SHAWNEE, OK — The Potawatomi Fire can complete their season-long mission and accomplish several major goals with a win Sunday night. A win by the Fire against the St. Louis Griffins in game two of the TBL Finals makes the Fire the first ever back-t0-back champions in TBL history. A win also completes the first full perfect season in league history.
Game two will be Sunday night at FireLake Arena in Shawnee, Oklahoma with tipoff just after 7 p.m. If necessary, game three would be played Monday night at FireLake Arena, also tipping off just after 7 p.m.
The Fire took game one of the TBL Finals in St.Louis at Harris-Stowe State University on Thursday night, winning 120-106. The Fire and Griffins traded blows early in game one before Paul Harrison converted on a four-point possession to put the Fire up 12-8 with just under 7 minutes remaining in the first. From there, the Fire never looked back.
“I was proud of our guys tonight,” said Fire head coach Mark Dannhoff. “St. Louis is a very good team that doesn’t quit. I was proud of how we kept our composure and kept playing.”
Harrison led the Fire with 28 points on 10 of 17 shooting. Harrison also had seven rebounds, two assists, a block, and a steal. Chuck Guy had another fantastic game with 26 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Making him homecoming, St. Louis native and Harris-Stowe alum, Deshawn Munson had 19 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists. Jachai Simmons had arguably his best game of the postseason with 15 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks, and two steals. Ricky Artis II, making his first start of the postseason, finished with 13 points, five rebounds, three rebounds, and four steals. Finally, off the bench, Ruston Hayward finished with 11 points, four rebounds, and two assists. The Griffins had five players in double figures led by Ranell Crossland with 18 points.
The awards continue to roll in for the defending TBL champion Fire as Ricky Artis II was named TBL Co-Sixth Man of the Year earlier this week. That followed head coach Mark Dannhoff earning his second straight TBL Coach of the Year award prior to last Saturday’s win over the Los Angeles Ignite. Chuck Guy is the leading candidate for TBL MVP and that award will likely be announced this weekend. Guy has already earned First Team All-TBL and All-Central Conference. Deshawn Munson earned Honorable Mention All-TBL and Second Team All-Central Conference. K.D. Moore earned First Team All-Central Conference. Not to mention the Fire Girls, the Potawatomi Fire dance team, earned their second straight Best Dance Team in the Central Conference.
You can watch a live stream of the playoff games on TBL TV or listen to the games on KGFF Radio (100.9 FM/1450 AM/KGFF.com). You can purchase tickets for game two at potawatomifire.com/tickets or by calling the FireLake Arena box office at 405-273-1637.
Be sure to follow the Fire on social media (Instagram, Facebook, X) to stay up to date with all the latest information on the Fire.
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The Potawatomi Fire are the first professional basketball team owned by a Native American tribe (Citizen Potawatomi Nation) in Oklahoma. The Fire compete in the Central Conference of The Basketball League (TBL), a men’s professional basketball league, now with 38 teams across the U.S. and Canada. Along with winning the TBL championship in 2023, the Fire organization was named the 2022 winner of the Jim Koch Award as TBL’s Best Ran Business. The dance team of the Fire, the Fire Girls, were named TBL’s 2022 Best Dance Team and Central Conference Best Dance Team in 2023 and again in 2024.
The TBL season begins in February and runs through June, concluding with a championship playoff tournament. The players that make up the rosters of the TBL teams are former NCAA (Division I, II or III) or NAIA athletes. Many have played in the NBA’s developmental G-League and/or professionally overseas.
Story by Justin Wollard & Chris Cox / Photos by Kent Bush