Tournament Championship
Bulls 51    Hornets 42
In a rugged defensive battle, neither team led by more than 5 points until the final seconds.   With every possession contested, only one 3-pointer was scored in the game, by the Hornets’ Jeffrey Smith.   Kyle Newcomer was a workhorse for the Bulls, scoring 19 points in the paint or from the foul line.   Tray Miller provided the Bulls with ball control and floor leadership; Steven Webber knocked in 11 points and Robbie Miller had 8.   Dan Rushing led the Hornets with 22 points, but was hampered by four first-half fouls and had to play cautiously the rest of the way.   Quinton Bell scored 10 points and was a force on the defensive boards for the Hornets.

Tournament, Semi-Finals
Hornets 62    Supersonics 59    Saturday, Feb. 16
Both teams played at a high level throughout, but Dan Rushing’s inside mastery was too much for the Supersonics to overcome. Rushing scored consistently on the boards and was deadly on a midrange jumper, finishing with 26 points. Juan Morris shook off three early fouls to run the Hornet offense effectively most of the game and Quinton knifed inside for 13 points. Chris St. Clair added 6 timely points. The Sonics deployed their usual balanced attack, led by Mike Solbach with 14 points, Billy Harris with 13 and Trip Henderson with 11. Greg Peck had 8 and Brent Thal 7. The game featured numerous lead changes, with the Hornets finally pulling out to a 60-53 lead with about 90 seconds to play. But Harris nailed a 3-pointer and, after a Hornet turnover, Solbach was fouled on a 3-point attempt and converted all three foul shots, and the ‘Sonics were within a point. Morris was fouled on the Hornets’ ensuing possession and calmly dropped in both free throws with 16 second remaining. Under heavy pressure, the ‘Sonics got off three attempts at a tying basket, but none found the range.

Bulls 54    Knicks 35    Saturday, Feb. 16
The Knicks stayed close for a half, but never got their outside shooting untracked, and were ultimately overpowered by the Bulls strong inside game. Kyle Newcomer was the dominant inside force for the Bulls, scoring 14 of his 18 points in the first half when the game was closely contested. The Miller brothers, Robbie and Tray, with 16 and 10 points respectively, and Eddie Lashbaugh (11) took over the scoring load in the second half. Chris Wenzel added 9. Reggie Dunn led the Knicks with 14 points and Mike Frierson netted 6, to go along with a strong defensive effort.

Tournament, First Round
Bulls 87    Suns 51    Monday, Feb. 11
The Bulls used full-court pressure and a relentless attack on the basket to grab an early lead and were never seriously threatened.   Robbie Miller led the Bulls in scoring with 22 points, while Chris Wenzel provided the outside marksmanship with 21, including four 3-pointers. Tray Miller added 13 points and Eddie Lashbaugh and Kyle Newcomer each had 11. Adam El Nagby rounded out the scoring for the Bulls with 7. Mo Shoeb poured in 24 points for the Suns, followed by O.J. Jackson with 16 and Kareem Jackson with 11.

Supersonics 81    Sixers 74    Monday, Feb. 11
In a game played at a breakneck pace, the Supersonics built several double-digit leads, but had to fend off a furious Sixers’ rally to advance to the semifinals. Mike Solbach led the Supersonics with 30 points, including 11 of his team’s last 14 points. Brent Thal had 3 key points in the final going, and 8 for the game. Trip Henderson battled on the boards and contributed 17 points. Greg Peck had 14 and Greg Roach 12. The Sixers appeared to be finished, trailing 69-58 with less than six minutes to play, but then rattled the usually unflappable ‘Sonics with a full-court press. They cut the margin to 72-70 with a minute to go, but couldn’t come back all the way. Jon Hoffman and Andrew Rodgers paced the Sixers with 21 and 19 points respectively. Billy O’Connor slashed to the hoop for 14 points and Will McCormack tallied 10 despite sitting out long stretches with foul trouble.

Hornets 79    Raptors 71    Saturday, Feb. 4
The Raptors fought the Hornets to the last buzzer, and had several leads in the game, but could never find an answer to Dan Rushing’s dominance on the boards. Rushing led all scorers with 35 points, many coming on second-chance efforts. Joshua Smith added 15 points, including two key baskets in the closing minute that finally put the Raptors away. Quinton Bell attacked the basket for 14 points, 12 in the second half. The Raptors fell behind quickly at the outset, but stormed back late in the half with Shane Moore nailing a 3-pointer and Erik Rohrbaugh hitting three straight buckets. Todd Coder’s hard work around the basket and timely hoops by Mark Stanford and J.T. Newberry paced a strong Raptor effort in the second half. Coder had 20 points for the Raptors, followed by Rohrbaugh with 14 and Moore with 12.

Knicks 55    Bullets 52    Saturday, Feb. 4
Reggie Dunn, the smallest man on the court, had some of the biggest rebounds, leading the Knicks to its narrow win. Dunn had 12 second-half points (15 in all) on drives to the basket and put-backs of errant shots. J.J. Flores scored 13 points for the Knicks, while Brandon Marrow, Donnie Skinner and Brian Mature rounded out the scoring with 9 apiece. Mike Frierson, though scoreless, contributed some key defensive work. Matt Hastings paced a balanced Bullets’ attack with 13 points. Brandon Pleasant added 12, all on 3-pointers, and Keith Stephens had 9. Dwan Jarrett (12 points) spent most of the game setting up his teammates, but scored four late baskets to get the Bullets a chance to tie after the Knicks appeared to have the game sewn up. Down by three, the Bullets got two 3-point attempts in the closing seconds, but they didn’t connect, and the Knicks escaped to move on to the semifinals.

REGULAR SEASON GAME RECAPS:
Regular Season Championship    Saturday, Feb. 4
Supersonics 64    Bulls 49
In the Championship match-up of the two Division winners, the Supersonics’ combination of excellent ball movement, accurate outside shooting and tight defense proved too much for the Bulls to offset. Mike Solbach, Greg Roach and Greg Peck all hit 3-pointers in the first half for the ‘Sonics while Billy Harris produced 10 points in the paint. Closely defended, the Bulls were relatively cold throughout the first half, with Steven Webber’s 9 points keeping them barely in contention at 36-17. The Bulls came out reenergized in the second half, however, closing the gap to 6 points with a 16-3 run as Kyle Newcomer pounded away inside. But a breakaway layup and Peck’s 3-pointer turned the tide back the ‘Sonics way and the Bulls never got closer. In all, the ‘Sonics hit nine 3-pointers; Solbach had 18 points, Peck 14, and Harris 13. Newcomer led the Bulls with 16 points while Tray Miller and Chris Wenzel each had 10.

Monday, Feb. 4
Bulls 54    Hornets 39
The Bulls reversed the outcome of Saturday’s game to capture the National Division title.   The Bulls excelled at all facets of the game, notably defensive rebounding and pressure defense.   With Steve Webber (11 points) and Kyle Newcomer (8) leading the way, the Bulls built a 30-13 halftime lead.   The Bulls adopted a full-court defense in the second half and mounted a comeback, cutting the gap to 10 points on Jeffrey Smith’s 3-pointer.   But the Bulls adjusted and began getting open shots after evading the backcourt defenders.   Trey Miller wound up as high man for the Bulls with 18 points and Quinton Bell led the Hornets with 13.

Saturday, Feb. 02
Hornets 79    Bulls 63
In a do or die predicament after a Friday night loss to the fast-improving Sixers, the Hornets regained a first-place tie in the National Division with a convincing win.   Quinton Bell was high man for the Hornets with 22 points.   Dan Rushing, with 12, was held well below his season average, but Juan Morris with 11, Joshua Smith with 10, and Habib Sherdil and Jeff Smith, each with 8, kept up the scoring barrage.   Kyle Newcomer (17 points) and Steven Weber (15) spearheaded the Bulls’ offense.   In a fitting regular-season finale, the Hornets and Bulls meet Monday night with the Division title on the line.

Friday, Feb. 01
Bulls 70    Bullets 65
The Warriors took a temporary hold on first place in the National Division in a torrid offensive battle.   Chris Wenzel led a balanced Bulls’ attack with 15 points.   Three other Bulls’ hit double figures: Kyle Newcomer tallied 13 points and Eddie Lashbaugh and Trey Miller each had 12.   The Bullets’ Ryan Bayne took game scoring honors with 18 points.   Keith Stephens added 14 and Dwan Jarrett 11.

Thursday, Jan. 24
Knicks 63    Sixers 53
The Knicks jumped out to an early lead on hot shooting by J.J. Flores and Reggie Dunn, then weathered numerous Sixers’ rallies to earn their sixth win.   Dunn popped in 16 points but his deft ball-handling was an even bigger key to the Knicks success; Brandon Marrow (game-high 19 points) and Donnie Skinner (7 points) were key beneficiaries of Dunn’s assists.   Will McCormack’s 16 points, mostly on power moves around the basket, kept the Sixers in contention.   Billy O’Connor slashed to the basket for 10 points and Jon Hoffman added 13, including a couple of 3-pointers that brought the Sixers within 6 points in the closing minutes.

Supersonics 67 - Raptors 36     (February 2)
The Supersonics trailed early in the game as Eric Rohrbach (15 points) made two 3 point plays.   The lid came off the basket for the Sonics as Bily Harris (17 points) opened up the scoring.   Trip Henderson and Mike Solbach led the Sonics' scoring with 18 points each, while Greg Peck added 11.   Aggressive defense by Brent Thal and Steve Matsushima caused numerous turnovers and opportunities for Greg Roach to direct his offensive attack.   Also contributing to the Raptors effort were B.J. Estes with 5 points and Adam Weishoff with 4.   The win takes the Sonics to 10-2 and locks first place in the Senior American Division.

Supersonics 71 - Knicks 35     (January 28)
Coming off a 2-0 forfeit to the Suns, the Sonics were challenged for first palce in the American Conference by the Knicks, who were coming of two consecutive wins and were sporting the second best overall record in the Senior Division.   After a slow start, the Sonics began to wear down the Knicks with Brent Thal (6 pts) holding down the normal hot three point shooting J.J. Flores to only 7 points.   The Sonics success continues due to the balance of their attack with players cutting to the basket from every angle while also bombing three's.   Billy Harris again led the Sonics with 25, Trip Henderson had 16 in the paint, Greg Roach continued to spread the offense, while adding 15 of his own points, along with 13 assists, and Greg Peck knocked down 3 three pointers.   Brian Mature led the Knicks with 9 and Bill McCubbin added 6.   The Sonics move to 9-2 to lead the American Conference.

Knicks 63    Sixers 53     (1/24/2002)
The Knicks jumped out to an early lead on hot shooting by J.J. Flores and Reggie Dunn, then weathered numerous Sixers’ rallies to earn their sixth win.   Dunn popped in 16 points but his deft ball-handling was an even bigger key to the Knicks success; Brandon Marrow (game-high 19 points) and Donnie Skinner (7 points) were key beneficiaries of Dunn’s assists.   Will McCormack’s 16 points, mostly on power moves around the basket, kept the Sixers in contention.   Billy O’Connor slashed to the basket for 10 points and Jon Hoffman added 13, including a couple of 3-pointers that brought the Sixers within 6 points in the closing minutes.

Supersonics 63 - Hornets 44     (1/24/2002)
The game between the Senior Division leaders (Sonics 7-1, Hornets 6-2) began with the Hornets controlling the tip and scoring the first points.   From there, Greg Roach (8 pts.), the Sonics floor leader, took charge to direct the Sonics offensive attack which began with a 3 point play by Billy Harris, who led all scorers with a sasson high of 24.   The Sonics never trailed, but were challenged until two baskets by Brent Thal and a foul shot by Steve Matsushima broke the game wide open to a Sonics 15 point lead.   Greg Peck, Mike Solbach and Trip Henderson tacked on 10, 9 and 7 points respectively, as all of the Sonics entered the scoring column.   The Hornets were led by Dan Rushing with 18 and Quentin Bell with 15 and Juan Morris chipping in 6.   The Sonics move to 8-1 with a 2 game lead over the Knicks (also a winner tonight), and the Hornets at 6-3 have a half game lead over the Bulls, who face the Raptors tomorrow.

Supersonics 56    Bullets 45     (1/14/2002)
The Bullets came out hard and fast hitting 3 three pointers and a lay-up to burst to an 11-0 lead over the Sonics.   The short handed Sonics would not cave to the Bullets, who were hot off consecutive wins over the division leading Hornets and Bulls (tied at 5-2).   The Sonics kept fighting back and went on a 19-0 run to take an 8 point lead by half time on the way to their 7 win of the season against 1 loss.   For the Sonics, Billy Harris led the scoring with 19, Greg Roach had 15, Greg Peck 14 and Trip Henderson chipped in 8.   For the Bullets, Brandon Adkins had 14, Ryan Bayne 15 and Keith Stephens added 11.

Saturday, Jan. 12
Supersonics 68    Suns 61
The Supersonics somehow weathered a 47-point barrage from O.J. Jackson to register their league high sixth win in seven games.   Billy Harris provided stellar play in the paint at both ends and scored 23 points.   Greg Peck hit key shots, including three 3-pointers, whenever the Suns drew close, finishing with 21.   Trip Henderson added 12 and Greg Roach 11.   O.J. Jackson’s heroics was the main story for the Suns, but Kareem Jackson contributed strong rebounding to the Suns’ effort.

Bullets 60    Hornets 48
After trailing by 2 at the half, the Bullets wore down the Hornets with a relentless attack on the basket.   All the Bullets scoring came on 2-point baskets and free throws.   Dwan Jarrett led the Bullets with 21, Ryan Bayne had 15 and Keith Stephens 14.   Dan Rushing with 21 and Quinton Bell with 14 kept the Hornets in contention until the closing minutes.

Knicks 41    Raptors 35
The Knicks primary inside threat, Brian Mature, picked up 4 fouls in the first half, but managed to avoid his fifth until 1:16 was left on the clock.   With the Knicks reduced to four players at that point, the Raptors almost stole the game, but heady play and crucial free throws by Mike Frierson and Tyler Williams saved it for the Knicks.   Mature had a game-high 14 points.   Adam Weishoff (8 points) and B.J. Estes (6) provided a strong inside game for the Raptors.

Bulls 50    Sixers 45
The Sixers threw a huge scare into the Bulls by cutting a 42-28 deficit to 47-45 with less than a minute to go, and had two possessions with a chance to tie.   But Tray Miller’s 21 points and Steven Webber’s 16 were just enough to secure the Bulls’ win.   Skyler McKinstrie was instrumental in sparking the Sixers’ comeback and finished with 14 points; Will McCormack led the Sixers’ in scoring with 17.

Tuesday, Jan. 8
Raptors 75    Suns 68
The Raptors pulled away late in a seesaw battle as Todd Coder (29 points) and Shane Moore (14) scored repeatedly on fast break basket when the Suns’ shots stopped falling.   O.J. Jackson (30 points) had a big first half for the Suns and Mo Shoeb (22 points) had a big second half, but it wasn’t quite enough.

Bullets 36    Bulls 29
The Bullets’ Matt Hastings (10 points) was the only player for either team to score in double figures as both teams played determined defense.   Dwan Jarrett didn’t score for the Bullets until the last two minutes, but iced the game by nailing 5 of 6 free throws.   Robbie Miller and Adam El Nagby were defensive standouts for the Bulls.

Monday, Jan. 7
Hornets 74    Bulls 71
Both teams were on fire in a game that was tight all the way.   The Sixers scored 8 straight points to take a brief lead at 63-61, but couldn’t hold on.   The Hornets’ Dan Rushing could not be contained around the basket and led his team with 32 points.   Floor general Quinton Bell registered 19 points and Habib Sherdil (9 points) hit three timely 3-pointers and forced a crucial inbounds violation late in the game with the score tied.   Will McCormack turned in an effective inside game for the Bulls, finishing with 23 points, and Jon Hoffman (15), Andrew Rodgers (14) and Billy O’Connor (12) all scored in double figures.

Saturday, Jan. 5
Knicks 58    Hornets 56
The Knicks jumped out to an early 21-6 lead, were overtaken midway of the second half, then rallied at the finish to handle the Hornets their first loss of the season.   The Knicks’ strong team effort featured Reggie Dunn’s masterful ballhandling, J.J. Flores’ clutch outside shooting, and the boardwork of Brian Mature and Donnie Skinner.   Dunn and Flores had 15 points apiece, Skinner 12 and Mature 10.   Dan Rushing led the Hornets with 21 points, and the Smith twins, Joshua and Jeffrey, each had 8.

Bulls 65    Suns 54
The Bulls regained their winning ways with a balanced attack featuring five players scoring in double figures.   Steven Weber was high man with 22 points, while Eddie Lashbaugh, Robbie Miller and Kyle Newcomer each scored 10.   Led by Mo Shoeb’s 23 points, the Suns kept fighting back whenever a rout appeared possible, but could never entirely close the gap.

Friday, Jan. 4
Hornets 64    Bulls 51
In a battle for first place, the Hornets’ Quinton Bell was instrumental in breaking the Bulls full-court press and led his team in scoring as well with 25 points.   Dan Rushing controlled the boards and added 20 points; Josh Smith hit for 12.   Steven Weber’s 19 points paced the Bulls; Tray Miller contributed 14 and Chris Wenzel 8.

Bullets 49    Sixers 39
Keith Stephens’ strong inside play and Ryan Bayne’s slashing moves to the basket were key factors in the Bullets’ success.   Stephens had 17 points, Bayne had 12, and Dwan Jarrett 9.   Competing with only five players, the Sixers ran out of gas late.   Andrew Rodgers kept the Sixers close with solid board work and 11 points.

Saturday, Dec. 15
Supersonics 68    Knicks 59
The Supersonics pulled away in the closing minutes of this fast-paced game.   Billy Harris with 17 points led four players in double figures for the Supersonics; Greg Roach had 16 and Mike Solbach 15.   J.J. Flores led the Knicks with 22 while Brian Mature overcame early foul trouble to add 17 points.

Raptors 63    Suns 60
Given a second chance because of a lane violation, J.T. Newberry tied the game for the Raptors with a second remaining in regulation, and the Raptors went on to win the first overtime game of the season.   Erik Rohrbaugh’s 17 points and Shane Moore’s 14 paced the Raptors.   O.J. Jackson again led the Suns in scoring with 21, Lance Knight had 12 and Kareem Jackson 8.

Friday, Dec. 14
Suns 42    Sixers 40
O.J. Jackson fired in 23 points for the Suns, including three crucial 3-pointers in the second-half, and Mo Shoeb tallied 15. Skyler McKinstrie’s 12 points and Will McCormack’s 10 paced the balance Sixers’ attack.

Monday, Dec. 10
Bulls 40    Supersonics 37
In a hard-fought battle of two defensive-minded teams, the Bulls won out with a balanced scoring attack.   Tray Miller was high man with 11 and Chris Wenzel added 9.   Both teams made frequent use of a full-court press and most shots were strongly challenged.   Trip Henderson led the Supersonics in scoring with 14.   Billy Harris chipped in with 9.

Knicks 47    Bullets 45
The Knicks trailed most of the game and appeared to be finished, down by 5 with a minute to go.   Then J.J. Flores was fouled while nailing a 3-pointer, and converted the rare 4-point play.   A few seconds later, Sam Pafford (12 points) hit the game winning shot.   Ryan Bayne (18 points) and Keith Stephens (12) provided the main firepower for the Bullets.

Saturday, Dec. 8
Hornets 54    Bullets 49
Dan Rushing scored 22 of his game-high 25 points in the second half to pace the Hornets, while Juan Morris and Quinton Bell provided strong floor generalship.   Dwan Jarrett (16 points) and Ryan Bayne (14) kept the Bullets in contention to the end.