The Tacoma Tide season came to an end last week after a 116-111 loss to the Bellingham Slam in the second round of the IBL playoffs. The Tide made a valiant comeback in the game after being down by as many as 15 points in the first half, but the defending IBL champions were too much for the Tide down the stretch.

 

The Tide ended the season with a 14-8 record, improving from a 9-13 record in 2008 when they were known as the Jazz of Tacoma. It was the first winning season for a Tacoma IBL franchise since going 12-6 in 2005, the league’s inaugural season.

 

The season is especially impressive when it’s considered that, at one point, it seemed as if Tacoma would be without a professional basketball team for the 2009 season after the Jazz folded last year due to financial difficulties faced by their owner.

 

In early April, veterans including Dontay Harris and Lorenzo Rollins approached Pat Garlock of MVP Physical Therapy about continuing the legacy of professional basketball in Tacoma. The players were not concerned with money; they simply wanted to play basketball to represent the City of Tacoma and provide a positive for Tacoma’s youth.

 

With Garlock and MVP Physical Therapy on board, Tacoma Tide basketball joined the Tide FC and Seattle Sounders Women in the Tacoma Tide Sports Club family.

 

Most IBL teams begin playing games in the first week of April, but due to the late formation of the team, the Tide’s first game didn’t come until May 9^th, a 119-92 win over the Central Oregon Hotshots. The delayed start forced the Tide to play a jam-packed schedule through May and June so they could fit in all 20 games.

 

The Tide roster was mostly made up of players from the 2008 Jazz team, but there were two new faces on the sideline. Mark Lovelady of Life Christian Academy took over as head coach and he brought in Bob Niehl, the former UPS head man, to be his assistant and help orchestrate the defense.

           

Behind staunch defense and timely shooting, the Tide got off to a fast start, winning their first five games by an average of 21 points. Forward Dontay Harris, who entered the season fourth on the all-time IBL scoring list, set the tone early in the season by earning a double-double in the Tide’s first seven games.

 

Harris, the Tide’s most consistent player, was undoubtedly the team’s leader both on and off the court. While leading the team in minutes, he ended the season averaging 18.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. Harris recorded a double-double in 17 of the Tide’s 22 games, and earned a triple-double against Snohomish County when he had 18 points, 16 rebounds, and 12 assists. Harris’ best game was likely the final playoff game, when he scored 40 points on 18-28 shooting in 47 minutes of action.

 

While Harris has been playing professionally in Tacoma the last few years, point guard Antwan Williams has been suiting up across town for the UPS Loggers. In his first year of professional basketball, Williams performed like a seasoned veteran. Armed with one of the quickest first steps in the IBL, Williams was a match-up nightmare for opposing coaches. Williams led the team with assists at nearly six a game, but was also fourth in scoring (13.5/game) showing he could finish inside despite his wiry 6’2” frame. Williams seemed to improve with every game, saving his best performance for last when he dished out an outstanding 18 assists while scoring 18 points and collecting nine rebounds in the season finale.

 

Justin Murray joined Williams as the other impact-newcomer to the Tide. Murray, who was coached by Lovelady at Life Christian, joined the team midway through the season after playing professional for the Sharjah Sports Club in Dubai. Murray made an immediate impact for the Tide with his versatility, size, and outside shooting. In Murray’s eleven games with the Tide, he averaged a team-high 23.3 points while hauling in 9.4 rebounds. In his third game, he poured in 45 points while shooting an extraordinary 9-12 from the 3-point line.

 

With Murray’s return, the Tide were a force to be reckoned with as they won six of their last eight games including a 114-109 victory over the Los Angeles Lightning who will be playing for the IBL championship on July 18^th.

 

The Tide were never outmatched by an opponent and hardly ever folded under pressure. Unfortunately for the Tide, they played in the toughest division in the IBL making a top playoff seed a grueling task. Despite a 13-7 regular season record, the Tide finished last in the West Division, just missing out on a first-round bye in the playoffs.