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Lions win another Final Four

Sat, 18 Dec 2010 23:59:59 +0100

As some said, playing two games on one day was not to the advantage of the injury-plagued ProBuild Lions.

It turned out not to be a problem.

ProBuild put Challenge Sports/Binnenland.Rotterdam aside with a surprising ease. The Lions beat Binnenland 63-81.

Ilana Vergunst led ProBuild with 24 points, including five 3-pointers. Molly McDowell and Kati Harty both came close to a triple double. McDowell had 23 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assist. Kati Harty contributed 21 points, 9 steals and 8 rebounds. Harty played through a light ankle-sprain.

Coach Laki Lakner said he was proud of his team. "We showed heart. This team never gives up, we simply do not want to lose. The last month we asked a lot of some players and they handled it quite well. This is a great victory."

Binnenland took a 12-3 lead, but ProBuild hit four 3-pointers (McDowell, Harty, Vergunst 2x) to change it to 18-23 after the quarter.

In the second period Binneland took the lead again, 31-27, but ProBuild used a 0-13 run to make in 31-40. At the break the Lions led 36-43.

Binnenland had no answer to ProBuild's zone defense, as the third quarter painfully showed. Binnenland committed many turnovers, and the Lions used easy lay-ups to widen the margin to a maximum of 40-63. Binnenland did not score for six whole minutes.

ProBuild led 42-63 at the start of the 4th period and cruised to the end. Coach Laki Lakner put all his players on the court. Eline Vink hit a pair of free throws to seal the 81-63 win. A few minutes later Molly McDowell was able to show the new-won Cup to the fans.

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Sat, 18 Dec 2010 18:20:59 +0100

ProBuild Lions had no trouble reaching the finals of the Final Four tournament, beating HLB Accountants 72-55. Within a few hours the Lions will meet Challenge Sports/Binnenland.Rotterdam, who reached the Finals with a win over CTO Amsterdam.

Kati Harty suffered a light ankle sprain in the third period. It is still unsure if she will be able to play in the finals.

Maaike van de Bovenkamp led the Lions with 15 points. Molly McDowell scored 14 points and had 8 assists. Kati Harty had 13 points, all in the first quarter. Belinda Bos contributed 8 points and 11 rebounds.

ProBuild never trailed and led 25-15 after the first period. Dewi Keppy hit two 3-pointers in the second to help putting the Lions up 48-32 at intermission.

In the third period Maaike van de Bovenkamp nailed a trey to mark the largest lead of the game, 59-34. After this ProBuild slowed down a little and cruised.

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Final Four rescheduled

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 15:20:59 +0100

The organizational committee of the Final Four tournament has decided to reschedule the tournament. All games will be held on Saturday. The schedule is as follows:

1.00 PM CTO - Challenge Sports/Binnenland.Rotterdam
3.00 PM uur ProBuild Lions - HLB Accountants
8:30 PM Finals

Semi Finals Final Four cancelled

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 14:59:59 +0100

Due to extreme weather circumstances in the west of the Netherlands the semi-finals of the Final Four tournament are being cancelled. We experience heavy snowfall and there are huge traffic jams over here.

Half season tournament: the Final Four

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 21:59:59 +0100

Coming weekend the Lions are off to Barendrecht near Rotterdam to participate in the Final Four tournament.

This year's is the 17th edition of the tournament. ProBuild joined the elite four teams of the league for the first time in 1996 and participated ten times since that year, including six straight times from 2005 on.

The Lions won four times. Last season, when the tournament took place in Landsmeer, they beat HLB Accountants in the Finals. Kati Harty shined with 37 points that game.

This year ProBuild meets HLB in the semifinals on Friday, 9 PM. The other matchup is the home team Challenge Sports Binnenland vs CTO Amsterdam.

The winners battle each other in the Finals on Saturday.

Lions widen margin to eight points

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 23:59:59 +0100

ProBuild Lions posted a 97-87 win over STOL Grasshoppers. As CTO, HLB Accountants and Wereldtickets all suffered surprising losses, the margin between the flawless 11-out-of-11 Lions and their pursuers has grown to eight points.

Kati Harty had another impressive game with 35 points, 8 rebounds, 7 steals and 6 assists. Belinda Bos and Molly McDowell both posted a double-double. Bos had 13 points and 10 rebounds and McDowell 11 and 10.

Ilana Vergunst scored 18 points, including four 3-pointers. Romy Stijsiger grabbed 12 rebounds.

Grasshoppers' Heather Stec scored 21 points, of which 15 in the last period.

ProBuild trailed 15-25 after the first quarter. Grasshoppers even widened the gap to 28-42 in the second, before Ilana Vergunst hit her third 3-pointer to spark a 19-6 run. At intermission the Lions had narrowed the margin to just one point: 47-48.

Early in the third quarter Kati Harty and Ilana Vergunst both nailed 3-pointers, helping ProBuild to build a 59-48 lead. Kati Harty scored 14 consecutive points at the end of the quarter to make it 75-59. Maaike van de Bovenkamp drained a trey in the buzzer, putting ProBuild up 82-60 at the start of the 4th quarter.

In the 4th period center Heather Stec came alive, scoring 15 points for Grasshoppers. Meanwhile, after fighting two battles in three days with a line-up of seven the Lions slowed down a little. As a result their lead withered away to just 6 points with 60 seconds on the clock, 93-87.

Coach Laki Lakner already had let in his juniors by that time. It was veteran Molly McDowell who secured the game form the charity stripe, making it 97-87.

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Lions advance to next round Dutch Cup

Thu, 9 Dec 2010 23:59:59 +0100

ProBuild Lions advanced to the semi finals of the Dutch Cup competition by posting a 85-96 win over HLB Accountants.

Kati Harty led the Lions with 37 points, 9 steals and 8 assists. Molly McDowell scored 14 points and Romy Stijsiger had 12.

Harty played at the point guard position during long stretches of the game, because Molly McDowell ran in early foul trouble and spent more time on the bench than usual. She fould out in the 7th minute of the last period.

Just before the game the Lions received the news that a MRI earlier today showed that Nadine Boesaart's cruciate ligament is not torn after all. Consequently Boesaart is expected to return within a few weeks.

"This is excellent news", coach Laki Lakner said, "Tonight's game showed it is hard to play without players like Nadine and Karen. HLB scored most points out of second chances. They just grabbed the rebounds above our heads."

HLB led 6-2 at the start, but Kati Harty and Belinda Bos both nailed a 3-pointer to tie it and the Lions never trailed from that moment on, leading 18-21 after the period.

At intermission the margin had grown to nine points, 52-51. Leading 60-70 after the third quarter, ProBuild stayed ahead in the fourth. After Maxime Essenstam had made it 82-90, Zera Butter hit a 3-pointer for HLB to cut the margin to 85-90.

Maaike van de Bovenkamp split a pair of free throws before Kati Harty was fouled and sent to the line. A protest from the HLB bench was rewarded with a technical by the refs and that meant two more free throws for Harty. She hit three out of four, making it 85-94 to secure the win.

Busy week

Tue, 7 Dec 2010 21:59:59 +0100

This week there are two games scheduled for the ProBuild Lions. Thursday they travel to the city of the Helder (home of the Dutch navy) to battle nr 2 HLB Accountants for the next round in the Dutch Cup Competition.

Saturday ProBuild hosts 6th seeded STOL Grasshoppers for a regular competition game.

With five players injured (Boesaart, Heinen, Vergunst, Vink, De Vreede) and one abroad for five months (Hoogstraten, returning in January) the coaching staff has just six or seven players available, apart from juniors Beau Baars, Delicia van West and Marloes Soffner.

It was a small wonder that the Lions remained unbeaten in their last two games. It probably says something about the mental toughness of the team.

Monday coach Lakner - after consulting condition coach Ren� Wormhoudt - gave his team a night off. "With just seven player available rest is more effective than practicing", Wormhoudt said. "Due to the circumstances we're forced to overburden some of the players, and we have to be careful now."

Thursday's game in Den Helder starts at 8:30 PM. At Saturday the home game starts at 7:30 PM CET.

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Lions top Wereldtickets again

Sun, 5 Dec 2010 21:59:59 +0100

Kati Harty scored 26 points and had 8 steals to lead the ProBuild Lions to a 69-71 victory over Wereldtickets Leiderdorp on Sunday afternoon. Molly Mcdowell scored 23 points, going 4 of 8 from 3-point rage, and grabbed 7 rebounds.

Bridget Yoerger had 29 points for Wereldtickets, but missed a potential game-tying pair of free throws with 6 seconds remaining.

The Lions did not celebrate their win too enthusiastically, because they realized their performance hadn't been up to their usual standard.

Despite shooting a not-so-bad 42.6% form the floor, too many easy lay-ups were missed. On defense the light-weight frontcourt consisting of Belinda Bos, Dewi Keppy and Romy Stijsiger could not contain the long and bulky centers and powerforwards of Wereldtickets. That was also the opinion of coach Laki Lakner. "But it's not only a matter of centimeters and bulk, but also of smartness and sharpness. And we were not sharp enough today, I am afraid. I don't want to take the credits away from Wereldtickets, but I think that's why we played our worst game of the season."

The Lions trailed 11-2 after 5 minutes before Belinda Bos and Kati Harty made it 11-6. After the first period Wereldtickets led by 6 points, 15-9.

In the second quarter Bridget Yoerger proved to be unstoppable for ProBuild, scoring 11 points around a 3-pointer of Kim Hartman to put Wereldtickets up 31-19. Molly McDowell answered with a 3-pointer and Romy Stijsiger and Belinda Bos converted free throws to make it 25-31 at intermission.

Kati Harty and Molly McDowell combined for 12 points to cut the margin to 40-39 before Romy Stijsiger put the Lions up for the first time in the game, 40-41. After that Wereldtickets and ProBuild exchanged baskets to reach a 50-50 tie at the end of the period.

In the last period ProBuild gained a 55-64 lead, but 6-4 center Marloes Nieuwveen went to work for Wereldtickets to put her team in the lead again, 69-68.

With 90 seconds remaining Molly McDowell split a pair of free throws before Ilana Vergunst hit a short jumper to make it 69-71. On the other side of the court Vergunst fouled Bridget Yoerger with 6 seconds on the clock. Yoerger missed both attempts from the charity stripe and let the Lions get away unbeaten.

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Wereldtickets.nl

Thu, 2 Dec 2010 21:59:59 +0100

Sunday December 5th ProBuild Lions meet Wereldtickets in Leiderdorp for the first game of the second half of the competition.

ProBuild beat Wereldtickets 74-55 in Landsmeer. Wereldtickets went to a forced rebuilding process after a group of young talented players decided to leave and joined HLB Accountants. As a replacement the Wereldtickets management signed more than a handful of veteran players, including ProBuild's Jasmijn Overbeeke.

Expectations were high at the start of the season but, probably partly due to injuries, Wereldtickets did not live up to it. After the first half of the competition they rank 5th and did not make it to the half-season Final Four tournament.

Wereldtickets as well as ProBuild Lions are plagued by injuries. Apart from Nadine Boesaart and Dani�lle de Vreede, who are both out for the season, it looks like Karen Heinen also will not be able to play due to a hamstring injury.

Game starts at 4 PM CET.

Injured Lions remain unbeaten

Sat, 27 Nov 2010 23:59:59 +0100

Kati Harty scored 31 points and led ProBuild Lions to a 91-79 victory over Challenge Sports Binnenland. As HLB Accountants beat Wereldtickets, the Lions are six points ahead on Binnenland, Wereldtickets and HLB.

Maaike van de Bovenkamp and Molly McDowell both scored 18 points. McDowell also posted 6 assists and 8 steals. Belinda Bos contributed 10 points.

Coach Laki Lakner had just nine players available, including juniors Delica van West and Beau Baars, who both did not see playing time.

Natalie van den Adel scored 23 points for Binnenland. Launa Hochstetter added 17 and Jamailah Adams 16.

"This is a nice win", coach Laki Lakner said. "Beating the number 2 team with just seven players, of whom six are guards or small forwards, that says something of the strength of our team. We showed a great fighting spirit. I mean, Binnenland has one of the largest line-ups of the league, with a 6-3 and a 6-4 center. We handled that well, I think."

The Lions took the lead in the first period and never trailed again. After Natalie van den Adel made it 17-18 for Binnenland, Molly McDowell converted three free throws to put the Lions a 20-18 lead after the quarter.

In the second period ProBuild widened the margin to 33-21, but Challenge Sports cut it to 41-40 before McDowell scored 6 consecutive points to make it 47-40 at the break.

Entering the fourth period with a 67-63 lead, ProBuild put up a 13-4 run to make it 82-71 and pull the game away. Kati Harty contributed 10 points, including a 3-pointer. Using a ferocious zone defense to contain Binnenlands big centers, the Lions maintained the lead until the end of the game.

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Challenge Sports

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 11:59:59 +0100

After a series of relatively easy games the Lions now probably will be a little bit more challenged as they meet Challenge Sports Binnenland and - next week - Wereldtickets Leiderdorp.

Binnenland moved up to the second spot last weekend after posting an 87-67 win over Wereldtickets. After a slow start in October with two consecutive losses, the Rotterdam team did not drop a single game.

It is more than four years ago that ProBuild suffered a loss to Binnenland. On May 8th 2006 Binnenland eliminated the Lions in the semi-finals of the play-offs.

The bad news of this week is that Nadine Boesaart is out for the season. An MRI showed a torn cruciate ligament. Boesaart is scheduled for an operation next week.

Karen Heinen also will still be injured on Saturday, so junior Romy Stijsiger probably will start at the center position. The coaching staff will have to come up with some creative solutions for guarding Binnenland's big frontcourt and on offense the smaller Lions will have to use their speed to their advantage.

Game starts at 7.30 PM CET.

Lions Rout Celeritas in Groningen

Sat, 20 Nov 2010 23:59:59 +0100

Kati Harty scored 35 points and had 11 steals as the Lions posted a lopsided 43-89 victory over winless Celeritas.

As Wereldtickets Leiderdorp and HLB Accountants both suffered a loss, it was a good night for the Lions, who took a 6 points advantage.

ProBuild was without Ilana Vegunst, Dani�lle de Vreede, Nadine Boesaart and Karen Heinen, who were injured.

Heinen suffered a hamstring-injury at practice last Thursday. She is expected to be out for not more than four weeks. With De Vreede, Boesaart and Heinen on the injury-list, coach Laki started 18-years old Romy Stijsiger at the center-position.

Stijsiger responded well, scoring 16 points and grabbing 5 rebounds. Like Kati Harti, Molly McDowell posted an double-double, with 10 points and 10 assists. Belinda Bos almost did, scoring 12 points and adding 8 boards.

15-years old Delicia van West made her debut at the highest level, scoring 6 points.

After the first period ProBuild led 15-22. In the third minute of the second period Celeritas had cut the margin to 24-28, but the Lions used a 3-15 to take a 27-43 lead at intermission.

The Lions finished the game in the third period, winning it by 5-24 to take a 32-67 advantage. Kati Harty was able to steal the ball a number of times and used her amazing speed to score some easy points out of lay-ups.

In the 4th period the Lions cruised to a lopsided 47-points win. All Lions scored, including 14-year old Beau Baars, who made her first points in the Eredivisie.

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Celeritas-Donar

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 22:59:59 +0100

Saturday the Lions are scheduled for their longest away-trip of the season, as they meet Celeritas-Donar in the northern city of Groningen.

Celeritas is without a win yet this season. Their most recent victory over ProBuild Lions was recorded almost nine years ago. On February 16, 2002 the Lions suffered a 53-47 loss, despite 20 points and 15 rebounds of their talented American forward Annie Lester.

Nadine Boesaart did not undergo an MRI yet, because her knee is still swollen too much. "I don't have much pain and I can walk on it", she said yesterday. "So hopefully is not too serious."

In the best case Boesaart will be out for a month to six weeks, according to physiotherapist Ren� Wormhoudt. So with centers Boesaart and Dani�lle de Vreede sidelined coach Laki Lakner has to think of a solution to that problem. "We are going to play with a small, fast line-up during stretches of the game", he said.

"Offensively that will work out fine, that I am sure of. On the defensive end we have to make a few changes when we play against teams with big centers and forwards. We have to deny them the ball by fronting a lot more. It is going to be an interesting challenge for the coaches and the players."

Game starts at 7:30 PM CET.

Lions advance to next round Dutch Cup but lose Nadine Boesaart

Sun, 14 Nov 2010 22:59:59 +0100

As expected ProBuild Lions advanced to the quarterfinals of the Dutch Cup Competition. The Lions posted a 29-83 victory over second division club Groene Uilen (Green Owls) in the city of Groningen.

After the first period ProBuild led 8-27 and at intermisson by 14-49.

Coach Laki Lakner gave al his players time on the floor. Romy Stijsiger scored 16 points and Maaike van de Bovenkamp had 14. Kati Harty and Belinda Bos both added 11 points.

The bad news is that Nadine Boesaart suffered a knee-injury in the last minutes of the game. It is unclear yet how serious the injury is. Tomorrow Ren� Wormhoudt will have a look at the injury and next Boesaart will be scheduled for a MRI.

Coach Lakner said Boesaarts injury is a major setback for the Lions. "Nadine is a somewhat underestimated player by the outside world, but to us she is important. She's a cornerstone of our team, especially at the defensive end."

"I am not a pessimistic guy by nature, but this will probably hurt us. With Dani�lle de Vreede sidelined for the rest of the season and Karen Heinen not yet back at her old level, we have a serious shortage of post players at the moment."

Lions Top Lekdetec, 80-56

Sat, 13 Nov 2010 23:59:59 +0100

Kati Harty scored 29 points to lead the ProBuild Lions to an 80-56 win over Lekdetec Bemmel. The Lions did not have too much trouble beating injury-struck Bemmel. They did not need to come up with a great game to gain a victory and a great game it wasn't.

ProBuild had a lot of easy baskets and shot 58.9% from the floor, firing just 12 shots from 3-point range.

Coach Laki Lakner let all his 12 players on the court, including 14-years old guard Beau Baars, who made her debut on the highest level.

Karen Heinen finally made her comeback in Landsmeer after recovering from a head injury for 8 months. She made 8 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in 14 minutes, reason for the sponsors to elect her as Lady of the Game.

Belinda Bos had 15 points and 7 rebounds. Ilana Vergunst did not play due to a hamstring injury.

Coach Laki Lakner said he just wanted the win and not necessarily a lopsided one. "We have another game tomorrow for the Dutch Cup. So we used tonight's game to give our juniors time on the court and to try out some new defensive plays."

Lekdetec took a 4-9 lead, but Kati Harty, Belinda Bos and Dewi Keppy answered to make it 19-11 after the quarter.

ProBuild started the second quarter with an 8-0 run to widen the margin to 27-13 before Lekdetec hit three consecutive treys sparking a 2-13 run to cut it to 29-26. Dewi Keppy answered from down town and the Lions took a 40-29 lead before entering the break.

In the third period ProBuild put up a press defense, which gave them a decisive 67-43 lead. The largest margin of the game was recorded in the 5th minute of the last period, when Molly McDowell fed Belinda Bos for a lay-up to give the Lions a 32-point advantage, 76-44.

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Lekdetec.nl

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 22:59:59 +0100

Saturday ProBuild Lions hosts Lekdetec Batouwe, a newcomer in the Dutch
Eredivisie. Still, we can expect to see some familiar faces on Lekdetec's bench. First of all coach Robin Hollander, who was a long-time (assistant-)coach in the ProBuild Lions' organization. Signed by Lektedec, this season he made his debut on the highest level as a head coach.

Then, there are of course the Biesters-sisters: Anouk and Kris, of whom Anouk was starter for the Lions during the last four seasons. Unluckily, both sisters are injured at the moment. Kris is out for the season with a knee-injury. Anouk, who still is not fully recovered from the knee-injury she suffered 20 months ago in Landsmeer, recently underwent another operation, but is expected to return in a few weeks.

Maybe due to these injuries Lekdetec has won just one out of six games until now.

Game starts at 7:30 PM CET.

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Lions take over in third quarter

Sat, 6 Nov 2010 23:59:59 +0100

ProBuild Lions outscored Eurosped 15-44 in the third quarter to put up a lopsided 74-95 win after trailing 41-33 at intermission.

Molly McDowell scored 28 points and Kati Harty had 26. Dewi Keppy (12), Maaike van de Bovenkamp (11) and Belinda Bos (11) were also in double figures.

Karen Heinen made her comeback after being sidelined for 8 months with a head injury, which she suffered on the same court in Tubbergen at January 24th. She spent 16 minutes on the court and pulled down 9 rebounds and scored 4 points.

Ilana Vergunst did not play due to a hamstring injury.

ProBuild started taking a 0-4 lead but trailed 24-15 after the first period. Eurosped was shooting extremely well from behind the arc, while the Lions were putting it up but nothing was falling.

The Lions stayed cold until 5 minutes were left in the second quarter, when they trailed 32-19. Kati Harty scored 8 points, helping to cut the margin to 32-31 before Eurosped put up another run to widen it again to 41-33 at intermission.

In third period the Lions used a zone press to hold Eurosped to just 15 points while scoring 44 themselves. Maaike van de Bovenkamp made it 49-49 in the 5th minute to spark a 7-28 run. After the quarter ProBuild led 56-77.

The fourth was more or less a formality. The Lions gained a 61-90 lead before slowing down and allowing Eurosped to narrow the gap to 74-95 in the final minutes.

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Eurosped Twente

Thu, 4 Nov 2010 17:59:59 +0100

Saturday ProBuild Lions travel to the town of Tubbergen on the German border to meet Eurosped Twente.

Coach Bart Sengers of Eurosped, who was signed this summer, works with a young team without much bank depth. His main scorers are guard Myrthe Beld and center Sharon Lammerink.

With ProBuild coaches Laki Lakner and Dwight van West are still busy to fine tune their offensive and defensive plays. "We had to make some modifications after two starters left and three new players joined the team. They have different skills and play different positions. It takes some time, but I am very confident about this team", coach Laki Lakner said.

Game starts at 8:30 PM CET.

Lions top HLB Accountants again

Sat, 30 Oct 2010 23:59:59 +0100

Molly McDowell scored 19 points to lead the ProBuild Lions to a 77-61 victory over HLB Accountants. Katy Harty contributed 17 points, all of which in the first period. At the end of the quarter Harty suffered a mild ankle sprain. She did return in the game, but did not score again and was fouled out in the fourth period.

Belinda Bos scored 13 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. Nadine Boesaart contributed 12 points.

After Kati Harty made it 2-2 ProBuild never trailed and already led by 11 points after the first period, 24-13. Except for one free throw of Dewi Keppy, Harty and McDowell scored all of the Lions' points in the period.

In the second period ProBuild put up the largest margin in the game, 35-17, before allowing HLB to narrow the gap to 10 points at intermission, 43-33.

HLB cut the margin to 4 points in the third quarter, but after Nadine Boesaart drained a trey to make 49-42 ProBuild stepped on the gas and pulled away for good.

. Leading 57-48 after the third quarter, the Lions put up a 9-0 run at the start of the fourth before cruising to an easy win over their former rivals.

Coach Laki Lakner said he had seen better games of his team, but credited his players for their hard work. "In the third quarter their basket seemed a little too small for us, but we kept on playing solid defense so they could not take too much advantage of our shooting slump. We could have won by 30 points or so, but all in all I think it was a good night."

Also favorable to the Lions position in the ranking was the loss of CTO Amsterdam to STOL Grasshoppers. It meant that after just five games ProBuild leads the league by four points. Media:
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Saturday: HLB Accountants

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:59:59 +0100

Saturday the Lions again face their eternal opponents HLB Accountants Den Helder.

This summer HLB lost a number of key players, like Leonie Kooij, who signed with a team in the Spanish first division. Marloes Roetgerink retired and Maaike Klein, Kim Hartman, Marianne van der Hoek and Karen van den Nieuwendijk also transferred to other teams.

Fortunately for coach Meindert van Veen a group of five young, very talented players decided to leave Wereldtickets Leiderdorp and to sign with Helder. Combining this group with some of Den Helder's own talented juniors, Van Veen now commands a young, but very gifted group of basketball players.

The new HLB-team made its mark in the Supercup game, as it unexpectedly managed to hold off ProBuild Lions until the last period.

Since the start of the competition HLB took three consecutive games before falling to Binnenland in a close match last week.

During this game American Barbara Williams made her debut. Little is known of her, except that she played for a Spanish team last season and tallied 4 points and 7 rebounds against Binnenland in 15 minutes of playing time.

Saturday Karen Heinen is scheduled to make a comeback after being sidelined for 7 months with a head injury. The other good news is Kati Harty's parents Kristin and Steve arrived in the Netherlands to watch the game and spend a few weeks with their daughter.

Game starts at 7:30 PM CET.

Click.

Lions fitness clip

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 21:59:59 +0100

ProBuild Lions works with Sports World, one of the best fitness centers in Amsterdam. This weekend the Lions produced a promotion clip for Sports World.

Lion rout CTO Amsterdam

Sat, 23 Oct 2010 21:59:59 +0100

Coach Laki Lakner and his Lions prepared themselves for a tough battle, but it turned out to be an easy rout. The Lions handed the young Dutch talents of CTO Amsterdam their first defeat. And it was a devastating one: 61-93.

Maybe CTO had an off day. But then again, the Lions did not give them much of a chance. ProBuild hit 46.9% of their shots from the floor and 42.1% from behind the 3-point line. There were a lot of steals and easy lay-ups. Defensively coach Laki Lakner used a straight man-to-man to contain CTO.

Kati Harty had another shining night with 37 points, 5 steals and 4 assists. Molly McDowell as well made a mark, tallying 18 points, 8 steals, 5 assists and 2 blocked shots. Nadine Boesaart grabbed 13 rebounds and scored 7 points.

For the first time this season the Lions did not wait until the second half to strike. They started sharp as knives, leading 17-26 after the first period and extending their lead to 27-53 at the break.

Coach Laki Lakner said he was proud of his team. "We took it up against a selection of some of the finest young Dutch basketball talents who are in a special program where they practice more than 20 hours a week. And we routed them. We more than matched their speed and physical condition, which leads me to the conclusion our own program is not too bad either."

Kati Harty and Molly McDowell both nailed a 3-pointer to help the Lions take a 6-16 lead. At the start of the second period ProBuild had a 0-8 run before Fieke Lighthart answered and made it 20-36. Harty drained two more treys to put up the Lions 22-46.

There's always the danger of losing concentration when a team leads by 30 points or more, but coach Laki Lakner and captain Molly McDowell managed to keep the Lions sharp in the third period. ProBuild won the quarter by 14-22 and the Lions led 41-75 at the start of the final period.

It was only in the fourth period when the Lions slowed down a bit. ProBuild and CTO exchanged baskets and the margin stayed about the same. Former CTO-talent Dewi Keppy contributed by hitting two 3-pointers in the quarter.

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Lions score 100 in win over Uball

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 23:59:59 +0100

Normally ProBuild Lions is not a high-scoring team, but tonight they were. Shooting 55.7% from the floor ProBuild posted a lopsided 100-70 victory over Uball Amazone.

Maaike van de Bovenkamp started at shooting forward and scored 22 points against her former team. Belinda Bos moved to the power forward-position. Obviously she felt comfortable there, posting a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. After the game the supporters elected her Lady-of-the-Match.

Molly McDowell contributed 14 points and Kati Harty and Romy Stijsiger both added 13. On top of that Stijsiger posted 3 blocked shots.

All Lions saw playing time and all of them scored.

Uball's Lindsay Biggs hit seven 3-pointers, tallying 29 points.

At intermission the Lions trailed 40-43. In the third quarter coach Lakner ordered a zone defense, which worked amazingly well. ProBuild won the period by 20 points, leading 67-70 after the period.

Leading 98-67 with a few seconds remaining, Kati Harty was assigned the mission of reaching a 3-digit score. With a driving lay-up she easily accomplished that goal. Lindsay Biggs finished the game with a buzzer beating 3-pointer.

Coach Laki Lakner credited his team for sharing the offensive load. "We had a balanced score tonight and we shared the ball well. Defensively we did a good job in the zone. We controlled the boards and had a lot of scores out of breaks. It was a good second half."

ProBuild hosts Uball in Midweek game

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 20:59:59 +0100

Wednesday ProBuild Lions hosts Uball Amazone in a rare midweek game. Like the Lions, Uball won its first two games.

Owner-coach Ray Laatst of Uball Amazone had to let go four of his starters (Maaike van de Bovenkamp and Francis Donders) this summer, but found more than adequate replacements in guard Rachel Roubehie-Fissa, center Tahnee Vogelsang and the American duo Kim Sitzmann and Lindsay Biggs.

They're good. Sitzmann tallied 29 points in Uball's game against Binnenland last weekend, and Biggs had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

So taking the game will be a nice acomplishment for the Lions, who seem to be not at the top of their game yet, with Marie Hoogstraten, Dani�lle de Vreede and Karen Heinen not available.

The good news is Heinen is practicing at full strenght now and probably will see some minutes on the flour in Wednesday's game.

Game starts at 20:00 hrs CET.

Lions snatch late win in Katwijk

Sat, 16 Oct 2010 23:59:59 +0100

Kati Harty scored a career-high 44 points to lead ProBuild Lions to a 78-91 victory over STOL Grasshoppers. The lead kept changing until the fourth minute of the last period, when the game was tied 70-70.

After that the Lions placed a 3-16 run to take the game away, with Harty scoring 12 points from the foul line in the remaining six minutes.

Molly McDowell scored 11 points before fouling out in the 4th quarter. Belinda Bos had 7 points and 12 rebounds and rookie Romy Stijsiger contributed 8 points and 9 rebounds.

Heather Stec scored 36 points for Grasshoppers. The 6-3 American center proved to be nearly unstoppable for the Lions.

Coach Laki Lakner said Grasshoppers always give the Lions a hard time at their home court at Katwijk and that today was no exception. "We struggled until the fourth period, allowing far too many points. We designed a special defensive play for Grasshoppers, but that did not work at all, so we switched back to our routine plays in the second half."

"Kati was impressive, scoring 44 points, but I like to see a more balanced production. We have to get more points from our Dutch players."

The Lions led 24-31 after the first quarter, but struggled in the second, committing 10 turnovers and scoring just 6 points out of 15 attempts. At the break they trailed 48-37.

In the third quarter ProBuild got some more grip defensively, slowly cutting the margin to take a minimal 59-60 lead after the period.

After four minutes in the last period the game was tied 70-70 before Molly McDowell fouled out. But Grasshoppers was in the penalty situation by then, which gave Kati Harty the chance to pull the game away from the the foul line. Converting 12 of 14 free throws and scoring 3 more field goals Harty tallied 18 points in the last quarter.

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Grasshoppers

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 21:59:59 +0100

Saturday ProBuild Lions travel to the town of Katwijk at the North Sea coast to meet STOL Grasshoppers.

The Grasshoppers lost to Challenge Sports Binnenland last week, shooting just 25.7% from the 3-point line, which at Binnenland's home court is painted 3 feet further from the basket than in the rest of Holland, because Binnenland plays at the same court as the men's team from Rotterdam and the men's league already adapted to the new FIBA-rules.

Last season the Lions suffered one of their two losses in Katwijk, although Grasshoppers finished in last seed. A good reason to start as focused as possible on Saturday.

Game starts at 20:15 PM CET

Lions start with win over Wereldtickets

Sun, 10 Oct 2010 16:59:59 +0100

It took them a while to get going, but eventually ProBuild Lions came up with a 74-55 victory over their would-be rivals Wereldtickets Leiderdorp.

Both teams were not complete. Wereldtickets had to go without Reggie Maddox, Irene Sloof and Francis Donders, who were injured. ProBuild missed Marie Hoogstraten, Karen Heinen and Dani�lle de Vreede.

Molly McDowell led the Lions with 25 points. Kati Harty contributed 21 and Belinda Bos 9. Wereldtickets� Kim Hartman scored 17 points. Marloes Nieuwveen and Corine Manuputty both added 13.

Coach Laki Lakner said his team performed far from perfect, but he credited his players for the fighting spirit they put up in the second half. �We held Wereldtickets to 55 points, which is admirable. We trailed by 9 points after the first period. After this we won three periods by increasing margins.�

�We did a good job on their frontcourt. Their center Marloes Nieuwveen stands 6-5 tall and Nadine Boesaart did a good job on her. We held Jasmijn Overbeeke and Bridget Yoerger both to just 4 points. We did that with a small and fast line-up, with Belinda Bos on the 4-spot. I thought that worked quite well.�

The Lions trailed 7-19 in the first quarter, seemingly starting somewhat unfocused, producing a lot of missed shots and turnovers. After loosing the period by 9-21, in the closing minutes of the 2nd period Molly McDowell scored 6 points and Belinda Bos nailed a 3-pointer to narrow the gap to 30-32 at intermission.

In the third period Kati Harty went to work, scoring 12 points in the quarter to help the Lions take a 55-49 lead after the period. It also helped that coach Laki Lakner made some slight changes in the defensive plays, which gave Wereldtickets some more trouble finding the Lions� basket.

Harty, Bos and McDowell made it 61-49 at the start of the last period to pull the game away. Leiderdorp produced just 6 points in the quarter and could not but allow ProBuild to put up a lopsided 74-55 victory.

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Lions start with win over Wereldtickets

Sun, 10 Oct 2010 16:59:59 +0100

Lions meet rebuilt Wereldticket in opener regular season

Thu, 7 Oct 2010 21:59:59 +0100

Saturday ProBuild Lions hosts Wereldtickets Leiderdorp in the opening game of the regular season.

Leiderdorp went through an unusual rebuilding process this summer. Last year Wereldtickets had some of the greatest young talents of Dutch basketball on their roster, who all decided to leave after the season. Wereldticket�s management replaced them by some seasoned veteran-players.

Internationals and former internationals like Irene Sloof, Marloes Nieuwveen, Francis Donders and Kim Hartman were signed, along with Jasmijn Overbeeke, who surprisingly chose to leave the Lions.

With Americans Bridget Yoerger and Reggie Maddox these players form a team with championship potential. Now it is up to coach Joris Zandbergen to live up to these expectations.

Question is, however, if Wereldtickets will be able to make a jump start. Last week they lost to CTO Amsterdam 72-66. Some important players were sidelined with injuries. Sloof and Donders are recovering from knee-surgery and Nieuwveen is hampered by an injury she suffered while playing for the national team. Maddox suffered an Achilles tendon rupture during the pre-season and her return is not expected before January.

With the Lions it looks like Dani�lle de Vreede will be out for the season with a serious knee injury. On the other hand Karen Heinen is expected to make her first minutes after being out for seven months with a head injury.

Game starts at 7:30 PM CET.

Lions win another Supercup

Sun, 3 Oct 2010 09:59:59 +0100

Like last season, ProBuild Lions is the winner of the Dutch Supercup. At the season opening the Lions beat HLB Accountants 68-62.

Molly McDowell led the Lions with 21 points. Kati Harty and Maaike van de Bovenkamp both scored 14.

With HLB 18-years-old center Maxime Essenstam had 27 points.

Coach Laki Lakner said he had expected a little more of his team. "I guess we were a bit overconfident", he said. "Including me. HLB Accountants saw some of their veteran players leave and is rebuilding now, with some talented but still very young players on their roster. They played without any pressure, because everybody expected them to loose badly. We, on the other hand, were kind of sloppy and we did not hold them off on defense. And we missed a lot of shots."

After the game the mood was tempered by what appears to be a serious knee injury of Dani�lle de Vreede, who went down in the fourth period.

The Lions quickly build a 16-6 lead, but Maxime Essenstam scored 8 points to narrow the gap to 20-19 before Maaike van de Bovenkamp hit a trey in the buzzer to make it 23-19.

In the second period Essenstam continued her destructive work, resulting in a 34-39 lead by HLB at intermission.

The Lions did not return from the locker room revived, as they sometimes did last season. They kept on missing shots against Den Helders zone defense (Kati Harty was 0-out-of-8 from behind the 3-point line) and kept on being a step to slow on defense.

Trailing 53-55 at the start of the fourth period, ProBuild stepped up after Dani�lle de Vreede being injured. Maaike van de Bovenkamp put the Lions up 63-62 in the 6th minute, Kati Harty made a lay-up after stealing the ball and Molly McDowell sunk a 3-pointer, resulting in a 68-62 decisive lead.

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Season-opening

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 23:59:59 +0100

Saturday the new season officially starts in Landsmeer with the Supercup-game between the national champions and the winner of the Dutch Cup Tournament. ProBuild Lions won both. In such case the rules are that the other finalist of the play-offs is entitled to play the Supercup-game.

That will be HLB Accountants.

In the afternoon there will be three practice games of eredivisie-teams, followed by a presentation of all 10 teams to the press and the public.

The Supercup-game starts at 8 PM CET.

Lions rout Celeritas in practice game

Sat, 25 Sep 2010 17:59:59 +0100

For the first time the ProBuild Lions met a Dutch opponent, after a series of practice games agianst Belgian and German teams.

The Lions went to the city of Heerenveen to battle Celeritas Groningen in an exibition game on neutral ground.

ProBuild posted a 74-41 victory. Kati Harty led the Lions with 21 points. Belinda Bos had 17 and Molly McDowell contributed 12 points. Both American players were called to the bench in the third period and did not return.

"Offensively we could have done better", coach Laki Lakner said. "But on defense we did a good job. We worked hard and played as a team. We're still not at our best, but I am confident we will have a good start in the competition."

Lions finish foreign campaign in Belgium

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 21:59:59 +0100

In the first weekend of the Belgian competition, all games are held at one location. After the work is done, the players and the coaching staffs get together to celebrate the start of the season with food and drinks. We would not mind if the Dutch Basketball Asscociation would copy that idea: it's really fun.

Since the Belgian league consists of 9 teams, a 10th team was needed to make the party complete. The Belgian Basketball Association decided to invite the Dutch Champions and to pair them with their Belgian counterparts, Sint Katelijne Waver.

Being not 100% in shape yet, the Lion still were not wholly recovered from their game against Oberhausen on Thursday. They managed to match Sint Katelijne for three quarters. At intermission ProBuild trailed 35-33 and after the third period they looked at a 51-44 deficit. In the fourth period the Lions closed the gap to four points, but after this their level of play dropped quickly as apparently fatigue set in. It took the Belgian champions just a few minutes to build a 22-point lead. The Lions suffered a 80-61 loss.

Nevertheless, coach Laki Lakner stayed optimistic. "We are not in a 100% game shape yet. That is why we had to let them go in the 4th quarter. This was the last game of three intensive weeks of practice games against some very good foreign teams. Over all we did a good job. Next week we play Groningen and we'll see what we can do on the level of the Dutch competition."

" We know now what we can do as a team and what everybody's roll can be. The next two weeks we have time to practice our offensive and defensive plays. On October 2nd we will be ready."

>> Pictures

Lions drop practice game to Oberhausen

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 21:59:59 +0100

ProBuild Lions took a 63-69 loss to NBO Oberhausen in a practice game on Thursday night. With 3 minutes remaining the Lions led by 4 points, but in the last 3 minutes Oberhausen managed to turn the game around.

Next to three Americans, the team from Germany has a number of German national-team-players player on the roster. As in all earlier games against German teams, the Lions proved themselves able to match the Bundesliga-team. The lead was never larger than 6 points and changed a number of times.

"Oberhausen is a good team", coach Laki Lakner said. "They applied a lot of defensive pressure from the start. That is something most Dutch teams will not be able to do. Still, we did not commit too many turnovers and shared the ball well."

The weak point of the Lions, however, was the shooting percentage. They hit not more than 30% of their shots from the floor and 60% from the free throw-line.

Kati Harty led ProBuild with 18 points. Molly McDowell and Romy Stijsiger both scored 10 points.

Lions host NBO Oberhausen in exhibition game

Mon, 13 Sep 2010 20:59:59 +0100

Thursday September 16th ProBuild Lions host HBO Oberhausen for an exhibition game. It is the first time of this season the Lions perform at their home court. The game starts at 7:30 PM.

Lions second in Marburg tournament

Sun, 12 Sep 2010 18:59:59 +0100

The ProBuild Lions showed that the level of Dutch basketball is rapidly approaching the level of their neighbors in the East. The Lions participated in a tournament in Marburg, Germany, where they battled TSV Wasserburg and BCP Marburg, both in two games.

Wasserburg finished as second of the Bundesliga last season and Marburg took the fourth seed. Both teams signed two Americans and a Euro-player from Eastern Europe.

All-in-all expectations were not too high when the Lions took off on their journey to the East.

Nevertheless, the results were quite promising. The Lions finished as second, beating Wasserburg two times and suffering two narrow losses to the home team Marburg.

Coach Laki Lakner was more than satisfied with the results. "We showed we can compete on this international level, even at this moment, when we are in the process of fitting in four new players and we are practicing for just ten days. "

"Our defense is far from being a well-oiled machine at the moment and our condition is not 80% yet. Keeping this in mind, this result is far beyond my expectations. From the start there's chemistry between the old and the new players. Offensively we shared the ball very well, considering we have not more than two plays everybody knows."

"I liked what I saw of the four players we signed this summer", coach Lakner said. "We gained strength under the boards and we can rotate as much as we like. I think we're a better team than last season."

Lions to Finals in Alain Marchetti Tournament

Thu, 9 Sep 2010 09:59:59 +0100

Despite having started practice just three days before, the Lions went to the international Alain Marchetti tournament in Luxembourg and made it to the Finals.

The Lions started the tournament with a 26-38 win over the home team Amicale Steinsel and followed up with a minimal 50-49 loss to R�sidence Walferdange from Luxembourg.

Kati Harty did not play in both games due to a foot-injury, but made her appearance in the evening game, when ProBuild met Spirou Monceau from Belgium. Harty scored 17 points to lead the Lions to a 49-44 win. Her new teammate Maaike van de Bovenkamp contributed 15 points.

That was good enough for a place in the Finals, which took place on Sunday at the end of the afternoon. The other Finalists were the Saarlouis Royals from Germany, coached by Dutchman Ren� Spandau. The German champions held the advantage of having started practice four weeks earlier than the Lions. 6-5 center Petra Mantakova from the Tsjech Republic is their star-player.

So it was not too shocking to see that ProBuild trailed by 20 points after the first period. The rest of the game the deficit stayed about the same and the end result was an 81-59 loss.

"Nothing to be ashamed of," was coach Laki Lakner statement after the game. "I would like to meet this team again in a month or so and see what happens then." "I like our four new players and I think we're stronger than last year", Lakner said. "We are able to set up a rotation of 10 (or 11, when Marie returns from Brazil in January) players without becoming weaker on the court. That means we can apply maximum pressure for 40 minutes."

"I thought Romy Stijsiger's game was a revelation. The way she battled Mantakova was admirable, being just 18 years old! Dewi Keppy is 6-3 but she has the skills of a guard. Maaike van de Bovenkamp showed what she do when we played the Belgian team and Danielle de Vreede worked very hard; she's a great hustler who went for every loose ball. So, all-in-all, a promising weekend."

Lions sign Romy Stijsiger

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:59:59 +0100

The ProBuild Lions management announced the signing of 6-3 center Romy Stijsiger. The 18-years-old Stijsiger played for Lely Amsterdam last season and averaged 3,9 points and 4 rebounds in 15 minutes of playing time per game.

Stijsiger placed herself in the spotlight when she scored a season-high 10 points visiting ProBuild Lions at Landsmeer.

Romy Stijsiger is the 11th player on the Lions' roster.

Eurobasket.com All-Dutch Eredivisie Awards 2009-2010

Tue, 8 Jun 2010 21:59:59 +0100

Today Europe's main basketball website Eurobasket.com announced the winners of the All-Dutch Eredivisie Award 2009-2010. Several Awards went to the ProBuild Lions.

Kati Harty was the big winner, with Awards in five categories: Player of the Year, Guard of the Year, Import Player of the Year, 1st team and All-imports Team.

Molly McDowell was elected in the 2nd team and in the All-imports team. Jasmijn Overbeeke won an honorable mention.

Last, but not least, Coach Laki Lakner was awarded Coach of the Year.

Go for the complete lists to: http://www.eurobasket.com.

Harty and McDowell Return to Landsmeer

Sat, 5 Jun 2010 16:59:59 +0100

Today the Lions' management proudly announced Kati Harty and Molly McDowell will return to Landsmeer for another season with the Lions. Both Americans signed a new contract.

Kati Harty was elected as last season's MVP of the Dutch competition. Harty averaged 21 points per game. In the play-offs she increased her average to 24.3 ppg.

Molly McDowell is the captain and the leader of the Lions. This season she saved the best for last, hitting six 3-pointers and scoring 25 points in the third game of the Finals, including a game-winning rainbow in crunch time.

Coach Laki Lakner said he was excited by the prospect of having the dynamic guard duo back next season. "Molly and Kati are great players and great characters. I am very glad they signed again."

Having signed his foreign players at a early stage brings another advantage, according to coach Lakner: "I look forward to a summer in which I do not have to watch hundreds of DVD's to select a new American player. Within a week or so our team is complete and then we have two months to relax."

Jasmijn Overbeeke Resigns

Fri, 4 Jun 2010 21:59:59 +0100

Unexpectedly, Jasmijn Overbeeke announced her resignation yesterday.

Overbeeke called coach Lakner and told him she received a very generous offer from another Dutch team and that's she was planning to leave.

"We spoke for just a minute", Lakner said. "I told Jasmijn there was no chance whatsoever that we were able to match this offer and I wished her success. For us she was an important player, but I don't have any doubts that without her we still have a very good team next season."

Jasmijn Overbeeke added that there were also other reasons to move to Leiderdorp. "Practice starts an hour later and lasts 30 minutes shorter. Recently I accepted a full time job, which is hard to combine with playing for ProBuild Lions."

Jasmijn Overbeeke came to Landsmeer in the 2005-2006 season. In her last season with the Lions she averaged 8.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.

ProBuild Signs Dewi Keppy

Wed, 2 Jun 2010 21:59:59 +0100

Today the ProBuild Lions management announced the signing of 6-3 forward Dewi Keppy.

Dewi Keppy is 18 years of age and is considered to be one of the most promising young talents of Dutch basketball. Playing for Lely Amsterdam, she started her career at the highest level at the age of 14.

"I am very exited to get this chance," she said. "I hope to learn as much as I can, playing and practicing with the national champions. ProBuild is a great team and I am proud to become a part of it."

Coach Laki Lakner said he thinks Kepy has the potential to become a great player. "Dewi is tall, but a good ball handler and as a shooter she has range. She's athletic and fast. She nicely fits in our style of basketball."

Anouk Biesters Signs with her former club Batouwe

Tue, 1 Jun 2010 21:59:59 +0100

Today Anouk Biesters anounced her signing with Batouwe in her home town Bemmel in the east of the Netherlands. Batouwe won the second division championship and will move up to the first division next season.

Since Anouk Biesters joined the Lions in 2006 she won two championships, three Dutch Cups, two Final Four tournaments and a Supercup.

Coach Laki Lakner said he wholly understood Anouk Biesters her decision to return to her old club. "We are thankful for her contribution and we wish her lots of success in her career, wherever it will take her. She'll always be welcome at the Indoor Centrum Landsmeer."

Lions sweep HLB, make history

Mon, 25 May 2010 23:59:59 +0100

The ProBuild Lions won their third national championship, posting a 3-0 sweep over HBL accountants Den Helder. ProBuild took the game with a 71-69 victory, winning the championship in three clean playoff sweeps.

It was the first time in the history of Dutch women's basketball a team won the Supercup, the Final Four tournament, the Dutch Cup as well as the national Championship.

"We have something to be proud of", coach Laki Lakner said. "This was a really good season. I am so proud of our team and I am thankful to all the people in our organization who worked so hard to get on this level. And I also want to thank our fans, who pulled us through in a number of key-games. Our fans are the best, without any doubt."

Molly McDowell scored 25 points, including a season-high six 3-pointers against 75% shooting. Kati Harty contributed 19 points.

Veteran center Marloes Roetgerink scored 27 points for HLB before fouling out at the end of the third period. Leonie Kooij and Kim Hartman both scored 10 points.

Jasmijn Overbeeke, Nadine Boesaart and Molly McDowell hit consecutive 3-pointers in the third period to put the Lions up 23-20 after the quarter. Roetgerink scored 10 points for HLB.

In the second quarter the Lions took a 34-24 advantage, but allowed HLB to cut the margin to 41-36 at intermission.

In the third period the Lions started to play sloppy, committing turnovers and missing almost all of their shots. Marloes Roetgerink tied the game 47-47, Leonie Kooij hit a 3-pointer and Roetgerink made it 51-57.

Kati Harty answered by converting a pair of free throws before Roetgerink committed her 5th foul, pushing Anouk Biesters in the back. Biesters hit both foul shots to make it 55-57 at the end of the quarter.

The Lions started the fourth period with a 11-0 run, with Anouk Biesters and Molly McDowell draining 3-pointers, 68-59. However, in the 9th minute Den Helder closed the gap to 68-67.

In the last minute Molly McDowell made her most important 3-pointer of the game, putting the Lions up 71-67. After that, Kim Hartman's last two points were just for the record.

Hi grandma and grandpa Jones, Kati and Kristen say HI!

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May 24, 2010, 16.00 hours

Sun, 24 May 2010 12:59:59 +0100

Lions take 2-0 series lead

Sat, 22 May 2010 23:59:59 +0100

After demolishing HLB in the first game, this time the Lions had to settle for a close 60-64 win.

After leading double digits most of the game, ProBuild allowed HLB to even the game 58-58 with less than 2 minutes remaining. With both team in a penalty situation, winning the game was a essentially a matter of not faltering on the free throw line.

Molly McDowell was first and did not blink an eye, making it 58-60. Next Marianne van der Hoek missed one shot, 59-60, before Anouk Biesters calmly hit both of her shots to put ProBuild up 59-62.

When it was HLB's turn again, Kourtny Treffers split a pair, making it 60-62. In the mean time the clock had run down to 16 seconds, forcing HLB to make more fouls to try to get in ball possession. McDowell and Biesters both hit one of their two shots before the clock ran out.

Kati Harty scored 21 points despite HLB putting some hard fouls on her to try to take her out of her game. Regrettably some of these attacks went unpunished by the referees.

Molly McDowell contributed 15 points and 7 rebounds. Anouk Biesters added 11 points.

The Lions did not shoot as well as in the first game, when they were 65% from the floor. This time they hit just 40% of their shots and 19,2% from behind the 3-point line.

"But still we won", coach Laki Lakner said. "And that is the beauty of playing solid defense. We kept Den Helder to just 60 points on their home court. It was not a brilliant game like Wednesday, but since they both count for one point we're 2-0 now."

"To prevent us taking the championship, HLB has to beat us for three straight games. I don't think that is going to happen. We will do our utmost to finish the series next Monday at our home court and make this a very sweat sweep."

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