The Bellingham Slam are headed to the 2010 International Basketball League playoffs after a 110-91 home victory over the Tacoma Tide in the slam's final regular season game last Friday at the Whatcom Pavilion.

The Slam finished the season with a 13-7 record, putting them in fourth place in the IBL’s International Division.

The Slam are the sixth seed in the playoffs, which gives them a bye in the first round. They will play the Los Angeles Lightning in the quarterfinals on July 2 at Warner Pacific College in Portland, Ore.

The Lightning defeated the Slam last year in an IBL playoff semifinal game. The loss cost the Slam a shot at the 2009 league championship.

Head coach Rob Ridnour said his team has high postseason expectations after a rough year filled with injuries and close losses.

The Slam lost six games that were decided by a single possession.

“We’re pretty much at full strength right now,” Ridnour said. “The first game is always the biggest challenge. The biggest thing in any tournament is to win the first game.”

Ridnour said his players have struggled on defense throughout the season. The players also  had trouble consistently making baskets, he said.

The Slam’s performance has been erratic throughout the season, but Ridnour said they are competitive enough to have a shot at the title.  

The team has some momentum heading into the postseason, having won their last two games.

Assistant coach Mike Elsner said the goal at the start of the year was to win the league championship. The Slam have matched up strong against most of their opponents, but have not been able to reach the same level of success as in past seasons, he said.

“I think as a group we’re capable of playing with anyone and beating anyone,” Elsner said. “This year, for whatever reason, the breaks have gone against us.”

The Slam have been a competitive team since joining the IBL in 2008. In their inaugural season in the league, they won the IBL Championship and finished with a record of 19-4. Last year, they reached the playoff semifinals and posted a record of 17-5.

Ridnour said the key impact player this season has been Jacob Stevenson, a guard who leads the Slam in points scored and field goal percentage. Stevenson is averaging 26.5 points per game, which is the fourth highest average in the entire league.

“He’s kind of our stabilizer out there,” Ridnour said. “He’s our go-to guy.”

Stevenson said the team is more talented than their record shows. They have struggled to find a good starting rotation on the court this year, he said.  

“We have a lot of good players,” he said. “There’s no reason we should’ve lost seven games.”

Stevenson has put up impressive numbers this season. In the final game against Tacoma, he pulled off a triple-double, finishing the game with 19 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds.

He said his best performance of the year was during a May 27 game on the road against the Edmonton Energy. He scored a career high 37 points and also led his team with 12 rebounds. The Slam lost the game 132-129.

Stevenson is in his fifth season with the Slam. He played college basketball at Western from 1999-2002. Eight of the 13 players on the Slam’s 2010 roster have played for the Vikings.

Stevenson was a member of the 2001 men’s team that reached the NCAA Division II Tournament Elite Eight.

If the Slam can beat the Lighting in their playoff opener, they could face stiff competition from other top-ranked IBL teams.

The winner of the Slam-Lightning game will play either the Olympia Reign, the Yamhill HigFlyers or the Oregon Waves in the semifinals. Olympia enters the playoffs as the number two seed after finishing the season with a 17-5 record. They took first place in the International Division.

Stevenson said the Reign have been their toughest opponent this year.

“I think we’re a better team,” he said. “But we haven’t played well against them.”

Be first to comment on this article

Only registered users can post comments.
Please login or register.