STAMPEDE DOMINATES MOUNTAINEERS
SEATTLE -- The Seattle Stampede, picked unanimously to finish last in their division, advanced to the championship series with an unceremonious drubbing of the defending champion Charleston Mountaineers, 92-70. The convincing victory gave the home team two straight semifinal wins and a ticket to the MBA finals for the first time since their lone championship in Season 37.
After a high-scoring and close first quarter, Seattle took advantage of a forced injury rest to Beezow Bop-Bop of Charleston just 6 time units into the period, dominating the backboards and general play all the way to halftime, where they led 51-35. All three front-line players for Seattle grabbed eight rebounds in the game.
It was never close thereafter as Seattle doubled Charleston in rebounding 28-14, a problem for the defending champs all year long. But while Charleston, last in rebounding in the league, could be expected to struggle on the boards, the Mountaineers defense, third in all of basketball, was almost totally and surprisingly ineffective.
For the second game in a row, Seattle forwards Tea Time Typhoo and Jairo Capoeira dominated play, and in this game, Ginger Vampire returned to his normal leadership role as well.
Charleston ends its season 7-3, 0-2 while Seattle will play for another championship against Oklahoma City, advancing with a 5-5. 2-0 slate.
CO-PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Seattle forwards TEA TIME TYPHOO and JAIRO CAPOIERA shared Player of the Game honors, Capoiera getting the nod for the second consecutive playoff outing. Typhoo scored 20 points on the heels of his 22-point Game 1 effort as he dominated Charleston's fine rookie Pietro Destroyer. Typhoo was 9-for-10 from the floor, grabbed 8 boards had 1 assist and led everyone with 2 blocked shots. Capoeira, who had 20 in the first game, scored 21 in this one, also grabbing 8 rebounds and tying for team high in assists with 2. He was 6-for-6 from the foul line, making him 11-for-11 from the charity stripe in the Semis. For the second game in a row, he totally out-played two-time All-MBA forward B. Quiet.
OTHER 20-PLUS GVP PERFORMERS
-- Seattle point guard Ginger Vampire took advantage of Charleston's move to guard him with Jesus Moron Joseph. Vampire lit up Joseph in the first half for 18 points, then went on to lead all scorers with a total of 24. Bop-Bop was on him in the second, but went out early to a forced rest. Vampire added 2 rebounds and 2 assists.
-- Following a one-game injury, 7-foot center George Gershwin returned to the starting lineup and played Charleston's star center J.J. Gargantuan to a standstill. Gershwin, the league's second-best rebounder pulled down 8 boards, which tied for game-high with two of his teammates. He added 12 points on 50 percent shooting against a defensive juggernaut.
-- Charleston guard Beezow Bop-Bop tied for team-high scoring honors with 14, tied for game-high in assists with 3, grabbed 2 boards and had 1 blocked shot.
-- Charleston center J.J. Gargantuan tied for game-high in scoring with 14 points, had 3 rebounds, 1 block and a game-high 2 steals.
FINALS NOTES
This will be the first time in the 40-year history of the MBA that these two original franchises, Oklahoma City and Seattle, will meet in the Finals.
Seattle, minus Ginger Vampire, dealt Oklahoma City one of its two losses this season, beating them 75-62 in a game that basically qualified the Stampede for the playoffs.
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