Jeff Halbert Helps Bury Ravens In Rumble

BRONX, NEW YORK -- Coming off a great victory this morning, the New York Ravens were unable to sustain the emotion that helped them to a great victory over the Long Island Panthers. They met a different type of Panther this afternoon in their bid to win the Rumble in the Bronx on the campus of Fordham University. And this Panther was ready to pounce on the weary Ravens.

Helping the Ravens run out of gas was a great effort by the Howard Pulley Panthers. The Panthers won the semifinal contest, 82-62.

Jeff Halbert led the way with 22 points. He and his teammates raced off to an early 9-0 lead. The advantage stretched to 26-5 midway through the first half. The first half ended with Pulley ahead, 53-27.

The Panthers bottled up Ravens' top scorer, Allan Ray, who finished with 17 hard earned points. Ray was defended nicely by an aggressive Pulley zone and some nice individual defensive work by Terry Pettis.

Besides Halbert, Steve King helped the Panthers move out quickly with a couple of three-pointers. King finished the game with 18 points. Kris Humphries had 13 points for the winners while his teammates Zerek Knight and Pettis added eight.

Francisco Garcia had 11 points for the losers while Curtis Stinson had eight and Don McGrath had seven.

Howard Pulley will play Riverside Church, which upended the Brooklyn Bridge in the other semifinal. Riverside Church knocked off the Bridge, 67-61.

We will have details of the final when it concludes.