The Drive shot 53-percent from the floor and made 12 3-point shots in the game, giving Rochester its worst loss of the season and its worst playoff loss in team history.

“We got beat by a better team,” said Assistant Coach Chris Iversen. “We came in, stuck to our game plan and did pretty good, but they just made their shots.”

While Central Illinois may have made their shots, Rochester did not always hit their shots, as they hit 44-percent, including 14-percent from 3-point territory. The RazorSharks were also out-rebounded by a margin of 39 to 27.

“Stats like that will always hurt a chance to win,” said Iversen. “If a couple of their shots miss and we get a couple more rebounds, this could be a different story.”

“Throughout the season we established ourselves as an inside-outside team [trying to get the ball into the post and passing to the open man outside], but tonight that did not always work out,” said Aaron Williams, who finished the game with 15 points and seven rebounds.

With a halftime score of 43-37 led by the Drive, both teams were in a battle, but just like in game one of the finals, Central Illinois used a big second half to pull away and win the championship.

“They played a full game,” said Jerice Crouch, who finished with a game-high 27 points. “In the second half they started to make their shots and stretched the lead. We made some runs, but they made their big shots too.”

Jemal Farmer scored 18 points and had six rebounds and Anthony Slack scored 12 points for the Drive. Daniel Ruffin added 11 points and four assists. Jamal Davis fouled out of the game with six points and four rebounds and Melvin Council scored half of the team’s bench scoring when he finished with 10 points for the RazorSharks.

“[The Drive] are a great team, they played together, they played hard and that’s how you win a championship,” said Crouch.

With 4:39 left in the game, Jerice Crouch (10 points) hit a 3-point shot to bring the Drive lead down to 89-81, but a Perry Petty (16 points, seven rebounds) shot, a RazorSharks turnover, and a technical foul by Crouch gave the Drive a 92-81 lead with 3:23 left.

Tasheed Carr (20 points, 6 rebounds) hit six of his 12 free throws with under 3:00 left in the game to help pull the RazorSharks within as many as five points, but an offensive foul by Melvin Council (14 points) with 36 seconds left helped seal the game for the Drive.

“They are a good team, but we had too many turnovers and we did not execute,” said Carr. “If we give it 110% and play hard for a full 48 minutes, we can win this championship.”

The first quarter opened up with intense, back and forth action for both teams. Johnny Mayhane hit a 3-point shot from deep to give the RazorSharks a three point lead early, but the Drive’s Todd Peterson (14 points, five rebounds) answered with a 3-point shot of his own to tie the game with 7:18 left in the first quarter.

A huge block by Jamaal Davis (10 points, five rebounds, four assists, four blocks) on a drive by Nathan Fuqua (13 points, five assists) led to a 3-point shot from Todd McCoy (13 points, five rebounds )and later a baseline underhanded flip by Crouch helped pull the RazorSharks within one point with 4:00 left in the first quarter, as the first quarter ended with a 17-16 score in favor of the Drive.

“Our games are so different,” said Aaron Williams (10 points, 10 rebounds). “They like to space the floor out, so we need to have better rotation and not allow any easy baskets.”

The first four minutes of the second quarter belonged to the Drive, as a 3-point shot made by Petty gave the Drive a 32-23 lead with 8:00 minutes left in the half. A Keith Friel (nine points) 3-point shot as the shot clock expired and two made free throws from Friel, Davis, and Crouch brought the RazorSharks within two points with 4:00 left in the half.

A give-and-go from Davis ended with a Friel basket and a Carr drive gave the RazorSharks the lead with 2:40 left, but a deep 3-point shot from Petty took the lead right back for the Drive. McCoy hit a shot right before the halftime buzzer, giving the RazorSharks a 41-38 lead at the half.

The Drive started the second half on fire, including a Jemal Farmer (seven points) reverse slam dunk to put a stamp on a 10-0 Drive run for a 48-41 lead with 10:17 left in the quarter.

After Carr was followed on a 3-point attempt and made all three shots, Peterson nailed a deep 3-pointer to give the Drive a 57-51 lead with 4:30 left in the third period of play. A Jarhon Giddings pass into the paint for a Davis finish brought the RazorSharks within one point with 1:25 left, but a Rodney Edgerson 3-pointer helped give the Drive a 72-69 lead into the final frame.

“In order to win this championship, we need to sustain the effort we had from the first half,” said Head Coach Rod Baker. “They were not going to lay down and we had a poor start, we have to become better in order to win on Saturday.”

The RazorSharks will travel to Bloomington, Ill. for game two on Saturday at 8:05pm at the US Cellular Coliseum. If the RazorSharks win, game three will be played there also, with a 5:05pm tip off.

The RazorSharks won the Eastern Division with a 17-2 regular season record and swept the Sauk Valley Predators by winning the two games by a score of 107-104 and 116-92, respectively.

“We need to focus on what we do best,” said Keith Friel. “We need to get stops defensively, finish easy looks on offense, and play our game, forcing [the Drive] to adjust.”

Leading the way for the RazorSharks thus far in the playoffs is Jerice Crouch, averaging 21.5 points per game and 4.5 assists per game. Jamaal Davis and Todd McCoy are averaging 15.5 PPG and 14.5 PPG, respectively, and Aaron Williams is averaging a double-double, with 10.5 PPG and 10.5 rebounds per game.

The Drive finished their regular season with an 18-1 record to finish on top of the Central Division. They also swept their semi-final opponent, as they defeated the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Steamers 132-103 and 125-108 in their two game series.

“Our goal is to play the same way we played last [against Sauk Valley in game two of the semi-finals],” said Williams. “Its all about staying focused and staying intense. We have to go out and play hard. This championship does not come down to offense, we need to play good defense.”

The Drive were lead by Anthony Slack’s 21.5 PPG and 7.5 RPG and Jemal Farmer’s 16.5 PPG and 9.5 RPG. Guard Daniel Ruffin averaged 15 PPG and 6.5 APG in the series. Todd Peterson was second on the team in the series averaging 18.5 PPG.

“The championship is in our sights,” said Crouch. “We both have momentum, so its all about who is more focused.”

Both teams will be focused and ready on Thursday, as game one of the series will be played at the Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester Community War Memorial in Rochester, N.Y., with tip-off scheduled for 7:35pm Eastern Standard Time.

Game two will be Saturday at 7:05pm Central Standard Time from the US Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington, Ill. If necessary, game three will also be played at the US Cellular Coliseum on Sunday with a 4:05pm Central Standard Time tip off.

Game 2 of the Best of 3 2012 Premier Basketball League Championship Series will be held on Saturday, April 14th at US Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington, Illinois. The RazorSharks will take on the Central Illinois Drive, doors open at 6:00pm and Tip-off at 7:05pm.

Game 3 (if necessary) will take place on Sunday, April 15th at US Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington, Illinois.  Doors open at 3:00pm and Tip-off scheduled at 4:05pm.

The 2012 Premier Basketball League Series games can be viewed through @SportsTV (www.atsportstv.com).

To order Rochester RazorSharks merchandise, visit razorsharks.com

Representatives from The Father’s House will be on hand at the RazorSharks playoff game on Saturday, April 7^th as the RazorSharks play game 2 of the best of three Premier Basketball League Series at the Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester Community War Memorial.  They will be able to answer questions about their church and the people who call it home.

The Father’s House will be holding “One Big Easter Experience”- Paint The Town Red, on Sunday, April 8^th (Easter Sunday) at 11:00am (doors open 10am) at the Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester Community War Memorial. Thousands are expected to turn out. More information about “One Big Easter Experience” and The Father’s House can be found by visiting www.tfhny.org or by calling (585) 889-4870.

The Rochester RazorSharks are the defending 2011 Premier Basketball League Champions and are in the 2012 Premier Basketball League Best of Three Playoff Series. Game One of the series is Friday, April 6^th against the Sauk Valley Predators in Sterling, Illinois. Tipoff is at 8:00pm Eastern.  Game 2 is at the Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester Community War Memorial against the Sauk Valley Predators. Tipoff is at 7:05pm. If necessary, Game 3 will be played at the Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester Community War Memorial on Monday, April 9^th against the Predators. Tipoff at 7:35pm. Tickets are now on sale for all the playoff games at the Blue Cross Arena Box Office. To get RazorSharks merchandise, visit www.razorsharks.com

After having their 14-game winning streak ended with a loss to the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Steamers on Sunday, the RazorSharks knew they needed to take a step back and regroup themselves.

“We have to focus on ourselves and go over our game plan,” said Todd McCoy. “We do not know anything about this team, so we have to prepare ourselves.”

The PBL regular season was structured where a team only plays against the other members of its division. The playoff format is a four team bracket that places the division champion against the other divisions second place team.

This means that the semi-finals will put teams against each other that have not played this season. Rochester won the Eastern Division with a 17-2 record and Sauk Valley finished 13-6, good for second in the Central Division.

“It’s tough preparing for a team we’ve never played, but you have to be resourceful,” said Assistant Coach Chris Iversen. “We’ll figure out what we can with what information we have, but more importantly we will worry about ourselves.”

A common theme throughout the RazorSharks season is that they can not always control what their opponent does, but they need to focus on themselves to improve.

“We need to practice hard and fix any bad habits,” said Aaron Williams. “If we focus and play 100% and the way we are capable of, we can win this championship.”

After game one is played in Sterling, Ill., the two teams will travel to Rochester, N.Y. for game two on Saturday, April 7 at 7:05pm at the Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester Community War Memorial. If necessary, game three would be Monday, April 9 at 7:35pm.

Johnny Mayhane and Brandon Webster made the RazorSharks roster out of training camp and began their first season as professional basketball players.

“The game is much faster paced, the crowds are bigger, and there is more pressure,” said Webster. “You get the pressure from fans and coaches, but most of the pressure is on yourself, you don’t want to mess up.”

Webster, who averaged 6.9 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game during the regular season, attended Fresno State University in Fresno, Calif., where he feels he could have been a better player.

“I didn’t do as well as I could have and that has led to a lot of the pressure,” said Webster.

Mayhane views professional basketball with a different approach, viewing the college and professional game as not being different, but just as a level above.

“A hard working player will get better each year,” said Mayhane. “And when you start playing bigger, stronger, faster, and quicker players, hard work will get you better and able to play with these guys.”

Mayhane has improved his game this year against those more talented opponents, averaging 10.7 points per game and 3.1 rebounds per game for the RazorSharks. Mayhane has also seen his minutes increase lately when he was inserted into the starting lineup when veteran guard Keith Friel went out with an injury.

The one thing both men can agree on is the fact that this is their job and their profession for the near future.

“In college, we can only practice so much,” said Webster. “But we are professionals now, and [Head] Coach [Rod] Baker loves to practice.” As far as a job, that means no more school and classes.

“It’s nice not to have any classes and books to carry around on road trips,” said Mayhane. “That was very stressful having to worry about the game and the test.”

Now both men do not have to worry about that big paper or how to spend their free time, but they do have to worry about the Sauk Valley Predators, their opponent in the first round of the Premier Basketball League playoffs.

“We need to really turn it up now,” said Webster. “We have to really compete in practice more than ever and have to make each other better every day so we can win this championship.”

“Every game from here on out is bigger than any game before it,” said Mayhane. “So we just have to take this one game at a time and be ready for the challenge.”

The RazorSharks will open their playoff series on the road when they travel to Sauk Valley for a Friday April 6^th game at 7:05pm (Central Time). Game two will be played in Rochester on Saturday April 7^th at 7:05pm (Eastern Time) If needed, Game 3 of the series will be played in Rochester on Monday April 9^th with a 7:35pm tip-off.

After the RazorSharks went on a 9-1 run to start the fourth quarter and take a 95-90 lead, Brandon Tunnell (15 points, 7 assists) of the Steamers drove through the lane to make the basket and the foul, swinging momentum back towards Scranton Wilkes-Barre and creating back-and-forth action.

The Steamers took a seven point lead with 3:29 left in the game when Jerice Crouch (19 points, 7 assists) hit a 3-pointer and a Steamers turnover led to a fast break with Crouch throwing an alley-oop to Aaron Williams (team-high 20 points, six rebounds) who finished with an emphatic dunk to bring the crowd of 4,877 to their feet and bring the RazorSharks within two points.

After a Chris Commons (27 points, six blocks) 3-pointer gave the Steamers a lead, Williams hit one of two free throws for Rochester to tie the game with 20.5 seconds remaining.

With the Steamers in possession of the ball, Simpson (20 points, eight assists) took a 3-pointer for the win, but was fouled by Johnny Mayhane (seven points, seven rebounds, five assists) and proceeded to hit all three free throws.

A Jamaal Davis (eight points, eight rebounds) 3-pointer missed at the buzzer, sealing the Steamers first win against the RazorSharks this year.

Other leaders for the RazorSharks were Tasheed Carr with 17 points and six assists and Todd McCoy with 16 points. Jarhon Giddings had 12 points, seven rebounds, and three steals off the bench, Brandon Webster ended with 11 points and seven rebounds, and Melvin Council had a team-high eight assists.

For the Steamers, Tyler Bullock had 14 points, six rebounds, and three steals and Colby Batiste finished with a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds along with four assists and three steals. Matt Gorman finished with 11 points and six rebounds and Kyle Robbins had 10 points and six rebounds.

It will be the best of three series; first game will be on Friday, April 6^th,

Game 1 @ Sterling, Illinois

1^st Seed, Eastern Division – Rochester RazorSharks   ~VS~

2^nd Seed, Central Division – Sauk Valley Predators

Game 2 on Saturday, April 7th @ Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester Community War Memorial

2^nd Seed, Central Division – Sauk Valley Predators  ~VS~

1^st Seed, Eastern Division – Rochester RazorSharks

Doors open at 6:00pm; tip-off at 7:05pm

(If Necessary) Game 3 on Monday, April 9th @ Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester Community War Memorial

2^nd Seed, Central Division – Sauk Valley Predators  ~VS~

1^st Seed, Eastern Division – Rochester RazorSharks

Doors open at 6:30pm; tip-off at 7:35pm

The 1^st seeded team in the Central Division is the Central Illinois Drive, who will play the 2^nd seeded team in the Eastern Division, the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Steamers in a best of three series.

The winners of these rounds will go on to the 2012 Premier Basketball League Championship Series. This will be a best of three game series to determine the 2012 Premier Basketball League Champion.

The RazorSharks’ (17-1 in Eastern Division) last regular season home game is Sunday, April 1^st against the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Steamers at the Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester Community War Memorial. Doors open at 1:00pm and tip-off is at 2:05p. The first 1,000 fans through the door receive a free 2012 Rochester RazorSharks Team Photo, courtesy of The Father’s House and Project HUGS.

The playoff series tickets will go on sale for the 1^st Round of the 2012 Premier Basketball League on Friday, March 30, 2012 at 11:00am the Blue Cross Arena Box Office. General Admission tickets are $5.00; Reserved Seat tickets are $10.00 and court side seats are $25.00. To order RazorSharks/NikeTeam gear; visit razorsharks.com

Brendan Brazier, formulator of Vega Sport, states: “Working with top athletes, I recognize that most aren’t realizing their full potential because of short-comings in existing sport nutrition. I’m thrilled the Rochester RazorSharks will be incorporating the Vega Sport System into their training, and look forward to hearing about the team’s success both on and off the court.”

“I have used Vega Sport products personally for the last couple of years and honored to have them as a sponsor.  I am a big believer in their approach to helping athletes reach their maximum potential through proper nutrition”- said Co-Owner and CEO of the Rochester RazorSharks, Adam House.

More information about Vega Sport System can be found at www.vegasport.com

The partnership begins at the Sunday, April 1^st game at the Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester Community War Memorial. Vega™ will be included in an in-game promotional giveaway to fans and more. The RazorSharks (17-1) take on the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Steamers at 2:05pm. Gates open at 1:00pm. Tickets are now on sale at the Blue Cross Arena Box Office; $5.00 General Admission, $10.00 Reserved and $25.00 Court Side seating.  To order Rochester Razorsharks NikeTeam gear visit www.RazorSharks.com