Baltimore Lightning
CBA 1985-1986

The Lancaster Lightning relocated to Baltimore for the 1985-86 season, and became the first CBA franchise in Maryland since the 1978-79 season, when the Baltimore Metros played half a season in the CBA. With a new head coach in Henry Bibby, and a new home floor at Towson State University, the Lightning looked like a solid franchise ready to take on the CBA's best.

Baltimore started the season with a 6-1 run, but slumped midway through the season, and by the All-Star break the team had a 14-18 record.

Baltimore guard Don Collins had a career game on January 21, when the Lightning defeated the Detroit Spirits 126-115 (5-2). In that game, Collins scored 63 points, the highest total for a non-overtime game in the CBA's modern era. Collins also broke CBA records for field goals made and attempted. Unfortunately, Collins later missed a practice thereafter, and received a one-game suspension from the team.

The franchise that was supposed to find a new solid home in Baltimore was bleeding money fast. The team did not have a great walk-up crowd for games - they drew 1,586 for their home opener against the Toronto Tornados, but could only draw 1,000 or better just once in the regular season. A Dec. 8 win against the Maine Windjammers was seen by only 270 fans; the team averaged 500 fans for a late January four-game homestand.

At one stretch of time, the Baltimore Lightning only had five players capable of suiting up for a game - and CBA Commissioner Jim Drucker had received reports of bouncing paychecks, and told the Baltimore ownership group that they had until February 15, 1986 to sell the franchise to someone else. Even Don Collins, who had scored 63 points in a game earlier in the season, was dealt to the Tampa Bay Thrillers in early February - essentially because the Lightning couldn't afford to keep Collins.

In the second half of the season, Coach Bibby traded several players, acquiring veterans Brook Steppe, Ron Valentine and Dexter Shouse - and Baltimore eventually won 12 of their last 16 games to make the playoffs.

The playoffs, however, were a disaster for the Baltimore Lightning. Dexter Shouse quit the team at the end of the season, leaving the Lightning without an adequate defense against their opening-round playoff opponent, the Bay State Bombardiers, and Bay State's CBA Rookie of the Year, Michael Adams.

Baltimore's own rookie scoring sensation, Adrian Branch, injured a tendon in his foot in the first game of the series and only saw minimal action throughout the playoffs. The Baltimore home crowd didn't even get to see the Lightning during the playoffs - prior commitments at the Towson Center meant that the Lightning's "home" games were held in Pittsfield, Mass. Baltimore lost the playoff series in six games - and Coach Bibby was released shortly after the season ended.

In the offseason, however, the franchise that had moved from Lancaster to Philadelphia to Lancaster to Baltimore, would find a new home in Rockford, Illinois - a home where the previously mobile franchise would plant roots and stay for the next twenty years.

             W   L   QW     QP   Result
1985-1986   26  22  101.0 179.0  Lost quarterfinals

1985-1986 Lost to Bay State Bombardiers in quarterfinals, 2 games to 4