Dayton Air Stirkers head into crucial weekend looking to make PBLplayoffs

The Dayton Air Strikers might want to borrow deceased Raiders owner "Al Davis" motto for the weekend:
 "Just win baby" as the Strikers (4-10) look to get off a 4-game losing streak and back into the PBL playoff race during the last weeks of the regular season. 

     For the Air Strikers its pretty simple. They trail the Scranton Steamers (8-10) in which they will play them on Saturday (Moraine Civic Center) at 2pm.    

Air Strikers D big 7'3 monster for Lake Michigan

 
    However the Air Strikers first must take on the Lake Michigan Admirals tonight @ New Roosvelt (7:30pm) in a win or go home like situation. Both teams are 4-10 and likely know that the two games they face off will be cruicial to either advancing. If the Air Strikers pull off the 3-game sweep this weekend they will be sitting in a tie with Scranton with 3 games to play; A loss, especially to Scranton, and the Air Strikers may see their once promising hopes dashed.
  
    In talking with the Air Strikers, they seem to be pretty excited about the fact that they still have an opportuinity to get to the PBL Playoffs, considering their slide.

    Im sure Al Davis is somewhere with that cheshire cat grin and that leather outfit relaxing in a better place. If the Air Strikers can't somehow find a way to get his motto done this weekend, they might be there unfortunately, as well.

  
  

Dayton Air Strikers head into playoff run in PBL

     Heading into the 2nd half of the season, the Dayton Air Strikers are embarking on the most important week of their season. The season has been a roller coaster of a ride, starting off by winning the PBL Pre-Season tournament, then losing 3 of its first 4 games of the regular season. Now sitting at 4-6 and a 1 game lead for second place, the Air Strikers have their PBL playoff stakes in their own hands.
    

Air Strikers ready for battle

     The Air Strikers will take on Lake Michigan Admirals tonight at the Moraine Civic Center (7pm). The Admirals are 2-9 and know their playoff hopes are on life support. The Air Strikers last defeated Lake Michigan up in Michigan, and look to carry that momentum into tonights game. However, the Air Strikers will also take on PBL Champion Rochester on Thursday (7pm), then they will battle Lake Michigan on Saturday and Scranton again on Sunday, due to reschedules in the PBL. So this 4 game homestand could literally make or break the Air Strikers hopes of reaching the PBL playoffs in April.

     If the Air Strikers are to win 3 of the 4 games this week, this would put them at 7-7, sitting firmly in second place with 6 games remaining. If they can beat Scranton, then that would put Scranton 3 games behind while with 2 more games at Dayton, which would be ideal for the Air Strikers.
   
     The Air Strikers are healthy, with Aaron Perry, Avery Smith, and Brandon Russ all healed from early season injuries. The Strikers have the talent to get all the way to the PBL playoffs and beyond; Question is, can they ride that roller coaster all the way to a fantastic finish, or will they be overwhelmed with the pressure and expectations of winning a pre-season championship?

Dayton Air Strikers win Preseason PBL tournamant, beats Lake Michigan

   About 15 minutes prior to arriving at the Lake Michigan Catholic gym, the charter bus turns a corner and we looked to our left, and there was nothing but water (Lake Michigan). Breathtaking to a degree, everyone stopped in their tracks and took a look. I then told coach, "You get caught in that body of water, aint' no swimming out of that one!" in which guys laughed, head coach Chris McGuire agreed and we moved on.

Lake Michigan

    In the 4th quarter, the Dayton Air Strikers hit so many shots that it seemed like the Air Strikers were shooting in Lake Michigan as they scored 42 points in the 4th quarter (outscoring the Admirals 42-23) and turning a physical, important, intense, nail-biting game into a blowout 122-102.

    To most, the Air Strikers had done the impossible; won the preseason tournament in the PBL.

   The game was a battle from the jump. Admirals MVP Odgra Bobo came out firing and dropped 12 points to pace the Admirals in the first quarter, who had fans from the ceilings for this game. He was on a tear, and it wasn't sure who was going to stop him. The Air Strikers matched the Admirals point for point. After the first three quarters no team had a lead larger than 6, at half it was 53-50 (Lake Michigan) and after the 3rd it was 80-79 (Dayton).
    In the 4th quarter Dayton could do no wrong. In front of coaches and scouts for other teams (Chicago, Charleston, PBL Champion Rochester, among others) the Air Strikers hit a flurry of 3-pointers (Walker, C.J., Bo Harris), went inside (Flint Michigan native Skinner, T. Martin, Aaron Perry and Hassell) and even when Lake Michigan scored, Dayton immediately came back and responded. Brandon Hassell (Penn St) led the way with 22 points in the win.

Brandon Hassell sizes up opponent, who is 7'3

    Dayton did what no team had done in this tournament; went on the road in consecutive weeks and won. Convincingly. And to top it off, the winning team was suppposed to recieve a bonus - making it all the more sweeter for the Air Strikers, who went 3-18 last season in the PBL, and was seemingly the doormats in the league. As you looked around during the waning minutes it seemed like everyone was in shock; from the Lake Michigan coaches, the players, the once jubilant fans, the front office. Even the other coaches for other teams looked a little surprised. But judging from the first two weeks of the preseason, there could be a lot more surprises in store for the Dayton Air Strikers and their opponents. Just ask the Indiana Diesels and Lake Michigan.
    Dayton Air Strikers have spoken without saying a word in the media. And it reads like this:  Opponents beware, or you could feel like you're in the middle of Lake Michigan without a paddle. And we ALL know what will happen if thats the case, joking or not.



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