Vermont wins ABA again
Despite injuries to starters
Issa Konare (6'8''-F-80, college:
High Point)
and Brett Gravitt (6'4''-G-79, college:
S.Alabama),
the Vermont Frost Heaves defeated the San Diego Wildcats 87-84 yesterday night
at the Pavillon de la Jeunesse, Quebec City, to win their second consecutive ABA
title.
Dwuan Rice (5'11''-G, college:
CSU Bakersfield) was named MVP of the ABA Final 8 Championships after
contributing 18 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals in the final. Rice
had also rescued Vermont in Saturday's semifinal defeat of Texas after Konare
went down with lower back spasms. Center
Dokun Akingbade (6'9''-F-84, college:
George Washington) added 15 points in the final, while Gravitt contributed 12 and
Dwayne Lee (6'0''-G-84, agency:
Strategic Sports, college:
St.Joseph's)
11 for Vermont, which ended its season 37-4. The only team to beat the Frost
Heaves all season, the Manchester Millrats, lost to San Diego in the semifinals.
San Diego held a 44-41 lead after a see-saw first half in which the Wildcats
sank six of 11 three-point attempts. But the Californians missed All-Star guard
Cardell Butler (6'4''-F-81, college:
Utah St.),
who sat out much of the half with foul trouble. The game went on head to head
till the beginning of 4th quarter, when Vermont pushed out to a 75-67 lead,
keeping the head in the score till the end. The main scorer in San Diego was
Jamal Kendrick (6'8''-F-75, college:
Baylor),
who ended the game at 21 points. Butler finished with 14,
John Clark (6'5''-G/F-81, college:
Cal.St. Northridge) tallied 11, and
Jerome Habel (6'10''-F-85, college:
San Diego St.) added 10.
ABA All-Star Rosters released
The American Basketball Association announced the participants in
ABA All-Star Weekend, that will be hosted by the Vermont Frost
Heaves will host at the Barre (Vt.) Municipal Auditorium on March 21
and 22.
Members of the EAST All-Stars, who will be
coached by Vermont's
Will Voigt , will be
Anthony Anderson (5'11''-G-81, college:
Massachusetts), from the Manchester Millrats;
Samuel Audet-Sow (6'6''-F-80), from the Quebec Kebekwa;
Tommy Mitchell (6'3''-G-82, college:
Siena), from the Montreal Royal;
Eric Crookshank (6'7''-F-80, college:
Idaho St.), from the Halifax Rainmen and two Vermont Frost
Heaves,
Issa Konare (6'8''-F-80, college:
High Point) and
Antonio Burks (6'6''-F-82, college:
Stephen F. Austin). The last team members wil be
Joey Britto (6'6''-G-83, college:
Mass.-Dartmouth), from the Jersey Express;
P.J. Young (6'6''-F, college:
S.New Hampshire), from the Manchester Millrats;
Charles Fortier (6'4''-G-79), from the Quebec Kebekwa and
Cordell Jeanty (6'5''-F-79, college:
John A.Logan CC), from the Montreal Royal.
Members of the WEST All-Stars under Texas
Tycoons coach
Jean-Paul Afif will be two players from the Tycoons,
Mario Kinsey (6'2''-G-82, college:
Sam Houston St.) and
Randall Williams (6'8''-F/C-82, college:
Tarleton St.), plus two players from the San Diego Wildcats,
Jerome Habel (6'10''-F-85, college:
San Diego St.) and
Cardell Butler (6'4''-F-81, college:
Utah St.), and two from the Beijing Aoshen Olympians,
Sun Yue (6'9''-G/F-85) and
Staten Jamel (6'6''-G-83, college:
Minn.St.-Mankato). The West team will be completed by
Kenny Wright (6'0''-G), from the Long Beach Breakers;
Chancey Ephraim (6'4''-G-81, college:
Texas-PB), from the West Texas Whirlwinds;
Robin Kennedy (5'11''-G-74, college:
Nevada), from the Orange County Gladiators;
Sean Dixon (6'2''-G-85), from the Atlanta Vision and
B.J. Puckett (6'9''-F-83, college:
Clayton St.), he too from the Atlanta Vision.
The ABA All-Star Weekend will feature Hot Shots and Dunks on Friday
night beginning at 7 p.m., with ABA All-Star Slam Dunk and
Three-Point Contests sandwiched around a Three-Point Contest for
Vermont high school senior boys and girls presented by Community
National Bank. For more information, contact the Frost Heaves at
802-860-0082 or e-mail
info@vermontfrostheaves.com
ABA All-Star weekend contests winners
The night before the All-Star Game, in the opening event of ABA All-Star
Weekend,
Robin Kennedy (5'11''-G-74, college:
Nevada)
of the Orange County Gladiators, an And1 Tour veteran, nosed out
Sean Dixon (6'2''-G-85) of the Atlanta Vision to win the Simply Subs ABA
Three-Point crown.
Robin Kennedy sank 13-of-20 first-round threes and 15-of-20 in the finals.
Vermont's
Antonio Burks (6'6''-F-82, college:
Stephen F. Austin), who made just four shots in last year's 3-point competition during
All-Star Weekend in Halifax, Nova Scotia, more than doubled his output this year
with 11.
Kenny Wright (6'0''-G) of the Long Beach Breakers sank 12 first-round threes and
Sean Dixon of the Atlanta Vision knocked Burks out of the finals with a dozen
threes of his own, forc-ing a three-player final with Kennedy. Chris Cayole (6'7''-F-85, college:
St.Michael's) of the Vermont Frost Heaves won the M&M Beverage Centers
Slam-Dunk title. Cayole knew that if he had the support of his home crowd,
success in the 2008 American Basketball Association All-Star slam dunk
competition would surely follow. Thanks to a 360-degree windmill jam he earned
the dunk title over San Diego Wildcat
Cardell Butler (6'4''-F-81, college:
Utah St.)
and Texas Tycoon
Mario Kinsey (6'2''-G-82, college:
Sam Houston St.) at the Barre Auditorium on Friday night.
ABA 2007-08 All Star Teams released
The American Basketball Association released the 2007-2008 All Star teams as
well as the league's Most Valuable Player and Coach of the Year Awards. They
are:
