Season 45 Playoff Semifinals...Game 2...Oklahoma City at Charleston

Charleston 61, Oklahoma City 47
CHARLESTON STAYS ALIVE IN ODEROUS AFFAIR
CHARLESTON -- This was not the kind of playoff professionalism Charleston fans remembered when they last saw their team in the post-season three campaigns ago. At that time, the high-flying Mountaineers had just completed a 10-0 sweep of Season 42 and were on their way to a 5-1 playoff record and the MBA title. This win, with the victor shooting merely 45.8 percent, hardly resembled that legendary team, but they did handily secure the 61-47 victory to push the Semifinals to a third, decisive game.

In doing so, Charleston came within one rebound of tying a playoff record 34 rebounds set by Houston in Season 9 and tied again by Houston in Season 36. And they made Oklahoma City (38.9 percent shooting) look like the team everyone expected them to be at the start of the season when they were predicted to finish last.

The teams shot a combined 42.3 percent from the floor.

PLAYER OF THE GAME
Embarrassed by Goodbar Masterson's Game 1 thrashing, Charleston forward FLIP TESTERTON led his man by the nose in this contest, holding him to just 4 points while scoring 16 of his own and matching his POG performance...and then some. Testerton hit the boards for 8 rebounds, had 1 steal and blocked 2 shots. He was 7 for 15 from the floor, including a pair of dunks and was 2 of 3 from the foul line, all the while snuffing the offensive life out of his opposite.

Other 20-plus GVP performers
-- Charleston guard Cat Timol took over the point position from the injured star Lapiz Lapiz Boligrafo and turned in a game-high 19-point performance. The 5-10 Timol wreaked havoc with rookie Flip Phelps, grabbing 5 rebounds and handing out 1 assist.

-- Charleston two guard Akbar Zagobia, the 6-4 roughneck defender, had little trouble handling 5-11 Hurricane Furrwizard. Zagobia doubled him in points with 12, snagged 6 boards and dished a game-high 4 assists.

-- Charleston power forward Frog Morton scored 12 points for the second straight game and hit the boards hard, tying for game-high with 10 caroms. He added 2 assists and 1 blocked shot.

-- After Charleston Hall of Famer J.J. Gargantuan got much the better of him in Game 1, Oklahoma City's 7-foot pivot Willie Carry McCoffee turned the tables and dominated Game 2. McCoffee had to earn all 12 of his points against his defensive-minded foe, but nearly stopped his opponent cold, holding him to 2 points and 1 of 8 shooting, tying Gargantuan for blocked shots with 3 each in the process. Additionally, the pride of the Lariats pulled down a game-high (tied) 10 rebounds and had 1 assist.

NEXT UP: Los Angeles, facing elimination, travels to Dallas with an added offensive weapon in guard Dr. Marcus Brody, who returns to the fold after a long 6-game injury. Will he be enough to keep the Big One's hopes alive?

Season 45 Playoffs Semifinals Game 1 ... Dallas at Los Angeles

Dallas 80, Los Angeles 71
BIG THREE COMBO DELIVERS GAME 1 WIN FOR DEMONS
LOS ANGELES -- The triple-threat of three of the league's top scorers was too much for the home team Los Angeles Big One, who took it on the chin with an 80-71 Game 1 semifinal loss to the Dallas Demons. It was the first playoff game ever in Los Angeles, played before a packed house of pimps, prostitutes and Hollywood stars.

The Demons, featuring the MBA's top scorer in Chip Battoe (18 points), its fourth-best point-getter in Gotoo Grot (19 points) and fifth-leading scorer Bingo Bango (17 points), led the offensive charge and wore down the Big One's league leading defense with 61.8 percent shooting.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles' top scorer, forward Baba Brinkman, who finished third in the league scoring race, was held to just 11 points by the blanket defense of league MVP Battoe.

The Demons need one more win to advance to the MBA Finals for the first time in three seasons, and at this point they look like the team to win it all.

When they return to Dallas for Game 2 in this best of three, Los Angeles will finally be getting back its star point guard Dr. Marcus Brody, who has not played in the second half of the season due to injury. They will need his offense, and perhaps, although somewhat blasphemous, should consider starting Tom Foolerie in place of Brinkman. The Brinkman match-up with Battoe is a brutal one for Los Angeles, in that Brinkman's continual barrage of ineffective treys act like turnovers for his team. Moving Dollop to small forward would give better shots to other L.A. players, plus he is a better defender on Battoe.



PLAYER OF GAME
It's only fitting that CHIP "THE CRIP" BATTOE, playing his first game as the league's newest Hall of Famer, should come away with Player of the Game honors to kick off the playoffs for his Dallas club. The league MVP was merely marvelous, filling up every statistical column. He scored 18 points on 7 of 12 shooting, including potting 2 of 3 shots from beyond the arc and 2 of 2 foul shots. He also pulled down 2 rebounds, had 1 assist, 1 steal and swatted away a game-high 5 shots, his league-leading specialty.

Other 20-plus GVP performers
-- Veteran shooting guard Bingo Bango of Dallas contributed 17 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist to the victory.

-- All-MBA center Gotoo Grot led everyone in scoring with 19 points, topped his team in rebounds with 4, had 1 assist and 1 blocked shot against the second-team All-MBA centere from Los Angeles.

-- Los Angeles point guard Norman Conquest got his team off to a rousing start in the first quarter, when he scored 13 of his team-high 18 points, including all 3 of his made treys. Conquest, who will be moving back to the two guard spot with the return of Brody, also led his team with 5 assists and pulled down 1 rebound.

-- L.A. center Chutcher Mouthchair had a productive game offensively, but could not stop the behemoth Grot from scoring. Mouthchair scored 14 points, pulled down 6 rebounds and had 1 assist.

-- Los Angeles forward Baba Brinkman managed to score 11 points against the stifling defense of Battoe, despite going 0 for 5 from deep and getting 5 of his shots blocked. Brinkman blocked a team-high 2 shots of his own defensively and was the game's top rebounder as he hauled in 9. He also had 1 assist.

NEXT UP: The Oklahoma City vs. Charleston series travels to the home of the Mountaineers, with Charleston trailing 1-0 in this best of three and facing elimination without their best player, the injured Lapiz Lapiz Boligrafo.

Oklahoma City 69, Charleston 68
MOUTAINEERS LOSE ALL HOPE AS BOLIGRAFO GOES DOWN
OKLAHOMA CITY -- In a season replete with one serious injury after another, the hammer came down again in the opening game of the playoffs. This time it smashed the hopes of the Charleston Mountaineers, eliminating their team MVP and the league's top 3-point shooter, Lapiz Lapiz Boligrafo, for the rest of the post season.

This just about hands the title to one of Tyler's teams, as Charleston, with Boligrafo leading the way, was Dave's best hope to grab the brass ring.

Boligrafo, was the game's leading scorer when he went down with 15 time units left in the second quarter, having already accumulated 18 points, which remained the highest total by anyone from Charleston in the entire game. When it was determined that the 7-game injury was to a Mountaineer, an "anybody but Boligrafo" calculation was immediately made. Any other position had a capable back-up. The next dice roll determined that it was a player 7-years or older, which meant either Boligrafo or Hall of Fame center J.J. Gargantuan, with Boligrafo going first. He made it past the first roll, making it Gargantuan's turn. Charleston at least had a back-up for him in Sabado Gigante. But Gargantuan slipped through unhurt and it came back to Boligrafo, who was then fingered for the extended scratch.

Oklahoma City led 37-34 at the time the injury occurred, and the contest remained tight right to the very end when Player of the Game Goodbar "Muddy" Masterson gave the Lariats a lead they would not relinquish with a slam dunk over the block of Flip Testerton with 10 ticks left.

With the Lariats in front 67-66, Masterson then knocked the ball away from Testerton, who got it back and missed a long trey, which Masterson then rebounded.

Hurricane Furrwizard then made a lightning drive to the hole and scored for Oklahoma City, putting them up by 3. An Akbar Zagobia medium jumper was good with 3 left, but the Lariats then ran out the clock to get the win.

Phillip Mamouf-Wifarts, who played three games for Charleston during the season, will replace the injured Boligrafo on the Mountaineers.

PLAYER OF GAME
The usually low-key, but steady GOODBAR "MUDDY" MASTERSON broke out with style in this playoff win for the Lariats. He was the top scorer in the game with 20 points and also pulled down the most rebounds with 8, totally dominating his opposite, Flip Testerton. Masterson also tied for most steals in the game, registering a trio of thefts, and tied for most assists on his team with 3. The 6-7 Masterson was a monster around the basket, with 6 of his 10 field goals ending with slam dunks. He was 10 for 15 from the field for the game.

Other 20-plus GVP Performers
-- Like we said earlier, Lapiz Lapiz Boligrafo was on his way to a spectacular game when he was felled. As it was, the 9-year veteran put up a team-high 18 points in less than half a contest, grabbed 2 rebounds, had 1 assist and 1 steal. He was firing away from deep just as instructed, going 4 for 8 from beyond. Charleston fans will be wondering what they could have done in the post-season with a hot Boligrafo leading the way.

-- Faced with the stifling defense of Willie Carry McCoffee, Hall of Fame center J.J. Gargantuan of Charleston still managed to score 12 points with some great moves near the hoop. The 8-season pivot also led his team with 4 rebounds, tied for game-high with 3 steals and dished 2 assists in the losing cause. He definitely got the better of the younger, taller, McCoffee.

NEXT UP: The semifinals between Dallas (6-4) and Los Angeles (7-3) tips off with even more urgency in this best of three. The winner coming out of this would have been the favorite to win it all, even without the Boligrafo injury. But with the absence of Charleston's most dynamic player, and probably the absence of the Mountaineers altogether, this short series between the Demons and Big One could be for all the marbles.

Season 45 Regular Season Recap

SEASON 45 LEADERS
SCORING
CHIP BATTOE, DALLAS 21.0 ppg (third in three seasons)
LANNIGAN LORD HOBO, MILWAUKEE 18.5
BABA BRINKMAN, LOS ANGELES 18.4 (retiring)
GOTOO GROT, DALLAS 17.8
BINGO BANGO, DALLAS 17.0

REBOUNDING
CHUTCHER MOUTHCHAIR, LOS ANGELES 5.7 rpg
TREE FIDDY, SAN JOSE 5.5
ANURAG DICKSHIT, SAN JOSE 5.5

ASSISTS
GREAT GRUNCLE TERRY, SACRAMENTO 4.1 apg
WAWA WEWA, PHILADELPHIA 3.9
LAPIZ LAPIZ BOLIGRAFO, CHARLESTON 3.6

3-POINT SHOOTING
LAPIZ LAPIZ BOLIGRAFO, CHARLESTON 57.1%--20 made = 77.1 (back-to-back titles)
BINGO BANGO, DALLAS 52.2% -- 24 made =76.2
MISTER METHANE, SAN JOSE 41.8% -- 28 made = 69.8 (Rookie)

STEALS
POTUS OBAMA, SACRAMENTO 14 (Second title)
NORMAN CONQUEST, LOS ANGELES 13
LOUIE SUBGUM, DALLAS 12

BLOCKED SHOTS
CHIP BATTOE, DALLAS 20 (Third title in 3 seasons)
YO NOID, KANSAS CITY 19 (retiring)
CHUTCHER MOUTHCHAIR, LOS ANGELES 16

LEADERS (continued)
FREE THROW LEADERS
FATTY MCBUTTERPANTS, MILWAUKEE 79.5% -- 31 made = 110.5
ANDAMIAN WAYNE, SEATTLE 85.7% -- 24 made = 109.7 (Rookie)
EGG YOLK CARPACCIO, DALLAS 93.8% -- 15 made = 108.8 (retiring)

PLAYER OF GAME
CHUTCHER MOUTHCHAIR, LOS ANGELES 4
LANNIGAN LORD HOBO, MILWAUKEE 4
(4 tied with 3)

MOST TIMES FOULED OUT
LOUIE SUBGUM, DALLAS 7
MISTER METHANE, SAN JOSE 6 (Rookie)
TWEEDLE D. DEE, PHILADELPHIA 4
TRIPLE DOUBLES
2 – WAWA WEWA, PHILADELPHIA (3 total)
2 – GREAT GRUNCLE TERRY, SACRAMENTO
1 – DON BARZINI, SEATTLE (Rookie)
1 – FLIP PHELPS, OKLAHOMA CITY (Rookie)
1 – WILLIE CARRY MCCOFFEE, OKLAHOMA CITY
1 – LANNIGAN LORD HOBO, MILWAUKEE (3 total)

TOP SCORING GAMES
39 – COLQUITT CROIX, PHILADELPHIA
36 – BABA BRINKMAN, LOS ANGELES (retiring)
34 – TWEEDLE D. DEE, PHILADELPHIA
32 – CHIP BATTOE, DALLAS
32 – PIETRO DESTROYER, SEATTLE
31 – WALTER SOBCHACK, MILWAUKEE (retiring)
31 – FATTY MCBUTTERPANTS, MILWAUKEE
31 – BINGO BANGO, DALLAS
30 – MISTER METHANE, SAN JOSE (Rookie)


ALL-MBA TEAM SEASON 45
FIRST TEAM
GUARD – LANNIGAN LORD HOBO, MILWAUKEE (26.9 GVP) (First Time—Second Season) Picked up in Chicago dispersal draft, 6-6 shooting guard named his team’s MVP for second consecutive season. Second in MBA in scoring, tied for most POGs, tops on team in rebounds, assists for 2nd year in a row. 18.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4 POGs, 2.5 apg, 55.6 % shooting, 44.4% from 3 with 12 made, 75% FT, 6 steals
GUARD – POTUS OBAMA, SACRAMENTO (24.3 GVP) (First Time – Fourth Season) Reined in his tendency for undisciplined gunning to live up to promise of Rookie of the Year campaign. Won second steals title while leading River Dogs in scoring and earning Team MVP honors.
16.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 14 steals, 8 blocked shots, 37.5% from 3 with 6 made, 2.3 apg, 2 POGs

CENTER – GOTOO GROT, DALLAS (26.1 GVP) (First Time – Third Season) The mammoth 7-2 pivot has already exceeded expectations since coming to the Demons. Top scoring center in league and fourth-best MBA scorer. Led his team in rebounding and shooting percentage. May still be getting better.
17.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.9 apg, 72.4 % shooting, 6 steals, 7 blocked shots, 3 POGs, 81.8% free throwing

FORWARD – CHIP BATTOE, DALLAS (27.1 GVP) (Third Time – Third Season) MBA’s newest Hall of Famer led league in scoring and won regular season MVP award, both for third straight time. Added third consecutive blocked shots title despite missing three games to injury. Generational talent.
21.0 ppg, 20 blocked shots, 3.4 rpg, 64.4% shooter, 84.6% free throwing, 33.3% from 3-Point Land

FORWARD – ANURAG DICKSHIT , OKLAHOMA CITY (24.3 GVP) (First time – Fourth Season) Tremendous second half helped turn team into playoff club. Trade from L.A. for third pick next season produced dividends. Second in league in rebounds. Topped new team in scoring, rebounds, steals, 3s.
16.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 7 steals, 78.9% free throwing, 50% from 3, 3 POGs, 5 blocks, Team MVP

MVP VOTING
1. CHIP BATTOE, DALLAS…31.1 MVP points
2. GOTOO GROT, DALLAS…30.1
3. LANNIGAN LORD HOBO, MILWAUKEE…29.9

SECOND TEAM ALL-MBA
Guard – FATTY MCBUTTERPANTS, MILWAUKEE (22.0 GVP) (Second Season) 16.5 ppg, 79.5% FT w/31 G
Guard – BINGO BANGO, DALLAS (21.9 GVP) (Fifth Season) 17.0 ppg, 52.2% from 3 w/24 good
Center – CHUTCHER MOUTHCHAIR, LOS ANGELES (23.4 GVP)(Fourth Season) 5.7 rpg, 16 blocks, 4 POGs
Forward – BABA BRINKMAN, LOS ANGELES (24.0 GVP)(Eighth Season)18.4 ppg, 10 steals, 7 blocks
Forward – PIETRO DESTROYER, SEATTLE (22.8 GVP)(Sixth Season)16.6 ppg, 53.6% from 3, 10 blocks


ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Guard – Flip “Oil Pan” Phelps, Oklahoma City 20.6 GVP
Guard – MISTER METHANE, SAN JOSE 20.8 GVP – ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Center – Papa “Pupa” Popcorn, Milwaukee 16.9 GVP
Forward – Eddie “the Milkman” Creamer, San Jose 17.4 GVP
Forward – “Hi-Ho” Trailus Bootwhip, Kansas City 16.3 GVP



TEAM MVPS
SACRAMENTO RIVER DOGS – POTUS OBAMA, 4TH Season, 6-5 guard 24.3 GVP
SEATTLE STAMPEDE – PIETRO DESTROYER, 6th Season, 6-8 forward 22.8 GVP
SAN JOSE FIGHTING AMIGOS – CAM CALDWELL, 2nd Season, 6-6 forward 21.5 GVP
LOS ANGELES BIG ONE – BABA BRINKMAN, 8th Season (retiring), 6-6 forward 24.0 GVP
OKLAHOMA CITY LARIATS – ANURAG DICKSHIT, 4th Season, 6-7 forward 24.3 GVP
CHARLESTON MOUNTAINEERS – LAPIZ LAPIZ BOLIGRAFO, 9th Season, 6-0 guard 21.2 GVP
DALLAS DEMONS – CHIP BATTOE, 3rd Season, 6-8 forward, 27.1 GVP
PHILADELPHIA PHOBIA – CARGA LARGA, 5th Season, 6-11 center, 20.9 GVP
MILWAUKEE GREYHOUNDS – LANNIGAN LORD HOBO, 2nd Season, 6-6 guard 26.9 GVP
KANSAS CITY BASTARD ANGELS – BASKETS WEAVER, 8th Season, 6-4 guard 17.0 GVP

S45 Featured Game No. 10...Los Angeles at Oklahoma City

LOS ANGELES 77, OKLAHOMA CITY 66
BIG ONE SWEEPS LARIATS TO CAPTURE FIRST IN WEST
OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Los Angeles Big One won the battle for first place in the West, 77-66, sweeping the season series over the Oklahoma City Lariats and assuring themselves home court advantage throughout the playoffs.

Both teams finished the regular season with records of 7-3, but L.A.'s 6 division wins give them the West crown, since the Lariats finish with 5 division wins.

The teams entered the game as the two best defenses in the MBA, but Los Angeles was the better stopper tonight.

This was the first home loss for Oklahoma City this season.

Los Angeles center Chutcher Mouthchair probably secured his first rebound title with his 6 boards, giving him 57 for the season over Tree Fiddy's 55 for Sacramento. Anurag Dickshit, also in the rebound title race, snared 6 boards as well, finishing tied with Fiddy at 55.

Along those same lines, guard Norman Conquest of L.A. needed one steal to tie Potus Obama for a steals crown. He did not get it, finishing with 13 thefts.

The Big One's 7-3 record is the best for the franchise since moving to L.A. from Houston six seasons ago. It also marks their first playoff campaign in La La Land. They narrowly missed the post-season last season with a 6-4, third-place mark. This season is their best since Season 34 in Houston when they went 9-1 and captured the championship with a 5-0 playoff run. The Season 45 record was achieved despite the loss of two top scorers for big portions of the campaign, as guard Dr. Marcus Brody missed the entire second half of the season and Baba Brinkman missed three games.

Oklahoma City surprised its fans with a 7-3 record and playoff berth, since they were predicted unanimously to finish in last place. Lariats backers are used to success, since the franchise has now made the playoffs 10 of the past 12 seasons, winning it all three times in that span.

POINTS PREVENTED BY LOS ANGELES -- 8
POINTS PREVENTED BY OKLAHOMA CITY -- 2

TOP INDIVIDUAL IN POINTS PREVENTED -- Baba Brinkman of Los Angeles with 4.

PLAYER OF GAME
The main addition to the Los Angeles club prior to Season 45, forward SLOPPY DOLLOP waited until the final game of the regular season to capture his first POG. The 6-7 forward, retiring after this campaign, tied for game-high in points scored with 17, grabbed 4 rebounds, had 1 assist, 1 steal and tied for game-high with 2 blocked shots. Dollop was 7 for 10 from the floor with 3 slam dunks and 3 for 4 from the foul stripe.

Other 20-plus GVP performances
-- The other starting forward who will also be retiring for L.A. is Baba Brinkman, who scored 16 points, had 1 block and 1 assist and topped all players in points prevented while also registering a game-high 3 steals for a career-high total of 10 for the season. Brinkman potted three 3-pointers in the win. He was matched up against Oklahoma City's Anurag Dickshit, his closest competitor for All-MBA and the two battled to an excellent standstill. Brinkman is on the verge of the Hall of Fame, needing two more awards.

-- Oklahoma City center Willie Carry McCoffee dominated Chutcher Mouthchair in every way except rebounding in this game. The 7-footer scored 15 points, had a game-high 5 assists and pulled down 4 rebounds.

-- Oklahoma City forward Goodbar "Muddy" Masterson's understated effectiveness held true again in this game. The 6-7 forward scored 12 points, had 4 rebounds, delivered 2 assists and led his team with 2 steals while tying for game-high in blocked shots with 2.

-- The other Lariats forward, Anurag Dickshit, fought hammer and tong all game long with Baba Brinkman, finishing tied for game-high in points with 17, pulling down 6 rebounds and getting 1 assist. His bid for All-MBA may have fallen a tad short, but his efforts have been invaluable to the Oklahoma City playoff cause.

NEXT UP: The Charleston Mountaineers (5-4) can clinch a first-place finish in the East with a win at lowly Kansas City (1-8). They beat them 77-69 earlier this season.

Season 45 Featured Game No. 45...Los Angeles at Philadelphia...plus bonus

Philadelphia 98, Los Angeles 76
Phobia shocks Big One; stays in the picture
PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Phobia used a 31-point fourth quarter to pull away from the visiting Los Angeles Big One on the way to a 98-76 cross-over victory over the West's top team.

Coming into the game, L.A. boasted the top defensive team in the MBA, but behind a ravenous home crowd, the Phobia shot a blistering 76.8 percent to come within two points of the century mark.

The win keeps Philly (now 5-4) in the hunt, although the cross-over triumph does not count toward division wins and that category's important first tie-breaker status. The Phobia's last game of the season is against Dallas, in Philadelphia.

Los Angeles, halted in its effort to be the MBA's first team to clinch a playoff spot, is now 6-3. Its remaining game is on the road at Oklahoma City.

This was the 10th consecutive time the home team has won.

The win makes the cross-over tally West 6, East 3.

Points Prevented---Los Angeles 8, Philadelphia 3

Top Players in Points Prevented --- Norman Conquest and Avanish McDoogle of Los Angeles and Wawa Wewa of Philadelphia all tied with 3.

PLAYER OF GAME
The usually defensive-minded Philadelphia forward WAWA WEWA led the points parade for the winners, scoring a game-high 24 points, grabbing 4 boards and dishing out 3 assists to nab his first POG of the season. The fifth-year player was 11 for 13 from the floor and 2 for 2 from the foul stripe. He also tied for most points prevented in the game.

Other 20-plus GVP performers
-- Retiring Philadelphia shooting guard Guy "the eye" Clark, not at all known for his passing ability, led everyone in assists in this one with 5. He also scored 11 points, with 7 of those coming from the foul line, grabbed 3 boards and had 1 steal.

-- Philly's oft-underrated center Carga Larga thoroughly out-did All-MBA candidate Chutcher Mouthchair in this game. Larga scored 18 points, matching Mouthchair dunk-for-dunk, while registering a game-high 7 rebound, getting 2 assists and adding another steal to his season total of 11.

-- Philadelphia forward Santo Thomas had much the better of his opponent, Sloppy Dollop. The 6-7 Thomas scored 17 points, pulled down 3 boards and added 2 assists.

-- With 20 time units remaining in the second quarter, Los Angeles shooting guard Peeshie Pooshie had already amassed 19 points. But after picking up his third foul he left the game for the remainder of the first half. He picked up a fourth foul early in the third quarter and sat again. when he returned in the fourth he scored 2 more points...still good for a team-high 21, but far removed from what his early surge might have predicted. Pooshie also pulled down 4 rebounds and had 1 assist.

-- In his first game back from a 3-game injury, Los Angeles forward Baba Brinkman was in full launch mode, with all seven of his shots from the field coming from beyond the arc. The 6-6 veteran potted 4 of those 7. He also went 6 for 7 from the foul line for a total of 18 points. Brinkman also blocked a game-high 3 shots and added 1 assist.

NEXT UP: Kansas City (1-7), fresh off its first franchise win, visits Dallas (4-4) with Chip Battoe returning from injury. It was a 30-point beat-down the last time these teams met. Expect the same.


Defense out-weighs offense for champions through the years

Thirteen of the 44 MBA champions (29.5 percent) boasted the top defense in the MBA during the regular season.

Ten of the 44 champions had the best offense during the regular season (22.7 percent).

Only 4 of the 44 champions led the league in both categories (0.9 percent)...a rare accomplishment, indeed.

Here are the four who led in both categories (Note the gap between the third and fourth teams to turn the trick. It's not easy to do.)
Chicago Gale, Season 2
Philadelphia Phobia, Season 5
Milwaukee Greyhounds, Season 11
Oklahoma City Lariats, Season 40

Champions who led in offense (Again, note the gap between Season 16 and Season 31)
Chicago, Season 2
Philadelphia, Season 5
Philadelphia, Season 7
Milwaukee, Season 11
Milwaukee, Season 13
Chicago, Season 16
Philadelphia, Season 31
Houston, Season 34
Oklahoma City, Season 40
Charleston, Season 42

Right now the league's top offensive team is Milwaukee.

Champions who led in defense (Consistent through the years, especially as of late)
Chicago, Season 2
Philadelphia, Season 5
Philadelphia, Season 8
Milwaukee, Season 11
Milwaukee, Season 18
Philadelphia, Season 22
Philadelphia, Season 23
Philadelphia, Season 24
Oklahoma City, Season 35
Oklahoma City, Season 40
Oklahoma City, Season 41
Philadelphia, Season 43
Sacramento, Season 44

Right now the league's top defensive team is again Sacramento.

Season 45 Featured Game No. 8...Dallas at Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE 100, DALLAS 85
STREAKING GREYHOUNDS FLY BY DALLAS
MILWAUKEE -- Delighted Milwaukee Greyhounds fans saw their first-place team take the fast track on the way to a 100-85 win over the Dallas Demons. The victory was the fourth in a row for Milwaukee and is the second 100-point game of Season 45.

Leading 29-19 after the first quarter, the Greyhounds took off to start the second quarter with a 10-0 run, leaving Dallas eating dust in their wake and trailing by 20 points early.

The third quarter saw break-neck scoring by both teams, who each scorched the nets for 28 points.

Not one free throw was missed by either team.

The Greyhounds ended up shooting a torrid 75.4 percent.

Milwaukee is now 5-3, with remaining games against Charleston and Seattle, both at home.

Dallas drops to 4-4, with games against Kansas City (at home) and Philadelphia (on the road). The good news for the Demons is that superstar forward Chip Battoe will be ready to play down the home stretch.

PLAYER OF THE GAME
LANNIGAN LORD HOBO, who entered this game a definite contender for All-MBA, saw his chances improve considerably with his triple-double performance, the third of his two-season career. The 6-6 Hobo scored 29 points on 11 of 16 shooting, potting the first 5 treys he took before finally missing his final shot from beyond the arc. He was 2 for 2 at the foul line. Hobo, averaging 5 rebounds per game from his guard position, grabbed 5 more in this win while dishing out a game-high 6 assists and getting 1 steal.

Other 20-plus GVP performers
-- Milwaukee's 6-10 power forward Ape Con Myth scored 14 points, tied for game-high in rebounds with 5, distributed 4 assists and registered a game-high 3 steals.

-- Nine-year MBA veteran forward Walter Sobchack is going to retire a first tier player when this campaign is over, but he's playing like an All-MBA star these days. Acquired from the new Kansas City team in a trade for guard Con Gusto, the 6-7 Sobchack has been a huge contributor to the Milwaukee success this season. Against the Demons he made all but one of the 15 shots he took on the way to a game-high 31 points. He added 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and a game-high 2 blocked shots to a magnificent ledger.

-- 10-year Dallas point guard Louie Subgum showed what he could do when he is not constantly in foul trouble. the 6-4 Subgum out-played the pride of Milwaukee, Fatty McButterpants, scoring 17 points, dishing out a team-high 5 assists and pulling down 2 rebounds.

-- Bingo Bango, the Dallas shooting guard, lit it up for 24 points, including 4 treys which were all made in the fourth quarter. He also had 1 assist.

-- If this was Dallas forward Al A. Orden's last game as a starter with the return of Chip Battoe, he went out strong. The 6-8 Orden scored 15 points, tied for team-high in rebounds with 4 and had 1 assist.

NEXT UP: A painful cross-over game for two Dave teams as Charleston (4-3) travels to Sacramento (3-4). The visiting Mountaineers can give their playoff hopes a major lift with a win that would tie them in victories with Milwaukee and put them one ahead of both Dallas and Philadelphia. A loss would not destroy Charleston, but it would mathematically eliminate the defending champions from Sacramento, who are hanging onto their playoff hopes by a c-hair.