IBA: Legends Lose 2 Out Of 3 Road Games To End Regular Season

The Albany Legends finished out the 2012 regular season with three road games in a row on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. They lost the first two, and then won their regular season finale in a blowout.

Before they left on the road, the Legends switched up their roster a bit. Tadre Sheppard, Shagari Alleyne, Tiki Mayben, and T.J. Czeski were gone while Shea Bromirski, Brian Hanuschak, and Brian Ormon were added to the roster.

This proved to be key for the Legends. I wasn't too worried about Alleyne and Czeski not being with the team anymore. They are both serviceable and helpful players, but are replaceable. However, the losses of Mayben and Sheppard, both starters this season, would prove to be significant in the fate of the Legends during their three road games. Sheppard is a crazy-athletic double-double machine with a field-goal percentage that's off the charts. Mayben is a talented point guard who can distribute the ball and have scoring outbursts as well (He scored 50 points in a loss to the Soldiers this season).

Bromirski and Hanuschak are both from Saint Rose and were presumably college teammates of Zach Bye. Bromirski is a 6-0 guard who can score and pass the ball well. Hanuschak is a 6-7 forward who can score and rebound well. Both of them played well in college, but seem undersized on the pro-level.

Ormon is a 6-7 forward like Hanuschak except Ormon is older. He was born in 1984 while Hanuschak and Bromirski should both be about 22 years old. I couldn't find too much info on Ormon, but it seems like he is a scorer and a rebounder. Ormon played high school basketball at Schenectady High School.

Game 1: Monday, June 18, 2012 - Lansing Capitals 147, Legends 132 (LOSS)

The Legends lost their first road game of the season to the Capitals, who had been swept in a 3-game series vs. the Legends earlier this season.

Lloyd Johnson scored 43 points and E.J. Gallup scored 30, but it wasn't enough. In their professional debuts, Bromirski scored 11 points and Hanuschak had 12 points and 9 rebounds. Adam Abdourahamane had 13 points and Kenny Tribbett scored 10 in the loss.

For the Capitals, Derick Nelson scored a team-high 28 points. Terrance Shaw had a double-double with 27 points and 20 rebounds. Dave Williams also had a double-double and finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds.

Player of the Game: Terrance Shaw (27 points, 20 rebounds, 1 assist)

Game 2: Tuesday, June 19, 2012 - Battle Creek Knights 119, Legends 109 (LOSS)

The Legends should have won this game, considering that the Knights had a 2-11 record before the game and the Legends had swept them in a 2-game series earlier this season, but they didn't. Lloyd Johnson had another Lloyd-Johnson-like game and scored a game-high 32 points, but the Legends lost again. Josh Jones scored 24 in the losing effort.

Game 3: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 - Legends 150, Battle Creek Knights 99 (WIN)

The Legends must have been fired up before this game. They were on a 3-game losing streak, their longest of the season, and didn't want to end the regular season by getting swept by one of the worst teams in the IBA.

Albany went on to beat the Knights by 51 points in a blowout win. Lloyd Johnson had a triple-double and finished with a game-high 45 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds. E.J. Gallup scored 44 points and made 12 three-pointers in the win. Zach Bye had a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Star of the Series: Lloyd Johnson (averaged 38.5 points in the 2-game series against the Knights)

I think that the key to the Legends losing to the majority of their road games was the absence of Tadre Sheppard. He was one of the most important players on the team this season. Tiki Mayben is not as important because Lloyd Johnson can fill his role.

The 2012 IBA Playoffs start tomorrow. The Albany Legends (10-5) will play the Lansing Capitals at 3:00 pm on Friday in the first round. I'm predicting that the Legends will beat the Capitals and advance to the semi-finals, but will lose and not advance to the championship.. I think that Johnson's leadership, Gallup's 3-pointers, and Bye's deceptive rebounding skills will be enough to take them to the semi-finals, but they will miss Sheppard and won't be able to win it all. I could be wrong, but if the Legends want to win the championship this year, then somebody should buy Tadre a plane ticket to Gary, Indiana, and fast!

Sources:
http://ibaball.net/news-scores
http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Legends-regular-season-finale-a-laugher-3650635.php
http://www.gogoldenknights.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=923
http://www.gogoldenknights.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1280
http://www.usbasket.com/player.asp?Cntry=USA&PlayerID=144764
http://wasc.pointloma.edu/Content/Athletics/MensBasketball/Roster/Brian_Ormon.htm

Have any thoughts on the Albany Legends finished out their regular season on the road? Can the Legends win the championship without Tiki Mayben and Tadre Sheppard? Can Lloyd Johnson carry the Legends all the way? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

IBA: Legends Lose to Redline in Home Finale

The Albany Legends lost to the Chicago Redline 133-132 yesterday in their final home game of the 2012 season.

Whoever sang the national anthem before the game should do it before every Legends game. It was the best version of the national anthem that I've ever heard. Tadre Sheppard, E.J. Gallup, Tiki Mayben, Lloyd Johnson, and Kenny Tribbett were the starters for Albany.

The Redline scored the first 4 points of the game, but the Legends then scored the next 5 points to go up 5-4. Both teams were tied 8-8 with 8:47 left in the quarter. Free throws by Sheppard put the Legends up 17-14 with 4:44 left, but the Redline went on a 14-7 run to end the period and were up 28-24 at the end of the first.

The Legends came out hot and started the second quarter on a 7-0 run to go up 31-28. Free throws by Mayben put Albany up 55-52 with 2:30 left, but Chicago went on a 8-2 run to end the quarter and were up 60-57 at halftime.

A 2-point basket by Mayben put the Legends up 62-61 early in the third quarter, but the Redline responded with a 9-0 run and went up 70-62 after a dunk by Tony Bennett with 9:24 left. However, the Legends came back and pulled away. Albany led 101-92 at the end of the third.

The Legends started the fourth quarter on a 13-7 run and went up 114-99 after two 3-pointers by Gallup. However, the Redline didn't give up and started to mount a comeback. They gradually cut the lead during the fourth quarter and tied the game up at 130-130 late in the game. Tadre Sheppard and Andre Tyler traded baskets and the game was tied 132-132 with 5.1 seconds left. Antwan Ware was fouled by Johnson with 3.6 seconds left and made 1 out of 2 free throws to put the Redline up 133-132. With 3.6 seconds left in the game, Gallup imbounded the ball to Mayben who missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer (It looked like he was fouled, but it wasn't called). The Redline came out with a comeback win and won 133-132.

Player of the Game: Lloyd Johnson (42 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 8 three-pointers)

Tiki Mayben had a great statistical performance and finished with 36 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists. Tadre Sheppard had a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. E.J. Gallup scored 19 points and hit five 3-pointers.

Tony Bennett led the Redline with 33 points. Antwan Ware scored 29 points and grabbed a game-high 20 rebounds.

Random Highlight of the Game: Shagari Alleyne grabs an offensive rebound after a miss by Lloyd Johnson and dunks it. Adam Abdourahmane's (#32 on the bench) reaction makes it even better. (I'm so glad I got this on video! - Definitely the best highlight I filmed all season)



I was disappointed that the Legends blew a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter and lost at the buzzer, but the Legends had a good season this year. I think the franchise has made some strides forward and I'm happy with what the team has done so far. I will continue to cover the Legends' road and playoff games this season. I might even do some opinion entries: "What Legends Should Be Re-Signed Next Season," "Who Should Coach the Legends Next Season," and "The Top 10 Legends Players of All-Time." I'm also finishing up a Baller Bio on former Albany Legend and NBA player Kenny Satterfield.

Next, the Albany Legends (9-3) will play the Lansing Capitals (5-6) on June 18th and then the Battle Creek Knights (2-10) on June 19th and June 20th. The Legends are 5-0 against the Capitals and the Knights this season. I'll be surprised if the Legends don't win at least 2 out of those 3 games. After those 3 games, the Legends will compete in the 2012 IBA Playoffs and hopefully win the championship.

Have any thoughts on the Legends losing to the Redline? How do you think the Legends will do in their road games and in the playoffs? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

IBA: Legends Beat Redline 143-137 in Shagari Alleyne's Debut

Yesterday, the Albany Legends defeated the Chicago Redline 143-137 on "Legends Love Lewie Night."

I was hyped up for this game. First off, Lloyd Johnson was 18 points away from scoring 1,000 career points as a Legend. The Legends also had two new players, Adam Abdourahmane and Shagari Alleyne. Abdourahmane played with the Albany last season as a role-playing big-man. Alleyne is a 7-3 center from Kentucky, and is now the tallest player to ever play on the Legends (beating out 6-11 center Neil Edwards who played with the Legends in 2010). 

Marcus Snipes and Evan Lane weren't with the team last night. Abdourahmane was wearing Lane's number so I'm assuming that Snipes and Lane were waived. It safe to say that they are being replaced by Abdourahmane and Alleyne. I think that this is a good move because the Legends struggled with rebounding against the Kankakee County Soldiers last series - Alleyne is 7'3" and Abdourahmane was a solid contributor on the boards last season for the Legends. Also, Lane struggled in his return to the Legends and Snipes didn't play as well after getting injured early in the season.

CBA was packed on Friday and there was a much larger crowd than usual. In attendance were Jimmer Fredette's parents and former Albany Legends coach Derrick Rowland.

Tadre Sheppard, Kenny Tribbett, E.J. Gallup, Tiki Mayben, and Lloyd Johnson were the starters for the Legends. Johnson made a 3-pointer as the first basket of the game to put the Legends up 3-0, but the Redline came out strong and developed an early lead. Chicago led 15-9 in the first quarter before Mayben made four 3-pointers in a row and tied the game up at 21-21. However, the Redline went on an 18-5 run to end the quarter and were up 43-29 at the end of the first. 

The Redline continued to pull away in the beginning of the second quarter and led 55-35 when Legends coach John Coffino called a timeout with 8:31 left. A big reason that Albany was down was lack of rebounding and bad defense. The Legends then went on a 36-8 run to end the first half and led 71-63 at halftime.

The first basket of the second half was a 3-pointer by Lloyd Johnson that was his 1,000th point as an Albany Legend. The game was stopped and the crowd applauded and gave him a standing ovation. It was a proud moment in Albany Legends history. Later in the 3rd, the Legends went on a 9-0 run and an alley-oop from Gallup to Sheppard put the Legends up 85-66. Midway through the period, the Legends led 92-75. The Redline cut the lead and the Legends were up 103-97 at the end of the third quarter.

The Legends and the Redline went head-to-head in the fourth quarter, but the Legends had the advantage because they were leading already. The game became close in the end and a Redline layup off a turnover by Gallup cut the Legends' lead to 3 and Albany was up 138-135 with 33.8 seconds left in the game. An off-balance shot by Mayben served as the dagger and put the Legends up by 5 with less than 20 seconds left. After a few free throws by Johnson and Gallup, the Legends won 143-137.

Player of the Game: Lloyd Johnson (36 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists) - He put up another triple-double and became the first Albany Legends players ever to surpass 1,000 points.

Tiki Mayben had a team-high 39 points and made six 3-pointers. E.J. Gallup made only 5 out of 15 field goal attempts, but finished with 19 points in the win. Tadre Sheppard chipped in with 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting and Kyle Downey helped out with 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field. Shagari Alleyne scored 8 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field in his debut with the Legends. He also grabbed some rebounds and had some good blocks.

Tony Bennett of the Redline scored a game-high 43 points in the loss. Antwon Ware finished with 27 points and 15 rebounds. Terry Williams scored 33 points.

Random Highlight of the Game: Shagari Alleyne scores (He is my new favorite player on the Legends now that Guy Dupuy is gone.)



Next, the Albany Legends (9-2) will play the Chicago Redline (7-3) again today at CBA to end their 2-game series.

Have any thoughts on the Legends beating the Redline? Do you think Albany will sweep Chicago? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

IBA: Legends Beat Soldiers 126-107 and Avoid Getting Swept

The Albany Legends defeated the Kankakee County Soldiers 126-107 on Sunday.

E.J. Gallup, Lloyd Johnson, Kyle Downey, Tadre Sheppard, and Kenny Tribbett started for the Legends while Billy Rush, Anthony Kyle, Ryan Edwards, Stan Chismark, and CeCe Malone were the starters for the Soldiers. Tiki Mayben suited up, but didn't play and Guy Dupuy was nowhere to be found. I'm assuming he was waived by the team after what happened the night before.

Gallup and Chismark traded 3-pointers to start the game. The Legends later went on a 10-2 run and were up 16-9 midway through the 1st. The Soldiers responded with a 9-0 run before John Coffino called a timeout. After a last-second layup by Sheppard, the Legends were up 28-21 at the end of the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter, the Soldiers went on a 13-1 run and went up 36-33. Coffino later got a technical foul with 4:13 left and almost got another after telling the ref to "stop having rabbit ears." Later, a 2-point basket by Johnson tied the game at 41-41. The Soldiers led 54-52 at the end of the first half.

The Legends went on a 23-8 run to start the second half and went up 75-62 after an alley-oop dunk by Sheppard off a lob from Gallup. Albany led 86-75 at the end of the third quarter.

The Legends continued to pull away in the fourth quarter and went on a 12-0 run midway through the period. The Soldiers were unable to come back and the Legends won 126-107.

Player of the Game: Lloyd Johnson (32 points, 10 assists, 10 rebounds)

E.J. Gallup and Tadre Sheppard each had 27 points. Kyle Downey finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds.

Ryan Edwards struggled on offense and that was a big reason why the Legends won. He finished with only 21 points and made only 6 out 22 field goal attempts. Billy Rush also had 21 points and also shot less than 50 percent from the field.

Highlight of the Game: Josh Jones hits a 3-pointer off an assist from Lloyd Johnson



Next, the 2nd-place Albany Legends (8-2) will play the 1st-place Chicago Redline (7-1) at home on Friday, May 18th. It will be the first of two games in the Legends' last home series of the 2012 season.

Have any thoughts on the Legends beating the Soldiers? Are the Legends better without Tiki Mayben? Will Guy Dupuy's departure haunt the Legends later on? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

IBA: Edwards Scores 51 as Soldiers Beat Legends 144-140

The Albany Legends have lost their second game in a row to the Kankakee County Soldiers in overtime. The final score was 144-140.

The Legends were looking to avenge their overtime loss the night before. E.J. Gallup, Lloyd Johnson, Tiki Mayben, Tadre Sheppard, and Kenny Tribbett were the team's starters.

The Legends started the game off hot and were up 9-0 with 10 minutes left in the quarter. They continued to dominate and went up 19-2 with 8:10 left. A 3-pointer by Gallup put the Legends up 32-20, but the Soldiers came back and ended the quarter on a 12-3 run. The Legends were up 35-32 at the end of the 1st.

The Soldiers and the the Legends went head-to-head in the second quarter. A dunk by Billy Rush put the Soldiers up 36-35. Midway through the period, Marcus Snipes and John Coffino had a verbal confrontation on the bench. After taking him out of the game, Coffino said to Snipes, "Where were you on that play?" After Snipes talked back, Coffino said, "Take your uniform off" twice. They both cooled off and seemed cool with each other later in the game.

Later in the second quarter, when the game was tied 46-46, Mayben was fouled while going up for a layup and rolled around on the floor in pain. It looked like he hurt his back. He left the gym for the locker room, but checked back in the second half and was productive. The Legends were up 70-60 at the end of the first half.

The Legends maintained their lead in the third quarter, but I didn't pay much attention because I was too busy watching Guy Dupuy. Coffino and Dupuy started arguing on the bench shortly after the second half started. Dupuy left the gym after more unfriendly words were exchanged between them, including Dupuy saying something about it being his "last game." He walked back through the gym a few minutes later in street clothes and talked to Nick Dean, the General Manager of the Legends, in the lobby. Dupuy later returned to the gym carrying a baby and spent the rest of the game in the bleachers with Dean.

The Legends were up 95-86 at the start of the fourth quarter, but the Soldiers jumped out and went on a 7-0 run to start the period. Later, two free throws by Ryan Edwards tied the game at 99-99. The Soldiers went up 107-102 with 5 minutes left in regulation. Edwards had the ball at the top of the key and was being guarded tight by Kyle Downey when I yelled, "Yo Edwards, you got nothing!" He responded by missing an off-balance mid-range jumper.....Yeah, I totally psyched him out.

The game went down to the wire and was tied 115-115 with 1:32 left. A layup by Johnson put the Legends up 119-118 with less than a minute left. Two free throws by Rush after an odd intentional foul by Mayben put the Soldiers up 122-119 with 20.5 seconds left. Johnson tied the game with a clutch 3-pointer and the Soldiers took a timeout with 11.5 seconds left. Edwards missed a long shot off the backboard and the Legends took a timeout with 3 seconds left. Johnson missed a long three at the buzzer and the game went into overtime with the score at 122-122.

Edwards made a 3-pointer to start overtime and put the Soldiers up 125-122. A free throw by Sheppard cut the lead to 1 and the Legends were down 133-132 with less than 2 minutes left in overtime. A free throw by Mayben with 1:10 left put the Legends up 134-133. However, Edwards responded by making a 3-pointer with 57.7 seconds left and putting the Soldiers up 136-134. A free throw by Mayben tied the game at 136-136 with 44.5 seconds left. Anthony Kyle made a pair of free throws with 17.1 left and put the Soldiers up 141-138. Sheppard missed a 3-pointer and Edwards made a pair a free throws with 7.8 seconds left, putting the Soldiers up 143-138. The Legends were unable to come back and lost 144-140.

The Soldiers out-rebounded the Legends by a noticeable margin again (59-40). In a blog entry before the season started, I predicted that lack of size would be a problem for the Legends. These last two games have proved my point. The Legends are really missing Scott Morton right now. Also, the Legends couldn't get defensive stops when they needed them again.

Player of the Game: Ryan Edwards (51 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists)

Anthony Kyle helped out with 35 points and 8 assists and Stan Chismark chipped in with 22 points and 9 rebounds. Billy Rush finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Legend of the Game: Lloyd Johnson (40 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists)

Tiki Mayben also had a great game and finished with 31 points and 7 assists. Tadre Sheppard had a double-double with 26 points and 12 rebounds. E.J. Gallup scored 22 points in the game, but was a non-factor in the second half and overtime.

Random Highlight of the Game: Anthony Kyle to Ryan Edwards for alley-oop dunk



The Albany Legends (7-2) will play the Kankakee County Soldiers (7-1) today at 6 pm at CBA to end the series. The Legends need to win this game to avoid getting swept.

Have any thoughts on the Legends losing their second straight game to the Soldiers? Has Albany seen the last of Guy Dupuy? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

IBA: Mayben's 50 Not Enough as Legends Lose to Soliders

The Kankakee County Soldiers have handed the Albany Legends their first loss of the season in an overtime thriller.

The first thing I noticed was that Marcus Snipes was back in uniform and was rockin' orange sneakers. I also saw that Evan Lane was back with the team. Lane, who won a championship with the Legends in 2010, is the only Legends player besides Lloyd Johnson to play in all three seasons with the team. Albany had 12 players in uniform - the most all season for them.

Kenny Tribbett, Tadre Sheppard, E.J. Gallup, Kyle Downey, and Tiki Mayben started for the Legends. Johnson wasn't there when the game started and arrived at halftime.

Ryan Edwards scored the first points of the game and the Soldiers went up 2-0. They ended up scoring the first 6 points of the game and led 18-8 with 5:56 left in the first quarter. Mayben then went on an 8-0 run all by himself in a series of plays that included consecutive 3-pointers, a block, and two free throws. That cut the lead to 2 and the Legends were down 18-16. Another 5 points in a row by Mayben put the Legends up 21-20. Another 3-pointer by Mayben put the Legends up 28-26, but the Soldiers led 29-28 at the end of the 1st.

Both teams went head-to-head in the second quarter. The game was tied 31-31 with 10:51 left and then tied again 39-39. The game was tied up again 50-50, but them the Soldiers went on a 10-0 run to go up 60-50 and John Coffino called a time-out with 2:52 left in the quarter. The first half ended with the Soldiers up 63-60.

The Legends and Soldiers continued to battle in the second half. A breakaway dunk by Mayben cut the Soldiers' lead to 1 and the score was 78-77. At the end of the 3rd, the Soldiers were up 99-94.

The game went down to the wire in the 4th. The Soldiers were leading 129-127 with less than a minute left in regulation. The Legends were still down by 2 after a layup by Johnson with 30.3 seconds left. The Soldiers then turned the ball over with 19.2 left. In the clutch, Mayben made a floater and the game was tied 131-131 with 11.6 seconds left. Edwards missed a shot that probably would have won it for the Soldiers and the Legends couldn't get a shot off before time expired. The game went into overtime.



The Soldiers went on a 12-5 run to start overtime and were up 143-136 with 1:46 left in OT. A dunk by Sheppard cut the lead to 3 and the Legends were down 145-142 with 1:10 left. Later, a 3-pointer by Mayben cut the lead to 2 and the Legends were down 147-145. Late in the game, a 3-point play by Sheppard cut the lead to 1 and the Legends were down 149-148. However, the Legends would never come any closer and a highlight dunk by Edwards with seconds left in OT served as the dagger. The Soliders won 153-148 as Mayben missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that wouldn't have mattered.

One of the big differences in the game was rebounding. Kankakee out-rebounded Albany 55-39. Another big factor was that the Legends couldn't get defensive stops when they needed them. Also, the Legends only shot 11 of 39 from 3-point range.

Player of the Game: Tiki Mayben - He scored 50 points (2nd most in Albany Legends history), dished out 14 or 7 assists (Times Union said he had 7 assists, the Albany Legends website said he had 14 assists), and grabbed 6 rebounds on his 25th birthday, but the Legends still lost to the Soldiers in a heart-breaker. He shot 19 of 39 from the field and hit 6 out of 7 free throws.

Tadre Sheppard and Kyle Downey also had great games. Sheppard scored 42 points off of 18-23 field goals and Downey finished with 25 points, a game-high 13 rebounds, and 6 assists. E.J. Gallup and Lloyd Johnson also gave solid efforts. Gallup had 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists and Johnson (who fouled out) finished with 11 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds.

Zach Bye, Marcus Snipes, and Kenny Tribbett combined for 10 points while T.J. Czeski, Guy Dupuy, Josh Jones, and Evan Lane  (who all received limited playing time) went scoreless. I'm not sure Jones even played at all. Lane struggled in his return to Albany and will be looking to bounce back later today.

Ryan Edwards finished with 34 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists (This should come as a surprise to no one who has ever seen him play or follows the IBA). Billy Rush had an even better game and finished with 52 points and 12 rebounds. Stan Chismark, Anthony Kyle, and CeCe Malone also had productive games and all finished with double-doubles.

Random Highlight of the Game: Tiki Mayben throws an alley-oop to Tadre Sheppard.



Next, the Albany Legends (7-1) will play the Kankakee County Soldiers (6-1) today at 7 pm at CBA. The Legends need to win this game in order to keep first place. However, keep in mind that the Legends have never lost a home series before.

Have any thoughts on the Legends losing for the first time this season. Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.