SAN JOSE 67, SEATTLE 56
AMIGOS TAKE OVER FIRST IN WEST
SAN JOSE--The fourth straight win by the streaking San Jose Fighting Amigos, a 67-56 mud-slug over Seattle, moved them past the Stampede into first place in the West Division.
The San Jose triumph knocked two teams out of the playoff race, with Los Angeles and the defending champs from Sacramento biting the dust.
The loss was the fourth in a row for Seattle (5-4), which once had a 5-0 stranglehold on the division, but has failed to win since the halfway break. They have, however, clinched a playoff spot.
Meanwhile, San Jose (5-4), the pre-season favorite for the division title, got off to an 0-3 start before finally kicking in with four straight wins in the second half of the schedule.
San Jose got off to a brilliant 29-point first quarter start, but neither team could mount much of an attack from the second quarter on. The teams ended up splitting the regular season.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Although the league's leading scorer (and defending scoring champ) JESSE SHERSHOT had an awful shooting day, going 4 for 15 for 13 points, he made up for it with a team-high 9 rebounds and tied for team-high in assists with 2. The third-year, two-time All-MBA guard knocked down a trio of treys in 9 attempts while going 2 for 3 at the foul line. This was Shershot's third POG this season.
Other 20-plus GVP performers (none from Seattle)
-- San Jose's retiring center Sabado Gigante, fourth in the league in scoring, registered a game-high 17 points in the win, grabbing 5 rebounds and blocking 1 shot.
-- San Jose forward Lupalin Greenbeard took over the league leadership in steals, swiping a game-high 4 in this game for a total of 11 for the season. The 6-9 fourth-year man dominated Cam Caldwell, scoring 11 points, grabbing 5 boards, tying for team-high in assists with 2 and blocking 1 shot.
WEST DIVISION STANDINGS
1st -- Charleston Mountaineers 8-1 (unchanged) (6-game winning streak) (clinched first place)
2nd -- Philadelphia Phobia 6-3 (unchanged) (clinched second place).
3rd -- Milwaukee Greyhounds 5-4 (up from 4th)
4th -- Dallas Demons 4-5 (down from 3rd)
Last -- Oklahoma City Lariats 2-7 (unchanged)
EAST DIVISION STANDINGS
1st -- San Jose Fighting Amigos 5-4 (up from 2nd) (4-game winning streak) (points differential tie-breaker) (clinched playoffs)
2nd -- Seattle Stampede 5-4 (down from 1st) (4-game losing streak) (clinched playoffs)
3rd -- Sacramento River Dogs 4-5 (unchanged) (division wins tie-breaker)
4th -- Los Angeles Big One 4-5 (unchanged)
Last -- Gillette Humps 2-7 (unchanged)
FINAL REGULAR SEASON BRACKET OF GAMES
-- Philadelphia at Seattle in a cross-over battle of two playoff teams. Seattle still has a chance for first place in the West if it wins this game and San Jose loses its final contest. Potatoes O'Gratin will be honored
-- Oklahoma City at Dallas. The Demons can maybe overtake Milwaukee for third. Lariats are buried.
-- FEATURED GAME: Charleston at Milwaukee. Mountaineers started the season with a 76-70 victory over Greyhounds. They close it out on Lannigan Lord Hobo Day.
-- Los Angeles at Sacramento. The victor can get third place. R-Dogs won previous meeting by 1.
-- Gillette at San Jose. The Fighting Amigos may need a win to clinch division crown. Even if they have it clinched, it will be interesting to see the Humps' rookie Freddy Gooch (19.7 ppg) battle San Jose's Jesse Shershot (20.0 ppg) for the scoring title.
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