Manchester Millrats
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Manchester Millrats | |
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| Founded | 2007 |
| League | ABA 2007–2008 PBL 2008–present |
| Team History | Manchester Millrats 2007–present |
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| Arena | Southern New Hampshire Fieldhouse |
| Based in | Manchester, New Hampshire |
| Team Colors | black, gold, silver |
| Owner | Jason Briggs, Steve Yankopoulos, David Cooper |
| Head Coach | Rob Spon |
| Championships | 0 |
| Division Titles | 1 (2009 PBL Atlantic) |
| Dancers | Pink Sapphire Dancers |
| Mascot | Milly the Millrat |
The Manchester Millrats are a professional basketball team based in Manchester, New Hampshire in the Atlantic Division of the Premier Basketball League. The Millrats started as an expansion team in the American Basketball Association in 2007. The team is owned by Jason Briggs, Steve Yankopoulos, Dave Cooper, and others.
The team's games are broadcast by Audiosportsonline.net, by Elias Feldman and Chris Shuker.
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[edit] History
| Manchester Millrats season-by-season record | ||||||||||||||
| Season | League | Games Played | Wins | Losses | Average | Play-offs | ||||||||
| 2007-2008 | ABA | 40 | 28 | 12 | .700 | Semi-finalist | ||||||||
| 2009 | PBL | 20 | 16 | 4 | .800 | Atlantic Division champion | ||||||||
[edit] 2007–08 season
The Millrats, in their inaugural season in the ABA, compiled a regular-season record of 28–12. They won their first 12 games, and won their first 4 games against the reigning champion Vermont Frost Heaves, the only losses the Frost Heaves had all year. The Millrats were one of eight teams to make the post-season. They got to the semifinals but lost in overtime to the San Diego Wildcats. Larry Lessett was the head coach.
There were logistical nightmares, as two of the four teams in the Millrats' division suspended operations. The ABA flew the Millrats to the Bahamas once and to Singapore twice to play against ABA teams with no local competition. Nevertheless, Millrats management organized additional games against local rivals and gave season-ticket owners the full number of events they had been promised, although the final regular-season game was played at a private center ten miles away.
Point guard Anthony Anderson got the ABA's Most Valuable Player award and other awards and mentions. Ian McCarthy was named the league's General Manager of the Year. But Ismael Caro and Ife Anosike were separated from the team after a brawl that brought a game in Vermont to a premature end.
[edit] 2008–09 season
The logistical problems of the ABA led the Millrats to switch to the Premier Basketball League, along with teams from Vermont, Quebec City, and Halifax. The 20-game PBL regular season did not start until January 2009. The Millrats and three other teams from the PBL's Atlantic Division added 6 exhibition games apiece in pursuit of the "Champlain Cup." The Millrats played three other exhibitions, including two against the Arecibo Captains of Puerto Rico.
Owner Jason Briggs bought a mansion in Manchester and remodeled it to contain sauna, steam rooms, a dinner table on stilts, and custom, seven-foot bunks. Players and coaches resided there and the garage became the team business office. Sam Carey joined P.J. Young as Millrats who had played college basketball on the same home court for Southern New Hampshire University. Ife Anosike rejoined the Millrats, left at mid-season to pursue a nursing career, but returned for the playoffs.
The Millrats started the PBL regular season with two road losses, but lost only two other games and finished the regular season at 16-4, atop the Atlantic Division. The team was undefeated at home, and undefeated in February, for which Rob Spon got the PBL Coach of the Month award and Desmond Ferguson got a Player of the Week award.
On February 5, the PBL suspended the Montreal Sasquatch[1] and conducted a dispersal draft on February 7. The Millrats selected Jamaal Wise. (On March 9, the Millrats traded Wise and other considerations to Quebec for power forward John Ruffus, whom Quebec selected in the same dispersal draft. This was called the PBL's first in-season player trade.[2]) On February 11, the PBL announced a new owner for the Montreal team. A mostly new roster resumed play in the scheduled game two days later in Manchester.[3]
Vermont remained the principal rival; many Vermont fans made the 130-mile drive. A showdown on February 15 enthused 1052 fans,[4] though its importance was diminished by the failure of Vermont and Halifax to win home games earlier in the weekend. The home game on February 27 against Chicago drew a season-high 1206.[5] February's winning streak ended on March 6 with an overtime loss to Vermont in Burlington, but the Millrats clinched the Atlantic Division the next day in Quebec.[6]
- Post-season
Third-seeded Manchester met the second-seeded Rochester RazorSharks for the best-of-three PBL semifinals. The visitors won each of the first two games; the RazorSharks delayed the deciding game four days, blamed on a malfunctioning backboard,[7] and won the game to eliminate the Millrats. Millrats point guard Al Stewart shared post-season honors for the PBL Defensive Player of the Year.[8]
[edit] 2008–09 roster
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Manchester Millrats roster
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Roster • Transactions |
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[edit] 2008–09 schedule and results
[edit] PBL regular season
In the following tables of results, green rows denote Millrats victories and red rows denote defeats. The Millrats' score is given first, followed by that of the opponents.
| Date | Opponent | Score | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Location | Record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 2 | at Montreal | 97–100 | Al Stewart (17) | Ife Anosike (5) | Stewart/Currie (2) | Centre Pierre Charbonneau | 0–1 | |
| January 4 | at Quebec | 82–87 | Ife Anosike (14) | Ife Anosike (8) | Currie/Owumi (2) | Pavillon de la Jeunesse | 0–2 | |
| January 11 | Vermont | 93–89 | Keith Salscheider (22) | Al Stewart (9) | Marlowe Currie (4) | SNHU Fieldhouse | 1–2 | |
| January 15 | at Vermont (Barre) | 106–99 | Desmond Ferguson (23) | Sam Carey (9) | Lincoln Glass (3) | Barre Auditorium | 2–2 | |
| January 18 | Halifax | 117–98 | Keith Salscheider (22) | Carey/Currie (8) | Al Stewart (9) | SNHU Fieldhouse | 3–2 | |
| January 23 | at Montreal | 131–113 | Tommy Mitchell (29) | Al Stewart (8) | Al Stewart (3) | Centre Pierre Charbonneau | 4–2 | |
| January 25 | Quebec | 99–89 | Sam Carey (17) | Carey/Currie/Owumi (5) | Al Stewart (9) | SNHU Fieldhouse | 5–2 | |
| January 29 | at Halifax | 119–123 | Sam Carey (20) | Alex Owumi (8) | Al Stewart (9) | Halifax Metro Centre | 5–3 | |
| February 1 | Halifax | 104–92 | Desmond Ferguson (22) | Scott Hazelton (11) | Al Stewart (8) | SNHU Fieldhouse | 6–3 | |
| February 6 | Buffalo | 116–107 | Desmond Ferguson (19) | Sam Carey (10) | Al Stewart (5) | SNHU Fieldhouse | 7–3 | |
| February 8 | Quebec | 94–82 | Desmond Ferguson (26) | Carey/Gamble (10) | Al Stewart (7) | SNHU Fieldhouse | 8–3 | |
| February 13 | Montreal (reconstituted) |
137–85 | Scott Hazelton (24) | Charles Mason (11) | Stewart/Glass (7) | SNHU Fieldhouse | 9–3 | |
| February 15 | Vermont | 102–89 | Desmond Ferguson (24) | Kenyon Gamble (13) | Al Stewart (7) | SNHU Fieldhouse | 10–3 | |
| February 20 | Montreal (reconstituted) |
121–82 | Sam Carey (15) | Kenyon Gamble (7) | Al Stewart (6) | SNHU Fieldhouse | 11–3 | |
| February 21 | at Buffalo | 114–93 | Sam Carey (22) | Kenyon Gamble (11) | Tommy Mitchell (8) | Koessler Athletic Center | 12–3 | |
| February 27 | Chicago | 124–105 | Tommy Mitchell (23) | Kenyon Gamble (15) | Desmond Ferguson (6) | SNHU Fieldhouse | 13–3 | |
| March 6 | at Vermont (Burlington) | 99–106, OT | Tommy Mitchell (25) | Al Stewart (9) | Al Stewart (5) | Memorial Auditorium | 13–4 | |
| March 7 | at Quebec | 116–79 | Al Stewart (16) | Carey/Mazur (8) | Lincoln Glass (5) | Pavillon de la Jeunesse | 14–4 | |
| March 15 | at Chicago | 122–99 | Desmond Ferguson (22) | Marlowe Currie (8) | Desmond Ferguson (6) | Attack Athletics | 15–4 | |
| March 22 | at Halifax | 117–105 | Marlowe Currie (30) | Marc Mazur (7) | Tommy Mitchell (6) | Halifax Metro Centre | 16–4 | |
| PBL Semifinal Series | ||||||||
| April 2 | Rochester | 110-125 | Tommy Mitchell (31) | Marlowe Currie (9) | Lincoln Glass (9) | SNHU Fieldhouse | 16-5 | |
| April 5 | at Rochester | 116-110 | Desmond Ferguson (21) | Ife Anosike (12) | Marlowe Currie (7) | Blue Cross Arena | 17-5 | |
| April 11 | at Rochester | 103-110 | Desmond Ferguson (29) | Marlowe Currie (10) | Al Stewart (5) | Blue Cross Arena | 17-6 | |
[edit] Champlain Cup exhibitions
According to the PBL Weekly Report: "Teams receive one standings point for outscoring their opponent in a quarter; they receive two standings points for outscoring their opponent in a half; and five standings points for a victory. Champlain Cup games are not considered regular season games, and said contests do not carry over to won–loss records or player statistics for the regular season."
When the PBL suspended the Montreal Sasquatch, the other competing teams agreed that its remaining games would be forfeits, with all 13 points going to the opponent. The Millrats benefitted from this decision, as they had played neither of their two exhibitions against Montreal. Montreal under new ownership was not readmitted to this series.
The Millrats split the four Cup games they actually played. They went 19–5 in Cup points in the two victories, and 1–25 in the two defeats, and finished third in the competition.
| Date | Opponent | Score | High points | Location | Points toward Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 6 | at Quebec | 92–101 | Scott Hazelton (17) | Pavillon de la Jeunesse | 1–12 |
| December 16 | Quebec | 86–81, OT | Alex Owumi (23) | NH Tech. Inst., Concord | 10–1 |
| February 19 | Montreal | Forfeited when the PBL suspended Montreal | 13–0 | ||
| March 19 | at Vermont | 87–119 | Lincoln Glass (24) | Barre Auditorium | 0–13 |
| March 25 | at Montreal | Forfeited when the PBL suspended Montreal | 13–0 | ||
| March 26 | Vermont | 109–103 | Tommy Mitchell (29) | SNHU Fieldhouse | 9–4 |
| Total points for Champlain Cup | 46–30: 3rd place | ||||
[edit] References
- ^ Anna Grearson, "Montreal's PBL team removed," Barre–Montpelier, Vt., Times–Argus, February 6, 2009; [1]
- ^ "Millrats and Kebs Complete Blockbuster Trade Before Deadline". 2009-03-09. http://www.manchestermillrats.com/news/index.html?article_id=75. Retrieved on 2009-03-09.
- ^ http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3776338
- ^ Kevin Gray, "Millrats Love Home Cooking," Manchester Union-Leader, February 16, 2009.
- ^ "Millrats Keep Rolling". Manchester Millrats. 2009-02-27. http://www.manchestermillrats.com/news/index.html?article_id=68. Retrieved on 2009-03-02.
- ^ "Millrats Clinch Atlantic Division with Win over Quebec". PBL. 2009-03-07. http://www.pblproball.com/news/leaguenews/index.html?article_id=639. Retrieved on 2009-03-09.
- ^ "Rochester RazorSharks are eager, ready for must-win playoff game". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. 2009-04-11. http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20090411/SPORTS/904110349. Retrieved on 2009-04-12.
- ^ "Jonas Pierre and Al Stewart Named Co-Defensive Players of the Year". PBL. 2009-04-17. http://www.pblproball.com/news/leaguenews/index.html?article_id=788. Retrieved on 2009-04-18.
[edit] External links
- Manchester Millrats website
- General Manager's blog
- PBL (league) website
- PBL official player statistics for the Millrats
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