Chargers fall to Salem in franchise's first game.

Byline: Adam Jude The Register-Guard

Measured by the sheer numbers, the International Basketball League's first official showcase in Eugene offered a lukewarm introduction.

Measured as pure entertainment, the Eugene Chargers didn't disappoint Friday night.

In an energetic and compelling effort, the Chargers began their inaugural season with a loss - a 107-97 setback to the visiting Salem Stampede - though they may have gained at least a few loyal followers among the near-capacity crowd at the Morse Event Center on the Northwest Christian College campus.

And, as such a new and experimental venture, the Chargers are pleased with the initial reception.

"We lost the game, but the fans were into it - and I think they'll be back," team executive Tony Alvarez said.

Still, the Chargers aren't content with filling the seats. They're hoping to fill the scoreboard as well.

"Our team has really high expectations," center Bo Colas said. "There's no moral victories here, and I hope our team doesn't see it that way."

Among the estimated 1,000 in attendance - there was no official attendance figure - was most of the Oregon men's basketball team.

The Chargers hung around the court well after the final buzzer, greeting friends and family and signing autographs for young fans.

"I hope we put on a good show," said Travis Melvin, a 1998 Pleasant Hill High graduate who had six points and a team-high five assists. "It was our first time out, but once we learn each other, it's going to be a different story."

It nearly was a different outcome Friday, if not for a lopsided turnover margin for Eugene.

Behind 18 first-half points by center Michael Harper, Eugene (0-1) built a 53-37 lead midway through the second quarter and led by 14 at the break.

Salem, another expansion team in the 2-year-old IBL, improved to 3-0 thanks to an impressive third-quarter spurt - and some Eugene miscues.

The Chargers had nine turnovers in the third quarter - 24 turnovers in all, compared with 11 for Salem - as the Stampede used a 25-7 run to erase the deficit in the third quarter.

Eugene tied the score at 79 on a Jahmez Dixon basket early in the fourth, but Salem pulled away in the final minutes.

"It was never of question if we could play in the league," said Eugene coach Kenya Wilkins, the former Oregon star. "It was more a question I had of how long it would take for us to jell."

Salem's Ramon Taylor had a game-high 28 points.

Harper finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Chargers. Colas, a Florida alum, added 21 points and 13 boards.

Former Northwest Christian College standout Josh Harbert had seven points, and former Oregon center Matt Short had two points off the bench.

After his head-coaching debut, Wilkins said he will watch film to evaluate the players - and himself - before the Chargers' next game at home Friday against Central Oregon.

"In the first half, we got a teaser of what type of team we can be," Wilkins said. "Salem's a good team, and they're used to raising their level up. We didn't meet the challenge."