Early Season Battle for First Place in Colonial Division this Weekend
Game: Winchester Storm (2-2) at Bay Area Shuckers (3-2)
Date: Saturday, January 5, 2013
Time: 7:00 PM
Place: Kilby Athletic Center, Annapolis Area Christian School, 109 Burns Crossing Road, Severn, Maryland
Last Game: Shuckers lost to the defending American Professional Basketball League (APBL) champions, the Beltway Bombers, 130-122 on December 15th. On the same date the Winchester Storm won a key division battle by defeating the West Virginia Monarchs 124-121.
Career Series: First Meeting
Shuckers Player to Watch: #3 G Joe Addis (6’1”, 175, CCBC-Essex), #23 Ameer Ali (6’6”, 250, Morgan State), #45 F Gus Chase (6’5”, 250, Georgetown College), #5 G Rocky Coleman (6’3”, 180, Towson), #1 Jay Gavin (6’2”, 190, Bowie State), #11 G Terry Hosley 6’, 160, Maryland Bible), #15 G Mike McKenzie (6’1”, 170, Delaware State), #14 G Lamarr Shorts (6’2”, 205, Bryan College), #24 G Gerald Stansbury (6’2”, 190, Marymount), #33 F Anthony Thomas (6’6”, 212, American International), #32 F Danny Thompson (6’7”, 230, Mount St. Mary’s) #22 F Cody White (6’5”, 210, Wesley), #21 F Perry Wright (6’4”, 190, Widener), #34 Teon Knox (6’9”, 290, Pikeville).
Storm Players to Watch: G Mouktar Fawehinmi (6’1”, Shenandoah), G Tyler Crawford (6’4”, Georgetown University), G Tyrone Roach (5’9”, Shepherd University), Mitchell Dudley II (6’5”, Shenandoah).
Shuckers Snapshot: After leading most of the game the Shuckers lost to their former division rivals, the Beltway Bombers 130-122 on December 15th. While the APBL is largely on a holiday break with few games scheduled, the Shuckers front office has been busy signing three local talents, 6’6” forward Ameer Ali from Morgan State, 6’2” combo guard Jay Gavin from Bowie State, and 6’9” Teon Knox, a veteran of ten seasons. To date the Shuckers continue to led by their starting combination of Terry Hosley (33 points per game), Gus Chase (22 points/9 rebounds a game), Danny Thompson (18.75 points/17.25 rebounds), Rocky Coleman (15 points per game), and Mike McKenzie (7.5 assists per game). The bench also continues to strengthen with rookie Perry Wright now averaging 9.5 points per game and Cody White getting more substantial time against the Bombers and pulling down six boards.
Storm Snapshot: After starting their season 0-2 with losses to the Nova Hawks (125-127 OT) and Bombers (86-112) the Storm has rallied for two straight wins over the Capital City Express (129-103) and West Virginia Monarchs (124-121) to pull into second place in the Colonial Division. Although they feature a balanced attack, the Storm has been led by former Georgetown Hoya Tyler Crawford who had a season high 36-points in their opening night overtime loss to the Hawks.
Outlook: The Shuckers enter this contest in first place in the Colonial Division at 3-2 and 1-0 in the division, while the Storm is 2-2 and 2-0 in the Colonial. Now in their third year of play the Storm made the shift to the APBL from the Eastern Basketball Alliance and is also looking for their first winning season. A win by the Storm gives them first place in the Colonial Division and a 3-0 run on their first pass through the division. For the Shuckers, they need to rebound from a tough loss at home against the Bombers with a win and also need the victory to maintain first place. They then head out on their only extended road trip of the season with three games looming at the Rockville Victors, Nova Hawks, and West Virginia Monarchs.
For more information on the Bay Area Shuckers please visit www.BayAreaShuckers.com. Season tickets may also be purchased on-line at the team’s web site.
