Vermont romps to ABA title
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Vermont's John Bryant leaps over a defender for a bucket in the first half of the Frost Heaves 143-95 championship win on Thursday. Jeb Wallace-Brodeur/Times Argus |
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By Anna Grearson Times Argus Staff - Published: March 30, 2007
BARRE – The Texas Tycoons probably had no idea what a frost heave was – the winter foe of every Northern vehicle, that is – and certainly had not seen the brainchild basketball team of Sports Illustrated's Alex Wolff.
After the No. 1 Vermont Frost Heaves toasted the No. 3 team from Texas, 143-95, for the American Basketball Association championship at the Barre Auditorium on Thursday, the Tycoons are probably still trying to figure out exactly what they hit on their road to a title.
Even with all of the "Frost Heave Ahead" signs – both in the crowd and along I-89 on the trip up from the Logan Airport in Boston – there was no warning that could prepare Texas for the walloping Vermont handed down in the first quarter.
Texas took the game's first lead off a three-pointer by Brandon Lee, who rolled off a high screen. Donnie Beacham, the Tycoons' ABA All-Star, followed with a three-ball of his own for the 6-2 lead. Tyrone Levett single-handedly brought Vermont within two and tied it at 6 with 9:16 left in the first quarter.
Texas briefly took the lead back with a free throw by Lee, but Vermont's Markus Austin cashed in an offensive rebound for an 8-7 lead that the Heaves never came close to relinquishing.
The Heaves closed the first quarter with a 42-18 lead, which impressed Vermont coach Will Voigt, who, in all his basketball past abroad and at home, had never seen a first quarter like that.
"We talked a lot as a group about how we were going to win these games, and it has to start in the defensive end," Voigt said. "We knew they wanted to run, we knew they had athletes and shooters, but we got to the No. 1 position for a reason and we weren't suddenly going to change up what we do. Obviously, that first quarter was probably the best quarter of basketball we've seen in a while. They set the tone there and I don't think Texas could have done it from there."
Vermont's Aaron Cook and Melvin Creddle combined for seven points in seven seconds, with Cook capitalizing on a 3D-rule three-pointer and adding another long ball 20 seconds later for good measure.
Voigt wanted his team to make the first impression and set the tone before Texas could even get its footing. The Tycoons had some transportation issues and arrived in Barre late, and their game took even longer to show up.
"We really felt that athletically, with the depth we had, that we can play like that," Voigt said. "Even a team like Texas, that wants to play that style, and they average 132 points per game and you look up there at 95, it's been an amazing defensive effort by these guys."
Vermont, which has been playing its best basketball of the season after a 100-95 road loss to Buffalo back on Feb. 21, took a 79-46 lead into the locker room.
"We really came back from that loss and started hammering home the importance of individual defense and then group defense and ever since, every game it was starting to build and build, and once we got to the playoffs, we were on such a roll defensively that nobody could touch us," Voigt said.
"It just goes to show what defense can do," Heaves guard and Stowe native Dana Martin said. "Coach was preaching that all year, and in the playoffs he really stressed it, and we continued to go."
Texas remained ice cold out of the half but didn't call a timeout, even when the Heaves reached the century mark while the Tycoons we stuck at 56.
Levett's triple-pump fake in the low post resulted in a 40-point lead with the first possession of the fourth quarter. Vermont continued to earn point after point with good shot selection and all-out athleticism.
Cook, as he slid out of bounds under the Heaves' basket, punch-saved the ball which resulted in a Levett bank shot for the 118-74 lead with under 10 minutes to play.
"I just tried to be more aggressive tonight," Cook said. "The last two or three games, I wasn't as aggressive as I can be, so I just tried to be aggressive tonight. Sometimes I felt that I was overly aggressive in the game, but all in all, I wanted to come out and be aggressive tonight."
Issa Konare, hampered by a back injury, made his return to the floor after missing the semifinal game, did some old fashioned banging around down low for a putback and sank both ensuing foul shots for the 120-74 lead.
"His defensive presence is tremendous," Voigt said of Konare. "Even tonight, when he's hobbling the way he is, he's in there. He had a couple blocked shots and was able to lock up some very good players on the perimeter and he's at like 50 percent. He's just been a rock for us on the defensive end all year."
Texas settled for superfluous alley-oop dunks and sparse three-pointers to no avail. The Heaves continued to sink three after three and create pretty up-and-unders to keep a firm grasp on the lead.
Martin hit a three-pointer in front of the far end of the Frost Heaves' bench with less than 30 seconds until Queen's "We are the Champions" was cued for the 143-95 final.
Levett led all scorers with 33 points – including 6-of-7 shooting from three-point land – and nine rebounds.
Cook poured in 25 points, 19 of which came in the first half.
"It's funny, we were talking about how he was due for a big game," Voigt said of the 6-foot-2 guard. "He's set the bar so high, but the last couple of games he hasn't gone off with his scoring and then sure enough, he had 19 points in the first half to pace us. He was tremendous."
Creddle finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, and Antonio Burks finished with 20 points.
Kelvin Parker added 11 points and 14 assists, and John Bryant pulled down 12 rebounds and swatted four blocks for Vermont.
Beacham led the now 25-6 Tycoons with 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Jerome Rogers tallied 14 points. Bryce May, Benny West, and O'Neal Mims each added 11 points.
Vermont ended it's inaugural season with an impressive 34-6 record, the best by far in the ABA. For a small-town coach and his big-time team, the win was the perfect cap to a season that was just a dream a year ago.
"It's an incredible feeling," Voigt said. "This crowd is just unbelievable and the energy in this building. I've been a part of high school final fours, but I really feel like I've never been a part of something like this. Just how loud the crowd was and how much we feed off of it.
"That first quarter, they were so into it and we just kept coming off of what they were bringing. For me, to be in front of these people and to bring a championship to this state, it really means a lot."