY good chance of winning it all. This would give Lamoni it's first regional trophy; something that would give a welcome boost to the Lamonian sporting community as a whole. |
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Hoop Dragon Quiet the Lions
Andossa Se Mitrin Vega 101, Nedalia 94
ASMV entered the game with the Nedalia Lions knowing that the group title was on the line. So did the Lions. And Nedalia proved it early by exploding for a 31-19 lead after the first quarter. The rest of the game, however belong to ASMV as the lead was cut in half for haltime and the score evened after three quarters had been played.
The fourth quarter started off quickly for both teams, but Nedalia seemed to lose focus with about 5 minutes left on the game clock. This could have had something to do with a drunken fan who kept shouting obscenities in Myrtannian. The fan was directly behind the Nedalia bench and had to be forcably removed from the stands.
Regardless of the cause, ASMV finished with an impressive 10 -0 run to take the victory 101 - 94. Both ASMV and Nedalia move on to the semi finals where Nedalia will face a very impressive Lamoni team who has rolled to a 5-1 record. ASMV now must face the host team who enters the game with a 4-2 record - the same as our beloved Hoop Dragons.
Lamoni looks to advance and the our own game should be too close to call. Expect ASMV to score a lot of points, but with our defense, Myrtannia should do the same.
In other news, ASMV and Myrtannia will face off as the only two women's teams to enter the AORBC. As neither team has played yet, we have no clue as to what will transpire. |
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Hail to the cheif, baby!
With an impressive 11 point victory over Nojika (100-89), Lamoni has a 5-1 record in the AORBC group stages, and will face Nedalia in the semis. After the loss to hosts Myrtannia in the first match of the group stages, the Hawks have put up a very impressive string of wins which have caught the attention of all of Lamoni. Hawk merchandise is selling out in the bigger cities, and everyone and their dog will be watching the Hawks as they battle it out towards the AORBC trophy. The only things standing in the Hawks' way to the trophy? Nedalia, and either hosts Myrtannia or ASMV. Lamonian bookkeepers say that the odds are very much in Lamoni's favor as long as the Hawks don't slip up. |
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Myrtannians to Face Dragons in Both Divisions
After successfully locking up one of the two wild card slots for the playoff round, the surprising Myrtannia Nationals will now face their most difficult opponent since losing to Lamoni a couple days ago. A victory over Pacitalia improved Myrtannia's record to 4-2 in the overall standings, second behind the Hawks. It also secured the 3rd seed in the playoff round, in which the Nationals will face the dangerous ASMV Hoop Dragons.
It could be a very tight game, but the pressure is on the Nationals rather than ASMV. Playing in front of a home crowd can be nerve wracking enough, but in a pressure filled game such as this, the Nationals have their work cut out for them. The nation is watching them, and past inconsistent play in both of their losses could come back to haunt them against the Hoop Dragons.
As was announced just yesterday, the Mytrannia Dryads will take the court for their only game, also against ASMV. Shooting guard Zenobia Abur-Shareef and point guard Tully Stiles were seen at an impromptu shoot around at the Air Myrtannia Center Friday morning, and were later joined by forward Otylia Stone.
"We're excited about getting to play. ASMV's got a tough squad, but I think we'll put on a good show out there for all the AO's hoop fans," stated Dryads head coach Moira Dakkon. |
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Hoop Dragons Edge Out Nationals
In perhaps the toughes game for ASMV so far, the Hoop Dragons manged to not only beat the host Myrtannia, but also they FINALLY won an OT game. As expected the Hoop Dragons once again topped the 100 point mark - and once again, so did the opponent.
It was almost the same old song and dance. Myrtannia's Rahir Abdul had an open look for 3 as time expired, but the shot was too long. ASMV escaped 109-107.
Garrigus, Ayudan, and Nouri each scored 23 points in the game. Casano continued his assist barrage with 16 in the game. Malla collected 19 more rebounds to add to his very impressive totals thus far.
The Championship Game arrives next, and with it the Mighty Hawks of Lamoni. Since losing to Myrtannia as the tourney opened, the Hawks have soared above their competition. They look extremely tough and we will have to work hard to beat them.
This should be a classic match-up of Offense vs Defense. Lamoni has not scored in triple digits often, but their defense hasn't made that a neccesity. ASMV, on the other hand, has simply tried to outscore opponents with little effort to hold them to lower scores. Expect Lamoni to go over the 100 point mark in this one ( hell, almost everyone else has) and the Hoop Dragons will score on the vaunted Hawk defense. Who will win? Tune in to find out. |
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Lady Dragons Set To Face Dryads
ASMV's National Women's Basketball Team will make their debut (and only appearance) in a one game championship against the Dryads of Myrtannia. The hope is that this game will spark the interest of more nations to join in this endeavor.
Now for the teams highlights:
Head Coach Lavenia Graves has bee the coach of Carrington University for the past 11 years. During that time she has guided her teams to 9 national championships, one second place finish, and a berth in the Sweet 16 during her first season.
PG Toi Caira is electric in her play. Averaging a triple double for the Carrington Lady Cats during her collegiate career.
SF Shana Balter comes into this game after averaging 62% from behind the arc in college.
PF Shasta Papaleo is a scoring machine as well. Averaging 35 points a game for little known Kelsey College.
SG Blondell Barette and C Levinia Snethiz are known for defensive play more than any offensive abilities.
The bench is solid and should probably provide some quality minutes. The one to watch here is 6'8 C Michelle Hertha, who before now has only one season of competitive play under her belt. Some sources compare her ability to that of All-Pro Shaun Conarky who has since left Basketball behind to fill the net for the Sea Dragons squad in the WC and other international events.
This should be a great game. We will just have to see how things unfold.
"This is our first play out of ASMV," said backup PF Buah Acenio. "So it will be fun. The only thing that I know for sure is that our uniforms look better than theirs" |
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We win again
With a 7-0 run in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter, Lamoni vanquished yet another opponent; defeating friends and allies Nedalia 97-90. When the game was over, both sides went over to shake hands with the other, and the Lamonian players wished their Nedalian counterparts luck in the third place match. Many of the Lamonian players have friends amongst the Nedalian team.
Next up for the Hawks will be the Hoop Dragons of ASMV. This championship game is looking to be one for the ages as the Lamonian defense will be taking on the ASMV offense. The Hoop Dragons have been routinely scoring over 100 points in their matches, but have lost all but one overtime game (against Myrtannia). So if the Hawks take ASMV to OT, chances are good that Lamoni will win. Either way, this will be a VERY close, winner-take-all game. Who will win? Tune in Monday to find out. |
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Nationals Lose Nail-Biter to Hoop Dragons; Dryads Ready for Lady Dragons
In their most solid game of the AORBC thus far, the Myrtannia Nationals simply came up with the short end of the stick against the superior offense of ASMV. Few turnovers by Myrtannia lead to a classic game between two good teams. It was a seesaw matchup through regulation, with Rahir Abdul leading the way on both sides of the ball (40 points, 8 assists, 12 steals), but his best effort of the AORBC just wasn't enough. Despite a three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game to overtime, which has been an effective death sentence for ASMV up to now, the Nationals couldn't rally in the extra period. ASMV walked away with a close 109-107 win after Rahir Abdul's would-be game winner went long. Myrtannia now will play for third place against the Nedalia Lions, who lost 90-97 to the super Hawks of Lamoni.
And now, a preview of players on the Myrtannia Dryads (the national women's team):
Head Coach Moira Dakkon is one of the basketball legends of Myrtannian roundball. Each of her four years at the University of Damascos as a player, her team won the national championship. After spending 10 years in the WMBL (Women's Myrtannian Basketball League), and ending her career as its all time leader in assists and steals, she become the coach of the reigning 2-time WMBL champion Halosen Pythons.
PG Tully Stiles is regarded as one of Myrtannia's best overall players - a solid defender with a decent shot, and excellent in passing the ball. She is known to pass the ball more often than take a shot herself.
SG Zenobia Abdur-Shareef is the WMBL's reigning scoring champion, and was mentored by men's team off guard Rahir Abdul. A major threat shooting the ball - a career 78% shooter from the field, 59% from outside, and 94% from the charity stripe.
SF Otylia Stone is the Dryads' best defender, playing a scrappy hustle game that frustrates most opponents. Likes to force opponents to take bad shots when she can.
C Sara Golden is reknown around the WMBL as the first woman to dunk the ball in a game in the league's history. A superb low post talent on offense, though her defense leaves something to be desired.
The bench is comprised of the best role players from around the WMBL and the collegiate ranks of Myrtannia. One player of note is backup forward Rona Lee, who is known around the team for her sense of humor. She's a decent rebounder, but also was the first Dryads player to react to a comment about the team's uniform coloration.
"You see, the idea with this orange is for it to blind the opponent," she joked of the Myrtannian squad's mild orange uniforms with navy trim and lettering, "If they worry about our taste in fashion, we'll score on them more easily." |
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Myrtannian Men Lose Again; Dryads Claim Regional Title In Close Game
After losing their first round game against ASMV, the Myrtannia Nationals came into Saturday's third place game looking for redemption. Playing another mostly solid game, the Nationals lead most of the way against the Lions. Rahir Abdul finished with just 19, but the Nationals were up 92-88 with a minute remaining. Myrtannia's defense once again blew this small lead, and the Lions took the opportunity to rally and go up for good. When the dust settled, Nedalia took home third place with a 3 point victory over the Nationals.
In other news from the men's division, an increasing number of Myrtannian fans have jumped on the ASMV and Lamoni bandwagons as the AORBC continues. For domestic Dragons fans, the favorite seems to the rebounding monster that is Robby Malla. As for Hawks fans, the best liked player is best summed up by the chorus of chants heard at each Lamoni game thus far: "Let's go Hugh! Let's go Hugh!".
In happier news for fans of the host nation, the AO Regional Women's Basketball Championship has come into the hands of the Myrtannia Dryads. The game was better contested than the third place match, and filled with much more excitement for fans at large.
Neither team ever took a lead greater than 6 points, and both teams shot fairly well. On the Dryads' side of things, Zenobia Abdur-Shareef lead the offense with 16 points, and Tully Stiles racked up 10 points, 18 assits, and 10 steals to become the game's Most Valuable Player. Neither scored the winning basket, however, which was scored, in Myrtannian fashion, at the buzzer at the end of the second half. Here was the call:
"The Lady Dragons have the ball and a 74-73 lead going into the final seconds here. Here's a pass, and it's... stolen! Stolen by Tully Stiles, who takes it down the court and takes a shot from downtown, and it clanks off the rim... Lee takes the rebound, lets off a sky hook with three tenths of a seond left. There's the final horn and IT'S GOOD! The hook is in and Myrtannia have won! The Dryads win the women's championship, and listen to this crowd roar! Unbelievable finish to an exciting game, and the Lady Dragons just come up short..."
After consecutive dissapointments by the Nationals, the Myrtannian fans needed something to cheer about, and Rona Lee set off the celebration with her sky hook. As soon as the basket went in, a deafening roar filled the stadium - bigger and louder than that heard when the Nationals beat Lamoni on Day One. The fans flooded the court to celebrate the victory, as the Dryads shook hands with their opponents, occasionally embracing them in a sign of friendship after a hard fought game.
"It still hasn't sunk in yet," Otylia Stone said after the trophy presentations, "The Lady Dragons are the toughest team I've ever played against. A lot of fun to watch, and real competitors. I'm sure we'll see 'em again next time too. All the credit in the world to them for the way they played tonight, but it was our time this time."
"I just won the AORBC Women's championship, what am I going to do now? I'm going to Scandon Island!" Rona Lee interjected right afterward, waving her 'AORBC Women's Champion Myrtannia Dryads' t-shirt in the air for all to see.
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Lady Dragons Fall Just Short
The ASMV womens's team came into the game against Myrtannia with high hopes. After 4 quarters of excellent play from both sides, they fell 1 point short of claiming the title. But there was something for the Lady Dragons to build on. Unlike their men's counterparts, this team actually plays some defense. That could be seen in the final score of 75-74.
Myrtannia's Tully Stiles was named the MVP, but a 2 point swing the other way could have seen ASMV's Shasta Papaleo could very well have earned that title. 37 points and 14 rebounds set the Lady Dragon offensive tone. Add in the fact that she shot a blistering 68% from the field, and you can see why she was highly touted by coach Lavenia Graves.
Toi Caira dished out 14 assists and Levinia Snethiz controlled the paint with a very impressive 9 blocks, that forced Myrtannia to look outside for a lot of their opportunities.
All in all, this was a brilliantly played game by both teams. Hopefully the future will see more women's teams involved in what would be a great league. |
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ASMV Offense Shut Down By Lamoni
The Hoop Dragons entered the final game of the AORBC as the highest scoring team in the competition and looked to fly high again in claiming the Championship. But there is an old saying - "Offense thrills the crowd, Defense wins Championships." And that saying proved true today as the Hoop Dragons fell to the Hawks of Lamoni 89-88.
The Hawk defense completely ruled the first three quarters of the game as ASMV fell 17 points behind headed into the 4th. But then Garrigus and Ayudan woke up and remembered how the hell to shoot the ball. ASMV then began an onslaught of points that would see them tie the game at 86 with 1 minute left on the clock. The teams then traded easy baskets, setting up the drama that was the final seconds of the game.
With 7 ticks left on the game clock, Lamoni PG Lance Millenix, was foulded hard by Garrigus. The first foul shot was easily made, but the back end of the 1-1 was too hard and Malla came down with the rebound for the Hoop Dragons. No timeouts remained for either side, so the quick pass downcourt to 6'11 Alvaro Nouri seemed to be enough for ASMV to seal the win.
However, it was much criticized 6'2 Lamoni Center, Hugh Humbert, who made the play of the game. Nouri's supposed easy basket was blasted into the bleachers as time expired, Humbert collecting his 11th blocked shot of the game in the process.
That was enough to allow Lamoni to escape and take the Championship with them.
Congratulations to a very talented Lamoni team on their victory. We look forward to returning the favor next time 'round.
Congrats to Myrtannia also for hosting a wonderful Tourney. |
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Champions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With a blocked shot by Hugh Humber in the closing seconds of the championship match between the Lamoni Hawks and the ASMV Hoop Dragons; Lamoni won with a 89-88 score.
The Hawk defense took care of business during the first three quarters, sending ASMV to the locker rooms down 17 points at the end of the third quarter. The game was eventually tied at 86 with one minute left, and Lamonian PG Lance Millenix made a Free Throw. With ASMV getting the rebound of the missed second Free Throw, it seemed that ASMV might win the game. That was when Hugh Humber made his blocked shot that was "heard around the region." Okay, maybe not the entire region, but close enough.
After the trophy presentation, Hugh Humber raised the trophy
to the fans and thanked them for their support. The members of this team will be remembered in the annals of Lamonian sports history for some time to come, and we can't help but wonder how many of them will make their way back to the next AORBC. |
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