Sports - Sports News

POSTED: Friday, Jul. 03, 2009

IBL BASKETBALL: Los Angeles eliminates Slam

MONROE - The Bellingham Slam couldn't ride a hot start as they were outlasted by the Los Angeles Lightning 132-121 in the International Basketball League American Conference Final on Friday, July 3, at the Monroe Sports Arena. The loss ends the Slam's season with a 17-5 record.

Bellingham opened the game with near-perfect shooting and quickly built up a 15-point lead, at 26-11, six minutes into the game. Los Angeles was able to come back in the second half of the first quarter, and trimmed the Slam's advantage at the end of the frame to seven at 38-31.

The Slam were able to maintain a double-digit lead for much of the second quarter, before the Lightning closed out the half by scoring 13 of the last 16 points to trail by four at halftime at 62-58.

Key Slam players, including Tyler Amaya and Jacob Stevenson, ran into foul trouble in the second half, hampering their efforts to hold the lead. A basket by Trayvon Lathan at the 6:09 mark gave Los Angeles their first lead since the game's opening moments at 73-71. The Lightning closed the third quarter with a 15-7 run to extend their lead to ten at 90-80 going into the final period. The Slam managed just 18 points in the third quarter.

A technical free throw by Tyler Amaya to start the fourth quarter would prove to be the only time the Slam would get the Lightning's lead under ten points. Bellingham was able to get their offense going again, but were unable to get the defensive stops necessary to chip into the Lightning's lead. Los Angeles maxed out their advantage at 19, at 121-102, before Bellingham was able to score 16 points in the finals two minutes. But solid free-throw shooting by the Lightning prevented the Slam from seriously challenging the outcome.

Ryan Diggs and Paul Hafford combined to score 58 points, 30 and 28, respectively, to lead Bellingham. Amaya and Lukas Henne both contributed double-double, Amaya's with 18 points and 14 rebounds and Henne's with 12 points and rebounds each.

Los Angeles was led by Darrick Martin, who scored 28 points thanks to 13-for-18 shooting from three-throw line. Lamond Murray added 20 points, while Fred Vinson tallied 18.

With the victory, Los Angeles advances to the IBL championship game on July 18, against the winner of Friday's other conference final featuring the Snohomish County Explosion and Oregon Waves.