NationStates Jolt Archive

World Cup of Basketball 2 - RP/Scores Thread


Roster Thread (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=7561968)
WCB1 RP Thread (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=369885)


Group A
Lethislavania
Lovisa
Sarzonia
The Gulf States

Group B
Big Pimento
Hisam
Praying2God
Vilita

Group C
Aquiliana
Fmjphoenix
Liverpool England
Sliponia

Group D
Adam Island
Harlesburg
Hiiraan
Kaze Progressa


Schedule

MD1: 1v4, 2v3
MD2: 3v1, 2v4
MD3: 1v2, 4v3
MD4: 4v1, 3v2
MD5: 1v3, 4v2
MD6: 2v1, 3v4

Top 2 teams from each group will advance to knockout rounds.


MD1 results will be posted approximately 20 hours from now.

Storm gunning for title

In the last World Cup of Basketball, the Sarzonian national team was an uncertain bunch that wasn't sure if they could play the sport on the international level with a league that was struggling to get started. After a hard-fought loss to Harlesburg, the Storm are a very different team from the one that travelled to Castillanos.

"We're much more certain of where we fit into the basketball world," Coach Dick Motta said. "We have an idea of the system we run and we've proven we're one of the better teams in the world."

Motta said the Storm will look to get the ball inside to power forward Nate "Tiny" Bonner more than they did in the first Cup. He also put in more sets to have forward and leading scorer Terry Casterbridge drive to the lane for layups.

"We've got a great, pure scorer in Terry," Motta said. "We need to use that."

The team will look to implement more of a passing offense than before with Motta saying the rest of the team needed to be involved.

"We can't have Terry or anyone working their fannies off while everyone else is watching them. If we've got open looks, we've got to drain 'em."

The Storm is preparing for their first tipoff of World Cup 2 against Lovisa with the team rated as the third seed in spite of its trip to the finals in the previous World Cup. Motta said the team wasn't bothered by what some media suggested was a slight.

"No one thinks we're going to be able to repeat our run from last Cup. We're just going to have to prove them wrong."

[OOC: How am I only a #3 seed after the last Cup anyway?]

Familiar Foes Featured in Group B

After a tumultuous first World Cup which saw the Poppers go 4-1 over two continents with a lengthy stall in the middle of the event, Big Pimento is ready for more. The Pimentos are a solid team, kicking off the inaugural tournament 4-0, before losing the match which would have sent them to the finals 104-97 to Sarzonia. This is a veteran side making the trek to Aquiliana, and this time, they’ve got their eyes on the ultimate prize. Let’s take a look at Big Pimento’s opponents in Group B.

Matchdays 1 & 4: Vilita
The Vilitians are a traditionally strong sporting nation, and will be looking to redeem themselves after getting knocked out of the Group Stage winless last time. Big Pimento played Vilita during the last World Cup and the Jungle Cats played their best match of the tournament against the Poppers. Vilita matches up well against Big Pimento, but they’ll be outgunned down low and in terms of international experience. Big Pimento should be the favorites for this one.

Matchdays 2 & 5: Praying2God
Although Praying2God are relative newcomers to high-level international basketball, they’ve got to be pretty good or else they wouldn’t have reached this point. Known as a very defensive side, they match-up pretty well with Big Pimento’s traditionally strong interior game. The Pimentos will need good matches from Sandro Miller and Roy Ellis if they hope to pass by these stingy opponents.

Matchdays 3 & 6: Hisam
Big Pimento played Hisam in the semi-final round of the last World Cup and crawled away with a victory 101-92. The final scoreline proved to be a sidenote, as observers were enthralled with the terrific battle down low between the Poppers’ Cristiano Douglas and the Ballers’ Raghan Veraus, arguably two of the finest power forwards in the World. Douglas is a quicker and more athletic player, while Veraus is stronger and more physical. We’re expecting nothing less than two more terrific battles from these two titans.

Keys to Victory
Though Big Pimento earned a lot of victories and respect last World Cup with tough defense, they’ll need to try to run up the score this time around. They can’t abandon playing solid defense, but they’ve got the edge on most teams in terms of offensive ability and they have to take advantage of that. Big Pimento will need contributions from their superstars. Sandro Miller and Roy Ellis need to help with the transition offense and Cristiano Douglas and Orlando Santiago have to be rock solid down low. The starters will get a lot of playing time since this isn’t one of the deeper rosters participating, so they’ll have to be on their games.

WARRIORS DRAWN INTO EXPERIENCED GROUP

The Praying2God Warriors were drawn into a group of four teams for the 2nd WC of Basketball. The bad news for the Warriors is that they are the only team in the group that did not participate in the first WC. However, initial reports are that they should match up pretty well with their opposition. While qualifying is not expected, it is certainly not out of the question.

Ballers Placed in Group B

Hisam has been drawn in group B along with Big Pimiento, Vilita and Praying2God. The Ballers will face stiff competition from all the teams and are prepared for the challenge. Coach Greg had the following to say:

Well, we are really ready for this even though this is quite a strong group. Clearly our biggest opposition would be Big Pimiento, who beat us last year in the semi-finals and we would really like to repay the favor. Raghan especially wants to have a go at Cristiano again and I think it would be an interesting match again. Big Pimiento are one of my picks to take the tournament, besides the Ballers of course.

Saying that, we are not going to take Vilita and Praying2God lightly. Vilita played some good basketball in the last WCB and will probably have a few tricks up there sleeves. Also, I would pick them as another contender for the title.

Praying2God is a new team who plays killer defense from what I have heard. They will be quite a challenge but I feel quite confident that we can handle them.

----Bobby Faran, Hisam News Agency

The Progressans, in their first World Cup of Basketball, have modest hopes: 'We want to avoid losing all six matches and anything else is a bonus!' laughed coach Quaza Biuta.

Most hopes of doing that are pinned on Garh Vanuzo, the storming Pageas Perfection shooting guard. And he certainly can shoot. 'He's fabulous on offense,' noted Biuta, 'and the rest of the side have the defensive talent to protect him and let him do his thing. Or at least, we hope so.'

Hiiraan and Harlesburg await in their group, while Adam Island are the first opposition. 'They've got a great starting five, though they're short on strength in depth. I think that's quite common among smaller nations. Still, they've got some serious talent and we'd be happy to win that one.' The defending champions Harlesburg, of course, are the team to watch: 'They might treat the games against us as a doddle and that's the only way they can lose them - they are that good on their day,' noted Biuta.

Sliponia Prepares For A Run At The Big Dance
Sliponian schedule announced.

Aquiliana--Sliponia's national team will be placed in Group C with the likes of the host Aquiliana, Fmjphoenix, and Liverpool England. Sliponia will look to make a make in their first basketball World Cup.

"We are very excited about playing," said Guard Aaron Miles. "We have been training hard and feel it will pay off. We're not looking to play for second or third place. We're going for the win. We'll take on any team and give them a run for their money. We're not going to say we're the best team alive. We are just going to let our actions on the court speak for us."

The Slips schedule goes as follows:

Sliponia National Basketball Schedule
Sliponia vs. Aquiliana
Sliponia vs. Fmjphoenix
Sliponia vs. Liverpool England
Sliponia vs. Aquilana
Sliponia vs. Fmjphoenix
Sliponia vs. Aquiliana

Harlesburg Arrives

As the Harlesburg team arrives in Aquiliana for the Second ever Basketball World Cup things are looking good for the team after astrong showing in a home series against Zambezi which was won 2 games to 1.

Harlesburg has been allocated to Pool D with fellow nations
Adam Island
Hiiraan
Kaze Progressa

Although the Harlesburg Coaching staff dosent know too much about these teams they are currently going thru local footage of the teams training and of these nations Domestic League.

"Im confident that these teams deserve to be here.Theyve gone thru Regional playoffs and the likes and some of these can be pretty hectic"
Said Harlesburg Head Coach Richard Swain

Harlesburg's first match is against Hiiraan followed by matches against Kaze Progressa and finally an away game to Adam Island in the first half of round play then its an away game against Hiiraan an away game against Kaze Progressa and finnaly back in the colours against Adam Island.

"Hiiraan are a complex team you know they have some excellent shooters in that team they like to squeeze you down low and try and drain the clock on possesion they work the refs well ive heard"
Said Harlesburg star

Harlesburg have named this team to take on Hiiraan
Starters
5-PG-Albert Rimmer(6'3"-186lbs)
Albert Rimmer a player of reasonably tall stature for a point guard.Vetern of the National squad that one the first World Cup.Is best described as a high scoring pick pocket.[8:8]

4-SG-Ronald Barker(5'10"-172lbs)
Came into the team after a massive impression in his third season in the Citrius-Vastiva local league some doubt his abilities but has proven himself on numerous occasions.Averages 16 points a game and 7 assists.Shoots a wicked three from anywhere but lacks defense.[6:9]

3-SF-Ryan Edwards(6'8"-224lbs)
Consistantly embarrases defenders at the age of 25 he has let wisdom get the better of his youth.Massive dunking ability asured of a high rebound tally because of his presence in the key.[6:6]

1-C-Jack Taylor(7'2"-254lbs)
Jack Taylor now playing in his 16th year in the HNBL a true veteran but has slowed down considerably.Rumoured to retire after this Championship win last time round encouraged him to return for one more Tourney.His prescence at both ends of the court ensures both Offence and Defensive Boards and has neat 3 for a big man.Plays for the Harlesburg Heat.[5:8]

2-PF-Robert Handkoff(6'10"-248lbs)
Robert Handkoff a strong burly Forward from Comnors Corsairs he led the team to the semis last season and with another strong performance before being selected for the national squad had led The Corsairs to a 6-2 record including wins against the Harlesburg Heat and Kingston Hussars..[7:6]

Bench
6-SG(sixth man)-Josh Ballard(5'11"-168lbs)
Josh Ballard plays for the Port Royale Bombardiers.His slight of hand has the ability to put players in the gaps and to pick a pocket.Showed grit in many Screaming Eagles wins.[5:7]

7-PG-Micheal Clarke(6'1"-182lbs)
Gentle passer a real team player has ability to run rings around any opposition.Plays for Harlesburg Heat.[5:7]

8-SG/SF-John Rampart(6'3"-196lbs).His abilities are exceptional always finds himself in position to make a play[5:6]

9-C-Oliver Collier(6'11"-246lbs).In Taylor's shadow for the past 6 years is realy coming of age now [8:]

10-PF-Jared Jurgonson(6'11"-242lbs).Handkoff gets around the court with ease for a big man killer 3 but more noted for his dunks.[7:5]

11-SF-Tony Halliburton(6'7"-222lbs).Never realy gets much of a chance behind Edward but when hes on this go off allround player of some merit High rebounder[5:6]

12-PG/SG-Troy Breakspear(5'11"-189lbs)Was an outstanding member of the Original team to win the World Cup has ability to play both guard positions and as such is a scorer and playmaker strong three pointer and rarely misses a free throw.Comes on earlier than youd expect posts high numbers[7:6]
[74:76]

The only Team change is with Ronald Barker taking Josh Ballard's spot in the starting lineup due to reports of a star Point guard who controls Hiiraan's plays.It will be his job to close him down

(OOC)Gotta go to Cricket ive left Player Point allocation up

Lethislavania begins playing against The Gulf States. Chi Zhao was noted in practice as saying he was "Happy, but spent..." and "Just want to win one." Many fans are anxious due to the apperance of Sarzonia in the cup.

"Yes, it's quite scary. They've got a monstrous team." Said Thomas Kryilla, from Kratu.

"Well, from what I've seen, it should be a tough game. Their players are top-notch, and Chi isn't good enough to beat them all." Thomas's sister, Marla said, while eating a gingerbread cookie.

All and all, we look forward to having a great opening season.

Adam Island World Basketball Schedule Announced

MD1: v. Kaze Progressa
MD2: @Hiiraan
MD3: v. Harlesburg
MD4: @ Kaze Progressa
MD5: v. Hiiraan
MD6: @Harlesburg

Sarz: It's alphabetical order - you're 2nd overall seed in the tournament.


MD1 Results

Group A

Lethislavania 92 - 85 The Gulf States
Lovisa 116 - 112 Sarzonia (2OT - 95, 106)

Pos Team GP W L PF:PA PD
1 Lethislavania 1 1 0 92:85 +7
2 Lovisa 1 1 0 116:112 +4
3 Sarzonia 1 0 1 112:116 -4
4 The Gulf States 1 0 1 85:92 -7

Group B

Big Pimento 94 - 98 Vilita
Hisam 84 - 90 Praying2God

Pos Team GP W L PF:PA PD
1 Praying2God 1 1 0 90:84 +6
2 Vilita 1 1 0 98:94 +4
3 Big Pimento 1 0 1 94:98 -4
4 Hisam 1 0 1 84:90 -6

Group C

Aquiliana 92 - 103 Sliponia
Fmjphoenix 90 - 109 Liverpool England

Pos Team GP W L PF:PA PD
1 Liverpool England 1 1 0 109:90 +19
2 Sliponia 1 1 0 103:92 +11
3 Aquiliana 1 0 1 92:103 -11
4 Fmjphoenix 1 0 1 90:109 -19

Group D

Adam Island 95 - 89 Kaze Progressa
Harlesburg 97 - 95 Hiiraan (OT - 86)

Pos Team GP W L PF:PA PD
1 Adam Island 1 1 0 95:89 +6
2 Harlesburg 1 1 0 97:95 +2
3 Hiiraan 1 0 1 95:97 -2
4 Kaze Progressa 1 0 1 89:95 -6

Vilita put the ball in the hoop thing


------------------The Vilita ...erm... erm.... Hoop Cats beat Regional Rivals Big Pimento in this weird game where each team took like 50 shots 2 feet away from a target about arms length above their heads. The only misses of the game came when a fan through a banana peel in the big pimento box in the first half, causing them to slip and miss 3 baskets in a row. Vilita's only miss came at the end of the game when instead of walking to the net and placing the ball in, Center Forward Victor Coy decided to go talk to a hot blonde in the stands as the clock ran out.


Vilita

Shots: 50
Made: 49
3-Pts: 0
Total: 98


Big Pimento

Shots: 50
Made: 47
3-Pts: 0
Total: 94

Liverpool England routs Fmjphoenix Strike in their first international game

Liverpool England helped the Strike learn that they are gonna have to play a few before they can come and play with the big boys. They put down the Strike 109-90 in a game that didnt look competitive from the start.

THe Strike came out and starting forward James Brown had 3 fouls within the first 3 minutes. That started the pace as the Strike fouled quite a bit to start off. Remart Ssaryu was the leading scorer for the Strike going 11 of 18 from the field along with 4 of 6 from the stripe to have 26 points along with 11 rebounds.

At the start of the third quarter, the Strike tried to pull a comeback with a 13-0 run capped off by a long 3-pointer by James Jackson to bring them with 5 at 74-69. But LE responded with a quick 10-0 run right back and the Strike could not get their tempo going again. One of the highlights was seeing Kevin Granite in action for the Strike, as he is expected to take the starting PF spot from Brown maybe this cup. He had 11 points in 28 minutes.

Now that the first game is over for the Strike, look for them to come back and respond with a fast paced tempo with lots of passing against Sliponia.

Fmjphoenix Strike Stats:
Position Name MIN FGM FGA 3PM 3PA FTM FTA PTS RBS AST STL BLK TO FL

PG Jason Briggs 39 4 15 1 2 6 6 15 4 9 1 0 3 1
SG Ryan Stoudimite 41 6 14 2 5 4 4 18 3 4 1 0 3 2
SF Trent Grouden 29 1 2 0 0 1 2 3 8 3 4 3 1 1
PF James Brown 20 3 10 0 3 2 2 8 7 2 0 1 3 5
C Remart Ssaryu 34 11 18 0 0 4 6 26 11 1 0 4 5 2

PG Trevor Cassell 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 2 0 1 0
G/F James Jackson 24 2 6 2 4 0 0 6 7 4 1 1 0 2
SG Brevern House 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0
SF Brian Kaprov 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
F/C Carlos Robinson 9 0 4 0 0 1 2 1 5 1 0 1 1 1
PF Kevin Granite 28 4 8 1 1 2 2 11 7 4 1 1 1 1
C Fred Megedo 5 1 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 1 0 1

Hiiraan played

Hiiraan played a good match

Hiiraan played a good match against Harlesburg

Hiiraan played a good macth against harlesburg

But HIiiraan lost

Hiiraan wants to win tomorrow.

all of Hiiraan players are Not Hiiranians

Hiiranians dont play basketball

THE state TV hates basketball

THE states newpaper hates basketball.

I like seeing them HATE basketball

Hiiraan thinks itwill win

BUT hiiraan lost

Hiiraan players are not going to be shown. WHY?

because they are africans, americans, one chinnese and 20 europeans

Hiiraan has never sen basketball [ not me, the hiiranians ]

Hiiraan laughs at the basketBALL.

Hiiraan says itws round

Hiiraan does like FOOTBALL

just not american FOOTBALL.

I hope no one starts a AMERICAN FOOTBALL rping

WHY? becasue Hiiraan is overworked.

Hiiraan has lost today

Hiiraan will play AI tomorrow

Hiiraan will win

Hiiraan says bye

Hiiraan *********** (i wont waste your laughs.)

:p

WARRIORS BATTLE TO HISTORIC UPSET

The Praying2God Warriors shocked the basketball world yesterday by upseting defending WC semifinalist, Hisam 90-84 in their WC debut. Not only did they pull the upset, but their win has them on top of their group right now! They are not expected to stay there, since they play the defending runner-ups from Big Pimento next, but they provided one of the most memorable moments of the tournament on the opening day. The Warriors scoring punch was led by "The Rock," Peter Rock, who scored 14 points. Thomas Faith added 13, and John Child added 12 for the Warriors. Isaiah Bold led the way off the bench with 10 points of his own, in just 15 minutes. How will the Warriors respond to being the beseiged, instead of the seigers? We'll find out tomorrow.

Hisam On The Losing End

Hisam started its second WCB campaign in a bad way. They lost a closesly contested match to WCB newcomers Praying2God. The game was even until the final two minutes where it appeared that the pressure got to the Ballers, and they wasted three possesions in a row. Praying2God capitalized on it and that decided the difference between the two teams.

Coach Greg when asked about the match: "We'll we played a good match, but the jitters got to us. I thought the game was going to be ours, but we really did not come out with a lot of energy and could not break away. Full credit to the opposing team as they kept their cool and made the important baskets."

The star of the team was clearly Raghan Veraus who again dominated the boards with 12 rebounds and had 20 points. Sarjean Maressa also had 18 points contributing from behind the arc with 3 out of 6.

The Ballers now face Vilita on the next matchday.

-----Bobby Faran, Hisam News Agency

MD2 Results

Group A

Sarzonia 98 - 89 Lethislavania
Lovisa 103 - 92 The Gulf States

Pos Team GP W L PF:PA PD
1 Lovisa 2 2 0 219:204 +15
2 Sarzonia 2 1 1 210:205 +5
3 Lethislavania 2 1 1 181:183 -2
4 The Gulf States 2 0 2 177:195 -18

Group B

Praying2God 101 - 87 Big Pimento
Hisam 86 - 90 Vilita

Pos Team GP W L PF:PA PD
1 Praying2God 2 2 0 191:171 +20
2 Vilita 2 2 0 188:180 +8
3 Hisam 2 0 2 170:180 -10
4 Big Pimento 2 0 2 181:199 -18

Group C

Liverpool England 102 - 97 Aquiliana (OT - 91)
Fmjphoenix 85 - 88 Sliponia

Pos Team GP W L PF:PA PD
1 Liverpool England 2 2 0 211:187 +24
2 Sliponia 2 2 0 191:177 +14
3 Aquiliana 2 0 2 189:205 -16
4 Fmjphoenix 2 0 2 175:197 -22

Group D

Hiiraan 90 - 93 Adam Island
Harlesburg 89 - 95 Kaze Progressa

Pos Team GP W L PF:PA PD
1 Adam Island 2 2 0 188:179 +9
2 Kaze Progressa 2 1 1 184:184 +0
3 Harlesburg 2 1 1 186:190 -4
4 Hiiraan 2 0 2 185:190 -5

Liverpool England Basketballers Go 2-0?

In what has come as a surprise to the nation, the 'national' basketball team has won its first two games in Aquiliana's World Cup of Basketball, 109-90 against Sliponia and a shock overtime 102-97 win over hosts Aquiliana (91-91 after 4 quarters of play).

Starting Center Timothy Rush was the highlight of both games, grabbing 40 points in the first with 18 rebounds and 7 assists, while achieving a triple-double in the second game with 33 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists.

Lethislavania Fighting Green

Matchday 1 - VS. The Gulf States

Player:

PG - Aleksandr Karnesky; 9 Points, 2 Blocks, 4 Rebounds
SG - Todd Boeing; 10 Points, 1 Steal
SF - Thomas Karnesky; 10 Points, 2 Rebounds
PF - Chris Katamwe; 8 Points, 2 Blocks, 1 Steal, 3 Rebounds
C - Chi Zhao; 53 Points, 12 Blocks, 11 Steals, 7 Rebounds

Matchday 2 - VS. Sarzonia

Player:

PG - Aleksandr Karnesky; 2 Points, 2 Blocks
SG - Todd Boeing; 20 Points, 1 Rebound
SF - Thomas Karnesky; 10 Points, 2 Rebounds, 1 Block
PF - Chris Katamwe; 7 Points, 4 Rebounds, 1 Steal
C - Chi Zhao; 47 Points, 10 Blocks, 8 Steals, 11 Rebounds
PG - Christopher Smith; 2 Points, 2 Rebounds
G - Levi Johnson; 1 Point

BIG PIMENTO CUT DOWN TO SIZE IN MIRACULOUSLY EASY WIN

The Praying2God Warriors continued their unbelievable run through the innagural appearance in the WC of Basketball, as they routed the defending WC runner-ups, Big Pimento 101-87 yesterday. The Warriors came out firing from beyond the arc, and were uncannily accurate, hitting 9 of the 17 three-pointers that they attempted. After building an 11 point halftime lead, they let their bench players and scrubs get some minutes in the second half, and coasted to victory. Everybody played in the game for the Warriors. The Warrior attack was led by their big three again, as Peter Rock (21 points, 13 rebounds), Thomas Faith (18 points, 11 rebounds), and John Child (16 points, 11 assists) all recorded double-doubles. The Warriors currently have the second best team in the tournament, to fellow newcomer, offensive juggernaut, and traditional soccer power, Liverpool England. The Warriors are host of the best defensive unit in the tournament, giving up 85.5 points per game. If they keep playing like this, the Warriors may prove a couple of old sayings to be true: that miracles do happen, and that defense wins championships. Their next game is against the second place team in their group, and also a newcomer and soccer power, Vilita, who is also undefeated so far. Vilita may not be the top team that Hisam or Big Pimento was, but they are not a team to be overlooked.


Min Pts Reb Assists Stls Blks TO Fouls 2PT FG 3PT FG FT
John Child 30 16 7 11 3 0 1 1 1 of 3 4 of 5 2 of 2
James Head 27 6 3 0 2 0 2 2 0 of 4 2 of 5 0 of 4
Paul Walk 29 8 4 1 0 0 1 1 2 of 5 1 of 3 1 of 2
Thomas Faith 34 18 11 4 0 1 0 0 7 of 10 0 of 0 4 of 4
Peter Rock 36 21 13 1 1 1 0 1 7 of 9 0 of 0 7 of 7
Joseph Trust 16 12 2 5 2 0 2 1 1 of 4 2 of 3 4 of 4
Samuel Wise 22 4 2 1 2 0 0 2 2 of 5 0 of 1 0 of 0
Isaiah Bold 25 13 10 1 0 1 0 2 4 of 7 0 of 0 5 of 6
Abraham Old 16 2 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 of 3 0 of 0 0 of 0
Daniel Hope 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 of 0 0 of 0 0 of 0
David Strong 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 of 0 0 of 0 1 of 2
Adam Apple 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 of 0 0 of 0 0 of 0
Team Totals 240 101 54 25 11 3 8 11 25 of 50 9 of 17 24 of 31
50% 52.90% 77.40%

'BIG GUYS, BIGGER UPSET', as the Daily Scream, um, screamed.

The Daily Kangaroo changed its masthead to show its symbolic kangaroo slam-dunking home.

This was the biggest news in Kaze Progressa since they made the football World Cup final. The Progressan basketballers had come to Harlesburg, to face that nation's defending World Cup champions, on the back of a defeat to the new boys of Adam Island.

And won.

The basis of the stunning result was inevitably Garh Vanuzo's shooting, with 31 points including five three-point shots; double-digit hauls were also recorded from three other players as the Harlesburg players, notably the aging Jack Taylor, were caught out consistently in a match they presumably had down as a home banker. They almost got caught out against Hiiraan - needing overtime to win. The attitude was the same, and the consequence was inevitable.

The Progressans led 26-19 after the first quarter, the fans roundly booing the home team. The response was immediate with a 9-0 run putting Harlesburg briefly back in the lead, before the Progressans responded with a 7-0 run of their own. A see-saw end to the second quarter, with eight consecutive shots sunk at one point, meant the Progressans led 53-47 at half-time.

Both sides showed signs of nerve in the third quarter and only one of the five free throws awarded in it were sunk. The shot percentage of both sides fell below 40%. The fear factor was off the scale as the Progressans suddenly, like the football team who collectively fainted after leading in that World Cup final, realised that the impossible was coming true - while the Harlesburg side, still playing poorly, were unable to take advantage. The score going into the fourth quarter was 70-66. Just 36 points were scored in that quarter, compared to 51 in the second.

The fear seemed to dissolve with the start of the fourth quarter, as both teams gained new determination and resolve. Six baskets were sunk in succession, but critically the two three-pointers among them were both from Vanuzo. And so the Progressans led 78-72. The Harlesburg players, in spite of their best efforts, now looked inadequate especially on defence, and never got close to overhauling the Progressan lead until the last minutes, when suddenly a 7-0 run put them within a point at 88-87 with 58.5 on the clock. Then Vanuzo finished things, first by sinking a three-pointer and then setting up an alley-oop for <player> to make it 93-87 with 23 seconds to go. A quick rebound from a desperate three-pointer narrowed the gap to four, but by then it was too late. And just to finish things off, Vanuzo's finger-roll on the buzzer completed the humiliation. A final score of 95-89, a monster upset, two nations astonished - one distraught, the other delerious.

Harlesburg win First Game
Harlesburg won their first game of the new world cup in stunning fashion beating Hiiraan in an overtime thriller.

With the scores locked at 86 a piece at the end of regulation things went to overtime and everything was on the line.Harlesburg eventually winning the match 97 to 95.

Things started well for the team as they piled on some big points early on and this gave them a 4 point lead going into the second quarter after the first finished off 22-18.

the second was a reverse of fortunes for the national team as they lost their lead and the dominance they had had above Hiiraan finishing off the second 44-43 behind.

"I was disapointed the way they came back it looked like we went off the boil but we just struggled to contain some of their players."said Albert Rimmer

Rimmer was one of the star performers for the Screaming Eagles scoring 34 points,3 assists and 2 steals.

The third and fourth were more pedestrian with more of the same the third finishing 69 a piece which set the fourth up to be a cracker which it certainly proved to be.

"The fourth was a real battle it was a battle that followed on from three earlier battles and was followed by an amazing overtime period.

More to come

Harlesburg Vs Kaze Progressa

Finish off later :D
Lost to an Ocker :confused: :(

After abizarre loss Harlesburg have reshuffled their team

Starters
5-PG-Albert Rimmer(6'3"-186lbs)
Albert Rimmer a player of reasonably tall stature for a point guard.Vetern of the National squad that one the first World Cup.Is best described as a high scoring pick pocket.[8:8]


12-PG/SG-Troy Breakspear(5'11"-189lbs)Was an outstanding member of the Original team to win the World Cup has ability to play both guard positions and as such is a scorer and playmaker strong three pointer and rarely misses a free throw.Comes on earlier than youd expect posts high numbers[7:6]
[74:76]

8-SG/SF-John Rampart(6'3"-196lbs).His abilities are exceptional always finds himself in position to make a play[5:6]

1-C-Jack Taylor(7'2"-254lbs)
Jack Taylor now playing in his 16th year in the HNBL a true veteran but has slowed down considerably.Rumoured to retire after this Championship win last time round encouraged him to return for one more Tourney.His prescence at both ends of the court ensures both Offence and Defensive Boards and has neat 3 for a big man.Plays for the Harlesburg Heat.[5:8]

2-PF-Robert Handkoff(6'10"-248lbs)
Robert Handkoff a strong burly Forward from Comnors Corsairs he led the team to the semis last season and with another strong performance before being selected for the national squad had led The Corsairs to a 6-2 record including wins against the Harlesburg Heat and Kingston Hussars..[7:6]

Bench
6-SG(sixth man)-Josh Ballard(5'11"-168lbs)
Josh Ballard plays for the Port Royale Bombardiers.His slight of hand has the ability to put players in the gaps and to pick a pocket.Showed grit in many Screaming Eagles wins.[5:7]

7-PG-Micheal Clarke(6'1"-182lbs)
Gentle passer a real team player has ability to run rings around any opposition.Plays for Harlesburg Heat.[5:7]

3-SF-Ryan Edwards(6'8"-224lbs)
Consistantly embarrases defenders at the age of 25 he has let wisdom get the better of his youth.Massive dunking ability asured of a high rebound tally because of his presence in the key.[6:6]
9-C-Oliver Collier(6'11"-246lbs).In Taylor's shadow for the past 6 years is realy coming of age now [8:4]

10-PF-Jared Jurgonson(6'11"-242lbs).Handkoff gets around the court with ease for a big man killer 3 but more noted for his dunks.[7:5]

11-SF-Tony Halliburton(6'7"-222lbs).Never realy gets much of a chance behind Edward but when hes on this go off allround player of some merit High rebounder[5:6]

-SG-Ronald Barker(5'10"-172lbs)
Came into the team after a massive impression in his third season in the Citrius-Vastiva local league some doubt his abilities but has proven himself on numerous occasions.Averages 16 points a game and 7 assists.Shoots a wicked three from anywhere but lacks defense.[6:9]

thedamage has been done finish off later :D nil time and all

Storm splits first two games

After a disappointing finish to the first World Cup of Basketball that included a come-from-ahead loss in the championship game, the Sarzonian national basketball team came into this tournament with newfound confidence in its ability to play the game.

The Storm earned a split of the first two games, losing a double overtime game to Lovisa 116-112 despite a record 44 points in 46 minutes for forward Terry Casterbridge. They came back from that potentially deflating loss and knocked off Lethislavania 98-89, leaving the team 1-1 in Group A.

"It was important to get that win," Coach Dick Motta said. "There's a big difference between 1-1 and 0-2."

The Storm won despite an outstanding game from center Chi Zhao, who logged a triple double with 47 points, 10 blocks and 11 rebounds. He came within two steals of a rare quadruple double and the Storm had no answer for Zhao, trying center Bennie Malone, power forward Nate Bonner, even Casterbridge to no avail.

"We just got to a point where we just decided to let Zhao get his points and his stats as long as we shut down the rest of their team," Bonner said. Besides shooting guard Todd Boeing's 20 points, they were able to get that done. Only one other player even scored as many as 10 points for Lethislavania.

The Storm face The Gulf States (0-2) in the third gameday and hope to put themselves in a favorable position to advance to the knockout stages.

"We're not going to clinch anything yet," Motta said. "But we've got to make sure we get wins when we can or we're going to be in a world of trouble."

Sliponia Starts Off With Trips
Sliponia handles host nation.

Aquiliana--Sliponia's national team started their first WC of Basketball with an impressive win of the host nation Aquiliana 103-92. The Slips are optimistic about their next match.

"We are very excited about playing good teams," said Guard Aaron Miles. "We have been training hard and feel it will pay off. We're not looking to play for second or third place. We're going for the win. We'll take on any team and give them a run for their money. We're not going to say we're the best team alive. We are just going to let our actions on the court speak for us. One interesting bit of motivation is that Liverpool England seems to think they have beaten us when he haven't played them yet."

Scorer's Card:
5 Keith Langford (G); 25 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks
11 Aaron Miles (G); 24 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks
15 J.R. Giddens (F); 20 points, 4 rebounds
23 Wayne Simien (F/C); 24 points, 12 rebounds, 10 blocks
34 Christian Moody (F); 10 points, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks

Sliponia National Basketball Results
Sliponia vs. Aquiliana [W: 103-92]
Sliponia vs. Fmjphoenix
Sliponia vs. Liverpool England
Sliponia vs. Aquilana
Sliponia vs. Fmjphoenix
Sliponia vs. Aquiliana

Sliponia Squeezes Past Fmjphoenix
Buzzer-beater three point shot secures win.

Aquiliana--Sliponia's national team played a very close game against Fmjphoenix. Fmjphoenix led for most of the first half but then Sliponia kept Fmj at an arm's length behind them the entire second half until the last minute. Sliponian forward J.R. Giddens won the game on a last-second three point shot, a yard behind the arch.

"I felt like there was a lot of pressure on my shoulders," said Forward J.R. Giddens. "However, I wasn't going to let that affect my playing. I love a challenge; the whole team does. This is what we are here to do, win. This is our time. We look forward to playing Liverpool England and hopefully coming off the court with nothing but a win."

Scorer's Card:
5 Keith Langford (G); 20 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks
11 Aaron Miles (G); 10 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks
15 J.R. Giddens (F); 18 points, 4 rebounds
23 Wayne Simien (F/C); 32 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks
34 Christian Moody (F); 8 points, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks

Sliponia National Basketball Results
Sliponia vs. Aquiliana [W: 103-92]
Sliponia vs. Fmjphoenix [W: 88-85]
Sliponia vs. Liverpool England
Sliponia vs. Aquilana
Sliponia vs. Fmjphoenix
Sliponia vs. Aquiliana

MD3 Results

Group A

Lethislavania 76 - 81 Lovisa
The Gulf States 101 - 120 Sarzonia

Pos Team GP W L PF:PA PD
1 Lovisa 3 3 0 300:280 +20
2 Sarzonia 3 2 1 330:306 +24
3 Lethislavania 3 1 2 257:264 -7
4 The Gulf States 3 0 3 278:315 -37

Group B

Big Pimento 105 - 106 Hisam
Vilita 76 - 90 Praying2God

Pos Team GP W L PF:PA PD
1 Praying2God 3 3 0 281:247 +34
2 Vilita 3 2 1 264:270 -6
3 Hisam 3 1 2 276:285 -9
4 Big Pimento 3 0 3 286:305 -19

Group C

Aquiliana 88 - 94 Fmjphoenix
Sliponia 103 - 88 Liverpool England

Pos Team GP W L PF:PA PD
1 Sliponia 3 3 0 294:265 +29
2 Liverpool England 3 2 1 299:290 +9
3 Fmjphoenix 3 1 2 269:285 -16
4 Aquiliana 3 0 3 277:299 -22

Group D

Adam Island 94 - 98 Harlesburg
Kaze Progressa 82 - 88 Hiiraan

Pos Team GP W L PF:PA PD
1 Adam Island 3 2 1 282:277 +5
2 Harlesburg 3 2 1 284:284 +0
3 Hiiraan 3 1 2 273:272 -1
4 Kaze Progressa 3 1 2 266:272 -6

Storm throttles The Gulf States 120-101

Sarzonia has been unable to defeat The Gulf States in football or ice hockey in three tries, but its men's basketball team snapped the funk and set a record for most points in Sarzonian team history, defeating The Gulf States 120-101.

Center Bennie Malone finally had a breakout game, notching a triple double with a career high 36 points, 15 rebounds and 10 blocked shots. He also dished off seven assists in 31 minutes before Coach Dick Motta took him out to rest him for the next game against Lovisa.

"We're not happy with our lack of defensive intensity but we'll take the win," Motta said. "We need to step it up in all phases, not just offense."

The Storm jumped out to a 24-8 first quarter lead riding the hot hand of Malone and a gritty inside game from forward Nate Bonner. Bonner scored 24 points and grabbed 18 rebounds for the Storm.

"We're going to keep doing what we've been doing on offense," Malone said. "Defensively, we're going to have to start looking at what we're doing wrong. We've got to make sure we're one of the teams that goes through to the next round."

The Storm won despite a subpar game from forward Terry Casterbridge, who only scored 12 points on four for 15 shooting. Motta said the team's leading scorer was "winded."

"He's had to put the team on his back and carry him the first two games and that's going to have an effect on him," Motta said. "We played a good enough team game offensively to let me get him some rest out there." Motta got much of the team's bench increased minutes as the margin never got closer than 12 points after the second quarter.

WARRIORS ONE WIN AWAY FROM QUARTERFINALS

The Praying2God Warriors essentially clinched a quarterfinals berth yesterday with a 90-76 victory over Vilita. The victory means that the Warriors swept through the first half of group play, and a victory in their next game against Hisam would clinch a place in the quarterfinals for the Warriors. Even if they were to lose to Hisam, they would likely only need to win one of their other two games to qualify. At this point, the Warriors aren't just looking to qualify. "We want to complete what we've started, and run the table in the group and earn the top overall seed for the finals," Warriors forward Abraham Old told the media after the game. Old has become the unofficial spokesman for the team as the team's emotional leader.

The Warriors balanced scoring attack wore down Vilita yesterday, as 8 Warriors scored at least 8 points in the game. Leading the way was John Child with 15. He was joined in double figures by Samuel Wise with 14, Thomas Faith with 13, and Peter Rock with 10. Rock wasn't as sturdy as he normally was, as he got into foul trouble early and had to sit for a while, but Isaiah Bold filled in nicely in his absence, collecting 8 points and 11 rebounds. Bold is arguably the best bench player in the tournament, averaging 10.3 points and 9 rebounds off the bench.

Group C

Aquiliana 88 - 94 Fmjphoenix
Sliponia 103 - 88 Liverpool England

Pos Team GP W L PF:PA PD
1 Sliponia 3 3 0 294:265 +29
2 Liverpool England 3 2 1 299:290 +9
3 Fmjphoenix 3 1 2 269:285 -16
4 Aquiliana 3 0 3 277:299 -22

Liverpool England's 10-man 'national' basketball team suffered their first defeat in the World Cup recently, losing by 15 points to Sliponia. The team are in second place in their group with half the group stage completed. They face Fmjphoenix on MD4.

Points Scorers:
Pos/Player Points
PG-S Johnny Trail 14
SG-S Dennis Wild 11
SF-S Roger Wagoner 7
PF-S Justin Dinger 17
C-S Timothy Rush 31
C-B Ernest Jasper 3
PF/C-B Donald Weston 3
PG-B Nicholas Pollack NA
SG-B Jimmy Riddle 2
SF-B Rodney Vernon NA

*NA = failed to score

Lethislavania Fighting Green

Even as Chi Zhao grabbed 43 Points, 11 Rebounds, and 7 Blocks, the Lethislavanian Fighting Green could not pull it off. Lovisa just hammered away, eroding the aggresive Lethislavania Defense with their great 3-point shooting and almost-perfect perimeter defense. With us now out of contention for this years WC, hopefully we can fine tune our team for next year.

Vilita Hoop Cats Lineup!

Starting Roster:
CF:: Joseph Lammertink
PG:: Jorrit Van Trigt
SG:: Louis Gerstenhauer
SG:: Samuel Nafiger
PG:: Taqi Bazmi


Reserves:
Giuseppe Di Franco
Leandro Gato
Nicholas Mills
Jan Skjeggedal
Rik Kalsbeek
Sipke Veracket
Thara Haetrakul
Manfredo Glaria

Adam Island Up 2-1

ADAM CITY, EAST ISLAND- After the first three games of the six-game qualifiers, Adam Island is on top of Group 7 with a 2-1 record. Led by star center Ryan Lavigne and shooting guard Albert Menke, the Adam Islanders have made themselves the obvious pick for the final rounds for the second World Cup of basketball.

They haven't won by much, however. They barely defeated Hiiraan 93-90 and just lost to defending champion Harlesburg yesterday.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v20/spartacus_007/Adam%20Island/rockets.jpg
Lavigne guarding Harlesburg's Jack Taylor yesterday. Source: STAN

Adam Island has scored only five more points than its competitors, by far the lowest number of a first-place group team, pathetic compared to the +34 by Praying2God.

"This means we'll have to really put it together in the cup if we qualify," said head coach Roberta Peak, "these are tough competitors."

LAST GAME: HAR 98, AI 94
NEXT GAME: @ KP

Harlesburg Squeek Home
What a Stunning match is all the could be said of the performance of both teams last night in the Match Day 3 game.

Harlesburg look to have their campaign back on track after a disasterous loss to Kaze Progressa which was felt to be a stain on the nations honour.
While Harlesburg were in a contensious position in the pack chasing Adam Island's lead in the pool Adam Island was in a comfortable position having not lost any games yet.

But with this loss Adam Island has been brought back into striking distance for all teams to some extent and it may cause a foot race to see who gets that finals position. Adam Island have had to good wins and both of them have shown that they can win tight games they are proving themselves to be a force to be reckoned with.

Harlesburg Coach RIchard Swain was adament that the loss to Kaze Progressa was just a bump in the road and reminded people the same thing happened in the 1st World Cup losing an early game but still keeping strong and fighting it out until the end eventually winning the competition.

"We knew we were not invincable,we knew we couldnt expect to win every game we would like to but so would everyone else this win puts us back on track."

This win may help erase the deficit created by the late miniute blow out to Kaze Progressa.

Harlesburg 22 24 29 23 98
AdamIsland 20 23 27 24 94

5-PG-Albert Rimmer: 25 Points,8Assists,2 Steals

12-PG/SG-Troy Breakspear: 18 Points,12 Assists,1 Steal

8-SG/SF-John Rampart: 8 Points,3 Rebounds

1-C-Jack Taylor: 18 Points,12 Rebounds

2-PF-Robert Handkoff:8 Points,1 Rebound

6-SG(sixth man)-Josh Ballard:4 Points,1Assist,1 Steal,1 Rebounds
7-PG-Micheal Clarke: 3 Points,2Assists,2 Steals
3-SF-Ryan Edwards: 6 Points,1 Assist,4 Rebounds
9-C-Oliver Collier:2 Points,4 Rebounds
11-SF-Tony Halliburton:3 Points,4 Rebounds
10-PF-Jared Jurgonson: 2 Points,6 Rebounds
14-SG-Ronald Barker: 1 Point,3 Assists

Next Match is against Hiiraan and Harlesburg will be in Whites
The Team is unchanged from the last game

Starters
5-PG-Albert Rimmer(6'3"-186lbs)
Albert Rimmer a player of reasonably tall stature for a point guard.Vetern of the National squad that one the first World Cup.Is best described as a high scoring pick pocket.[8:8]


12-PG/SG-Troy Breakspear(5'11"-189lbs)Was an outstanding member of the Original team to win the World Cup has ability to play both guard positions and as such is a scorer and playmaker strong three pointer and rarely misses a free throw.Comes on earlier than youd expect posts high numbers[7:6]
[74:76]

8-SG/SF-John Rampart(6'3"-196lbs).His abilities are exceptional always finds himself in position to make a play[5:6]

1-C-Jack Taylor(7'2"-254lbs)
Jack Taylor now playing in his 16th year in the HNBL a true veteran but has slowed down considerably.Rumoured to retire after this Championship win last time round encouraged him to return for one more Tourney.His prescence at both ends of the court ensures both Offence and Defensive Boards and has neat 3 for a big man.Plays for the Harlesburg Heat.[5:8]

2-PF-Robert Handkoff(6'10"-248lbs)
Robert Handkoff a strong burly Forward from Comnors Corsairs he led the team to the semis last season and with another strong performance before being selected for the national squad had led The Corsairs to a 6-2 record including wins against the Harlesburg Heat and Kingston Hussars..[7:6]

Bench
6-SG(sixth man)-Josh Ballard(5'11"-168lbs)
Josh Ballard plays for the Port Royale Bombardiers.His slight of hand has the ability to put players in the gaps and to pick a pocket.Showed grit in many Screaming Eagles wins.[5:7]

7-PG-Micheal Clarke(6'1"-182lbs)
Gentle passer a real team player has ability to run rings around any opposition.Plays for Harlesburg Heat.[5:7]

3-SF-Ryan Edwards(6'8"-224lbs)
Consistantly embarrases defenders at the age of 25 he has let wisdom get the better of his youth.Massive dunking ability asured of a high rebound tally because of his presence in the key.[6:6]
9-C-Oliver Collier(6'11"-246lbs).In Taylor's shadow for the past 6 years is realy coming of age now [8:4]

10-PF-Jared Jurgonson(6'11"-242lbs).Handkoff gets around the court with ease for a big man killer 3 but more noted for his dunks.[7:5]

11-SF-Tony Halliburton(6'7"-222lbs).Never realy gets much of a chance behind Edward but when hes on this go off allround player of some merit High rebounder[5:6]

-SG-Ronald Barker(5'10"-172lbs)
Came into the team after a massive impression in his third season in the Citrius-Vastiva local league some doubt his abilities but has proven himself on numerous occasions.Averages 16 points a game and 7 assists.Shoots a wicked three from anywhere but lacks defense.[6:9]

OOC) :D Will edit stuff out gotta go

apologies for not RPing, i lost internet at home and just now got on a computer at school.

Strike edge past host Aquiliana, pick up first basketball win

Kevin Granite got his first start and put in 31 points to lead the Strike past Aquilana 94-88. Showing why he is considered one of their best young talent players, he put on a dazzling performence but going 13 of 20 from the field, including 3-5 from beyond the arc and 2-2 at the line. He also added a career high of 14 rebounds and 5 assists in 44 minutes.Aquilana lead at halftime by a score of 44-40, but the Strike came out of the gates with a 13-2 run capped off by Granite's 3-point play where he was roughly fouled going up for a layup that fell in. Other top scorers were Jason Briggs missing out on a triple-double with 14 points 8 rebounds and 10 assissts, Ryan Stoudimite putting up 22.

Now the Strike go on to play Liverpool England in hopes to get win two!!

3-0 Way To Go!
Sliponia reaches triple digits again.

AQUILIANA---Sliponia's national team has reached triple digits two times in the last three games. This is a very good omen. Sliponia's team scoring average is currently 98 ppg which holds very well for Sliponia as their average ppg allowed is just 88.3. If this trend continues, Sliponia will advance easily.

"We are very excited about playing good teams," said Coach Bill Self. "We have been training hard and feel it will pay off. We're not looking to play for second or third place. We're going for the win. We'll take on any team and give them a run for their money. We feel we've proved ourselves thus far and feel that we will be able to continue on to the next round."

Scorer's Card:
5 Keith Langford (G); 25 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks
11 Aaron Miles (G); 24 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks
15 J.R. Giddens (F); 20 points, 4 rebounds
23 Wayne Simien (F/C); 24 points, 12 rebounds, 10 blocks
34 Christian Moody (F); 10 points, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks

Sliponia National Basketball Results
Sliponia vs. Aquiliana [W: 103-92]
Sliponia vs. Fmjphoenix [W: 88-85]
Sliponia vs. Liverpool England [W: 103-88]
Sliponia vs. Aquilana
Sliponia vs. Fmjphoenix
Sliponia vs. Aquiliana

Lots of OT thrillers tonight - but still no luck for the Falcons. :(

(Note to self: You know how the scorinator works - write an RP, dag nabbit!)

MD4 Results

Group A

The Gulf States 87 - 85 Lethislavania
Sarzonia 93 - 94 Lovisa

Pos Team GP W L PF:PA PD
1 Lovisa 4 4 0 394:373 +21
2 Sarzonia 4 2 2 423:400 +23
3 Lethislavania 4 1 3 342:351 -9
4 The Gulf States 4 1 3 365:400 -35

Group B

Vilita 109 - 84 Big Pimento
Praying2God 92 - 98 Hisam (OT - 90)

Pos Team GP W L PF:PA PD
1 Praying2God 4 3 1 373:345 +28
2 Vilita 4 3 1 373:354 +19
3 Hisam 4 2 2 374:377 -3
4 Big Pimento 4 0 4 370:414 -44

Group C

Sliponia 100 - 92 Aquiliana
Liverpool England 88 - 98 Fmjphoenix (OT - 85)

Pos Team GP W L PF:PA PD
1 Sliponia 4 4 0 394:357 +37
2 Liverpool England 4 2 2 387:388 -1
3 Fmjphoenix 4 2 2 367:373 -6
4 Aquiliana 4 0 4 369:399 -30

Group D

Kaze Progressa 99 - 102 Adam Island (OT - 91)
Hiiraan 98 - 100 Harlesburg

Pos Team GP W L PF:PA PD
1 Adam Island 4 3 1 384:376 +8
2 Harlesburg 4 3 1 384:382 +2
3 Hiiraan 4 1 3 371:372 -1
4 Kaze Progressa 4 1 3 365:374 -9

WARRIORS OUTRAGED AT OFFICIALS
JV team forced to play against Hisam

The Praying2God Warriors were notified yesterday that they had the wrong uniforms, and would not be allowed to play until they had the proper jerseys. Having been notified before the tournament that the jerseys that they were wearing were the jerseys they were supposed to be wearing for their games against Hisam. However, apparently the memo failed to get to the referees. The JV team had the proper jerseys with them, and the refs forced them to stand in instead of the national team. The Warriors immediately announced that they were playing the game under protest and filed the appropriate paperwork immediately after the game ended. It is unknown what actions will be taken. The JV team played admirably, having a shot to win at the end of regulation rimmed out. It appeared to everybody in the building that the shooter had been fouled on the play. Hisam went on to win 98-92 in overtime. Several Hisam fans were overheard telling Warriors fans that their team had been robbed when the refs had refused to let the national team play, and that they deserved the victory. With the loss (as the results stand right now, pending any action that the WCC or hosts may take), the Warriors drop to 3-1, but retain first place on point differential.

Vilita 109 - 84 Big Pimento


Vilitan Theory Doesn't Work Out


---------------------Vilitan statisticians are left speechless as the Hoop cats have scored over 100 points against Big Pimento. Vilitan sports fans had previously believed that the sport being played was base 100, and the rare missed basket was simply going to detract from the perfect 50 out of 50 shots made. It is believed that due to the horrid performance by Big Pimento, Vilita was able to convert all 50 of their scoring opportunites, as well as taking advantage of Big Pimentos missed chances to shoot a trio of 3-Point chances.

---------------------However, these reports are uncomfirmed and an official inquery is being placed into the matter.

Nice Ranting Praying2God whos JV? i ranted like that in WC1 :p
Vilita whats happened to Big Pimento?
Oh i just thought of an owesome play on words for Praying2God :D
(IC)
Eagles Soar

The Harlesburg Screaming Eagles once again put the sword to the opposition this time it was Hiiraan and it was the second time they have played them and beaten him.

The win was secured late in the fourth quarter when Troy Breakspear picked the pocket of Hiiraan Small Forward and dished out an unbelieveable Ally-op to Star Centre who finished with a two hand Jam.
This scoring play extended the Harlesburg lead to 5 points with 42 seconds to go in the game.

With Hiiraan in possesion they needed a quick three and thats what they got thru Point Guard this left Harlesburg with a 2 point lead and 28 seconds on the clock.Hiiraan appeared to be hesitant at this stage not knowing whether to draw a foul or let Harlesburg use their 24 second shot clock, they opted for the latter with dier consequences Rimmer sinking a fall away jumper with 9 seconds left.

Now Hiiraan scored with a three and quickly fouled Taylor putting him on the line for two.He made the first but tragicaly for Harlesburg missed the second as the ball juggled its way round the rim but this was not as bad as what Hiiraan had to indure watching the ball snatched from the sky by Edwards who quickly kicked it back to Rimmer who ran the clock down.

4-0 Way To Go!
Sliponia reaches triple digits again.

AQUILIANA---Sliponia's national team has reached triple digits three times in the last four games. This is a very good omen. Sliponia's team scoring average is currently 98.5 ppg which holds very well for Sliponia as their average ppg allowed is just 89.25. If this trend continues, Sliponia will advance easily.

"We are very excited about playing good teams," said Coach Bill Self. "We have been training hard and feel it will pay off. We're not looking to play for second or third place. We're going for the win. We'll take on any team and give them a run for their money. We feel we've proved ourselves thus far and feel that we will be able to continue on to the next round."

Scorer's Card:
5 Keith Langford (G); 25 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks
11 Aaron Miles (G); 24 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks
15 J.R. Giddens (F); 20 points, 4 rebounds
23 Wayne Simien (F/C); 24 points, 12 rebounds, 10 blocks
34 Christian Moody (F); 7 points, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks

Sliponia National Basketball Results
Sliponia vs. Aquiliana [W: 103-92]
Sliponia vs. Fmjphoenix [W: 88-85]
Sliponia vs. Liverpool England [W: 103-88]
Sliponia vs. Aquilana [W: 100-92]
Sliponia vs. Fmjphoenix
Sliponia vs. Aquiliana

[OOC: JV is shorthand for Junior Varisty. A step down from your top squad.]

Strike continue stong play, defeat Liverpool England in OT to win 2nd straight

Playing hard and to the end always pays off, as it did tonight for Fmjphoenix, as they beat Liverpool England 88-98 in OT to win their second straight and also score a team high record points.

The game started with both teams trading off 3-pointers to start at 3-3, but then the Strike went on the strike, taking a 17-4 run to go up 20-7 with 2 minutes left in the first quarter, but LE would not let this sit so badly, as they responded with a quick 6-0 run that turned into a 10-6 run in their favor to end the first half 26-17. At the start of the second quarter, Kevin Granite again started dominating inside with two thunderous dunks in a row, both feed to him by Jason Briggs. But LE would come back to close the half down by 6 at 49-43. During the third quarter, LE would capitolize on a few key turnovers made by the Strike, to go up for their first lead with 4:32 seconds remaining in the third quarter 63-65. The fourth quarter was lit up as both teams went back and forth to end regulation at 85 a piece. It looked as if the Strike has ran out of thunder, but that was when Ryan Stoudimite took over. As overtime started, he hit two 3 pointers to put the strike up 85-91. Liverpool England would only get a lonely 3-point play to get 88 points, but the damage was done and they could not get back. The Strike would go on to finish overtime 88-98, the lagest win and highest point total.

Now, the Strike must prepare for undefeated Slipona, as they try to keep their winning streak intact and try to qualify to go on to the next round.

Strike Game Stats
Position Name MIN FGM FGA 3PM 3PA FTM FTA PTS RBS AST STL BLK TO FL

PG Jason Briggs 49 6 13 1 3 2 2 15 4 11 1 0 3 1
SG Ryan Stoudimite 44 8 18 4 10 4 4 24 5 4 0 1 6 3
SF Trent Grouden 36 3 5 0 0 4 4 10 10 3 3 2 1 2
PF Kevin Granite 41 6 15 1 2 3 4 17 14 5 2 1 7 4
C Remart Ssaryu 38 7 14 0 0 0 2 14 11 1 0 3 3 6

PG Trevor Cassell 4 1 1 0 0 1 2 3 0 2 0 0 2 0
G/F James Jackson 26 4 10 2 5 1 1 11 6 4 2 0 1 1
SG Brevern House DNP - Coach's Decision
SF Brian Kaprov DNP - Coach's Decision
F/C Carlos Robinson 5 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 2
PF James Brown 12 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 2 1 1 0 3 1
C Fred Megedo 10 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 2 1 1

(OOC to Harlesburg - I was away for the weekend, came back pretty tired, a bit hung over and not too thrilled at the prospect of RPing three losses. But now I'm back at totally amped at the oppurtunity to RP four!)

Polstedt Fired
The search for a new coach begins

It was inevitable. After a putrid 0-4 start, somebody had to be the fall guy and as the saying goes, "You can't fire a team but you can sure as hell fire your coach". Nobody's going to try to defend ex-Pimento coach Peter Polstedt, a nation who prides itself as having basketball as its national sport going 0-4 is simply unacceptable. But let's take a look at how the events unfolded leading up to his firing.

Game 1 - Vilita

The Vilitians usually aren't that good at playing basketball. Their knowledge of the rules is rudimentary at best, they seem to be lacking in the fundamental skills of defense and offensive rebounding and they always take exactly 50 field goals per game, sometimes performing shot clocks violations to stay on pace for the big 5-0. Vilita got spanked around in the the first World Cup as a result.

In the first match, Vilita seemed uninterested to defend, just waiting until Big Pimento took a shot, to then get the ball back and try to set the play up at the other end. All 5 Vilitian players just made a circle around the hoop and held their hands up in anticipation for the rebound. Big Pimento were having a hard time adjusting to this style of play and missed three shots early, a 3-ball from Roy Ellis, a 15-foot floater from Fred Valparaiso and a post-up hook shot from Orlando Santiago. They then realized that Vilita wasn't playing defense and that they should just go to within three feet of the hoop and put it up there. The best suited for this was Cristiano Douglas, a tall player with great touch. He had the hot hand, so the ball kept coming to him. By the end of the game, Douglas set a new national record in FG% and points, going a perfect 31/31 and putting up a big 62 in the process. However, Vilita were also shooting lights out, going a combined 98% from the field and ended up getting the better of Big Pimento 98-94. The loss was viewed as a shock in the Land of the Pimentos, but forgivable since the Vilitians put on such a fine shooting performance.
Vilita 98 - Big Pimento 94

Game 2 - Praying2God

The match against Praying2God took on a much more traditional style of play, with outside shooting, transition play and much stingier defence. Praying2God are a very tough team defensively and are earning the reputation as being the “Pistons of NS”. Praying2God came out of the gates hot, shooting lights out from downtown. Big Pimento had answers though, as Sandro Miller struck back with eleven points and three assists in the opening quarter, notably two three-pointers of his own. However, during his last three-point attempt, Miller landed on Samuel Wise’s foot. Miller rolled his ankle and left the match with an ankle sprain. He hasn’t returned to action since and isn’t expected to come back until the final match against Hisam.

After this significant loss, Big Pimento, who are pretty thin on the bench to begin with, were unable to recover. Cristiano Douglas was having a tough match, going 6/15 with 16 points and 9 rebounds. Praying2God’s big men were cleaning the glass effectively and burning the forwards on the inside. The only bright spot for Big Pimento was small forward Fred Valparaiso, who was able to put the usually competent Paul Walk in his back pocket. Valparaiso whipped him from the outside, beat him on the inside and defended him well on his way to a 24 point night. Valparaiso added 4 steals, 4 rebounds and 3 assists to his credit, making him undoubtedly the best Pimento on the floor. But despite Valparaiso’s best efforts, the Miller-less Pimentos were overmatched and ended up losing rather convincingly, 101-87. The loss to newcomers Praying2God was a very tough pill to swallow for Big Pimento basketball supporters.
Praying2God 101 – Big Pimento 87

Game 3 – Hisam

The highly anticipated rematch of these rivals from last year’s semi-final clash lost some of its lustre since both teams limped into the match at 0-2. However, the play on the court ended up exceeding all expectations.

It was a brilliantly played game with stiff defending and brilliant shooting, truly the way the sport was intended to be played. The balance of the game swung back and forth with every possession, fans were left on the edge of their seats as play continued onwards until the final buzzer. With Big Pimento down by two with 31 seconds to go, Roy Ellis brought the ball up and the court and passed it over to Charles Fiend. Fiend swung it back to Ellis, who controlled it for about 10 seconds near the top of the circle. He then crossed over, skip to my looed to his left and blew by his defender, Victor Jaarkon. Ellis penetrated to the hole, dragging two defenders in with him and kicked the ball out to Horatio Carter, who then swung it across to Charles Fiend. The Hisam defence was rattled and out of position, leaving Fiend with an open shot for three. Fiend is the best outside shooter on the team and showed exactly why he was selected to the squad, draining a 3-point rainbow with just 7.2 seconds to go.

With Big Pimento now up by one, Hisam took a time out and benefited from getting the ball back at half court. The ball was inbounded by Jaarkon, who quickly dumped it in to star Power Forward, Raghan Veraus. Veraus was posted up on Cristiano Douglas, and used his big frame to back in for position. With two seconds to go, he stopped dribbling, shook from side to side, and unleashed a sweet baby hook shot. The sound of ball hitting nothing but net was overshadowed by the roar of the final horn and the celebrations of the Hisam supporters. Hisam won a terrific match thanks to a buzzer beater as a result of some great post play. Not to be lost in this loss was the good play of Cristiano Douglas, who definitely held his own against Raghan Veraus, posting 28 points and collecting 10 boards.
Hisam 106 – Big Pimento 105

Game 4 – Vilita

After a terrible 0-3 start, Big Pimento had to turn things around in a hurry, and were hoping to do so against the basketball know-nothings from Vilita. However, this match would end up being the straw which broke the camel’s back.

In a match which followed the tempo of the previous Vilita encounter, the Hoop Cats shot lights out from the field and continued to allow Cristiano Douglas to operate at will. Heading into the half, Big Pimento was down two, when Horatio Carter got the ball at halfcourt, and turned on the afterburners towards the hoop. Vilita’s five players had already assembled in their half-circle around the basket and Carter took off from about 10 feet back, cocking the ball back and unleashing a thunderous one-handed tomahawk jam. However, Carter kicked one of the Vilitian players in the head in his trek through the air, and the referee that he was worthy of receiving a charge. This marked the first possession of the game where a team didn’t score. Vilita got the ball back and scored again, going into the half with a lead of four.

Big Pimento realized that Vilita were Pleasantville*-like in their shooting, and didn’t feel the need to become complacent. The only way they’d catch back up the Vilitians would be through hitting three-pointers, a shot undiscovered and completely foreign to Vilita. Big Pimento went a respectable 12-25 shooting threes in the half, but all those shots were uncontested and that only led to 36 points. Vilita, salivating at the prospect of this magical “3-point” shot, started to take some, and since those black-and-white bastards can’t miss, they drained all of them too. But perhaps even more shocking was the final shot of the match which Vilita actually missed. The player who took the shot then fell to the ground and clenched his wrist in pain as he rolled around the floor. After trainers took a good look at his hand, they found that it had becoming a glowing, flesh color. Perhaps these guys are human after all?
Vilita 109 – Big Pimento 84

Pimento Basketball officials have stated that they’ll hold off looking for a full-time coach until after the tournament and that assistant coach Jim Jarvis will be at the helm on an interim basis. The Poppers could go a long way in saving some face and some national dignity by beating current group leaders, Praying2God, tomorrow night.

*Pleasantville was a movie that was made a few years back, where two modern kids get warped into this 50s black-and-white series. As the residents of Pleasantville slowly lose their innocence as a result of the influx of the kids, they become coloured, and lose their perfection as a result. In one scene, the basketball team is practising and they absolutely can’t miss, but after a while as they begin to experience the real world and mature, they become god-awful.

Harlesburg geared Up
The Team is anxious to beat Kaze Progressa tonight

Albert Rimmer
"It was disapointing(Last Game)i felt we should have won but we let them slip away at the end.
To lose to in a row to these guys would be heartbreaking."
lets see if they can turn things around.

Starters
5-PG-Albert Rimmer(6'3"-186lbs)
Albert Rimmer a player of reasonably tall stature for a point guard.Vetern of the National squad that one the first World Cup.Is best described as a high scoring pick pocket.[8:8]


12-PG/SG-Troy Breakspear(5'11"-189lbs)Was an outstanding member of the Original team to win the World Cup has ability to play both guard positions and as such is a scorer and playmaker strong three pointer and rarely misses a free throw.Comes on earlier than youd expect posts high numbers[7:6]
[74:76]

8-SG/SF-John Rampart(6'3"-196lbs).His abilities are exceptional always finds himself in position to make a play[5:6]

1-C-Jack Taylor(7'2"-254lbs)
Jack Taylor now playing in his 16th year in the HNBL a true veteran but has slowed down considerably.Rumoured to retire after this Championship win last time round encouraged him to return for one more Tourney.His prescence at both ends of the court ensures both Offence and Defensive Boards and has neat 3 for a big man.Plays for the Harlesburg Heat.[5:8]

2-PF-Robert Handkoff(6'10"-248lbs)
Robert Handkoff a strong burly Forward from Comnors Corsairs he led the team to the semis last season and with another strong performance before being selected for the national squad had led The Corsairs to a 6-2 record including wins against the Harlesburg Heat and Kingston Hussars..[7:6]

Bench
6-SG(sixth man)-Josh Ballard(5'11"-168lbs)
Josh Ballard plays for the Port Royale Bombardiers.His slight of hand has the ability to put players in the gaps and to pick a pocket.Showed grit in many Screaming Eagles wins.[5:7]

7-PG-Micheal Clarke(6'1"-182lbs)
Gentle passer a real team player has ability to run rings around any opposition.Plays for Harlesburg Heat.[5:7]

3-SF-Ryan Edwards(6'8"-224lbs)
Consistantly embarrases defenders at the age of 25 he has let wisdom get the better of his youth.Massive dunking ability asured of a high rebound tally because of his presence in the key.[6:6]
9-C-Oliver Collier(6'11"-246lbs).In Taylor's shadow for the past 6 years is realy coming of age now [8:4]

10-PF-Jared Jurgonson(6'11"-242lbs).Handkoff gets around the court with ease for a big man killer 3 but more noted for his dunks.[7:5]

11-SF-Tony Halliburton(6'7"-222lbs).Never realy gets much of a chance behind Edward but when hes on this go off allround player of some merit High rebounder[5:6]

-SG-Ronald Barker(5'10"-172lbs)
Came into the team after a massive impression in his third season in the Citrius-Vastiva local league some doubt his abilities but has proven himself on numerous occasions.Averages 16 points a game and 7 assists.Shoots a wicked three from anywhere but lacks defense.[6:9]

OOC) Will edit stuff out gotta go really got to do a better job in the morning :( :D :eek:

Storm rally falls short, 94-93

Sarzonia and Lovisa are developing quite a sporting rivalry. The football teams have played in two World Cup qualifying campaigns and one Cup of Harmony and their basketball teams have both been drawn in the second World Cup of Basketball.

Unfortunately for Sarzonia, the football team has been the only one from mainland Sarzonia to taste victory as forward Nate Bonner's desperation three pointer clanked off the back of the rim and the Storm fell to Lovisa 94-93.

"That was a tough way to lose a basketball game," Coach Dick Motta said. "Each of the two games against [Lovisa] have been close, but close doesn't get you anywhere on its own."

The team is still in second place in Group A, ahead of Lethislavania and The Gulf States by one full game in the standings. Lovisa have already clinched a spot in the quarterfinals.

Forward Terry Casterbridge continued his prolonged slump, scoring only 13 points on five of 13 shooting, while center Bennie Malone scored only four points and grabbed eight rebounds. Bonner (31 points, 12 rebounds) did his best to rally the Storm, keying a 22-8 fourth quarter rally that brought the Storm within three points with 1:38 left. But Lovisa hit six of eight free throws to keep just a hair ahead of the Storm.

Sarzonia now faces Lethislavania in the next game with a spot in the quarterfinals still in doubt. If they win and Lovisa beats The Gulf States, the Storm will advance.

"We've got to start playing better collectively," Motta said. "One man can't do it all."

Islanders Give Kangaroos The Late KO

KAZE PROGRESSA- Adam Island's national basketball team hung onto first place in a thrilling OT victory on Kaze Progressa's home court.

As the game began, it was apparent that the key matchup would be between the centers, AI's Ryan Lavigne and KP's Jaulinta Jarubaa. They battled underneath the boards for rebound after rebound, in a tough, physical battle. Lavigne managed to put in 26 points, with 11 rebounds, while blocking 2 shots.

The score was close through the entire match, with the largest lead being 6, with AI up in the third quarter. KP's Kanagroos closed the gap quickly, and at the end of regulation the score was 91-91.

The already intense matchup heated up and forward Howard Hefner ended up on the floor on defense with a bloody nose after a scuffle with Stajinutu Zuut. Lavigne and Jarubaa kept up their fights, and Lavigne pulled down a critical board and called timeout, giving AI the possession with 13 seconds to play.

The ball was inbounded to shooting guard Albert Menke, and he passed it to PG Marguerite Caraballo, who fired it right back and Menke shot an arching three, putting the Adam Islanders up 102-99.

Kaze Progressa got the bal with under a second left, but could not get the shot off in time, giving Adam Island a glorious win over the dejected Kangaroos.

LAST GAME: AI 102, KP 99 (OT)
NEXT GAME: HIR @ AI

MD5 Results

Group A

Lethislavania 82 - 102 Sarzonia
The Gulf States 92 - 109 Lovisa

Pos Team GP W L PF:PA PD
1 Lovisa 5 5 0 503:465 +38
2 Sarzonia 5 3 2 525:482 +43
3 Lethislavania 5 1 4 424:453 -31
4 The Gulf States 5 1 4 458:509 -51

Group B

Big Pimento 90 - 88 Praying2God
Vilita 103 - 93 Hisam

Pos Team GP W L PF:PA PD
1 Vilita 5 4 1 476:438 +38
2 Praying2God 5 3 2 461:444 +17
3 Hisam 5 2 3 467:480 -13
4 Big Pimento 5 1 4 460:502 -42

Group C

Aquiliana 103 - 100 Liverpool England
Sliponia 88 - 80 Fmjphoenix

Pos Team GP W L PF:PA PD
1 Sliponia 5 5 0 482:437 +45
2 Liverpool England 5 2 3 487:491 -4
3 Fmjphoenix 5 2 3 447:461 -14
4 Aquiliana 5 1 4 472:499 -27

Group D

Adam Island 89 - 83 Hiiraan
Kaze Progressa 99 - 101 Harlesburg

Pos Team GP W L PF:PA PD
1 Adam Island 5 4 1 473:459 +14
2 Harlesburg 5 4 1 485:481 +4
3 Hiiraan 5 1 4 454:461 -7
4 Kaze Progressa 5 1 4 464:475 -11

Storm plays 'complete game' in rout

After a narrow loss to Lovisa, the Sarzonian national basketball team needed one win in one of its final two games to clinch a spot in the quarterfinals. They ended the suspense early by beating Lethislavania 102-82 in a game that seemed to be over after the jump ball.

Forward Terry Casterbridge shook off a slump with 27 points and nine rebounds, while Nate Bonner added 19 points and 16 rebounds. The Storm forced 29 Lethislavania turnovers, scoring 32 points off those turnovers, and only had 11 giveaways themselves.

"This was the best all-around game we've played this tournament," Coach Dick Motta said. "Offense, defense, rebounding, everything worked for us. I wish we could bottle this game up and play it every time out."

The Storm jumped out to a 30-9 lead in the first 9:29 of the first quarter, ending the quarter up 32-13. They never let Lethislavania closer than 17 points after the midway point of the second quarter.

"We just got destroyed out there," the Lethislavanian coach said after the game. "If it weren't for Lovisa, they might be the best team in the tournament." As if to prove his point, despite the two losses to undefeated Lovisa, the Storm (3-2) sport the second best point differential in the tounament at plus-43, just two points less than 5-0 Sliponia's 45 point gap.

Motta dismissed thoughts that his team would lay down for The Gulf States after clinching the berth, noting that he wanted to have the team go into the knockout stages with momentum.

"You can't turn the intensity off and hope to turn it back on again," Motta said. "We're going to work our guys in there, but they're going to go after it."

We’re down to thirty seconds left in the match between Big Pimento and Praying2God. The Pimentos have trailed most of the match, but a strong fourth quarter now leaves them with a two-point edge, leading the match 88-86. Praying2God has possession and they’re swinging the ball around the perimeter. John Child passes the ball over to Paul Walk. Walk puts the ball down and tries to dribble past Freddy Valparaiso but gets nowhere. He passes it back to Child with Roy Ellis covering him. Child crosses over, beats Ellis to his right and drives the lane down the middle. He scythes through Cristiano Douglas and Marius Antonius and puts up a lay-up off the glass uncontested besides the outstretched arms of Antonius. The ball goes in cleanly and the match is tied. That was far too easy.

Seventeen seconds left and Big Pimento have the last possession of the game. Ellis takes his time to step over the halfcourt line, and promptly shakes and bakes his way into three-point range. He then passes the ball over to Fred Valparaiso on the right wing. Valparaiso holds the ball in one hand away from his defender, and then passes it back to Ellis, who quickly swings it cross court to Victor Daniels. Daniels dumps the ball into Cristiano Douglas, standing on the left side of the glass with the rim and Thomas Faith to the back of him. We’re down to five seconds and he’ll likely be the last Pimento player to touch the ball in regulation. He pivots on his right foot to face the hoop and holds the ball down low to the floor. Faith takes a swipe at the ball and Douglas takes the opportunity to blow by him on the outside. He’s got an open look at the rim and Peter Rock comes over from the weak side to support. Douglas makes a strong cut inside and puts the ball off the glass, around the outstretched right arm of Rock. The sound of the home crowd reaches a crescendo as the ball finishes its trajectory from board to in with just 0.7 seconds to go. Rock quickly inbounds, but the ball is picked off by Victor Daniels and the match is over. The crowd roars as Big Pimento has finally won.

Big Pimento 90 – Praying2God 88
Man of the Match: Cristiano Douglas (28 pts, 12 reb, 2 blk)

Sliponia Already Through
Sliponia one of two undefeateds.

AQUILIANA---Sliponia's national team has won the group by winning their first five games. The Jayhawks have also outscored their opponents by 45 points. The Slips are currently averaging 96.4 points per game whilst only allowing 87.4 points per game. The leaves Sliponia as one of the top teams in the World Cup. The Slips have also qualified in just five games and is just one of two undefeateds, the other being Lovisa.

"We are very excited about having qualified early," said Coach Bill Self. "We have been training hard and feel it will pay off. We're not looking to play for second or third place. We're going for the win. We'll take on any team and give them a run for their money. We feel we've proved ourselves and are not going to lie down in our last game of the round, we're going for six wins."

Scorer's Card:
5 Keith Langford (G); 20 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks
11 Aaron Miles (G); 10 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks
15 J.R. Giddens (F); 18 points, 4 rebounds
23 Wayne Simien (F/C); 32 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks
34 Christian Moody (F); 8 points, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks

Sliponia National Basketball Results
Sliponia vs. Aquiliana [W: 103-92]
Sliponia vs. Fmjphoenix [W: 88-85]
Sliponia vs. Liverpool England [W: 103-88]
Sliponia vs. Aquilana [W: 100-92]
Sliponia vs. Fmjphoenix [W: 88-80]
Sliponia vs. Aquiliana

Eagles Beat Roos

Exorcising the Demons of there second game loss to Kaze Progressa the Harlesburg Screaming Eagles did it in the best way possible beating the team that bet them.

"Man it was bad that we lost, it was worse the way we lost, its disgusting to realise that the only game theyve( Kaze Progressa)have won was against us.
Its disgusting weve looked at the tapes of that first encounter and it shows we held off too much we didnt give them enough respect it hurt us and we paid for it.
This should restore the balance of order."said Robert Handkoff

The Eagles now know they have a good chance to take first spot in their pool just needing to beat first placed Adam Island.

"This match is critical it may give us an easy game in the following round well no none of these games have been easy weve had to work for them." said Benchman Ronald Barker

Starters
5-PG-Albert Rimmer(6'3"-186lbs)
8:8]

12-PG/SG-Troy Breakspear(5'11"-189lbs)[7:6]

8-SG/SF-John Rampart(6'3"-196lbs).[5:6]

1-C-Jack Taylor(7'2"-254lbs)5:8]

2-PF-Robert Handkoff(6'10"-248lbs)7:6]

Bench
6-SG(sixth man)-Josh Ballard(5'11"-168lbs).[5:7]

7-PG-Micheal Clarke(6'1"-182lbs)
5:7]

3-SF-Ryan Edwards(6'8"-224lbs)[6:6]

9-C-Oliver Collier(6'11"-246lbs).[8:4]

10-PF-Jared Jurgonson(6'11"-242lbs)..[7:5]

11-SF-Tony Halliburton(6'7"-222lbs).[5:6]

-SG-Ronald Barker(5'10"-172lbs)
[6:9]
(OOC)Finnish latter :D wake up boy me :mp5:

Strike get struck out, win streak ends at 2 losing to Slipona 88-80

Slipona continued their dominince in Group 3, overcoming James Jackson's triple-double coming off of the bench for injured starter Trent Grouden to defeat Fmjphoenix again 88-80. Jackson performed with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in 40 minutes of playing time, out-playing everyone else on the team, but they could not find an answer to Wayne Simien, who dropped 32 points on the Strike.

With 3 minutes left in the first quarter, Grouden went down holding his ankle in pain. Replays showed that he came down with an offensive rebound on the foot of Slipona forward J.R. Giddens and landed on it sideways. He was replaced by Jackson in the lineup, and now it doesn't look like Jaackson will be leaving the lineup anytime soon.

Fmjphoenix lead at halftime, behing 12 points from Jackson and 8 from Ryan Stoudimite to the tune of 48-44. But Slipona came out for the third quarter done playing games. They went on a 20-4 run during the next 6 minute stretch and the Strike could not stop them. During the fourth quarter, Slipona was on the verge of losing it, but a Strike rally came too late, as time expired with Jackson making a 3 from half court.

Now, the Strike need to defeat Aquilana by a good score and need Liverpool England to either not win by much, or loose by a good amount in order to go to the playoffs. Look for the Strike to use the run-an-gun pace with their quick players to try and get easy fast break points in order to go on.

Game Statistics:
Position Player MIN FGM FGA 3PM 3PA FTM FTA PTS RBS AST STL BLK FLS TO
PG Jason Briggs 33 2 12 2 6 0 0 6 5 8 3 0 2 3
SG Ryan Stoudimite 34 5 18 5 13 0 0 15 5 5 0 1 4 8
SF Trent Grouden 9 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 2 0 2 0
PF Kevin Granite 42 4 11 1 3 2 2 11 17 5 2 3 3 3
C Remart Ssaryu 38 4 10 0 0 1 3 9 12 2 0 4 3 9

G/F James Jackson 40 9 13 4 6 4 4 24 12 10 2 1 3 2
PG Trevor Cassel 12 1 5 1 3 0 0 3 1 3 1 0 1 5
SG Brevern House 8 1 3 0 1 1 1 3 2 2 1 0 0 1
SF Brian Kaprov 8 0 1 0 0 2 2 2 3 0 0 0 0 0
C Fred Megedo 10 1 2 0 0 0 0 2 5 1 0 2 1 1
PF James Brown 6 1 4 0 1 1 2 3 2 0 1 0 2 0
F/C Carlos Robinson DNP - Back Spasms

Excellent Lovisa advance to next round :)

Ah, Matchday 6. It always does seem to go right down to the wire today, doesn't it?


MD6 Results

Group A

Lovisa 85 - 74 Lethislavania
Sarzonia 113 - 100 The Gulf States

Pos Team GP W L PF:PA PD
1 Lovisa 6 6 0 588:539 +49
2 Sarzonia 6 4 2 638:582 +56
3 Lethislavania 6 1 5 498:538 -40
4 The Gulf States 6 1 5 558:622 -64

Group B

Hisam 110 - 111 Big Pimento
Praying2God 87 - 78 Vilita

Pos Team GP W L PF:PA PD
1 Vilita 6 4 2 554:525 +29
2 Praying2God 6 4 2 548:522 +26
3 Hisam 6 2 4 577:591 -14
4 Big Pimento 6 2 4 571:612 -41

Group C

Fmjphoenix 96 - 93 Aquiliana
Liverpool England 92 - 91 Sliponia

Pos Team GP W L PF:PA PD
1 Sliponia 6 5 1 573:529 +44
2 Liverpool England 6 3 3 579:582 -3
3 Fmjphoenix 6 3 3 543:554 -11
4 Aquiliana 6 1 5 565:595 -30

Group D

Harlesburg 91 - 93 Adam Island
Hiiraan 84 - 98 Kaze Progressa

Pos Team GP W L PF:PA PD
1 Adam Island 6 5 1 566:550 +16
2 Harlesburg 6 4 2 576:574 +2
3 Kaze Progressa 6 2 4 562:559 +3
4 Hiiraan 6 1 5 538:559 -21


Playoff Schedule

Lovisa-----------------------
| ---------------
Praying2God------------------ |
| ---------------
Sliponia--------------------- | |
| --------------- |
Harlesburg------------------- |
| ---------------
Vilita----------------------- | CHAMPION
| --------------- |
Liverpool England------------ | |
| ---------------
Adam Island------------------ |
| ---------------
Sarzonia---------------------

Storm streak into quarters, 113-100

With a berth in the quarterfinals of the second World Cup of Basketball already sewn up, Coach Dick Motta wanted to use the game against The Gulf States to strengthen parts of the team and work bench players in. He got all of that and more as the Storm survived a late rally by The Gulf States and won 113-100.

Guard Jerome Chelsea played the best World Cup game of his career, scoring 34 points on 13 of 22 shooting, including four of five from beyond the arc. He was also a perfect four for four from the charity stripe.

"We wanted to get Jerome into the flow of the offense," Coach Dick Motta said. "He'd been real streaky and he finally had an 'on' game for the first time at this level. If he can be consistent, we'll have one more weapon teams will have to plan for.

Sarzonia jumped out to an early lead again in this game, starting out of the gate with an 11-2 run that forced The Gulf States to burn its first timeout just 1:58 into the game. Chelsea set the tone for the rest of the game by scoring the team's first nine points, including two threes.

"Chelsea was key for them," The Gulf States point guard Stephen Stratford said. "We didn't have an answer for him."

Forward Terry Casterbridge scored 19 points and notched 11 assists, five of them to Chelsea, and forward Nate Bonner scored 11 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

The Storm (4-2) will face 5-1 Adam Island in the quarterfinals. The Kangaroos won Group 4 with defending World Cup champions Harlesburg finishing second.

"We know Adam Island will be a tough team," center Bennie Malone said. "They beat out Harlesburg for their group title. We've played Lovisa and they've been the toughest team in the tournament. We think that will toughen us up."

In a statistical quirk, the Storm have the largest point differential of any World Cup team despite being a second place team and despite three teams with better won-loss records. Motta said the team wasn't focusing on statistics.

"We only look at wins and losses and we only look at who's going on and who's going home," he said.

Harlesburg Heartbreak
Harlesburg were oh so close to taking the first spot in pool D
It all came down to a final pool match between the Harlesburg Screaming Eagles and The Adam Island national team.

It all finished in Heartbreak for Harlesburg with a last minute tipin bouncing along thre rim and out again.With the final score being Adam Island 93 Harlesburg 91.

Harlesburg Small Forward had a chance to level things up with a fall away jumper with 5 seconds to play but it hit the backboard and fell away the rebound although was collected by perrenial Centre Jack Taylor who attempted to get the ball in the hope with a layup but it was barely tapped away by Adam Island player somethinking this was a goal-tend but the refs didnt see it this way however Edwards got the ball and once again it was a mad dash to get the ball in the hoop.

Unfortunatly for Harlesburg and a blessing for Adam Island the ball bounced about and as the buzzer went the ball fell to the side an anguishing end to a hard fought game.Adam Islands players were overjoyed but also relieved as the final buzzer went while Harlesburg the defending champions looked downtroden by the loss of this return leg of the pool play

Vilita don't know which way is up

---------------------No injuries were reported following an accident in which a the Vilita Hoop Cats bus slid off a road. The bus was carrying the entire Vilitan Basketball team, two coaches and a driver. The bus overturned on its way into a small ditch but luckily everyone was wearing their seatbelts.

---------------------The confusion was caused by the team itself, hounding the bus driver every time they saw something they had never seen before, telling the bus driver "Stop! We're here!." Vilita were on their way to the Quarter Finals where they will meet Liverpool England.

---------------------It is believed that when Center Forward Joseph Lammertink was responsible for the bus' ill fate after he saw a bumper sticker on a vehicle beside them that read "Liverpool, England." The lanky player reached violently towards the driver, seeing all he needed to see to convince him which way the Quarter Finals were.

---------------------A replacement bus was sent, but the driver refused to continue on, preferring to wait out the night in the bitter cold as the team continued on their search for the right venue.

Sliponia Loses Close Heartbreaker
Sliponia loses final game of round.

AQUILIANA---Sliponia's national team has won the group by winning their first five games. However, the Jayhawks lost the sixth game by one point to Liverpool England.

"We are not happy about losing," said Coach Bill Self. "We have been training twice hard and feel it will pay off. We're not looking to play for second or third place. We're going for the win. We'll take on any team and give them a run for their money. We feel we've proved ourselves and are not going to lie down in anymore games. I feel that though we had an early led, we just gave up thinking we had the win an allowed Liverpool to come back and take the lead."

Scorer's Card:
5 Keith Langford (G); 19 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks
11 Aaron Miles (G); 14 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks
15 J.R. Giddens (F); 18 points, 4 rebounds
23 Wayne Simien (F/C); 30 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks
34 Christian Moody (F); 10 points, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks

Sliponia National Basketball Results
Sliponia vs. Aquiliana [W: 103-92]
Sliponia vs. Fmjphoenix [W: 88-85]
Sliponia vs. Liverpool England [W: 103-88]
Sliponia vs. Aquilana [W: 100-92]
Sliponia vs. Fmjphoenix [W: 88-80]
Sliponia vs. Liverpool England [L: 92-91]

Strike defeat Aquilana, but still get eliminated due to point difference

The Strike defeated Aquliana 96-93 to end the rounds an even 3-3, but sat at =14 points from their 3 losses while Liverpool Englend defeated the previously undefeated Slipona to take 2nd place and advance to the playoffs.

Kevin Granite and Ryan Stoudimite both scored 24 points and Remart Ssaryu added 14 with 18 rebounds, but they needed luck on their side to advance, and luck was not with them. With the victory comes a bittersweet feeling because they now will watch the playoffs from home, instead of the courtside.

But it is not a bad thing overall, as it was the first run the Strike had gone in, a 3-3 record, .500, is not terrible. The Strike will be working hard and plan on coming back strong next time to compete for the cup.

Starters Stats:
Jason Briggs: 8 points, 4 rebounds, 12 assists, 2 steals
Ryan Stoudimite: 24 points 2 rebounds 3 assists
James Jackson: 14 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
Kevin Granite: 24 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 blocks
Remart Ssaryu: 14 points, 18 rebounds, 2 assists, 7 blocks

same lineuip ast

I think that post needs to be removed.

IC: Kaze Progressa avoided bottom spot in the group with a 98-84 defeat of Hiiraan away from home, but the already-eliminated Kangaroos will be cursing their inconsistency.

'How the same team can beat Harlesburg and lose three on the spin right after that is beyond me, and I think someone has to be culpable,' said analyst Jaurkia Manizo, in a statement that summed up popular opinion in the country's basketball-supporting contingent.

One travelling fan had this to say: 'We beat Harlesburg. For crying out loud, why the hell can't we beat anyone else?'

Few disagreed.

The reason was simple, it seemed. Kaze Progressa were indeed a bad side, but a couple of good performances from their players and a huge dollop of Harlesburg complacency facilitated a fluke result in that match. At least, that's what some said.

The truth may emerge in the next World Cup.

Playoff Schedule

Lovisa---------------------75
| Praying2God----
Praying2God----------------92 |
| ---------------
Sliponia-------------------91 | |
| Harlesburg----- |
Harlesburg-----------------99 |
| ---------------
Vilita---------------------88 | CHAMPION
| LE------------- |
Liverpool England---------101 | |
| ---------------
Adam Island---------------108 |
| Sarzonia-------
Sarzonia------------------113

(KP: Post has been reported)

IC: The Liverpool England public are refusing to believe that their basketball team are in the semifinals of the World Cup. Basketball, not a popular sport in the nation, has however captured many fans with the team's excellent run, their most recent victory, with triple-digits, 101-88 over Vilita. The team had two players on triple-doubles, star centre Timothy Rush (24 points, 14 assists, 11 rebounds, with 7 blocks and 4 steals; shooting 11-from-26 on the night) and Point Guard Johnny Trail (26 points, 11 assists, 16 rebounds with 8 blocks and 11 steals; throwing 7-from-8 from three point range) each had good games. The team will face Sarzonia next, in what must be a tough test against WCB1's runners up.

Sarzonia Storms Past Adam Island, 113-108
Storm to face Liverpool England in semis

Except for two excruciating losses to previously unbeaten Lovisa, the Sarzonian national team hasn't had very many close games in the second World Cup of Basketball. The team's plus-56 point differential was the largest in the tournament in spite of its 4-2 record, which was bettered by three teams in the World Cup.

However, the two losses to Lovisa might have stiffened the Storm's resolve. The team battled back from an eight point fourth quarter deficit and defeated Adam Island 113-108 behind Terry Casterbridge's 26 points.

"We've been in tough situations before and we've found ways to win the pressure games," Coach Dick Motta said. "We showed a lot of determination out there and we didn't pack it in when all seemed lost."

Sarzonia started out of the gate slowly and it looked like the Storm would be blown out early as Adam Island raced out to a 23-11 lead just five minutes into the first quarter. The extended run caused Motta to burn two timeouts, and the normally controlled coach screamed at his team to snap out of its funk.

The uncharacteristic emotion from their coach seemed to fire the team up and Sarzonia responded with a 10-2 run that brought the team to within 25-20 after one quarter. The teams traded buckets for the early part of the second quarter until Adam Island took advantage of center Bennie Malone's third foul with 8:24 left in the first half. The Kangaroos went on a 12-4 run that stretched the lead to 13 points, and the 'Roos led by 11 at halftime.

Sarzonia switched to a 2-3 zone in an effort to cool the Kangaroos' hot outside shooting and it worked for a while. The Storm gradually clawed back into the game with a run of 10 free throw conversions in 11 attempts by several players, but couldn't seem to get the margin closer than six. Finally, Motta burned his team's last full timeout just 13 seconds into the fourth quarter.

"There's no tomorrow," he told his team during the time out. "Play like it could be your last game ever." Sarzonia went on a 18-6 run to take a four point lead and finally stretched the margin to five with clutch free throw shooting by Jerome Chelsea (18 points, nine of 10 from the line).

The Storm will face Liverpool England, who knocked off Vilita 101-88. Motta said the team would try to wear out Liverpool England since the team is only dressing 10 players. "We're going to use our full roster as much as possible," Motta said.

Elsewhere, defending champions Harlesburg beat Sliponia 99-91 and Praying2God throttled Group A champions Lovisa 92-75.

"Guess it was a bad day to be a favorite, huh," Casterbridge said. "We've got to be wary of Liverpool England. They didn't get here by chance."

(OOC)
Ok this is scaring the bejesus out of me Sliponia out after winning pool with good D
Sarzonia damn i know theyre good
Do i want to know what that post was(EastwoodInsurance) that got deleted?

(IC)
Harlesburg Slip past Sliponia
Harlesburg have managed to sneek past another well beforming team in this World Cup and look forward to continuing their advance to the Final.

"We want to be at the 'Big Show' again that first World Cup win was amazing to do it again would be the best thing ever but we know that this one more game before we are there."said Jared Jurgonson

The amount of interest created by the national team over the period since that World Cup win has been amazing crowds at the National Basketball League games have increased by 12% giving most games a 24,000+ crowd attemdance and Harlesburg Heat games up to 48,000 people a game.

But also the colony of Citrius-Vastiva has been able to establish an effective competition although this is mostly out-doors on tarseal which really wears down the shoes of the players as well as skin when there is a fall.
The Witan Council of Harlesburg has intended to build more Stadia in Citrius-Vastiva for some time and know with another rising star in Ronald Barker behind the success of fellow Citriite Troy Breakspear who lit up the first World Cup.

The key to the victory was another stunning performance by Albert Rimmer who scored 24 points dealt out 8 assists and picked two pockets.

"I knew it was important for the team to score these points against such a strong Defensive side who posted the fifth highest points in all pools.
We posted more points than them in Pool play well just so all that was left to do was pierce their D and we were in."said Rimmer

Sliponia's Defence had been impressive only allowing 529 points in pool play the third lowest tally and only 7 points away from strong defenders Praying2God who Harlesburg play next in the Semi-Finals.

"We knew we had to combat this somehow and i think we found the trick today we just needed to post more points than them and keep them away from the key we constantly changed from a box formation to a half court press it worked well."said Micheal Clarke

Scorers
5-PG-Albert Rimmer: 24 Points,8 Assists,2 Steals

12-PG/SG-Troy Breakspear: 16 Points,6 Assists,1 Steal

3-SF-Ryan Edwards: 13 Points,1 Assist,4 Rebounds

1-C-Jack Taylor: 12 Points,9 Rebounds

10-PF-Jared Jurgonson:10 Points,6 Rebounds

4-SG(sixth man)-Handsome Edwards:7 Points 4 Assists,1 Rebound
7-PG-Micheal Clarke: 3 Points,2Assists,2 Steals
8-SG/SF-John Rampart:2 Points,1 Rebound
1-C-Oliver Collier:2 Points,4 Rebounds
6-SG-Josh Ballard:5 Points,4 Assist,1 Steal,1 Rebounds
11-SF-Tony Halliburton:3 Points,4 Rebounds
2-PF-Robert Handkoff:2 Points,1 Rebound

Harlesburg 24 22 25 22 99
Sliponia 22 24 29 16 91

Slips Two Game Losing Streak Ends Tournament
Sliponia eliminated in close match.

AQUILIANA---Sliponia's national team, after easily winning the group, has been knocked off by the defending champ, Harlesburg.

"We are not happy about losing," said Coach Bill Self. "We had been training twice hard and felt it will pay off. In the offseason we just need to train harder than ever to prepare for next year!"

Scorer's Card:
5 Keith Langford (G); 20 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks
11 Aaron Miles (G); 20 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks
15 J.R. Giddens (F); 18 points, 4 rebounds
23 Wayne Simien (F/C); 22 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks
34 Christian Moody (F); 10 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks

Sliponia National Basketball Results
Sliponia vs. Aquiliana [W: 103-92]
Sliponia vs. Fmjphoenix [W: 88-85]
Sliponia vs. Liverpool England [W: 103-88]
Sliponia vs. Aquilana [W: 100-92]
Sliponia vs. Fmjphoenix [W: 88-80]
Sliponia vs. Liverpool England [L: 92-91]
Sliponia vs. Harlesburg [L: 99-91]

AI Blows Early Lead, Is Eliminated

AQUILANIA- Despite sagging media coverage due to the surprising success of the World Cup football team, Adam Island's national basketball team made it to the playoffs, in the second World Cup of Basketball.

They were matched up with Sarzonia in the quarterfinal, an excellent team with a point differential in the 50s. Although pre-game analysts considered the Adam Islanders overmatched, they shot ahead to a 23-11 lead in the first five minutes of the game.

Unfortunatly, Sarzonia remembered how to play, and cut the lead to 5 after the first quarter. But then AI, who the Sarzonian press mistook for the "Kangaroos" of Kaze Progressa, went on a 12-4 run and led the Sarzonia Storm by 11 points at the half.

Adam Island fans went nuts. They began to burn some Sarzonian flags before they were confiscated by arena security.

Sarzonia switched to a zone defense, and they cut the lead to 6 at the start of the fourth quarter. Then the AI starters wore out, and the coach was forced to substitute the bench warmers.

Adam Island's lack of depth has been their achilles heel throughout the tournament. It showed, as they let Sarzonia score 10 unanswered points in part of an amazing comeback that put them ahead by 5 to win the game.

(OOC)This my friends is called s play on words HE HE HE
Eagles Unleash Talons on Pray

Harlesburg looking to contain Paying2God but also to continue posting high numbers themselves have opted for the same lineup since the 2nd game.

"Obviously everyones contributed and we dont want to spoil awinning formula so ive gone for the tried and proven group."said Richard Swain

Starters
5-PG-Albert Rimmer:Obviously after a strong performance again retains his position.
12-PG/SG-Troy Breakspear:Breakspear again posting high numbers complementing Rimmer and always picking up thre slacknts.

3-SF-Ryan Edwards:Improved performance means he holds on to position inspite of lack of form early on one reason may be that the bench isnt contributing as much as would be liked.

1-C-Jack Taylor:Once again the experienced Taylor has led by example defending the hoop at all costs having been fouled 13 times in total his comitment has ment many bruises too for himself and the opposition.

10-PF-Jared Jurgonson:the young blood has proven itself in all teams and Jurgonson is no exception doing his bit for the team on numerous occasions.

Bench
4-SG(sixth man)-Handsome Edwards:7 Points 4 Assists,1 Rebound
7-PG-Micheal Clarke: 3 Points,2Assists,2 Steals
8-SG/SF-John Rampart:2 Points,1 Rebound
1-C-Oliver Collier:2 Points,4 Rebounds
6-SG-Josh Ballard:5 Points,4 Assist,1 Steal,1 Rebounds
11-SF-Tony Halliburton:3 Points,4 Rebounds
2-PF-Robert Handkoff:2 Points,1 Rebound

(OOC: I am definitely shocked. The odds of this result were somewhere in the range of 50:1. Phreeeeow.)

Championship Game

Liverpool England 86 - 95 Praying2God

Third Place Game

Harlesburg 105 - 107 Sarzonia

Simon Deny (SD): We're coming to you live from the WC of Basketball semifinals. Yes, Praying2God, believe it. Your basketball team is amongst the four best in the world in their debut in international basketball competition. :eek: Mary, let's review how the Warriors got here.

Mary Follows (MF): Well, Simon. Group play saw the Warriors matched up against three WC veterans in Vilita, Hisam, and Big Pimento. Hisam and Big Pimento had met in the WC I semifinals, with Big Pimento winning that game, but losing the finals. However, neither team got it going in this WC, as both finished with losing records and were eliminated. Vilita held off the Warriors for the top spot in group play with a 20-foot jumper from the corner at the buzzer of the Warriors 87-78 victory on MD 6, otherwise the Warriors would have won the group on point differential by ONE point.

SD: That's right, Mary. Then in the quarterfinals, the Warriors drew the lone team that went unbeaten in group play, Lovisa. The Warriors continued to shock the world, as they pulled out a shockingly easy 92-75 upset to advance to today's game. Mary, who do they play today?

MF: The Warriors will have certainly proved themselves to be a basketball power if they can pull this one off, as they will meet a hungry squad from Harlesburg, who are looking to defend the WC, after winning WC I.

SD: How can the Warriors pull the upset against a team with this much offensive fire power?

MF: The same way they've got here, Simon. With solid team defense and good shooting. When the Warriors have shot over 50% as a team, they are undefeated in WC play. However, they cannot afford to get into an offensive slugfest with a team like Harlesburg.

SD: Mary, we've just gotten word that Isaiah Bold will get his first start in WC action today to help try to reign in Harlesburg star center, Jack Taylor. Let's look at what the Warriors' starting line-up will look like now, Mary.

MF: John Child will stay at the point, Simon, and Peter Rock stays at center, but the rest of the line-up will change. Paul Walk moves to shooting guard, Thomas Faith moves to small forward, with Isaiah Bold getting the start at power forward.

SD: How effective do you think this move will be, Mary?

MF: This is clearly a move to try to keep Taylor from taking over the game. What the Warriors will most likely do, is cheat off of the inconsistant small forward, Ryan Edwards, to double Taylor.

SD: Here come the teams out of the locker room. We'll be back after these messages from our sponsors.



(late in the game)

SD: So, here we are with 30 seconds left in regulation. Harlesburg has the ball and a two point lead, with less than ten seconds on the shot clock. Rimmer passes the ball into Taylor. Taylor turns to drive for the shot. He goes up...THE SHOT IS BLOCKED BY BOLD!!! Rimmer is so shocked that the ball bounces right off his head and out-of-bounds, meaning the Warriors will get the last shot, if they choose to hold for it, as there are 22 seconds to play in regulation. Mary, you were right on the money before the game, as to what the Warriors plan was by starting Bold for the first time in this tournament.

MF: It's been effective, as Taylor has been held to 12 points and 7 rebounds, but Rimmer and Breakspear have picked up Taylor in this game.

SD: The Warriors have called their last time out to try to set something up. Mary, what do you think they'll do?

MF: I would either expect the ball to go inside to Rock, who's had his typical game, with 14 points and 12 rebounds, or they'll take advantage of the mismatch of Edwards trying to guard Faith, who's gone off for 20 points and 14 rebounds already for the Warriors.

SD: Here come the teams out of the timeout. The Warriors have 22 seconds to go the length of the floor. Needing only two to tie and force overtime. Mary, will they try for a three in this position?

MF: Only if they get a wide open look at one. They haven't been hitting with the consistency they were early in the WC.

SD: How do you think Harlesburg will try to stop the Warriors here, Mary?

MF: Most likely they will let Taylor take on Rock straight up. They might try to put pressure on Child to get the Warriors to take a quick shot, but they probably won't change anything else.

SD: Walk inbounds to Child, who starts up court. They are not putting pressure on Child. Harlesburg seems confident that they will stop the Warriors here and go on to defend their WC championship, as we have gotten word that soccer-power and fellow WC of Basketball noob Liverpool England has upset Sarzonia 123-116 to advance to the WC finals against the winner of this game. Mary, you were right, Taylor is taking Rock straight up, as it looks like Harlesburg is playing a straight man defense. Ten seconds left. Child with the ball at the top of the key. He passes to Faith in the high post. Breakspear comes over to double Faith! Walk is left wide open. Faith quickly hits him with a pass. Walk looks like he's going to shoot the three. Harlesburgs defense is slow to respond. Now, Rimmer leaves Child in the corner to pick up Walk. Walk sees this and passes to Child in the corner. Walk's pass is low and Child has to pick it up off his shoe tops. Rimmer slips and falls down trying to get back to Child. Four seconds. Chlid brings the ball up from his ankles. Two seconds. He goes up for the shot. One second. The shot is off!!!

**buzzer sounds**

SD: This shot will decide the tournament for the Warriors...

MF and SD together: HE MADE IT!!!!! CHILD HITS A 3-POINTER AT THE BUZZER AND THE WARRIORS WIN 83-82!!!!!!!

Simon Deny (SD): We're coming to you live from the WC of Basketball semifinals. Yes, Praying2God, believe it. Your basketball team is amongst the four best in the world in their debut in international basketball competition. :eek: Mary, let's review how the Warriors got here.

Mary Follows (MF): Well, Simon. Group play saw the Warriors matched up against three WC veterans in Vilita, Hisam, and Big Pimento. Hisam and Big Pimento had met in the WC I semifinals, with Big Pimento winning that game, but losing the finals. However, neither team got it going in this WC, as both finished with losing records and were eliminated. Vilita held off the Warriors for the top spot in group play with a 20-foot jumper from the corner at the buzzer of the Warriors 87-78 victory on MD 6, otherwise the Warriors would have won the group on point differential by ONE point.

SD: That's right, Mary. Then in the quarterfinals, the Warriors drew the lone team that went unbeaten in group play, Lovisa. The Warriors continued to shock the world, as they pulled out a shockingly easy 92-75 upset to advance to today's game. Mary, who do they play today?

MF: The Warriors will have certainly proved themselves to be a basketball power if they can pull this one off, as they will meet a hungry squad from Harlesburg, who are looking to defend the WC, after winning WC I.

SD: How can the Warriors pull the upset against a team with this much offensive fire power?

MF: The same way they've got here, Simon. With solid team defense and good shooting. When the Warriors have shot over 50% as a team, they are undefeated in WC play. However, they cannot afford to get into an offensive slugfest with a team like Harlesburg.

SD: Mary, we've just gotten word that Isaiah Bold will get his first start in WC action today to help try to reign in Harlesburg star center, Jack Taylor. Let's look at what the Warriors' starting line-up will look like now, Mary.

MF: John Child will stay at the point, Simon, and Peter Rock stays at center, but the rest of the line-up will change. Paul Walk moves to shooting guard, Thomas Faith moves to small forward, with Isaiah Bold getting the start at power forward.

SD: How effective do you think this move will be, Mary?

MF: This is clearly a move to try to keep Taylor from taking over the game. What the Warriors will most likely do, is cheat off of the inconsistant small forward, Ryan Edwards, to double Taylor.

SD: Here come the teams out of the locker room. We'll be back after these messages from our sponsors.



(late in the game)

SD: So, here we are with 30 seconds left in regulation. Harlesburg has the ball and a two point lead, with less than ten seconds on the shot clock. Rimmer passes the ball into Taylor. Taylor turns to drive for the shot. He goes up...THE SHOT IS BLOCKED BY BOLD!!! Rimmer is so shocked that the ball bounces right off his head and out-of-bounds, meaning the Warriors will get the last shot, if they choose to hold for it, as there are 22 seconds to play in regulation. Mary, you were right on the money before the game, as to what the Warriors plan was by starting Bold for the first time in this tournament.

MF: It's been effective, as Taylor has been held to 12 points and 7 rebounds, but Rimmer and Breakspear have picked up Taylor in this game.

SD: The Warriors have called their last time out to try to set something up. Mary, what do you think they'll do?

MF: I would either expect the ball to go inside to Rock, who's had his typical game, with 14 points and 12 rebounds, or they'll take advantage of the mismatch of Edwards trying to guard Faith, who's gone off for 20 points and 14 rebounds already for the Warriors.

SD: Here come the teams out of the timeout. The Warriors have 22 seconds to go the length of the floor. Needing only two to tie and force overtime. Mary, will they try for a three in this position?

MF: Only if they get a wide open look at one. They haven't been hitting with the consistency they were early in the WC.

SD: How do you think Harlesburg will try to stop the Warriors here, Mary?

MF: Most likely they will let Taylor take on Rock straight up. They might try to put pressure on Child to get the Warriors to take a quick shot, but they probably won't change anything else.

SD: Walk inbounds to Child, who starts up court. They are not putting pressure on Child. Harlesburg seems confident that they will stop the Warriors here and go on to defend their WC championship, as we have gotten word that soccer-power and fellow WC of Basketball noob Liverpool England has upset Sarzonia 123-116 to advance to the WC finals against the winner of this game. Mary, you were right, Taylor is taking Rock straight up, as it looks like Harlesburg is playing a straight man defense. Ten seconds left. Child with the ball at the top of the key. He passes to Faith in the high post. Breakspear comes over to double Faith! Walk is left wide open. Faith quickly hits him with a pass. Walk looks like he's going to shoot the three. Harlesburgs defense is slow to respond. Now, Rimmer leaves Child in the corner to pick up Walk. Walk sees this and passes to Child in the corner. Walk's pass is low and Child has to pick it up off his shoe tops. Rimmer slips and falls down trying to get back to Child. Four seconds. Chlid brings the ball up from his ankles. Two seconds. He goes up for the shot. One second. The shot is off!!!

**buzzer sounds**

SD: This shot will decide the tournament for the Warriors...

MF and SD together: HE MADE IT!!!!! CHILD HITS A 3-POINTER AT THE BUZZER AND THE WARRIORS WIN 83-82!!!!!!!
nice work it was close and you did it
But your going to hell :upyours: :p
I think its a classic case of Lakers Kings shot was still in guys hand Lakers get points Kings robbed think it was 2 years ago
Rp it latter :p

Harlesburg Heartbreak

Harlesburg last night were eliminated from the 2nd World Cup after a heartbreaking loss to surprise performers Praying2God.

Praying2God who were in a tough pool with veteran Basketball nations Big Pimento a real performer from the first world cup who found themseves in early trouble in this tournament and couldnt dig themselves out,Hisam who did a bit in both tournaments but were once again unsuccesful and Vilita who made it to the Quarter finals before going down to now red hot favourites Liverpool England.

Liverpool England who managed to beat Sarzonia in the Semifinals who were the second placed team from the First World Cup and werec expected to make it to the Final again by many in Harlesburg after seeing their performances from last time and in this World Cup.

Scorers
5-PG-Albert Rimmer: 12 Points,4 Assists,1 Steal

12-PG/SG-Troy Breakspear: 10 Points,3 Assists,2 Steals

3-SF-Ryan Edwards: 8 Points,1 Assist,3 Rebounds

1-C-Jack Taylor: 7 Points,16 Rebounds

10-PF-Jared Jurgonson:8 Points,12 Rebounds

4-SG(sixth man)-Handsome Edwards:9 Points 4 Assists
7-PG-Micheal Clarke: 6 Points,2 Assists,1 Steal
8-SG/SF-John Rampart:4 Points,5 Rebound 2 Steals
1-C-Oliver Collier:9 Points,4 Rebounds
6-SG-Josh Ballard:2 Points,7 Assist,1 Rebounds,1 Steal
11-SF-Tony Halliburton:3 Points,4 Rebounds
2-PF-Robert Handkoff:4 Points,5 Rebound

Harlesburg 20 21 19 22 82
Praying2God 22 20 18 23 83

Championship Game

Liverpool England 86 - 95 Praying2God

Third Place Game

Harlesburg 105 - 107 Sarzonia

MIRACLES DO HAPPEN!!!
Warriors defeat Liverpool England to win WC of Basketball II

To quote a famous sports announcer, "Do you believe in miracles?" This Praying2God Warriors basketball team sure pulled off their fair share of them in their debut appearance in the WC of Basketball. Not even expected to qualify out of their group by this publication, the Warriors believed in themselves and their God, and finished second in their group to qualify for the quarterfinals, with the stingiest defense in group play. Then the Warriors drew the only team not to lose in group play in the quarterfinals, and nobody expected them to win again, including this publication, but the Warriors proved everybody wrong again. In the semis, the Warriors drew the defending WC champions, and everybody was still picking against them, again including this publication, and again the Warriors proved everybody wrong.

Still, there was no way that the athleticly challenged nation of Praying2God was going to be able to defeat a sports history rich nation like Liverpool England, even if they were also making their debut in the WC of Basketball. Again, the Warriors were the heavy underdogs, and this publication still refused to pick them to win.

Guess what? They made fools out of us again, running off to an easy 95-86 win to win the second rendition of the WC of Basketball. As always, the big three carried the Warriors to victory. John Child, Thomas Faith, and Peter Rock combined to score 54 of the Warriors' 95 points, as all three earned double-doubles.

The Warriors grabbed the lead early, and refused to let go. Liverpool England kept it close though, and found themselves only down three with the ball with a minute to play, but then LE point guard Johnny Trail tried to call a time out his team didn't have. Child converted the technical free throw, and LE never got the lead back down to one basket, as the Warriors executed from the foul line.

Thomas Faith was named the MOP of WC II, after averaging 12.4 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game, while leading the Warriors on both ends of the floor when Rock and Child had their problems, Faith kept his eye on the goal, and now they've reached it.

On a side note, it is rumored that Warriors reserve point guard, David Strong may have fathered a child in the team hotel during the tournament. The team declined to comment on the rumor.


Things/People ripped off in this post
Al Michaels
the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey team
Chris Webber
2 Samuel 11 (the story of David and Bathsheba for those of you who don't know your Bible)
Giant Zucchini

If anyone wants to submit a WCB3 hosting bid, they can...

sounds good id like WC4 need to know more stuff :p
every 2 months or 4 months?

P2G can you show these ripoffs :)

I'd enjoy hosting, but I would need to know what you used to score the games.

I'd enjoy hosting, but I would need to know what you used to score the games.
I wrote an Excel formula based mostly on random numbers * players' indiv. off/opp's indiv. def, then multiplied by a number based on rank (derived from WCB1) and RP bonus.

Thus, there was a larger amount of randomness than normal, but if I was to host the 3rd, you'd see a higher correlation between rank and result.

I wrote an Excel formula based mostly on random numbers * players' indiv. off/opp's indiv. def, then multiplied by a number based on rank (derived from WCB1) and RP bonus.

Thus, there was a larger amount of randomness than normal, but if I was to host the 3rd, you'd see a higher correlation between rank and result.

So your kind of perfecting the formula ya

So your kind of perfecting the formula yaOOC: Well, it's kind of that along with the fact that this is only the second tournament (not including the previous basketball tournament that wasn't called a World Cup), so there's still enough parity for a "newb" country to have a viable chance to win a championship over a country that participated in the previous cup. Once there have been a few WCBs, it will be harder for a newb team to go in and win a championship, or even advance to the knockout stages.

P2G can you show these ripoffs :)

I'll help the non-Americans on here out and show the ripoffs. :D

Here's the list for easy reference: :p
Things/People ripped off in this post
Al Michaels
the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey team
Chris Webber
2 Samuel 11 (the story of David and Bathsheba for those of you who don't know your Bible)
Giant Zucchini

To quote a famous sports announcer, "Do you believe in miracles?"

The famous sports announcer in reference is Al Michaels. The quote is from the last seconds of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team's historic upset of the Soviets.

This Praying2God Warriors basketball team sure pulled off their fair share of them in their debut appearance in the WC of Basketball. Not even expected to qualify out of their group by this publication, the Warriors believed in themselves and their God, and finished second in their group to qualify for the quarterfinals, with the stingiest defense in group play. Then the Warriors drew the only team not to lose in group play in the quarterfinals, and nobody expected them to win again, including this publication, but the Warriors proved everybody wrong again. In the semis, the Warriors drew the defending WC champions, and everybody was still picking against them, again including this publication, and again the Warriors proved everybody wrong.

Still, there was no way that the athleticly challenged nation of Praying2God was going to be able to defeat a sports history rich nation like Liverpool England, even if they were also making their debut in the WC of Basketball. Again, the Warriors were the heavy underdogs, and this publication still refused to pick them to win.

The whole nobody expected them to win over the more experienced teams, not even in their own country, is a ripoff of the aforementioned 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team.

Liverpool England kept it close though, and found themselves only down three with the ball with a minute to play, but then LE point guard Johnny Trail tried to call a time out his team didn't have.

My appologies to any Michigan Wolverine fans who may have read this, because it certainly would have brought back memories. In the 1993 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Game, Michigan was playing against North Carolina, and in the closing minutes Chris Webber called a timeout after Michigan had already used their last timeout.

On a side note, it is rumored that Warriors reserve point guard, David Strong may have fathered a child in the team hotel during the tournament.

This might have cracked up anybody who knows there Bible on here. In 2 Samuel 11 is record of an affair that King David had with a woman named Bathsheeba in his palace, who ended up pregnant with his kid. Also, this should have come as no shock if you had read the player capsules on my team roster, because I described Strong as "a player both on and off the court."

Things/People ripped off in this post
Al Michaels
the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey team
Chris Webber
2 Samuel 11 (the story of David and Bathsheba for those of you who don't know your Bible)
Giant Zucchini

This list is a ripoff of how Giant Zucchini RPs his matches in the soccer WC. :p

My appologies to any Michigan Wolverine fans who may have read this, because it certainly would have brought back memories. In the 1993 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Game, Michigan was playing against North Carolina, and in the closing minutes Chris Webber called a timeout after Michigan had already used their last timeout.

:(

But you added some originality - Chris Webber was/is a power forward, not a point guard.

WCB3 signups now posted - if you want to bid for hosting, now's the time.

Sliponia will enter a solo hosting bid.