CHARLESTON 83, DALLAS 59
MOUNTAINEERS WIN STREAK TIES RECORD
CHARLESTON -- The Charleston Mountaineers showed off their explosive balance, pulling away in the fourth quarter for an opening 83-59 Finals triumph that tied the record of 13 consecutive victories set by last season's Oklahoma City championship team.
All five Charleston starters were in double figures in scoring in a game that was actually much closer than the blowout final score would indicate. Dallas, after a slow start, came roaring back to take a halftime lead, and after losing that advantage, again rallied to within 6 points early in the fourth. That's when the 13-0 Charleston squad pressed hard on the gas and left them in the lurch, showing off on both ends of the court.
It was the second such surge by the Mountaineers, who exploded for 29 points in the third quarter to take control of the game before Dallas worked their way back into contention.
This game fit the formula for a Demons potential victory, with Charleston's Hall of Fame guard Naf Naf sitting with foul trouble for much of the contest and taking the least amount of shots by any of his team's starters. But second-year small forward Wawa Wewa, who usually contributes with passing and defense, stepped up to lead everyone in scoring with 20 points.
On the verge of enjoying the best single season in the history of this league, the Mountaineers now eye a record 14 wins in a row and a possible, thought to be impossible, 15-0 campaign.
POINTS SAVED PER TEAM PER QUARTER
Dallas..........7...0...7...0...Total=14
Charleston...5...2...2...7...Total=16
TOP INDIVIDUALS POINTS SAVED
1. Bop-Bop, Charleston 6
2. Bromberger, Dallas 5
2. Mon-Mon, Dallas 5
PLAYER OF GAME
The most unsung player of this starting five, Charleston's WAWA WEWA stepped into the limelight with a huge game to start the Finals. Tied for second in the entire league in assists, the second-year forward abandoned his usual role and scored a game-high 20 points on 9 of 13 shooting that included a trey in his only deep try. The 6-7 Wewa, who replaced two-time All-MBA forward B. Quiet in the starting lineup this season, also pulled down 4 boards, tied for team-high in assists with 3 and registered 2 steals. He was also 1 for 1 at the foul line.
Other 20-plus GVP performers
--He sat out most of the second quarter when Dallas rallied back into the game, but All-MBA guard Beezow Bop-Bop's numbers don't reflect a player who missed anything. Responsible for guarding one of the league's top scorers in Bingo Bango, the nine-near veteran blocked a game-high 3 shots, swiped the ball away a game-high 4 times, and thwarted a pair of would-be treys by his opposite on the way to a game-high 6 points saved. He also added 12 points, 4 rebounds and dished out 2 assists.
--Demons centers scored a total of 4 points against the defensive prowess of Charleston pivot J.J. Gargantuan. Meanwhile, the 6-8 fifth-year man scored 17 points (including a trey), snagged a team-high 5 boards and had 3 assists.
--Second-year shooting guard Bingo Bango of Dallas shook himself loose enough times to lead his team in scoring with 17 points while muscling up for a game-high 6 rebounds. The 6-4 Bango hit 4 from downtown and also added 1 assist.
--In his 16th and final season, 6-11 power forward Gulemon Mon-Mon did not disappoint. The All-MBA player scored 15 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, had 1 assist, blocked 1 shot, and prevented 5 points, which trailed only Bop-Bop in that department.
NEXT UP: Charleston travels to Dallas in an attempt to snare a record-breaking 14th consecutive victory and take a commanding lead in this best of 5 series.
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