BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Bellingham Slam has released the team's 2010 regular season schedule and will tip-off the season on April 9, returning to the court for the first time since falling in the International Basketball League conference championship game last July. The season, which will be the Slam’s fifth since starting in 2005, will feature a 20-game schedule, with ten home contests taking place at Whatcom Pavilion on the campus of Whatcom Community College.
The Slam will enjoy a long homestand to start their season, with their first game taking place April 9 against the Tacoma Tide, a team Bellingham defeated in the second round of the 2009 playoffs. The team will then remain at home for the rest of the month, playing one home game each weekend. The Slam will not play its first home game until May 2, when they travel north to play the Vancouver Titans.
Bellingham will be among 14 other teams this season in the IBL, which features teams from the West coast, Midwest, and Canada. The season runs through June and is followed by the IBL’s conference playoff tournament July 1-3. The host cities for two conference tournaments will be announced at a later date. The winners of the conference tournaments will then advance to the IBL Championship game in mid-July.
The Slam’s home schedule features nine games played on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday evening, and one game taking place on Memorial Day, May 31. Friday and Saturday games will start at 7:00 p.m. while Sunday and Monday games will tip-off at 5:00 p.m.