Seattle 68, Philadelphia 67
STAMPEDE OUT-MUSCLES PHOBIA
SEATTLE -- This Featured Game lived up to its advance billing.
Using their league-leading rebounding power, the young Seattle Stampede eked out a 68-67 cross-over battle against the Philadelphia Phobia to remain in second place in the West,
Seattle out-boarded the visitors 30-13 and withstood a 3-point barrage by Philly's Hall of Fame guard Colquitt Croix to come away with the key victory.
The Stampede is now 3-1 for the season, while Philadelphia drops to 2-2 (which is still good for second place in the East).
The West is now 3-1 over the East in cross-over contests.
The Ending
The game was tight throughout as you can tell by the quarter breaks. Down the stretch it was still tied 60-60 with 26 ticks remaining.
It was 66-62 Seattle as we pick up the action with 8 TUs left.
-- Colquitt Croix of Philly splashes home his seventh and final 3-pointer of the game, cutting the lead to 66-65.
-- with 5 left, Seattle pivot Seven Castanza frees himself for a short jumper that connects, making the lead 68-65.
-- Croix of Philly gets it down low to teammate Santo Thomas who jams it home over the block of Seattle's Wardy Joubert. The score is now 68-67 Seattle with 3 ticks left.
-- Seattle uses every time unit with Joubert taking the last shot, a short jumper (good) that is blocked by Thomas, giving Philly one last chance to win the game on a fast break after a block...but it never materializes.
Final score 68-67 Seattle.
PLAYER OF GAME
After sitting out most of last season with an injury, Philadelphia's Hall of Fame guard COLQUITT CROIX has come roaring back as strong as ever in this, his 7th MBA campaign. The league's scoring leader came into Seattle with a 26.3 ppg average and proceeded to bury his first 10 shots of the game, including 6 consecutive treys, on the way to a 29-point performance. For the game he was 11 for 12 from the floor and 7 for 8 from beyond the arc. He added 1 rebound, 2 assists and tied for game-high in steals with 2. It all added up to his third consecutive POG honor, tying him with Charleston's Flip Testerton for most in the league. He leads the league with a 27.0 ppg scoring average, almost 7 points ahead of Dallas Hall of Famer Chip Battoe's 20.3 ppg. Keep in mind that Croix has never won the scoring title, but has finished in second five times and that Battoe has captured the last three in a row. Likewise, he has never won a regular season MVP award (he won the Season 44 Playoff MVP) and Battoe has won the last three of those. Depending on upcoming retirements, this may be Croix's last chance to capture one of the two or both.
Other 20-plus GVP performers
-- The MBA's top rebounder entering this fray showed why he is on top, as Seattle's third-year center Seven Castanza yanked down 10 of them off the glass in this big victory to lead everyone in the game. Among the league-leaders in scoring, he did not disappoint in that category either, scoring a team-high 18 points. Coming into this featured event, Castanza and his gametime opponent Chutcher Mouthchair of Philadelphia were ranked 1-2 at their position for Season 46. Castanza ate him up in this head-to-head meeting.
-- Stepping up big time for the first time in his MBA career, Seattle's prime pick rookie Wardy Joubert III was a key reason for the Stampede win. The 6-9 power forward scored 17 points, grabbed 5 boards, tied for game-high with 2 blocked shots and tied for game-high with 2 steals. He lorded it over his opponent, Santo Thomas.
-- Dominance up front was the Seattle theme in this win. Completing the triumverate superiority, seven-year Seattle forward Pietro Destroyer out-played Wawa Wewa of Philly in every way except assists. Destroyer scored 16 points against the usual shut-down defender and contributed to the backboard slaughter with 9 rebounds of his own. He also had 2 assists.
STANDINGS AFTER 4 BRACKETS
(Not even one team moved up or down since the last bracket)
WEST STANDINGS
1st -- SACRAMENTO RIVER DOGS 4-0
2nd -- SEATTLE STAMPEDE 3-1
3rd -- OKLAHOMA CITY LARIATS 2-2
4th -- SAN JOSE FIGHTING AMIGOS 1-3 (head-to-head tie-breaker)
Last -- LOS ANGELES BIG ONE 1-3 (three-game losing streak)
EAST STANDINGS
1st -- DALLAS DEMONS 4-0
2nd -- PHILADELPHIA PHOBIA 2-2 (points differential tie-breaker)
3rd -- CHARLESTON MOUNTAINEERS 2-2
4th -- MILWAUKEE GREYHOUNDS 1-3 (three-game losing streak)
Last -- KANSAS CITY BASTARD ANGELS (0-4)
UPCOMING BRACKET (NO. 5)
-- Dallas at Kansas City...The visitors are without a loss and the home team without a win. The Demons are the top scoring team in the league and the Bastard Angels are the MBA's worst defensive team.
-- Philadelphia at Charleston...This is a battle for second place heading into the halfway break. It also looks like the first of two meetings that could determine which of these teams accompanies Dallas as a playoff team from the East.
-- FEATURED GAME: Oklahoma City at Sacramento...The unbeaten River Dogs get their first featured game appearance as they host the Lariats, also making their first featured appearance this season. The Lariats are in the playoff hunt but should be under .500 at the break after this one.
-- Seattle at Los Angeles... The young, high-flying Stampede makes the West Coast trip south with the intention of trampling any thought that the defending champion Big One has of getting back to the playoffs.
-- San Jose at Milwaukee...Two 1-3 clubs looking for some semblance of hope at the halfway mark. Milwaukee should get the win in this cross-over confrontation.
POWER RANKINGS
1. Sacramento
2. Dallas
3. Charleston
4. Seattle
5. Philadelphia
6. Milwaukee
7. Oklahoma City
8. San Jose
9. Los Angeles
10. Kansas City
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