The Eugene Chargers offered fans their first glimpse of minor league basketball Friday night.
The new basketball franchise, part of the International Basketball League, also featured the professional debut of center Matt Short, who played the past four years for the University men’s basketball team.
The Chargers fell 107-97 to the visiting Salem Stampede at the Morse Event Center on the Northwest Christian College campus.
Rosters are a mix of local talent and lesser-known players from across the country. Besides crowd-favorite Short Friday night, Grayson Boucher of Salem had the most name recognition among fans, having participated in the AND1 Mix Tape Tour on ESPN.
Short graduated following winter term and decided to join the Chargers to start his pro career. At least six former teammates watched, including Malik Hairston and Bryce Taylor.
Short admitted afterward he may receive some good-natured ribbing after his two-point and two-rebound performance. Short also had a steal and a block, but had his own layup attempt blocked and was called for traveling.
“I would have liked to put on a little better performance for the guys, but I’m glad they showed up,” he said.
Short played in 11 of Oregon’s 33 games last season.
“I kind of got used to just accepting that I wasn’t going in,” Short said. “With the changed role, I’ve just got to change my mentality.”
Chargers coach and former Oregon point guard Kenya Wilkins is content with the effort and role of Short.
“Matt has a lot of good low-post skills,” Wilkins said. “Matt just joined on with us, so we can’t expect Matt to get a 20 point game, 20 rebound game, but I was happy with the effort that Matt gave us.”
Fellow Oregon alum Jay Anderson is expected to join the Chargers in the middle of the month after he’s finished playing for a team in Germany.
Eugene used two 6-foot-9 posts for a bulk of its scoring Friday. Michael Harper, a forward from Florida A&M, and Bonell Colas, a center and alumnus of Florida, scored 22 and 21 points, respectively. Coles worked near the basket and Harper attacked from the perimeter.
“With that (outside shooting), it stretches out the offense and allows me to work down low for easy scores and passes back out to our guards,” Coles said.
Both scored the majority of their points in the first half, when the Chargers saw their early 13-point lead dip to one and then grow to 14 points by halftime, 60-46.
“The first half was a teaser to the type of team that we can be,” Wilkins said.
Boucher, known on the AND1 Tour as The Professor, contributed to Salem’s second-half comeback with two consecutive floaters in the key to tie the game at 65. After Eugene’s next jumper by Damon King, Salem’s Jeff Dunn hit a three-pointer and the Stampede never trailed again.
“Every time I go in, I change the momentum of the game,” Boucher said. “I provide the spark.”
Back and forth action is part of IBL’s draw. The IBL showcases fast-paced, high-scoring basketball games designed to run smoothly in two hours or less.
Teams are allowed only one timeout per quarter, and there is an immediate inbounds rule that reduces time between stoppages in play. The shot clock is reduced from 24 seconds to 22 and time allowed to bring the ball up the court is eight seconds instead of 10.
Franchises fly only once each season, reducing travel costs and keeping operating costs reasonable. Operating costs currently range from $50,000-80,000.

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