ABOUT THE TEAM


The Manchester Millrats are a member of the Premier Basketball League - presenting the finest in affordable, professional basketball. Our mission is bring exciting, professional basketball to New England, while also making a positive impact in our community.

 
 OUR CONTACT INFO:
MANCHESTER MILLRATS, LLC
816 Elm Street, PMB #182
Manchester, NH 03101
Main: (888)-646-RATS
Fax: (888)-321-2821


Season Two 2008-2009:

The Millrats completed their inaugural season in the PBL in 2008-2009, their second season as a franchise.  Head Coach Rob Spon led Manchester to a 16-4 regular season record on the strength of a 10-0 home record.  This record was achieved despite dropping two very close season opening games on the road at Montreal and Quebec.

Manchester entered the PBL Playoffs as the #3 seed, thus earning an automatic bye to the second road of the playoffs, where they were matched up with the PBL Champion Rochester Razorsharks.  Facing Rochester in a best-of-three series in which the Millrats hosted the opening game, Manchester knew it would be important to maintain that undefeated record at home.  In the third quarter, the Razorsharks managed to blow out a very close first half game, behind NH native Keith Friel's sensational shooting, and took a 125-110 Game 1 victory.

Down 1-0 and heading to the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, where the Razorsharks had been an astounding 57-1 in their last 58 games, it would've been easy for the Millrats to roll over and head into the off season without a fight.  But that's not what this team was about.  Rallying from an 18-point third quarter deficit in Game 2, Manchester emerged with an upset victory in Rochester as Desmond Ferguson, the former Portland Trail Blazer and the man they call "Moneyball", drained a deep three-pointer to beat the shot clock with under a minute to go. That shot lifted the Manchester Millrats over the Rochester RazorSharks, 116-110, thus staving off elimination.

Game 3 was delayed by the home team from Tuesday to the following Saturday, which helped ensure a full home crowd was in effect.  Again Manchester fell behind, this time by 21 points in the first half, but again managed to rally, cutting the deficit to just 2 midway through the fourth period.  But unlike Game 2, Rochester was able to hold on and eliminate Manchester, 110-103.  This was one of the most epic playoff battles in PBL history.

The Millrats also enjoyed some notable success during the season.  Manchester captured the preseason Green Mountain Tip-Off Tournament crown by defeating the Vermont Frost Heaves in Barre, VT 94-90.  Manchester took down the Frost Heaves four more times this season, three in the PBL regular season, and once in the Champlain Cup Series.  Manchester matched its first season overall record of 5-2 vs Vermont, good for 10-4 in franchise history.

Some highlights of our tremendous first season were:

  • Manchester posted a franchise high 80% regular season winning percentage (16-4 in the PBL regular season and 24-8 overall).

  • Manchester defeated the BSN Champions from Puerto Rico, the Capitanes de Arecibo, in a preseason matchup, 113-110.

  • Manchester was the Champion of the Green Mountain Tip-Off Tournament in December.

  • Manchester was the Champion of the Boston Premiere Pro Summer League in July.

  • Rob Spon was named PBL Coach of the Month in February.

  • Desmond Ferguson and Marlowe Currie were named to the PBL All-Playoff Team.

  • Al Stewart was named PBL Co-Defensive Player of the Year.

  • Manchester was the PBL Atlantic Division Champion

Here are some pictures that defined our second season:

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Season One:2007-2008:

The first season was a TREMENDOUS success as the Millrats recorded a great first season record of 28-12 and made it to the ABA's Final Four.  They fell a bit short in overtime to the San Diego Wildcats, 115-109.  

 
We were very proud at how the Millrats players kept battling back against a very tough Wildcat team.  The Millrats fell behind several times in the pressure packed playoff game, once by as many as 14 points, but battled back each time. At each quarter break the score was tied or within a one point difference.  Guard Rashid Al-Kaleem came off the bench to drill a three pointer from the deep left corner to tie the score at 104-104 with three seconds left and force overtime.  The Wildcats prevailed in overtime and lost to our rival, the Vermont Frost Heaves, in the championship game.

 

Some highlights of our tremendous first season were:

  • Manchester Millrats won a franchise record 28 games and advanced to the Final Four

  • Anthony Anderson was named ABA Most Valuable Player (MVP)

  • Anthony Anderson and PJ Young were named to the ABA All Star Game

  • Anthony Anderson wins ABA All Star Game MVP

  • Anthony Anderson named ABA Great 8 All-Tournament Team

  • Anthony Anderson named First Team All-ABA

  • Ismael Caro and Al Stewart named Honorable Mention All-ABA

  • Anthony Anderson named ProBasketballNews.Com's #3 Best Player in the Minor Leagues

  • Anthony Anderson named ProBasketballNews.Com's Player of the Week in Feb '08

  • Ian McCarthy was named ABA General Manager of the Year   

  • The Millrats were only team to defeat the eventual (and defending) ABA Champion Vermont Frost Heaves. They did so four times, winning 4 of 6 contests, plus winning the preseason matchup between the teams.

  • The Manchester Millrats traveled twice to Singapore, and were the only team to soundly defeat the Beijing Aoshen Olympians (140-111).  The Olympians featured several members of China's Olympic team including 6'9 point guard Sun Yue, a 2007 second round draft pick of the LA Lakers.

Here are some pictures that defined our first season:


      

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