SLAM HOST OLYMPIA FRIDAY, JAPAN MONDAY

The Slam, off to their best start in franchise history, look to keep things going with a pair of home games over the long holiday weekend.

The Slam will play host to the Olympia Reign on Friday at 7 p.m. before welcoming the Japan Tornadoes on Monday at 5 p.m. Both games will take place at Whatcom Pavilion.

The Slam heads into this weekend’s action with a 7-1 record and a six-game winning streak. The start is the team’s best ever through its first eight games, improving on its previous best, a 6-2 start to the 2008 season, the year the Slam won the IBL Championship.

Friday’s match-up will feature the first of two visits to Bellingham from their I-5 rivals, the Olympia Reign. The Slam have already faced the Reign twice on the road this season, coming away with a pair of 29-point victories.

On Monday in their annual Memorial Day game, the Slam will welcome the Japan Tornadoes, a squad competing in the International Basketball League comprised of players from top teams in the Basketball Japan League as well as American players. The Slam last played the Tornadoes during the 2009 season.

Bellingham continues to be led by veteran guard Paul Hafford, who just received the IBL’s Player of the Week award and is averaging 23.3 points per game, ranking him third in the league’s scoring race. He also currently ranks second on the team in rebounding (6.3 per game) and steals (1.8). Morris Anderson, the team’s pass-first point guard, has also emerged as one of the team’s scoring leaders at 16.9 points per game and is coming off a 20-point night in the Slam’s 112-107 win over Edmonton last Friday. Another player to watch out for this weekend is rookie forward Jeremy Green, who has enjoyed his best games this season against Olympia. He scored a season-high 28 points in the two teams’ last meeting on May 12, and over 70 percent of his total scoring output this season has come against the Reign.

Olympia, which has struggled to a 2-7 record to start the season, is being led a trio of former Evergreen State College standouts, guards Mike Ward (21.0 points per game) and Marcus Whittaker (14.1 points, 3.4 assists) and forward Nicholas Moore (17.0 points, 8.3 rebounds).

Monday’s game for the Tornadoes, whose import players just arrived from Japan this week, will be their second of the season after they open at Vancouver this Saturday.

HAFFORD STAYS HOT, SLAM BEATS EDMONTON

The Bellingham Slam nearly received a career high from guard Paul Hafford as they defeated the Edmonton Energy, 112-107, in a highly competitive International Basketball League game at Whatcom Pavilion on Friday.

Hafford finished with 35 points, one short of his career best. Last season, he poured in 36 points in a lopsided 179-100 win over Kankakee to close the 2011 regular season.

The Slam took advantage of the travel-weary Energy early, bolting out to a 17-6 lead after the first five minutes.

But Edmonton eventually worked their way back into the game, and led for much of the third quarter.

With the Energy leading by five to start the fourth quarter, Hafford went to work, scoring 11 points in the frame, and he put the Slam back on top with a three-pointer with 4:15 left. Clutch free throw shooting by guard Morris Anderson prevented Edmonton from making a late comeback.

The victory gave Bellingham (7-1) their sixth straight win after starting the season 1-1. Following Hafford on the scoresheet were Anderson and center Blake Poole, who each finished with 20 points.

Edmonton (3-2), was led by forward Robbie Sihota, who posted the game's only double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds.

The Slam continue their homestand with a game against the Olympia Reign on Friday, May 25. A 7 p.m. tip-off is set for Whatcom Pavilion. The game will be broadcast live on KBAI-AM 930 and online at www.930kbai.com.