Adelaide, AUSTRALIA (July 10) -
Game two of the Test series between the Australian Boomers and Canada was
an intense and physical affair won by the Canadians 96 - 93 in overtime.
The game was international basketball at it's best in a tough, hard fought
contest, with the lead changing hands on numerous occasions.
The Boomers led 43 - 40 at the half-time break with Canada reversing the
scoreline in the second half to send the game into overtime with the score
reading 83 - 83 after forty minutes of play.
In the overtime period, Canada scored the first five points and the Boomers
were unable to match them at the offensive end.
Boomer guard Shane Heal who led all scores with (22) points said after the
game, "Game three is all about pride. They out-muscled us. It will be all
out war as we do not intend to lose again on home soil".
Canada out-rebounded Australia 47 - 34 including (22) offensive rebounds
raising their intensity level another notch after losing to Australia 87 -
81 in game one of the four game series.
7'2" centre Todd MacCullock had (19) points and (11) rebounds to lead the
Canadian team, followed by Michael Meeks with (17) points and (13) from
William Njoku. For Australia Tony Ronaldson had (18) and Andrew Gaze (14).
In the earlier game the Australian Rollers went down 60 - 49 in their first
loss in the past 14 games.
Phoenix, USA (July 10) -
It was a big day for Australia in American Basketball earlier this week,
reports the ABC.
The Phoenix Mercury narrowly beat the
Detroit Shock, in a game that featured six of the seven Australians
currently playing in the WNBA.
Michelle Timms starred for Phoenix with 15 points, and gave the pass to
top-scorer Jennifer Gillom, who shot a three-pointer in the last second
of the game, to give the Mercury a two-point win.
Other Australians who featured were Kristi Harrower and Michelle
Griffiths for Phoenix, and Sandy Brondello, Rachael Sporn and Carla
Porter for Detroit.
Toowoomba, AUSTRALIA (July 10) -
Continental Basketball Association womens team
Toowoomba Mountainettes will be without their leading scorer this weekend
after she won a personality contest.
Karlie Duke won the Rotary Darling Downs Miss Personality contest
and will appear at the Queensland finals this weekend - missing her basketball
team's game against the conference-leading Southern Districts Spartans.
Toowoomba have a 6-17 win-loss record to be ninth in the womens North
Conference, while Southern Districts are 21-2 to be 4 games clear at the top.
Chicago, USA (July 10) -
Connecticut forward Richard Hamilton broke his right foot
during tryouts for the USA World Championship team in Chicago and
will need up to three months to recover, reports AP.
The 6-foot-6 Hamilton, one of only three college
underclassman at the session, was one of 29 players invited to try out
for the 12-man
team after NBA pros, expected to make up the roster, pulled out
because of the lockout that went into effect on July 1.
Hamilton broke the fifth metatarsal during a scrimmage.
"There was no contact with another athlete, he was just
moving into the lane prior to going up for a shot," Dr. Jeff
Anderson, director of UConn sports medicine, said.
Hobart, AUSTRALIA (July 9) -
Australian Boomers Captain Andrew Gaze led by example to score (26) points
in a hard fought opening game win against the Canadian National Team 87 -
81 in Hobart.
Canada provided the Boomers with an athletic and highly physical team to
match the size and strength of Australia. With the Boomers leading 41 - 38
at the half-time break, Canada clawed their way back to hold a five point
lead with eight minutes remaining on the clock.
Captain Gaze steadied things from the offensive end while Chris Anstey and
Paul Rogers did the job at the defensive end forcing the Canadians into
costly turnovers.
Scott Fisher had (12) vital points and was well supported by Paul Rogers
with (11).
For Canada, Joey Vickery, who scored (17) three-pointers in a single game
in Europe last season, came off the bench to score (15) Points.
Rowan Barret and Michael Meeks both added (13) for the Canadian National
team who will only get better with time having just come together in their
preparation for the upcoming World Championship.
In the earlier game, Australia's World Championship Wheelchair Basketball
team, the Rollers, continued their winning ways with a 64-49 win over the
Canadian National Wheelchair team.
Troy Sachs and South Australian David Gould led all scores with (15) and
(12) respectively.
Game 2 for both teams now moves to Adelaide.
Gold Coast, AUSTRALIA (July 9) -
Continental Basketball Association Chairman, Mr Adrian Davies, announced that
North Conference club Gold Coast Warriors have won the rights to host the 1998 CBA
National Grand Finals.
Whilst congratulating the Gold Coast, Davies stated, "This is the first time that this,
the CBA's highest profile event and a significant event on Australia's basketball calendar,
will be hosted in Queensland."
"Gold Coast is an excellent choice, being extremely qualified and experienced after their
conduct of several basketball championship events and years of NBL experience as
well as having a first class venue."
"Add to this the fact the North Conference have the
reigning mens champion in Suncoast Clippers, they provided three of four qualifying teams
represented in last years Grand Finals, resulting in Queensland first ever CBA National title."
Both Men and Women's CBA national Grand Finals will be played at the 3,500 seat Carrara
Entertainment Centre on Saturday 19th September 98. A luncheon to acknowledge all the
National Award winners shall compliment the weekend on Sunday 20th at Royal Pines
auditorium.
The CBA also announced prominent mining and investment company
CTC RESOURCES NL as major naming rights sponsor for their three week national
finals series.
The series which commences on 4th September, concludes with both Men & Women Grand
finals on the Gold Coast on Saturday 19th September 1998.
The event to be known as the "CTC RESOURCES NL National Championships" will be
contested by the top 8 mens and 4 womens teams from the 80 team CBA competition
throughout both metropolitan and regional communities across Australia.
The two Grand Finalists from each of the four Mens Conferences and the three womens
conferences qualify for the honour of being the CTC Resources NL National Champions.
CTC Resources have also provided $25,000 cash to be
allocated as a prize pool for all 14 qualifying teams
Chicago, USA (July 9) -
With NBA players ordered to stay home, former Michigan
star Jimmy King and Duke standout Trajan Langdon are among those
who will be competing for a spot on the U.S. World Championship
team, reports AP.
USA Basketball released a list of the 30 players
invited to training camp, which is being held this week at the
Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.
The roster will be pared to a
12-man team next week, with the 1998 FIBA World Championships
July 21-Aug. 9 in Athens, Greece, against a field including the
Australian Boomers.
"We feel confident that out of
this group we can and will field a very competitive team, a team
that will go out and try to win the world championship," coach
Rudy Tomjanovich said.
Those invited include four current college players -- Langdon;
Richard Hamilton of Connecticut; Mateen Cleaves of Michigan State
and Evan Eschmeyer of Northwestern -- and two others, Earl
Boykins of Eastern Michigan and Purdue's Brad Miller, who just
completed their eligibility.
There also are 12 CBA players, nine
who played overseas and three who played both overseas and in the
CBA. USA Basketball had selected 12 NBA players to represent the
United States in the world championships.
But with an NBA lockout
looming July 1, the NBA players threatened to boycott the world
championships. USA Basketball moved first, announcing June 16 it
was dropping the NBA stars and replacing them with current
college players, CBA players and Americans playing overseas.
But some players turned down the invitations, saying they did not
want to interfere with the lockout. Dominique Wilkins said he
considered it, but decided against trying out because he did not
want to betray the NBA players.
The United States, with a team of NBA players, won the World
Championships in Toronto in 1994.
Phoenix, USA (July 6) -
The alleged mastermind of Arizona State's basketball
point-shaving scandal, involving Newcastle Falcons' Isaac Burton,
was sentenced in the US this week to 46
months in prison - a tougher sentence than the government had
sought, reports AP.
Prosecutors had recommended that Benny Silman, 27,
receive a 42-month sentence for rigging and gambling on the
outcome of basketball games during the 1994 season, when he was
an ASU student.
U.S. District Court Judge Robert Broomfield
justified the harsher punishment by saying the scandal could
discourage poor children from trying to succeed in sports and
improve their lives.
"The gambling here went beyond just
yourself. It affects a lot of us," he said. Silman entered a plea
agreement with prosecutors in April, admitting five counts of
sports bribery.
Silman admitted bribing Stevin "Hedake" Smith and Isaac Burton to
miss shots during the 1994 season so he and other gamblers could
beat the projected point spread in four games.
Smith and Burton
pleaded guilty to their role in the scheme in December. Joseph
Gagliano, 29, a Phoenix investment adviser, also pleaded guilty,
as did alleged bookmakers Dominic Mangiamele, 61, of Mount
Prospect, Ill., and his son, Joseph Mangiamele, 36, of Arlington
Heights, Ill. Silman is the first of the defendants to be
sentenced.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Lodge said the others
would likely receive reduced sentences because they cooperated
with investigators. Lodge said Silman would likely serve almost
all of his prison sentence. He refused to say whether prosecutors
were investigating other possible suspects.
The Burton is scheduled for
sentencing on September 28. He spent this past NBL season playing with
the Newcastle Falcons, after previously linking with the Sydney Kings.
New York, USA (July 6) -
Australia's hopes of a medal at the up-coming World Championships
are increasing every day the NBA lock-out continues in the
US.
Fallout from the NBA lockout hit USA Basketball this week.
USA Basketball canceled an exhibition game for the team that will
represent the United States in next month's World Championship
because there is no team, reports AP.
It has yet to be reassembled after 12
NBA players were dropped because of the lockout. The team was to
have played the Goodwill Games squad in an exhibition game July
14.
Warren Brown, executive director of USA Basketball, said the
game was canceled "because of the expected need for additional
training time for the new USA World Championship Team."
The
Goodwill Games team is another USA Basketball Team - consisting
of top collegians and coached by Minnesota's Clem Haskins.
Brown said the USA team would train through July 14 in Chicago.
Plans are for 24 players to be invited to pre-World Championship
training for the 1998 USA Basketball team with the finalists
training at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago July 8-14.
After
the 12-member USA Team is selected, the squad will train July
16-23 in Monte Carlo, Monaco. The 1998 FIBA World Championships
is scheduled for July 21-Aug. 9 in Athens, Greece.
Meanwhile, in the final hours before the lock-out officially started,
Karl Malone basked in the afterglow of his appearance on a
wrestling show, where he bodyslammed and clotheslined Hulk Hogan.
The Utah Jazz star will face Dennis Rodman in a pay-per-view
match in mid-July.
"He looked like he was trying hard not to laugh," Jazz spokesman
Kim Turner said, referring to Malone's performance.
Chicago, USA (July 6) -
A baseball strike ended Michael Jordan's baseball career, but the
current basketball dispute in fact may prolong his NBA career,
according to reports by AP.
Put the Chicago Bulls' big breakup on hold. The six-time
NBA champions aren't going anywhere. Not yet, anyway. Let
everyone else bemoan what the lockout is going to do to the NBA.
For the Bulls, it means some much-needed breathing room while
Michael Jordan ponders his future.
"If free agency would have
started today, the Bulls would have been left at the altar," said
Mark Bartelstein, an agent whose clients include Steve Kerr and
Jud Buechler.
All trades, free agent signings,
negotiations and almost everything else having to do with the
league are on hold. When it will end, no one knows. All of which
gives Jordan time to think without any big risk to the Bulls.
Rebuild, and he's out of here. Try and resign the
whole gang, and he'll probably come back.
Australia's Luc Longley is among the long list of free agents the Bulls
must re-sign to retain the core of their three-peat NBA championship
squad.
Dallas, USA (July 6) -
Apparently, all it took for the Dallas Mavericks to land
Dirk Nowitzki was a barbecue, a game of one-on-one and a
trans-Atlantic phone call, giving Australia's Chris Anstey
a German team mate in the NBA.
The 6-foot-11 German star announced
this week he'll give up European ball to play for the Mavericks
next season, reports AP.
Nowitzki has gone home to Germany and will
return for training camp if NBA owners and players settle their
labor dispute.
Nowitzki said he wasn't worried about the lockout,
adding if the season is delayed he would want to stay in shape
with his Wurzburg team in Germany's second division.
Just a day
earlier, Nowitzki had said he was leaning toward playing another
year or two in Europe, then trying to make the jump to the NBA.
But that was before the 20-year-old went to a cookout at the home
of coach-general manager Don Nelson, rubbed shoulders with his
prospective teammates and scrimmaged against Mavericks forward
Samaki Walker.
Nowitzki came away believing he can keep up with NBA players. "I
think my offense is pretty good. I can compete with them,"
Nowitzki said at a news conference.
Nowitzki
was drafted ninth overall by Milwaukee last week, then
traded to Dallas. Nelson has Nowitzki penciled in at small
forward, where he can use his shooting touch and ballhandling. Anstey
will spend time at centre.
Mackay, AUSTRALIA (July 2) -
Mackay Coca Cola Meteor import Beau Pack, who had vaulted to be the #1 scorer in the CBA and was the force behind the Meteors strong play in the last month, flew back to his home in San Diego this week.
Pack has accepted an invitation to train with the NBA New York Knicks team at their pre season training center in his home town of San Diego California.
Pack, who played last season in Germany, has been pursued by a number of high paying European clubs for their season which starts in early August.
The Meteors were winners of four of their last six games including an impressive 25 point home win over 4th placed Southern Districts.
They will certainly miss Pack in their final 7 games, but according to coach Frank Goldfinch are very supportive and understanding of his situation.
"Beau's been great to have this year and we wouldn't want to hold him back in his career as a professional basketball player, Goldfinch said.
"When we spoke to Beau about coming out he was honest about wanting to leave in July if anything big came up overseas. We came to an agreement that if we were not in playoff contention late in the season he would be free to go."
Both Pack and Goldfinch have left the door open for a possible return to the Meteors next season if things can be worked out.
"I believe the CBA hierarchy will cut down the schedule and shorten up the season next year. Twenty seven games and 6 and half months is much too long - if they shorten it up the season like it is rumoured, we could bring Beau back for a full season," added Goldfinch.
Pack, who averaged over 32 points a game and 14 rebounds for the Meteors, has nothing but found memories of his time with the Meteors.
"The guys on the team and coach Goldfinch were great to and I really loved Mackay and the Whitsundays - it is truly one of the most beautiful places in the world and the people of Mackay were fabulous," Pack said.
"I would jump at the chance to come back and play here again if something could be worked out."
Meanwhile, the Meteors will try to prepare of their upcoming games this weekend first in Burdekin Saturday night and than a home game against Townsville Sunday afternoon.
Melbourne, AUSTRALIA (July 2) -
The Continental Basketball Association's South and East Conferences released their Player of the Months awards this week, as the national club competition rolls into its final two months.
Player of the Month in the South Conference is Steve Guild of the Bendigo Braves.
In his his 5th year with the Braves, Guild led his team to a 4-2 record for the month of June and is a deserved winner of his first Player of the Month Award. The 201cm Power Forward from Pepperdine University has been inspirational at both the offensive and defensive end, averaging 28.5 points and 14.7 rebounds for the month.
He is currently leading the Conference in defensive rebounds (9.9rpg), third in total rebounds (12.7), and eighth in points per game. His presence under the ring at the defensive end has been a key to the Braves defence. Steve also recorded double figures in points and rebounds in all 5 games for June.
Meanwhile, the East Conference Player of the Month for June is Rhys Newsome of the conference-leading Frankston Blues.
Shooting at an unbelievable 60%+ in all 7 games, guard Newsome helped his team to a 6-1 record for the month which included a 2-0 road trip to Sydney and a 2-1 road trip to Tasmania where their only loss of the month was by 2 points.
Of particular note was his performances in Sydney where he returned 26pts @ 64% (6/8 3 pointers) & 7 rebs vs West Sydney as well as an 18 pts @ 60% & 9 rebs performance in the Blues victory over the young talented SKY lineup. Shooting at 61% (27/44) from behind the arc for June has helped him gain the number 1 position in 3 pt % for the Conference and second place in total Field Goal %.
Melbourne, AUSTRALIA (July 2) -
The Adelaide 36ers have thrashed the South East Melbourne Magic by 28 points, in the second game of the National Basketball League's best-of-three grand final series, reports the ABC.
The 36ers held a 6 point lead at half-time, but managed to steam ahead to win 90-62.
It is the first time the 36ers have won the title since 1986.
Adelaide coach Phil Smyth says the championship was extra special for 36ers veteran Mark Davis, who also played in the 1986 championship side.
Smyth says the team has worked hard over the past season and he hopes last night's win will spur them on in the future.
"They were just terrific, they peaked at the right time and we've got a group of guys that are going to enjoy playing together for a long time," Smyth said.
Canberra, AUSTRALIA (July 2) -
The Canberra Cannons have announced star import Robert Rose has been axed by the club, reports the ABC.
Cannons chairman Col Alexander says Rose was sacked for continual breaches of his contract.
Rose is currently back in the USA.
Cannons general manager Jerry Lee says they are not sure what Rose will now do.
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