SLAM UNABLE TO TAKE HOME TITLE IN ALBANY

The Slam couldn’t survive the second-half hot shooting of the Albany Legends as they lost, 126-111, in the 2010 IBL Championship game in Albany, New York on Friday night.

The victory gives the Legends a league title in their first year of existence, and kept intact a streak that has seen the championship won on the home team’s court in every season since the IBL was formed in 2005.

The game was a close affair until Albany was able to pull away in the early stages of the fourth quarter, and featured 18 total lead changes.

After the Legends raced out to an early 11-4 lead, the Slam were able to come back with a pair of three-pointers from Paul Hafford and Tyler Amaya and led 26-24 at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter was a period of runs as Albany scored 10 of the first 13 points, before Bellingham responded with 12 straight tallies to take a 41-34 lead with 4:41 left in the half. But the Slam could only manage four more points the rest of the quarter and trailed 48-45 at halftime.

The third quarter featured fast-paced, end-to-end action as both teams combined for 73 points. Morris Anderson nailed consecutive three-pointers and scored the Slam’s first eight points as they erased their halftime deficit to lead 53-52. There were ten more lead changes in the quarter before Albany closed out the frame with back-to-back layups by Deandre Thomas and Kenny Satterfield to lead 87-81.

The Slam were unable to trim into the deficit in the fourth quarter, as they still trailed by six points, at 97-91, after Derrick Webb hit a three-pointer with 6:56 left. That was the closest the Slam would get as Albany soon built and held a double-digit lead for the rest of the game. A pair of rim-rattling dunks late in the contest by Damone Morris sent the home fans into a frenzy that lasted until time expired and the Legends hoisted the championship trophy.

Ryan Diggs led the way for the Slam with 18 points, while Jacob Stevenson finished with 17. Lukas Henne and Morris Anderson each contributed 14.

Albany was paced by the 29 points and eight assists of Kenny Satterfield. Deandre Thomas was named as the game’s MVP after finishing with a monster double-double of 21 points and 19 rebounds.

The Slam could not contain the Legends on the boards, getting outrebounded 60-37.

Bellingham completed the season with a 15-8 record, while Albany finished 19-3.

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SLAM DEFEAT YAMHILL, HEAD TO IBL TITLE GAME

The Slam will be heading to their second International Basketball League championship game after they defeated the Yamhill Highflyers, 136-105, in the third round of the IBL playoffs at Warner Pacific College on Saturday afternoon.

The outcome of the game did not appear to be in doubt after the middle stages of the first quarter, when the Slam broke open a close game with an 18-4 run. A three-pointer by Derrick Webb at the first quarter buzzer gave the Slam a 39-28 lead and they never trailed by less than 11 points the rest of the way.