ALBANY – The Albany Patroons have come frustratingly close to a The Basketball League title the past two years. They’re still deciding whether to chase another trophy in the TBL or the new Basketball Super League next year.
After Monday’s heartbreaking 95-93 loss to the St. Louis Griffins at Washington Avenue Armory in Game 3 of the TBL’s East Regional finals, co-owner Rebecca Clifford said the Patroons were likely to decline membership in the BSL, an upper-echelon offshoot of the TBL that is to begin play next December.
“Let it work out its kinks the first year,” she said. “Let them figure all that stuff out. We’ll stay here and keep doing our thing.”
She cited travel concerns with a number of Canadian teams signed up to play in the BSL. That includes the Newfoundland Rogues, a team the Patroons beat in the East Conference finals. Albany bused to Montreal to catch a 2 1/2-hour flight to the island of Newfoundland.
“I don’t have any desire to travel back up,” she said. “It’s a lot.”
TBL commissioner Dave Magley said he hasn’t talked much with Rebecca Clifford about the matter, but has discussed it with her husband and co-owner Sam Clifford.
“Whatever’s best for them,” Magley said. “It’s really an option for people.”
Sam Clifford was noncommittal in a Facebook message. He said the organization is “taking a breath right now” after a “devastating” loss.
“The ownership team will reconvene after getting our players home safely and back to their families,” Clifford wrote. “It has been an incredible season that expelled a ton of energy. We need some time to regroup and recharge … and do our final assessment of the BSL and make our final decision.”
Magley said the BSL will include eight to 12 members from a combination of Canadian and U.S. teams in its first season. The BSL will offer a 32-game schedule – 20 home and 12 away – with…
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