White Plains CitizeNetReporter - Wildfire Torch Dawgs, 110-100 in Run, Gun and Stun Win.

WPCNR PRESS BOX. By John F. Bailey. April 19, 2003: The Westchester Wildfire brought United States Basketball League Pro Basketball to White Plains Saturday night and made it an artistic though sloppy success, 110-100 over the Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs before 2,435 fans. An electrifying 3-pointer from the corner by Reggie Jessie with a second remaining in the Third Quarter took the bark out of the ValleyDawgs, giving John Starks club a 9 point lead after three stanzas that took the energy out of the Pennsylvania Club.

SPINNING TURNING IN THE PAINT, Lance Williams launches two of his 24 points to lead the Wildfire in a key stretch in the Third Quarter Saturday night at the County Center. Number 3 is Zach Marbury. Number 42, Kris Hunter.
Photo by WPCNR Sports

Following Jesse's shot, the ValleyDawgs played as if in a stupor, allowing the better conditioned Wifldfire to run the floor at will and build an 18-point lead in the first 6 minutes of the third quarter.

The Wildfire held a 77-71 lead with 11 seconds to go in third quarter, when Wildfire Head Coach John Starks, looking like a dynamic sartorial mix of Lennie Wilkins and Pat Reilly, his former mentor, drew up a play. The Fire inbounded swung the ball swiftly around the perimeter into the top of the key to Zach Marbury and as the Dawgs moved to stop Zach's shot he slung the ball to Reggie Jessie in the far corner with a second left and Jessie drained it for an 80-71 lead, it was the dagger in the heart.

The play was vintage John Starks from his Knickerbocker glory days, when Starks had that ability to drill one to turn around a game. And Mr. Starks looked just like Pat Reilly when he was drawing it up in the huddle.

MUSCLING INSIDE IN THE PAINT, Kitwana Rymer challenges for two in the first half at the Center Saturday night. The Wildfire front line of Lance Williams, Kevin Freeman and Rhymer outmugged and outbounded the Dawgs all evening, pouring in 48 of their 110 points in the paint, and outbounded the Dawgs, 59-48.
Photo by WPCNR Sports

Run, Gun, Turn it Over.

The Turnovers were atrocious in this game with the Wildfire losing the ball 28 times to Pennsylvania's 22, according to the official stats, and they must have been being generous. It seemed to this reporter that each team lost the ball about 10 times each, each quarter, that's how wild the play was.

There were few set plays, no such thing as a slow down, and frankly, when the Wildfire turned on the defense in the first 5 minutes of the game and for 10 minutes in the last 5 minutes of the third quarter and first 5 minutes of the 4th, Pennsylvania was outmatched.

Starting like Wildfire

The Wildfire started well, like Wildfire, running, swatting and pestering the Dawgs out of their sneakers to a 15-5 lead in the first five minutes, mostly with that swarming muscling churning defense in the lane I was talking about. Reggie Jessie, Vonteego Cummings used their quickness to great advantage.

The Dawgs regained their poise and the Wildfire lead by 2 at the half, 47-45.

In the Third Quarter, Williams, Freeman and Rhymer had their way inside (the Wildfire scored 27 "second chance points" the entire game) and built a 6 point lead during the last half of the third period, sealed by Reggie Jessie's "Starks Dagger."

A Calmer, Gentler Low Key John Starks

How did John Starks coach? He barked at his players, watched the game intently, called few timeouts, but when he did the team responded. He was not animated and gesticulating like Pat Reilly, but more like Lennie Wilkins, the Atlanta Hawks coach. His players seem to like him, and the players seem to like each other.

Starks substituted well, and has instilled a swarming, pestering defense of very quick-handed, brutal big men, with outstanding athleticism, when they wish to play hard dee, they can and the Dawgs were not prepared for it.

Team Starks

You can see a lot of the personality of John Starks the player in this team. A fire for the basket, an urge to shoot, and the ability to be absolute pests on defense. But they are big and quick.

The Wildfire can score, too. They had six men in doublefigures. Lance Williams poured in 24 with 11 bounds, Kevin Freeman, 23, and Von Cummings, 18. Cummings and Zach Marbury give Starksfquick, run-the-floor, coast-to-coast gunners who can find the open man and work to whip it to him, when they are denied.

Winning Madly

There were not a lot of set plays. The Wildfire is to put it tastefully, an "improvising team." They create plays off the defensive boards firing and pushing the ball up at every opportunity, But unlike the Knickerbockers' sorry experiment at this several years ago, they have the ability to get back and play dee when they have to. And they do not get tired. They are well-conditioned, too. So be prepared for the turnovers, gang. Itt was very entertaining, fierce basketball, the trademark of John Starks as a player --- perhaps the most passionate Knickerbocker ever -- when the Knicks were "Da Knicks."

JOHN STARKS NOTCHES FIRST WIN AS A HEAD COACH: Mr. Starks, with back slightly turned in pearl gray suit, partially hidden to the left of Zach Marbury, after just receiving congrats and a win-hug, leaves the court. Ed Pinkney in the black turtleneck is facing the camera.
Photo by WPCNR Sports

Embers

The Wildfire's next game at the County Center is Friday night at 7 PM against Texas...The Wildfire shot 40% from the floor, canning 37 of 84 shots...A testimony to the bang 'em, slam 'em board play was the 70 fouls called, a number of them charges...The Dawgs manufactured 23 points off Wildfire turnovers...The Wildfire bench lead by Zach Marbury with 13, Reggie Jessie with 10 and Rod Grizzard with 11 doubled the output of the Pennsylvania bench, 34-16...a key factor in the Dawgs tiring in the opening of the fourth quarter...Great postgame stats were provided instantaneously by the Wildfire Sports Information Team...The Wildfire Dancers from the White Plains City Center Dance on East Post Road made the New York Knicks City Dancers look slow, old and out of energy...of course the Wildfire Dancers are all under 12 years old and really entertaining...they got the biggest hand of the night with their appearances in each of the four quarters. These kids can really shake a tail feather...so can the Wildfire.


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