Season 49 Featured Game No. 5...Sacramento at Seattle...plus retirees listed

 Points prevented by quarters

Sacramento 4...2...2...0   Total=8

Seattle.........0...2...0...2   Total=4

Tops in points prevented

1. Caldwell, Seattle 4

2. Chepuzzo, Sacramento 3

Turnovers caused by quarter

Sacramento 1...0...1...1  Total=3

Seattle.........2...3...2...2  Total=9

Tops in Turnovers Caused

1. Caldwell, Seattle 4

2. Larga, Seattle 3

2. Joubert, Sacramento 3

Seattle 78, Sacramento 74

STAMPEDE STILL UNBEATEN

SEATTLE -- The Seattle Stampede (now 5-0) chugs into the halfway break as the only unblemished team in the MBA, sweeping the season series from defending champion Sacramento (now 2-3) with a 78-74 win, despite being out-scored 22-9 in the fourth quarter.

Sacramento, seemingly out of it, came all the way back from a 17-point deficit (and what looked like a slaughter-rule game) to close within 4 points with 8 time units remaining in the contest. The R-Dogs could get no closer, and have to be bemoaning the 10 for 18 free throw shooting that, in retrospect, killed them (especially since they came into the game shooting 86 percent as a team).

PLAYERS OF THE GAME

Second-year Seattle forward CHARLES BROCCOLI had his best game of the season, scoring a game-high 26 points on 12 of 20 shooting that included a dunk and 1 of 2 3-pointers made. He was also 1 for 1 at the foul line. The big 6-10 bruiser dominated his counterpart Wardy Joubert, pulling down a team-high 6 rebounds and adding a steal to the mix. Will it be enough to earn his second straight All Star Game berth? Dubious.

One guy assured of a fifth appearance in the All Star Game is the MBA's leading scorer, veteran Sacramento River Dog forward DOO-RAG DRIPP who tied for team-high scoring honors with 20 points while taking it to Cam Caldwell. Dripp, now averaging 21 points per game, also pulled down a game-high 9 rebounds, distributed 3 assists and blocked 1 shot. The All Star Game berth gives him 9 awards, one short of Hall of Fame status, which he could make by the end of the season with another All-MBA season. 

Other 20-plus GVP performers

-- 9th season Seattle center Carga Larga was outstanding in the win with an 18-point game that included 3 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal and a total of three caused turnovers. He'll be making his second All Star Game team.

-- Playing his first full game this season, Sacramento's Hall of Fame center Tree Fiddy locked horns with Larga all game long, tying for team-high in scoring with 20 points while pulling down 5 rebounds.

NEXT UP: The first half of Season 49 comes to a close with Gillette (0-4) at Los Angeles (1-3). Neither team is going anywhere, but Gillette is hoping to get off the schneid with a rare win. Los Angeles won the first meeting 67-63 and will actually be in the playoff mix with another triumph.

END-OF-SEASON RETIREES ANNOUNCED