Energy ousted in quarter finals

Back To All News | Previous Thread | Next Thread

Energy post-season dream put to bed by eighth-ranked Explosion after league-best 17-3 regular-season record

By Chris O’Leary,Special To The Journal

July 4, 2009

Paul Sir feels that his Edmonton Energy squad did a lot of things this year.

Choking isn’t one of them.

On the heels of his first-seeded Energy team’s defeat at the hands of the eighth-ranked Snohomish County Explosion in the International Basketball League’s quarterfinal playoff on Thursday, Sir said rankings and upsets had nothing to do with the outcome of the game.

"I don’t feel like, ’Oh no, we’re the top team and they beat us, we choked.’We didn’t choke," he said. They just beat us.

"A very good team beat us."

After posting a league-best 17-3 record through the regular-season, the Energy had their eyes on a championship. Playing on their home court, the Explosion put that dream to bed after being soundly defeated by the Energy at MacEwan Gym on May 22 and 23. Sir said a hot-shooting and solid effort from Snohomish made the difference against his team.

"If we played them 10 times, we’d beat them eight or nine," he said. "But you never know on a given night what can happen. You have to give all the credit in the world to Snohomish, they flat out beat us.

"It was their night and it wasn’t ours."

Aside from the sour taste left in their mouths this week, the Energy put together a stellar season. They lost once on their home court in 2009, going 11-1 in the process. Point guard Will Funn had an MVP-calibre season in his first year with the club, almost averaging a triple-double in 20 games. Steve Sir and J. R. Patrick shouldered the scoring load for Edmonton.

Raymond native Skousen Harker made a splash with the club at the power forward spot and centre Lee Scruggs shined in his second season playing for Edmonton. The five players were rumoured to be named all-stars by the IBL later this month.

There were a lot of positives, Steve Sir said.

"Right after the game I said to the guys and pretty much everyone else said it was so much fun and it was a pleasure to play with all those guys."

The younger Sir said that all of the players are hoping to return next year. He especially hoped Funn would be back next season.

"He’s such a pleasure to play with, so I hope to God that he comes back. He was the best point guard in the league and, to me, he was the best point guard I ever played with."

Another rumour making its way through the IBL’s playoff tournament was that a few teams in the league, including the Energy, were looking at playing for another league next season that would mesh more with the seasonal months of basketball. Sir quickly shot that notion down.

"No. We are not looking at a different league," he said. That league came to us. I have absolutely no interest.

"I like the IBL. No. 1, the timing of the season is so perfect for these guys. They’ve got to build their careers in the off-season (playing professionally overseas) when that money’s available to them. I completely respect that. To try to do some North American alternative to that is silly to me."

"I have no interest in it. It’s stupid," Sir continued. "I’ve heard this crap before from some people ... I guess if they want to go that direction so be it, but I have no interest in any of the talk."