Barracudas torched by KL Dragons

From Yee Chun Leong
IN KUALA LUMPUR

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Brunei forfeit due to unusual circumstances.

THE Brunei Barracudas were humiliated 87-48 by the KL Dragons in a game that never reached the final buzzer yesterday.

Playing at the MABA stadium in Kuala Lumpur, the Barracudas' fourth game was already lost before any of the players even stepped onto the court.

Brunei's first professional basketball team were without the services of their head coach Bong Ramos and the duo of American Chris Commons and Filipino Chester Tolomia due to red eye.

This meant that the Brunei team were left with only seven available players, who unfortunately fouled out till one was left standing, resulting in forfeit with under eight minutes to play. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Think you can ball? Prove it

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Thursday, October 28, 2010

BASKETBALL fans, mark your calendars.

The Chung Hwa Middle School (CHMS) Alumni Association 18th Anniversary basketball tournament is slated for Nov 27 and registration is now open.

Scheduled to be held at the Brunei Basketball Association (BBA) court in Batu Bersurat, two categories Men's Open and Under-18 Boys will be contested in the tournament.

The Open category is only open to local players with a valid identity card and Filipino players are not allowed to participate to level the playing field.

Registration fees are set at $250 for the Under-18 category and $300 for the Open category. Entry forms can be obtained from the court and completed forms and entry fees must be handed in by 5pm on Nov 24.

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Source: The Brunei Times

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Sharks devour Jodico whole

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Thursday, October 28, 2010

A 23-POINT run in the third quarter was enough for Sharks to see off Jodico Construction Sdn Bhd 82-74 in Group A of the second round for the 38-year-old and below category of the Syarikat MK Jazmar Cup on Tuesday night at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

In what was their fifth consecutive victory, Sharks, who are unbeaten in the competition, saw Aries Castro put in a team-high 21 points while Don Mordeno added another 18 points in the triumph.

On the other hand, four players notched double figures for Jodico, a team comprising all Malay players, with Hj Md Rahmat Hj Suhaili notching a game-high of 26 points and Ahmad Termizi Hj Nordeen poured in 13 first half points.

Meanwhile, Zainul Ashyraf Hj Hussin and Md Azrani Hamzah contributed 11 and 10 points respectively to the losing effort. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Angels soar while Lee-Jusone fall

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

MK ANGELS survived MK Lee-Jusone 60-51 in the semi-finals of the 38-year-old and above category of the Syarikat MK Jazmar Cup last night at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

Fred Palaspas had a game-high of 18 points to pace MK Angels and Noel Grafil poured in another 14 in the victory.

Tse Tow Joon Yeen topscored for MK Lee-Jusone with 17 points and Muhd Akhbar Abdul Hamid contributed 13 points to the losing cause.

It was a closely contested affair right from the start with both teams trying to outshoot one another. However, it was the MK Angels that got ahead 14-10 heading into the second quarter.

MK Angels were relying on their outside shooting but weren't connecting. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Barracudas are not fish out of water yet

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

WITH four games played in the sophomore season of the Asean Basketball League (ABL), Brunei representatives the Barracudas are holding a 1-3 record.

It's not exactly a perfect start to the season for the Barracudas but said record is one that they should not be embarrassed of, considering the difficult schedule they faced in the opening month.

It includes having to play the defending champion Philippine Patriots three times in that short time frame as well.

In search of their first win of the season, the team brought back last season's mentor Filipino Bong Ramos for his second stint here and he worked his magic to eventually lead the Barracudas to an impressive 87-70 victory over Satria Muda BritAma at the BritAma Arena in Jakarta last Saturday. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Another 36-point show?

Jason Thomas

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

It will depend on the team: Commons

It's all about team work, says Commons

CHRIS Commons believes the Brunei Barracudas' teamwork helped secure their maiden Asean Basketball League (ABL) win of the season last week.

Brunei's first professional basketball club beat Satria Muda BritAma 87-70 at the BritAma Arena in Jakarta on Saturday night, where the American contributed a game-high of 36 points. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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MK Lee leave Skywalkers winless

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Monday, October 25, 2010

MK LEE-JUSONE held on for a 54-45 victory over the Glaic's Skywalkers to secure themselves a berth in the semi-finals of the 38-year-old and above category of the Syarikat Mk Jazmar Cup at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat last night.

Both teams entered the game with three consecutive losses and knew that another defeat would spell their exit from the competition.

MK Lee-Jusone, who are made up of players under the specified age category, had Tse Tow Joon Yeen as topscorer with 18 points while Lim Chun Chich contributed 12 points in the victory. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Ahmad Termizi lifts Judico to victory

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, October 24, 2010

JUDICO Construction Sdn Bhd held on for an impressive 60-57 triumph over Urdan in Group B last night to advance to the second round of the 38-year-old and below category of the Syarikat MK Jazmar Cup at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

Ahmad Termizi Hj Nordeen had a game-high of 16 points for Judico while Md Azrani Hamzah and Hj Md Rahmat Hj Suhaili each poured in 10 points in the victory.

On the other hand, Erwin Velez topscored for Urdan with 14 points and Jeff Paraiso added 11 in a losing effort.

Judico controlled and led the whole game to take a 49-40 advantage into the final stanza.

Urdan, who have already booked a berth in the next round, were not willing to let up and started to push the ball up quickly. It paid off handsomely as they started making key shots and eventually snatched the lead at 50-49 after Velez converted on a putback from Allan Talanay's miss midway through the quarter.

Judico lost their composure and started to rush their shots. Suddenly it seemed like the game was slipping away from them. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Barracudas score first win of the season

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, October 24, 2010

COACH Bong Ramos started his second stint with the Brunei Barracudas in style guiding the Bruneians to an 87-70 victory over Satria Muda BritAma in Jakarta last night.

The victory helped by a monstrous 36-point performance by Chris Commons snapped a three-game losing streak for the Barracudas. It was also their first victory in the sophomore season of the Asean Basketball League (ABL).

Source: The Brunei Times

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Bong starts with a bang

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, October 24, 2010

COACH Bong Ramos (pic, right) started his second stint with the Brunei Barracudas in style guiding the Bruneians to an 87-70 victory over Satria Muda BritAma in Jakarta last night.

The victory helped by a monstrous 36-point performance by Chris Commons snapped a three-game losing streak for the Barracudas. It was also their first victory in the sophomore season of the Asean Basketball League (ABL).

Contested at the BritAma Arena in Jakarta, third time was the charm for Brunei's first professional basketball team having lost to the Indonesian side 97-62 on Nov 8 and 98-84 on Jan 10.

Ramos arrived on Wednesday for his second stint as head coach of the Barracudas and made immediate impact despite only having had three training sessions with the team before the Jakarta game.

"It may be confusing for the players having just been introduced to my system. We arrived late yesterday (Friday in Jakarta) but I told the players that they should shoot around to see the court. I told them to try their best in the game, not to give 70-80 per cent but 30- 40 per cent on execution would be enough," said Ramos after the victory. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Keeping the dream alive

Jason Thomas

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Ramos believes Barracudas can still make playoffs

Brunei team look for 1st win of the season in Jakarta

BONG Ramos believes the dream is still alive for the Brunei Barracudas.

The Filipino re-took the reins of Brunei's first professional basketball club on Wednesday, tasked with the mission of turning the winless team's fortunes around in time for them to make the play-offs.

Bottom of the six-team Asean Basketball League (ABL) table with the worst scoring record, the Barracudas have the opportunity to start their second stint under Ramos on the right note when they take on Satria Muda BritAma at the BritAma Arena in Jakarta today.

Bringing the Barracudas to the brink of the play-offs with a 6-9 record last season, Ramos traded the hot seat with American Ozell Wells who is now one of the two assistant coaches alongside Wong Yee Chai. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Barracudas recall Ramos

Jason Thomas

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Wells named new assistant

STILL in search of their first Asean Basketball League (ABL) win, the Brunei Barracudas yesterday dropped head coach Ozell Wells in favour of his predecessor Bong Ramos.

The Filipino led the team to a 6-9 record last year that saw them fall short off making the playoffs in the inaugural season, finishing fifth in the six-team tournament.

As its stands now, the Barracudas will have a tough time just finishing second from bottom.

With three losses in their opening three games, the Barracudas are last in the league though the Westports KL Dragons have also yet to record a win.

Though Ramos is now back in the hot-seat, Wells will still play an integral role in the set-up as an assistant coach. The American joins Wong Yee Chai, who is in his second year as a deputy.

"We had to make a change," said Barracudas manager Benny Ang yesterday.

"We felt something was wrong with the team. We brought back the man responsible for our success last year, a man familiar with Brunei basketball and more importantly, the ABL. He wasn't available at the start of the season but he recently became free. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Barracudas give Patriots run for their money

Jason Thomas

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, October 17, 2010

LIGHTNING very nearly struck the same place twice last night.

Playing in their first home game of the Asean Basketball League (ABL) sophomore season, the Brunei Barracudas took defending champions, the Philippines Patriots, down to the wire at the Indoor Stadium of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas.

Coming back from a 10-point gap in the last quarter, the Barracudas were leading 61-58 in the final few seconds before the Patriots' Junjun Cabatu broke the home fans' hearts with a dagger from three-point land.

The Patriots then went on to win the game 72-67 in overtime, the first OT for an ABL game in Brunei.

Brunei's first professional basketball club pulled off the upset of the year when they beat defending champions the Philippine Patriots 95-70 in Brunei last December, the result the first time a team from the Sultanate had beaten the region's powerhouse at their own game. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

More photos on our Facebook fanpage here.

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Can lightning strike twice ?

Jason Thomas

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, October 16, 2010

ABL: Barracudas look for home win against Patriots. 

THEY say lightning doesn't strike the same place twice but the Brunei Barracudas are hoping that tonight will be an exception.

Brunei's first professional basketball club recorded their most memorable win in the Asean Basketball League when they beat defending champions the Philippine Patriots 95-70 in Brunei last December, the result the first time a team from the Sultanate had beaten the region's powerhouse at their own game.

As the two teams prepare to do battle again at the Indoor Stadium of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas today, it was only natural that talk would again turn to that "mother of all victories" as a former Barracudas player put it. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Win on the road, win in the ABL

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Barracudas play first home game against Patriots this Saturday

THE first two weeks of the sophomore season of the Asean Basketball League (ABL) has shown the competitive nature of the league.

Most of the matches could have gone either way with the league opener seeing the Thailand Slammers edge out the KL Dragons 79-74 in overtime at the Nimibutr Indoor Stadium in Bangkok.

Only four out of the six teams in the league will make it to the playoffs but what is the most important factor that can help teams find a difference and an edge to see them through to the next round? Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Brunei players to train with the best

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

IF YOU can't beat them, join them. That is exactly what the national basketball team is doing for the third quarter training programme.

The national cagers had already begun the training last week but interestingly, for the first time, the top Filipino players in the country are joining in the training sessions together with the local players.

"Some of the Filipino players in Brunei have the caliber of being in the NBL (National Basketball League) and also the ABL (Asean Basketball League). So we thought that we should take advantage of the situation that they could help make us more competitive," said Kevin Reece (Pic), the national basketball coach, in an interview with The Brunei Times, yesterday at a training session at the Multipurpose Hall of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Sharifah Hasmin go 2-0 with win over Glaics

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

SHARIFAH Hasmin Enterprise switched gears late to hold on for a 69-58 win over Glaic's Skywalkers in the 38-year-old and above category of the Syarikat MK Jazmar Cup last night at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

In what was their second straight win, Loloy Subaan had the game-high of 17 points to pace Sharifah while Zaldy Umandap and Zaldy Matias added 14 and 11 points respectively in the triumph.

Mike Perez topscored for Glaic's with 13 fourth quarter points and H Lazaro chipped in 11 in the loss.

The game was neck and neck right from the tip off with both teams starting slow, but it was Glaic's who got infront 12-11 heading into the second quarter. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Barracudas call for patience

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

THE Barracudas' American imports, Chris Garnett and Chris Commons, yesterday urged the fans to be patient saying they should give the team more time to gel and adapt to each other after the Brunei team's 76-59 loss to the Thailand Slammers on Saturday night in the Asean Basketball League (ABL) at the Nimibutr Indoor Stadium in Bangkok.

The loss puts the Bruneians at the bottom of the six-team table on a 0-2 record after their 62-71 opening defeat at the hands of the defending champions Philippine Patriots on Oct 3 at the Ynares Sports Arena at Pasig City in the Philippines.

Ozell Wells, the Barracudas head coach, had dubbed their American imports the most dominant in the league and they fared pretty well in Bangkok with Commons topscoring for the Bruneians in the encounter with 16 points and hauling down 11 rebounds for a double-double while Garnett had 14. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Time to work hard on weaknesses

Kevin Reece

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

OUR first six months started with a bit controversy, but as we progressed the negativity became showers of support. As a national coach, you must first get to know your surroundings, culture, organisation and talent pool. During this time make adjustments to become open to change and listen to your staff also.

A coach must earn a sense of trust and respect in which your organisation and team must buy into. Once you have all of that in place, then the real work starts. So let's take a trip down memory lane and recap the first six months and find out what we're today and what we need to continue to improve and eventually find the success and achieve our goals.

Coming to Brunei, I knew it would be a huge challenge to sell our programme and philosophy to meet our agenda of installing a new system. Sure, I had the support that I needed and best wishes from many as you need to bring radical change like never before. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Destroyed by Kuete monster

Melvin Jong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, October 10, 2010

ABL: Barracudas beaten in Bangkok

IT WAS a night of utter disappointment for local hoop fans as the Brunei Barracudas failed to impress, falling to the Thailand Slammers 76-59, in their second Asean Basketball League (ABL) game yesterday.

Played at the Nimibutr Indoor Stadium in Bangkok and shown live on television, the game offered many Bruneians their first look at the new Barracudas team who unfortunately could not live up to their fans' expectations.

Americans Christopher Garnett and Chris Commons scored 14 and 16 points respectively for the Barracudas while Slammers' Chris Kuete scored a game high 33 to help his team notch their second consecutive win.

Donned in their familiar blue jerseys, the Barracudas got off to a hot start, courtesy of two straight opening threes by Asean import Chester Tolomia. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Sharifah Hasmin mesmerise MK Lee

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Friday, October 8, 2010

SHARIFAH Hasmin Enterprise opened their campaign with a 48-40 victory over MK Lee-Jusone last night in the 38-year-old and above category of the Syarikat MK Jazmar Cup at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

Joseph Recato led the way for Sharifah with 14 points and Zaldy Umandap poured in seven in the victory.

Tse Tow Joon Yeen had the game-high of 20 points to pace MK Lee-Jusone in the losing effort.

Both teams got off to slow starts and were missing their shots. But it was MK Lee-Jusone who led 9-8 heading into the second quarter.

MK Lee-Jusone, made up of players under the specified age in the category, used their speed advantage and outran their opponents to score on layups. They were aggressive on the defensive end but it wasn't enough to widen their lead as Sharifah was only down 19-18 at halftime.

The tides turned after the interval as Sharifah piled on the pressure onto their opponents' ball handlers and it worked to perfection.

They extended the lead to 30-25 midway through the third period. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Barracudas optimistic despite loss

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Thursday, October 7, 2010

  THERE was nothing but optimism in the Brunei Barracudas training camp at the Brunei Basketball Association (BBA) court in Batu Bersurat yesterday.

The Sultanate's first professional basketball team may have lost to the Philippine Patriots 62-71 last Sunday in their opening Asean Basketball League game at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City in the Philippines but they gave the defending champions a fright down the stretch, facing only a one point deficit with four minutes left to play in regulation.

Ozell Wells, the Barracudas head coach, has every reason to be satisfied with the team's performance with the second smallest losing margin on the Filipinos home floor, where they are unbeaten in all 12 of their games held there so far stretching from last season The team that came closest to beating the Patriots on their home floor were the KL Dragons who lost 70-76 in December last year.

Despite only being with the team for a mere over three weeks, Wells is expecting a great season ahead for the Barracudas over time.

"We have got the two most dominant international imports in the league," said Wells, in an interview with The Brunei Times yesterday. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Leones boosts Daikyo over Waltique

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

DAIKYO opened their campaign with a hard-fought 75-71 victory over Waltique in the 38-year-old and below category of the Syarikat MK Jazmar Cup last night at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

Geve Leones scored a game-high of 29 points for Daikyo while Apollo Bibat and Hanzel Enopia chipped in 13 and 10 points respectively.

Vincent Superio topscored for Waltique with 21 points and Nukhassan Jauhali poured in 17 points. Mike Agripa and Joel de Silva added 13 and 10 points respectively in the losing effort.

Daikyo got off to a better start by running the floor to score on layups. They were attacking the paint while their opponents struggled to put points on the board.

Waltique began to pick up the slack to minimise the damage and ending up with just a 12-19 deficit heading into the second period.

It was a similar affair in the second quarter but Daikyo were rushing too many of their shots.

On the other hand, Waltique started to connect on many of their outside shots. They were also playing good defence and forced turnovers off Daikyo to cut the deficit to 32-35 at halftime. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Barracudas release White for Williams

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

THE Brunei Barracudas are once again looking for the missing piece in their sophomore season of the Asean Basketball League.

The Sultanate's first professional basketball team have released Asean import, Filipino-American Kevin White, but have found his replacement in another Filipino-American in Ramsey Williams for the point guard position.

The team succumbed to a 71-62 defeat in their campaign opener in the hands of the Philippine Patriots on Sunday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City, Philippines and they felt something was missing.

"It isn't because Kevin underperformed. The point guard position is suppose to be an extension of what the coach wants to do on the floor. He is like an unofficial second head coach who orchestrates the plays while playing on the court. However, Kevin didn't respond to that and couldn't get the other four players involved," said Benny Ang, the manager of the Barracudas, yesterday.

"We need a more experienced person, somebody who can run the plays and we felt that this early switch in the season is needed," he added.

"Ramsey wasn't available at the start as he was trying out with the Patriots but he didn't make it. We hope he'll be the answer in that area," continued Ang. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Syarikat MK Jazmar Cup Game Schedule

Updated Schedule can be found here.

DATE	TIME	MATCH
Tuesday, 5 October	8:30 – 10:00	Daikyo vs. Waltique
	10:00 – 11:30	Urdan vs. RP Team
Thursday, 7 October	8:00 – 9:30	Sharifah vs. MK Lee-Jusone*
	9:30 – 11:00	Gills Sports vs. Hua Ho
Saturday, 9 October	8:30 – 10:00	MK vs. Waltique*
	10:00 – 11:30	Hope vs. Gills Sports
Sunday, 10 October	7:30 – 9:00	Ford vs. Urdan
	9:00 – 10:30	J&G Angels vs. Daikyo
Tuesday, 12 October	8:30 – 10:00	Glaic’s vs. Sharifah*
	10:00 – 11:30	Sharks vs. Hua Ho
Thursday 14 October	8:00 – 9:30	Jodico Construction vs. RP Team
	9:30 – 11:00	Jed Star vs. Waltique
Saturday, 16 October	8:30 – 10:00	MK vs. MK Lee-Jusone*
	10:00 – 11:30	Hope vs. Hua Ho
Sunday, 17 October	7:30 – 9:00	Ford vs. RP Team
	9:00 – 10:30	J&G Angels vs. Waltique
Tuesday, 19 October	8:30 – 10:00	Waltique vs. Glaic’s*
	10:00 – 11:30	Gills Sports vs. Sharks
Thursday 21 October	8:00 – 9:30	Urdan vs. Jodico Construction
	9:30 – 11:00	Daikyo vs. Jed Star
Saturday, 23 October	8:00 – 9:30	Waltique vs. MK Lee-Jusone*
	9:30 – 11:00	MK vs. Sharifah
Sunday, 24 October	7:30 – 9:00	Glaic’s vs. MK Lee-Jusone*
	9:00 – 10:30	Sharifah vs. Waltique

*Above-38 Category matches

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Barracudas back at war

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Brunei team face tough opener in Manila

THE Brunei Barracudas will be back at war today.

Brunei's first professional basketball team will face off against the defending champions, the Philippine Patriots, in their opener of the second season of the Asean Basketball League (ABL) today at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig in the Philippines.

It will be a whole new ball game with both teams boasting new faces but history doesn't favour the Brunei side with the Patriots have won all 11 of their home games last season.

(The Barracudas lost both their matches in Manila falling 70-56 in December and 87-65 in January).

Thus, it will be a tough hill to climb for the Barracudas with their new head coach, Ozell Wells, only having just over two weeks to prepare the team for today's battle and the new season.

The team's 'newest' import Chris Garnett, meanwhile, had only joined the Barracudas a few days ago.

However, Wells had told The Brunei Times last week that he believes that the team would be ready for the game. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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MK Angels soar high above Glaics

Amir Amin

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, October 3, 2010

MK ANGELS soared over Glaics with a 74-54 win in the Syarikat MK Jazmar Cup opener in the 38-year-old and above category at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat last night.

Coach Eduardo Bautista owed the overwhelming scoreline to his five main players: Noel Grafil, Bernardo Toledo, Fred Palaspas, Allan Bernades and Arnel Caringal.

"We played good defence, the flow of the match was ok and so far the key players had all been able to perform, which allowed us to gain an early lead," said the MK Angels' coach.

MK Angel's top-scorer was Toledo, who scored 13 points. Teammates Palaspos and Bernades added 10 each to the victory. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Sharks begin hunt for double

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, October 2, 2010

SHARKS will be aiming for a second straight title when the Syarikat MK Jazmar Cup tips off today at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

Boasting players such as Elvin Requintin and Aries Castro, they are labelled as one of the favourites in the 38-year-old and below category after winning the 2010 Sultan's Cup with a 95-90 victory over Palm Café in the final in August.

However, they will be without key players Geve Leones, who put up an MVP-like performance in the final with 36 points, and Apollo Bibat as both will be lacing up for Daikyo instead. Nonetheless, Don Mordeno is set to fill up the gaps in the team.

"We cannot say 100 per cent that we can make it a double. It will be difficult because we're missing some key players from the last tournament. The teams which I think are the most dangerous are Hope and Daikyo," said Requintin, the captain of Sharks, in an interview with The Brunei Times, yesterday.

"Plus, we haven't had much training. Only two sessions in preparations for the competition because of a lack of venue," he said.

When asked about what Mordeno brings to the line-up, Requintin replied: "He is definitely a key player and hopefully he can step up."

Organised with the cooperation of the Manjaro Management, a total of 12 teams separated into three groups are vying for top honours in the 38-year-old and below category of the competition.

On the other hand, five teams will battle for title in the 38-year-old and above category. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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AirAsia ASEAN Basketball League kicks off today

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, October 2, 2010

THE much awaited second season of the AirAsia ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) is finally here.

The sophomore season is bound to bring more action and suspense with six teams fighting for the top four spots culminating in playoffs.

The Chang Thailand Slammers and Westports KL Dragons will tip off in the league opener today at the Nimibutr Indoor Stadium in Bangkok at 8pm.

The other teams in the league include Brunei's very own Barracudas, the defending champions Philippine Patriots, Singapore Slingers and Indonesia's Satria Muda BritAma.

Fans of the ABL would want to feast their eyes on the juicy matchup between the Malaysians and the Thais. The Dragons went 2-1 against the Thailand Tigers, who was marred with controversy at the end of the season, changing their name to the Cobras before settling on the Slammers.

However, it is almost like a match between two brand new teams with different imports and players.

American Jason Dixon, who laced up for the Patriots last season and won the ABL Best Import award, will lead the charge for the newly-formed Slammers. Dixon averaged a double-double with 15.2 points and 10.9 rebounds per game.

Alongside him will be his compatriot Chris Kuete, who suited up for the Dragons in the inaugural season. He too can pack a punch averaging 17.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game for the Dragons. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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