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"And welcome to the BazSports coverage of the 2nd Atlantian Oceania Regional Basketball Championship. I'm your host Denis Rainy. The game today was only won today by the 1 point, though which team won. We'll reveal that later in the broadcast. The game seamed to be a repeat of the Bazalopes first encounter with the Khazonians with the Khazonians taking an early lead in the first quarter. Score Khazaron - 27, Bazalonia - 10"
<Video of the occasional Dribbling Bazalope goal interspersed within the Khazonian tirade>
"The 2nd quarter was however certainly different as while the Dribbling Bazalopes managed to crawl back and equalise the Khazarons in points during the 2nd quarter but at half time the score was Khazaron 46 - 21 Bazalonia. This time the Dribbling Bazalopes seemed certain for defeat."
<Video of the better goals og Both Khazaron and Bazalonia>
"However the 3rd and the last quarter the Dribbling Bazalopes clawed back the points and with just seconds left it was Khhazaron 100. Bazalonia 100, it seemed that the Bazalopes would take the lead with Daniel Death with the ball. Let's go to the video and watch that.."
Daniel Death has the ball his his hands looking for a way pass through the wall of defense that the Khazaron team has set up, he can't and so passes it to Hobbs... Though in an almost magical leap Brant Talin, snatches the ball out of the air and continues down the court towards their offensive end. He bounce passes it to Kwame Munroe who makes an attempt at a three pointer... the clock is counting down 6... 5... 4... He starts to shoot but is spoiled by Hezekiah Lukeson. A foul is called and Kwame goes to the Free Shot line, he lines up the shot and takes it, the ball sails down and touches nothing but net. 3 .. 2... 1.... The Drribling Bazalopes get the ball and attempt to make a million to one longshot in the dying seconds but the ball falls well shot the buzzer rings and that is full time.
"And thus the Bazalopes fall to the Khazarons in their first defeat of the Atlantian Oceania Regional Basketball Championship. Great game from both the Dribbling Bazalopes and the Silver Sharks. And we'll certainly be keeping an eye on the Silver sharks next match against Nedalia. Since the next match day will be a bye for the Dribbling Bazalopes we'll do a tournament re-cap of the 13th AOCAF. This is Denis Rainy and you have been watching the azSports Highlight coverage of the 2nd Atlantian Oceania Regional Basketball Championship." |
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Eating A Bazalope Burger |
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Drayds Make Successful Debut, Improve to 2-0 All-Time In Competition
HALOSEN GARDEN ARENA, Halosen - After playing only once in inter-regional competition, the Myrtannia Dryads were looking to prove themselves on their first day of action. Going in to AORBC II, they held a 1-0 record all time in inter-regional compeititon, the one win coming against ASMV in the women's title game. As defending champions, they had and still have a big target on their backs as ASMV returns looking to avenge the loss, and two new teams throw their hats into the fray.
On Sunday, the Dryads faced the first of these teams - the Geisenfried Lady Lancers, counterpart to the successful men's team that suffered its first loss on Sunday. Geisenfried sported a big front line that, like that of D&S, caused the Dryads to make the personell change that brought Ping Seek to the Myrtannia lineup. At every position except PF and C, the Lancers sported a size advantage over the defending champion Dryads. That made the game close, as did the Lancers' talent despite this being their first AORBC.
The first quarter was a see-saw battle, with both teams knocking down shots like it was going out of style. Zenobia Abdur-Shareef led the Drayd attack with 15 in the first, all three-pointers. But Geisenfried hung in there, and by the end of one, it was all knotted up at 26. In the second, the taller Lancers flexed some muscle by going on a 12-3 run to start things off, and Abdur-Shareef couldn't get any open shots.
At the half, it looked like there might be an upset in the works, with Geisenfried up by a score of 46-34. Then, the Dryads kicked into gear, reversing their usual strategy of outside shooting to discourage foes. Now, they kicked the ball inside to Sara Golden and the tallest woman on the court, the 6'7" Ping Seek. Bolstered by a serious rebounding effort by both women, the Dryads got back into the game, and started running against the taller Lady Lancers. Tully Stiles scored three consecutive layups during this stretch, and Becky Franken stepped in to add size to the Dryads' defensive efforts.
The Lady Lancers kept things close, though, and late in the fourth, it was tied at 70 apiece. Once again, the Dryads went to work, first when Stiles drove the lane against the big girls of the Geisenfried lineup, only to pass it behind her back to an open Seek, who proceeded to dunk the ball with both hands, sending the Myrtannian fans to their feet. It was the first dunk in the history of the AORBC Women's division competition. On the next play, Rona Lee, off the bench for defensive purposes, got a steal, and got it to Ping again - who was knocked down just as she let off her shot, got the foul, and hit the basket anyway. A freethrow later, it was Myrtannia up 75-70.
Geisenfried got a two pointer and then the free throw on their next possession, to make it 73-75, but that was as close as they would get. Myrtannia took a timeout, and then inbounded it to reserve guard Mary Finley, who nailed a three from the corner to put the Dryads up by five with ten seconds to go. On the last possession of the game, an attempted shot by the Lancers was rejected by Seek, and the ball recovered by Finley, who simply dribbled out to clock to a Dryads win.
"You've gotta hand it to the Lancers, they played really well out there. Their size will give a lot of people problems in games to come," Rona Lee said, "We were just five points better this time. Well, that and we've got the power of Ping."
Next up for the Dryads is the team they beat for the title in AORBC I - the ASMV Lady Dragons, coming off a surprising 80-82 loss to Dorian and Sonya. Expect a close game between the two roundball rivals as the Dragons try to reassert themselves on the hardwood. It'll be their running game against Myrtannian versatility - the Dryads can run, but prefer to control the tempo and take more jumpers, a mix of outside and inside shots. Ping Seek gives the Dryads an edge inside they didn't have last time around, but she can't do it herself.
Key Players: Ping Seek, C (18 points, 14 rebounds, 9 blocks v. GEIS)
Sara Golden, PF (16 points, 9 rebounds, 10 assists v. GEIS)
Zenobia Abdur-Shareef, SG (17 points v. GEIS)
Tully Stiles, PG (8 points, 16 assists v. GEIS)
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Hawks fall to Earth
It was a most 'interesting' day for the Hawks as they just seemed to give out in the final minute of the fourth quarter. A minor sprain to the left ankle of Hugh Humber just before halftime did not help Lamoni either. Hugh should be able to practice with the team tommorow, and even to play full tempo in the final Lamonian group stage match against Myrtannia. While the Hawks would have preferred the win, they will still be able to dominate the knockouts with their current record. The Hawks lost a game in AORBC I, and went on to win the championship, after all.
Lamoni will be shooting hoops at a local High School that has been designated for the purpose during their bye, and might even have a fun game with a Myrtannian squad at said high school with the proper permission.
Lamoni's final group stage match shall be against hosts Myrtannia, and will feature Hugh Humber against the giant that Myrtannia claims will be able to stop him. This will definetly be a very good game, and many eyes shall be watching in both nations. We don't want to sound arrogant, but we believe that Hugh Humber shall prevail in his battle against the Myrtannian giant. Hugh is known to be explosive, and his smaller size means that he can run circles around the larger Myrtannian center. While Hugh might have a little difficulty defending against the giant, it should even out on the offensive side of the ball. |
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"Winning Point Controversy" by Nev Gould
Usually I am a soccer correspondant but once in a while a there is a sports news event that is just so bizzare that I have no option but to bring it to your contention. IF you have watched the coverage of the Dribbling Bazalopes then you would be well aware of the 1 point that seperated the winner from the loser of the Bazalonia game against Khazaron. Bazalonia on the loosing side, but I have gotten my hand on something very interesting from the BBF (Bazalonian Basketball Federation). The BBF president has seemed to take a page from James Gaines book, the head of the Bazalonian Federation of Soccer Associations (BFSA). And have complained to the Myrtannian organises of the Atlantian Oceania Regional Basketball Championship, about the foul that gave the Khazaron basketball team the point that it needed to win the game instead of forcing the game to extra time.
I have a copy of the letter from the BBF but I cannot publish the letter in full, but I can provide snippets in which the BBF alleges "judging incompetence, if not worse", "flagrant disrespect for previous foul rulings" as well many other accusations. The BBF are demanding the sacking of the umpire in question and for the organisers to award the match to Bazalonia or at least do an extra 15 minutes and the winner would be the winner of that. As that would be the time awarded for extra time for the original game.
Personally, I think this is a load of total bollocks and I would like to personally apologise to the organisers for this I have looked at the game and have talked to some basketball nuts that I have as friends and we all agree the BBF has no idea what it is talking about.
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Eating A Bazalope Burger |
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Suns Eclipse Surprising Iksonic; ASMV Avenges AORBC I Loss in Women's Side
It was another day of exciting action at the Second Atlantian Oceania Regional Basketball Championship, which saw Myrtannia's teams meet different fates on the court. The Suns entered Day Five with a 1-1 record, and coming off their loss to Lamoni on Day Three, which they played without C Vito Munise. On Monday night, Vito was back in uniform, and looking much better after getting much needed rest. It was unclear during the warm ups whether or not the big man would be able to dominate as he had during the first matchup with Iksonic, but any doubts were quickly erased.
From the start, Myrtannia controlled the tempo of the game, winning the opening tip-off and charging down the court for a Jerome Young layup. By the end of the first, the Suns' offensive assault had them riding high 35-12. For the rest of the game, Iksonic scrambled to try and stop the hot hand of Rahir Abdul, and the inside dominance of a healthy Vito Munise. Once again, Vito dominated Iksonic, outrebounding both the opponent's center and power forward combined. On defense, the Suns kept their opponents at bay with blocks and steals that confounded Iksonic. Iksonic did manage to get within 11 in the third, but that was as close as this one ever got.
Vito Munise (30 points, 18 rebs, 9 blocks) led four Myrtannians scoring in double digits, including Rahir Abdul (26 points, 10 assits), Jerome Young (15 points, 2 steals), and Kirby Rylant (12 points, 12 assists). Next up for the 2-1 Suns is a date with destiny on the hardwood in a rematch of Day Three against defending champion Lamoni. Myrtannia is 1-2 all time against the Hawks in basketball, the one win coming on the opening day of AORBC I at the buzzer. Now, the Suns have to find a way to stop Hugh Humber, and Vito may be up to the challenge. While not as fast as Hugh, he is quick for a big man, and has been extremely good on defense in the two games he's played in. This time, with both men healthy, there'll be a mini-war on the court. However, if Lamoni focuses too much on Munise, the Suns can always fall back on Rahir Abdul, the most constant scorer for this team.
There were unconfirmed reports of a portion of the Myrtannian team playing a friendly scrimmage against members of the Hawks at an area high school, but Vito was nowhere to be seen. Expect chants of "Let's go Hugh!" to clash with the war-cry of certain Suns fans of, "Vi-to! Vi-to! Vi-to!".
In women's action, the Dryads had a hard-fought battle with the familiar rival of ASMV. Last time, it was the Dryads who won a very close game, but this was the Lady Dragons' night to get lucky. Neither team really pulled out in front, so it was a huge see-saw battle on the floor as the Dragons ran against the Dryads, and the Dryads tried to use a more balanced attack to fell their opponents.
Ping Seek gave the opposition problems as she scored often in the paint, leading Myrtannia with a career-high 28 points. In addition to grabbing 11 rebounds and blocking 6 shots, it still wasn't enough to stop the Lady Dragons. Several times, ASMV simply cut through the bigger Myrtannia frontcourt to drive to the hoop. With under 10 seconds remaining, ASMV was up 78-75, Myrtannia in possession of the ball.
Tully Stiles made a gorgeous pass to Ping behind her back, and Ping followed it up with her second dunk of the competition to make it 78-77. On the next play, Stiles got a steal, then hurled it down the court toward Mary Finley, where the Lady Dragons intercepted the pass and held on to win by one.
"They're good, and they had a lot to prove after losing to the Lady Mystics yesterday. This time, we just didn't have enough juice to finish it out, and the Dragons got the win. I admit, they were the better team this time," coach Dakkon said after the game.
The final matchup for Myrtannia in the women's division before the seeding for the knockouts is announced will be against the high-flying Dorian and Sonya Lady Mystics, who are still unbeaten after defeating Geisenfried 85-84 on Day Five. It should be a good match as the defending champions look to rebound from their slim loss to ASMV against a bigger D&S lineup.
On a side note, in response to a column by Bazalonian writer Nev Gould, the Myrtannian Basketball League, which provides referees for the AORBC, has released a rebuttal over the 'controversy' about Khazaron's winning free throw against the Bazalopes. An excerpt from the statement by the MBL's Officiation Department:
"The foul in question was a valid call, and not unlike previous ones made in the very same game and in other contests both in the AORBC and the MBL's regular domestic competitions. There is, however, an error in the way the call was executed in the match that requires clarification. Khazaron's Kwame Munroe was fouled in the process of shooting a three point shot. The impact with which the Bazalonian player hit him in an obvious foul is not what is in question. What is is the fact that Munroe was awarded only one foul shot. By the rules and guidelines of the Myrtannian Basketball League and the AORBC officiating authority, Munroe should have been awarded a number of shots equal to the point value of the shot he was attempting while fouled. In this case, three. The official in question has been reprimanded for this discrepancy, and will not make the same mistake in the future. Regardless, the result of a Khazaron victory stands."
This post has been edited by Myrtannia on Apr 25 2006, 11:18 AM |
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Mystics Fall To Hoop Dragons
Last time the Mystics took the court against ASMV, they lost in a high scoring affair by 11 points. Then came D&S's own offensive glory against the Lancers. But everyone on the Mystics team knew that to beat the Hoop Dragons, defense would be the key. So D&S set about the business of using their great size advantage to slow the game down.
And for 3 1/2 quarters the strategy seemed to work. With just 6 minutes left on the clock, the Mystics went up 80-78. But then came the fatal mistake. "Sinister" Glenister fouled Nolan garrigus hard, sending the ASMV All-Star to the locker room with a bruised thigh. That foul woke the sleeping Dragons and the fight was on - even if it was one-sided. Kendi Ayudan of the Hoop Dragons took over and scored 9 straight points as ASMV closed the game on a 16-8 run.
"We played well against them." said Trento Reents (17 pts, 13 assists) following the game. "Any time you can hold that team under 100 points, you did a hell of a job. They just used their experience to finish and we fell short. Ayudan hid that can of whoop-ass until the end without us knowing it was there."
The loss eleiminates D&S from moving on in the men's competition. But that was already known after falling to 0-2 early.
Lady Mystics Edge Lady Lancers - Remain Unbeaten
The Lady Mystics size moved them past ASMV's smaller line-up in game 1. Now it was time to see how well it would do against a team that could actually match-up with them - Geisenfrieds Lady Lancers. And what a battle that turned out to be.
In a game that saw 21 lead changes and 3 points as the largest lead by either team, it came right down to the final buzzer. Here is the commentary from the last 10 seconds of the game:
"Servatius inbounds the ball, with the Lady Mystics down by one.... Ruggle has the ball....a near steal....and now the pass downcourt to Delosa in the paint....The shot is blocked!.......3 seconds on the clock.....Caughlin picks up the loose ball....the shot is away........the buzzer.......and the shot is GOOD!!!!........Lady Mystics pull it off!!!......And still undefeated!....final score - D&S 85 - Geisenfried 84"
Little-used Joette Caughlin had come into the game just minutes before as Cleotilde Hambric became the 4th Lady Mystic to foul out of the game. But her only points of the game were the largest as D&S escaped with the win.
Next up for the Lady Mystics are the Dryads of Myrtannia who fell today to ASMV 78-77. Our girls look very tough right now, but the Dryads are the reigning champions. After we beat them, we will be ready to take that title for good. |
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Hawks ready for match against Myrtannia
Unconfirmed reports indicate that the Hawks were not idle on their day off. They practiced at a local Myrtannian high school gym, and even played a friendly scrimmage with the Myrtannians in which the Myrtannian 'answer' to Hugh Humber did not show up. We expect that Hugh will be able to score points on Vito Munise, but that the rest of the Hawks squad will also have to step it up, as the Hugh vs. Vito match-up has already been called a 'mini-war.' Lamonian defense should be able to stop the other Myrtannian threat, Rahir Abdul. It will be up to Hugh to subdue Vito, but Hugh's explosiveness should make that a 50/50 or better proposition.
Whoever wins this match will clinch the first ranking in Group B, and have a very good shot at winning the AORBC II trophy. In the end, it will probably come down to whoever wants it more. Lamoni won the trophy in AORBC I, and has a slight advantage in this game. Still and all, this should be a very interesting game to watch. |
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Hoop Dragons Return to Form
The Hoop Dragons faced The Mystics for the second time in AOBC II. The first meeting had been all ASMV on their way to an 11 point win. But a slip up against the lancers and D&S wanting revenge would make an entirely different story for the second meeting.
The Mystics came out slowing the ball down, and keeping ASMV off the break. The lack of flow to the game really affected the Hoop Dragons for the majority of the game. In fact, ASMV took its first lead of the game at 78-77 on an Alvaro Nouri rim-shaker. But “Sinister” Glenister 3 point shot gave D&S the lead back at 80-78. Then Sinister screwed up. The very hard, and completely uncalled for, foul on Nolan Garrigus sent the star to the locker room with a badly bruised thigh. That foul would be the turning point for the Hoop Dragons.
Kendi Ayudan went off. On the court, that is. 3 consecutive 3 pointers and 14 of the last 16 points for ASMV sealed the win. 94-88 was the final score. Ayudan finished with 29 points, Garrigus added 24 before the injury, and Nouri dropped in 21. Fidel Casano dished out 17 assists and Robby Malla collected 27 massive rebounds for the game. Reserve power forward Casey Miller also added 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Next up is a rematch, and a chance for revenge, against the Lancers. This game is for the group title and ASMV will not be looking to repeat the debacle of the last meeting.
Lady Dragons Drop Dryads- Revenge is Sweet
In women’s action, the Lady dragons took on the Dryads in a rematch of the lone AOBC I game. That time ASMV lost to Myrtannia, and they were not eager to do that again.
The Lady Dragons looked to run, as usual. And as usual, that plan did not work to perfection. But the Dryads are the closest ASMV can get to actually matching up with in the half-court. Ping Seek was the Dryad star in this one. Levinia Snethiz and Michelle Hertha could do little to stop the Myrtannian center. But the Lady Dragons had an equalizer - speed. Toi Caira, Shana Balter, and Shasta Papaleo used that speed to beat defenders and score easily as they drove to the hoop. The game remained very close to the end.
As the clock hit the 10 second mark for the game, Toi caira’s 3 pointer gave ASMV a 78-75 lead. Then Myrtannia opted for the easy points as Ping threw down a Darryll Dawkins-like dunk to pull the game to a single point. A Stiles steal seemed ready to give the Dryads a chance, but the horrid pass that followed was easilt handled by Blondelle Barrett to preserve the ASMV victory
Next up for ASMV are the 0-2 Lady Lancers. Luck hasn’t been on their side in a couple of close games. But this game is very important. D&S (2-0) faces Myrtannia(1-1). ASMV is 1-1 as well. If D&S and ASMV win, the Lady Dragons will finish second in the group to the lady Mystics. If ASMV and Myrtannia win, there will be a three-way tie at 2-1. If ASMV loses and Myrtannia wins, ASMV will finish 3rd. If ASMV and Myrtannia both lose, a three-way tie at 1-1. Any way you look at it, we need to beat the Lady Lancers.
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Suns Beat Hawks; Claim First Place in Group B, Round Robin Phase
SKALATUR, Fergot - It was the roundball war to end all wars at the Air Myrtannia Center as the two best teams in Group B battled it out to see who would have a shot at a bye in round one of the knockouts, and who would be forced to muddle through an extra knockout match. The winner would be 3-1, the loser 2-2. It was an epic game in the making, and both Lamoni and Myrtannia gave their all in the matchup. These two teams always play exciting games, and last time Lamoni was the better squad. This time, the result was different.
After playing a friendly scrimmage against the Hawks at Siggurd Jarlsson High School (home of the Fighting Lutefisk), the Suns had a casual air about them during the pre-game shoot around. Guard Rahir Abdul even shook hands with Lamonian players and posed for pictures with his opposite number from the Hawks side. Overall, it was a genial mood before tipoff, and the two centers got their first look at one another - Lamoni's superstar Hugh Humber and Myrtannia's big man Vito Munise. The focus of the game for many people would be the Hugh/Vito contest, dubbed a mini-war by this newspaper.
In a hotly contested game, the first half saw Lamoni go up by as many as eight before Myrtannia stormed right back to tie it and take a lead as big as four. Vito surprised people by passing more often than shooting in the first quarter, tossing it out to Rahir Abdul and Kirby Rylant. The two Suns guards combined for 29 points in the first half alone (Abdul with 17, Rylant with 12), and lit up the scoreboard from downtown. Lamoni made a game of it in the second quarter, pushing to go ahead, but never quite breaking away. Myrtannia was like an annoying pest that wouldn't go away.
The second was also when Vito Munise started taking it in against Hugh Humber, and using his size to drive to the hoop. For all of Humber's talent, this time the Myrtannian center was able to keep up with the smaller man. Hawks fans' cheer of "Let's Go Hugh!" could still be heard, but were at times drowned out with the "Vi-to! Vi-to! Vi-to!" of the Suns fans. At the half, the score as even Steven at 56 apiece.
Something had to give, and it did. Throughout the third quarter, Hugh Humber was able to score, but Vito stayed with him on both ends of the court. Unlike Sebastian Walton, Vito Munise wouldn't be duped as easily. Lamoni played a better quarter, though, and was up 78-76 at the end of three.
Going into the final quarter, Rahir Abdul was struggling against the Lamoni defense with only two points in the entire second half. Coach Al-Hakim pulled him out and sent in the defensive-minded Irwin Bartmettler, a move that proved to be beneficial to the Suns. Bartlmettler shocked the Hawks with five steals in the fourth quarter, which led to crucial points on fast breaks. A crucial 10 points that would give Myrtannia the edge it needed.
With one minute remaining, it was the Suns ahead 94-90, and Hawks ball. Hugh Humber got it inside, and scored despite Vito's best efforts to stop him, which resulted in a foul and a free throw for Hugh. One free throw later, it was 94-93. Then, Bartmettler took the inbound pass and got it to backup PG Gregory Yew, who nailed a three to extend the Suns lead to 97-93. With the clock ticking down to half a minute, the Hawks had the ball and again tried to get it to Humber, their go-to-guy. Famous for the 'block heard 'round the region' in AORBC I, Humber was on the recieving end of a big swat by Vito that put the ball in the hands of Suns forward Jerome Young.
Young dribbled out as much as he could of the clock, and then took a three point shot - which swished into the net, sending the Myrtannian fans to their feet. The score at 100-93, and 4 seconds remaining, the Hawks tried to save face with a three, which clanged off the rim and into the hands of Randolph Tulberg. Fans charged the court as the final horn signaled the Suns' astounding victory, and Suns players shook hands with their friends from the Lamonian side. Vito Munise shook the hand of Hugh Humber, and seemed to congratulate him for a game well-played.
Neither center won the mini-war; both did very well for themselves, and it leaves it up in the air whether Vito is the answer to Hugh Humber, or just a good player. Munise racked up another impressive game with 32 points, 17 rebs, and 7 blocked shots. Irwin Bartmettler had his best game, scoring 10 off the bench, and adding 5 steals and 4 assits in ten minutes of action.
The three-way tie breaker for first place in the men's division was won by the Suns, by benefit of a +35 point differential in the round robin phase overall. They take the #1 seed and join ASMV in getting a bye from the first round of the playoffs. Next up for the Suns will be the winner of the Khazaron v. Geisenfried game, which should prove to be an interesting game either way.
Lamoni, the defending AORBC champion, dropped to the #4 seed and will play #5 Bazalonia on Satuday, the winner facing ASMV.
This post has been edited by Myrtannia on Apr 27 2006, 01:53 AM |
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Lady Mystics Stumble - Await Revenge
With the men's team on a bye date and already eliminated from the playoffs, focus here has switched to our Lady Mystics and the powerful force thet are posing in AOBC II. We knew it, Myrtannia knew it, and it seems the officials knew it too - Myrtannia could not hope to match up against our girls in the frontcourt.
It's hard to play against the number 1 ranked team, especially on their court in front of their fans - and with the help that goes with that. Early on it was evident that the men in stripes would not allow Ping Seek of the Dryads to be outplayed by the larger D&S lineup. Ngan Delosa picked up two fouls in the first 5 minutes of play - the second one was very questionable. Then her replacement,Azalee Staum, was given a second foul just 30 seconds into the 2nd quarter. The sad part is she was more than 5 feet away from anyone as she trailed on the fast break. That left the bulk of the inside work to two very untested players - Roselia Maple and Gala Stroth. Although the two stand 6'7 and 6'9 respectively, their inexperience could not replace the play of the veterans in front of them in the lineup.
That lack of experience hurt the Lady Mystics by limiting their options, and the Dryads took full advantage of that fact. In the end, the Dryads left the court with an 86-80 victory. And then even worse news came. ASMV had destroyed the Lady Lancers 90-78. That set up a three-way tie for first between ASMV, Myrtannia and the Lady Mystics. And the God-Aweful tie-breaker relegated us to a #3 seed for the playoffs. And guess what? We get to replay this whole damn thing again in the first round.
But there will be a difference then. If we are going to get called for that many fouls- we are going to make every single one of them really count. It's going to be a war out there. |
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Dryads Take Out Lady Mystics, Will Face D&S In Playoffs
HALOSEN, Turku - The defending champion Dryads entered the day facing a must-win situation against the Dorian and Sonya Lady Mystics. D&S' team was the only unbeaten squad, sporting two big wins over ASMV and Geisenfried. Myrtannia was 1-1, and facing a difficult situation if they lost.
Myrtannia played with a purpose, using their slightly better mobility to counter the superior size of the Lady Mystics. Starting at PG for the benched Tully Stiles, Mary Finley played marvelously against Dorian and Sonya, knocking down a good number of shots on her way to a career AORBC high 16 points. Not much, but it made a difference in the long run. Finley also contributed with solid if uninspired passing, making sure her teammates got the ball. After the result of the ASMV game, the Dryads weren't taking any chances.
Ping Seek dominated once again, despite being shorter than the opposing squad's starting center. Seek broke her career high in points with 34, the second-highest total in AORBC Women's division history, and added 12 rebounds and 10 assists to 5 blocks in her best performance yet.
"The Mystics were good, but we wanted this one more," the enigmatic Seek told reporters after the game.
Myrtannia never trailed by more than a point, but only led by more than two in the fourth quarter, where they went up by six. A pair of dunks from Ping put the Dryads up 86-80, and the defense of Rona Lee, Becky Franken, Ping, Mona Vanhannen, and Tully Stiles shut down the efforts of the Lady Mystics to get into the game.
The Dryads became the first team to beat the Lady Mystics so far, but Dorian and Sonya will obviously be looking for revenge in the playoffs. Myrtannia ended up drawing the second seed in the Women's division, which means they will see the Lady Mystics again in the Semis.
"They're a very good team; it should be one heck of a rematch out there!" proclaimed Rona Lee, the most outspoken member of the Dryads team.
The ASMV Lady Dragons had the highest point differential after blowing out the Geisenfried Lady Lancers, and will play the Lancers again in the Semis.
Accusations of bias in officiation are being investigated by the MWBL, and as of official order by the AORBC governing authority, all referees involved in the first Myrtannia v. Dorian and Sonya game have been removed from duty. Reports indicate that referees from a neutral party will be there to officiate the playoff matchup. Possibly from Lamoni or Nedalia or another undisclosed nation.
However, the referees offered this statement: "The Dorian and Sonya Lady Mystics have legitimate reason to grumble on certain calls. However, the official rules of the AORBC Women's division clearly state that the foul limit per player is five fouls, not two. It is the responsibility of the team, in this case the Lady Mystics, to not pull players out of the game for fouling out if they have not yet fouled out. We did not force their players to leave the court because of this, but the Dorian and Sonya coach removed the players in question anyway. We apologize for any appearance of bias or jaded officiation in the game."
This post has been edited by Myrtannia on Apr 27 2006, 02:21 AM |
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Hoop Dragons Prove A Point In Blowout Win
ASMV regarded today's game against the Lancers of geisenfried as a statement game that would show everyone they were here to win the whole thing. A make that statement they did - In grand fashion.
The Lancers were not to be outdone. A rock solid defensive effort held the Hoop Dragons under 90 points. And that had only been done once before by Lamoni in the finals of AOBC I.
But the Hoop Dragons had an answer that no one expected to see. They actually played defense. In a shocking turn of events, ASMV allowed just 73 points for the entire game. Usually that number is more like a third quarter score. But hey, there is a first time for everything. Just dont expect too many efforts like this one. Our defensive points average still sucks.
The duo of Garrigus and Ayudan once again led the Hoop Dragons as the two combined for 63 of the ASMV 87 points. 17 more belonged to big man, Alvaro Nouri, who also blocked 9 shots in the game. Malla as usual dominated the boards, collecting 19 of them, 15 on the defensive end. And Fidel Casano earned a double-double with 13 assists and 11 steals.
That win gave ASMV the group title and a bye in the first round of the playoffs. But the reward really sucks. Most likely ASMV will face Hugh Humber and the defending Champs from Lamoni (no offense to Bazalonia). Obviously this is what most people wanted to see in a finals rematch. |
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Lady Dragons Finally Able to Run
And run they did. The lady Lancer looked shell-shocked for most of the game, and showed a complete inability to slow down the Lady Dragons. 43 of the 90 points were scored on the break as Geisenfried players stuggled in their transition defense.
Shasta Papaleo led the way for ASMV with 33 points in the game. 4 other players reached double digits in the win that ultimately led to ASMV's #1 seed in the playoffs.
And that is where we face the Lady Lancers for the second consecutive game.
"Next time won't be as easy." said Papaleo following the game. "They now have some time to get their game plan ready and make the adjustments that they couldnt get done today. It will be a much closer game."
when informed of reports of bad officiating in the Myrtannia vs D&S game, and the official's statemnets afterwards, Head Coach Lavenia Graves had this to say -
"Are those officials completely nuts? Everybody here knows that each player gets 5 fouls. It is complete absurdity that they even made that comment. I personally did not watch the game, so I cant tell you whether or not the calls were justified. But I can say that when players get into early foul trouble it limits what you can do. And at the rate those fouls seem to have been called, the players in question would have been out of the game by the half. No coach in their right mind would ever allow that to happen. Foul trouble changes games, and those officials know that. Their comment is completelt derogatory to all coaches here. Glad they won't be around to ref my game." |
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"And welcome to the BazSports coverage of the 2nd Atlantian Oceania Regional Basketball Championship. I'm your host Denis Rainy. This was another close game between our opponents, in this case Nedalia. The game was full of ups and downs, changes of leads and no one was ever more than 8 goals away from each other. This one had us biting our nails right to the end. So let's get to it.
"Daniel Death started the game with a marvelous 3-pointer."
<Video of Daniel Death being half way between the 3-point line and the third markings of the court releasing the ball hittinh the back board, bouncing into the hoop with the ball swirling around a bit then it falls out down the bottom>
"The Nedalians countered with a goal of their own and here is where the leads started to swap constantly. At the end of the first quarter it was Nedalia 27 - Bazalonia 28, with only the 1 point difference seperating the 2 teams. The Second quarter was not much different and it seemed that neither team could break away from each other, Craig Johan had already ammassed 3 personal goals and was sat out for the rest of the game,'Peppy" Eiragon Ricardo' took his place. The score at half-time was Nedalia 52 Bazalonia 50. The second half saw Bazalonia starting to build up a small lead, just sneaking in the occasional extra goal here and there, they managed to score a total of 8 unanswered points. For a total at 3 quarter time of Nedalia 67 - Bazalonia 73. However Nedalia scored the first points and not only rained in that lead of 6 but scored 6 extra. Taking the final score to Nedalia 96 - Bazalonia 90."
Despite this loss Bazalonia has made it into the Atlantian Oceanian Regional Basketball Championship Quarter Finals. Where we face the winner of the first and only Atlantian Oceania Regional Basketball Championship, Lamoni. They won three of their games and our Dribbling Bazalopes have been citied by Vegan media as "not having a chance" but you never know with Tournaments like this, particularily in Finals, we could just e better than Lamoni on the day, even though that is not very likely. It is always unwise to rule-out anyone in the tournament. I am Denis Rainy. And this has been BazSports Highlight Coverage of the 2nd Atlantian Oceania Regional Basketball championship."
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After the Broadcast...
"Why do I have to say the whole thing and not just AORBC?" exclaimed Denis Rainy to the Aports Editor.
"Because, that's how we've always down things like this. If you don't like theres the door. Don't let it hit you on the way out." exclaimed the editor
"Okay... Okay... I was just asking if we could do it another way, obviously not then." |
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Bazalonia |
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Eating A Bazalope Burger |
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Posts: 774 |
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Lamoni faces Bazalonia next
After a 93-100 loss to Myrtannia in the final group match, Lamoni will be facing AORBC newcomers Bazalonia. The winner of that match goes on to face ASMV. As you may recall, the Hawks defeated ASMV to win the AORBC I trophy. If Lamoni makes it past Bazalonia, then ASMV will be waiting with everything that they have.
The Hawks have yet to face Bazalonia in the AORBC; and while others are saying that Bazalonia doesn't stand a chance, Lamoni will still play them like the record is 0-0. With Bazalonia now an SDL member, this should be a fairly friendly game; politically speaking. On the court however, it will be more like 'to each his own.'
<Picture of Hugh Humber slam dunking at LBA All Star Game>
Then there is the question of whether the Bazalonians will be ready for the explosiveness of Hugh Humber. He's not the only star on the Lamonian squad, but he's the one that gets all the international attention for being insturmental in Lamoni's performance in AORBC I.
While giving Bazalonia a fair chance, it is the opinion of this paper that Lamoni will be able to win this upcoming match, if only because of the famed Lamonian defense. |
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Lamoni |
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Democratic Maniac |
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Posts: 1952 |
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