by Justin Marville

Having beaten reigning six-time league champs Station Hill Cavaliers in their last two outings, the lady Challengers had high hopes of matching their previous performances.

This time, they would not even match the output of the country's best player.

A season-high 40 points from overseas-based professional Jamila Griffith were more than the entire Challengers team could muster as the Cavs romped to an 87-38 rout on Thursday in the latest action of the BABA Women's League.

Playing at the Barbados Community College, the national women's captain started in ominous form, scoring at will in the paint as the opposing frontcourt failed to keep her off the offensive glass.

But the star forward got little help offensively from her teammates, accounting for ten of the side's 13 first-quarter points as the defending league champs held a mere five-point lead entering the ensuing period.

Despite Griffith's continued exploits at the start of the second quarter, the Challengers (4-3) still managed to keep the deficit in single digits, with shooting guard Sharece Shepherd exploding for eight quick points.

But Shepherd's resistance would prove futile once the Cavs (7-1) got to forcing turnovers, using a stifling brand of full-court pressure to create several transition opportunities at the other end of the floor.

The result was a 14-6 Station Hill run to close the quarter, highlighted by Phillips' buzzer-beating three-pointer that brought the half to an end, giving the champs a 37-24 half-time lead.

And the Cavs would pour it on from there.

Buoyed by their stingy full court man defence, the Cavaliers turned an initial 6-2 surge into a 23-10 thrashing, blowing the game wide open to start the third.

Station Hill would restrict their rivals to just ten third quarter points and a mere four points in the fourth on just two field goals, as the lady Challengers failed to come to terms with their opponents' stifling pressure.

And the Cavs ensured they would rub salt in the gaping wound, keeping most of their starters on the floor in the fourth against the Challengers reserves while feeding Griffith on the inside for her big night.

Veteran forward Susan Harris scored a team-high 16 points for the Challengers while Shepherd finished with ten – all coming in the second quarter. Phillips assisted Griffith with 18 points

by Justin Marville

FOR MOST REGIONAL HOOPS FANS hosting NBA pre-season games is a mere pipe dream. Then again, most hoops fans aren't Craig Skilling.

A former employee in the NBA's league office in the Player Development Department and one-time group events manager in NBA franchise Miami Heat, Skilling has designs of promoting and building the sport of basketball across the Caribbean.

And according to him, it should culminate with scholarships to United States colleges for many of the region's best ballers and hopefully, the annual staging of NBA preseason games.

But how does he plan to pull off something so monumental?

It's simple - start out by initially giving the Caribbean a taste of what can happen.

And that is exactly what Skilling has been doing in the country over the weekend, staging various events across the island through his Barbados Celebrity Basketball Charity Weekend.

As founder of the Skill Entertainment Group Incorporated - an entertainment company which specialises in producing sports and entertainment events - Skilling has used a subsidiary of the group, SEG Agency, to secure starting point guard for NBA Houston Rockets Rafer Alston, along with former player and scout with the Heat, Wali Jones, for a basketball clinic with the island's best juniors yesterday morning.

Skilling also obtained the services of Grammy award winning singer, MYA to speak to the young charges on behalf of the HIV/AIDS Commission, with her later on hosting an after party at Club NXS with Trinidadian-American R & amp;B artiste, Casely, as featured act.

So why would a former employee of basketball's foremost league office focus his efforts on developing a dying sport

in the Caribbean?

Conceding his own self-interest in the region, Skilling admitted that a lot of his concern stems from parentage, as his mother is Barbadian-born while his father hails from Antigua.

"I got the Barbadian roots but I'm a Yankee boy," jested a jovial Skilling in a recent interview with SUNSPORT.

Scholarships

"But seriously, I frequented the islands on several occasions and you walk out there and see the kids without sneakers or you see them playing on courts that are all mashed up.

"So we want to be in a position where we can offer more scholarship opportunities for these young men and women Stateside," he said.

But it hasn't been smooth sailing for the

SEG Agency founder as he had to scrap his original plans for a major celebrity game which involved more NBA players because of the lack of major sponsorship.

"Having these guys that practise their craft daily and get paid for it, for them to risk injury they need to be paid so you need to have a budget for that, you need the corporate sponsorship.

"We have challenges though because basketball is like the wicked stepchild in the Caribbean. It's not in the forefront - you have cricket, football and netball so you have to jump those hurdles," said Skilling.

"But I'm satisfied to say we're here, we're gonna have an event. We'll plant the seed so the mission is somewhat accomplished."

"This trip is to plant the seed. Identify the stakeholders but corporate Barbados has to come out, as well as the Government. Hopefully, people buy into this, corporate Barbados, corporate America and we get to come back next year and do it the way we really want to.

"Why can't Barbados be the host site for an NBA preseason game?"

by Justin Marville

One season was all it took for Pinelands' 24-year legacy in Premier League to come to an end. It took just another for the men from The Pine to get back there to build a new legacy. Behind a game high 32 points from combo guard Kirk Patrick, Pinelands booked their return tickets to the Premier League on Saturday, capturing the Intermediate League crown by routing the Patriots 85-50 in Game 2 of the finals at the Wildey gym.

The storied club never had any intentions of making the Intermediate Division a long stay, serving notice to the rest of the league with a 22-point thrashing of perennial title contenders José y José Cougars in the very first game of the season. And how fitting it was that they would make good on those intentions by thrashing another perennial title contender in the season's last game. Missing leading scorer and rebounder Gary Miller to a one-game suspension, Pinelands started the contest slowly, managing a mere six points in the first four-and-a-half minutes.

However, The Pine would make up for their offensive woes at the other end of the floor, restricting the Patriots to just five points by containing national forward George Haynes with a stifling brand of interior defence. It would only be a matter of time before Pinelands got going on the offensive side of the court. Sparked by some timely baskets from veteran forward Trevor Small, they wrapped up the first on an 11-4 run, highlighted by Francois Badenock's buzzer-beating three-pointer at the end of the quarter that gave the side a 17-9 advantage.

But the Patriots would refuse to quit; with reserves Jehnard Brewster and Kevin Lashley igniting an ensuing 11-5 surge they reduced the deficit to just 22-20 early in the second quarter. However, since the opposition had no intentions of quitting, Patrick was forced to use more coercive methods to get them to submit. Through an array of drives to the basket, perimeter jumpers and even uncontested lay-ups in transition, Patrick would impose his will on the game's proceedings the rest of the way, dismantling whatever or whoever the Patriots sent his way. Without any warning the explosive combo guard erupted for 17 second quarter points – after scoring just two in the previous period – to open up a 42-23 half-time advantage in a matter of minutes.

Clearly shell shocked by Patrick's sudden offensive outburst, Patriots coach Roger Walker switched to the role of player to start the third quarter in hopes of lifting his side. The move would prove futile as Patrick continued his onslaught; this time with some added firepower. National swingman Ramon Simmons would also run hot, pairing with Patrick out on the perimeter while Small provided the perfect foil on the inside to keep the Patriots defence honest. The trio combined for 25 of the side's 27 third quarter points as Pinelands duly put away the game in the period, extended their lead to 30, 69-39, heading into the fourth. Simmons ended with 20 points, Small added a further 12 while Haynes was the lone Patriots player in double digits with 13 points.

by Justin Marville

It’s hard to imagine that just two years ago the Lumber Company Lakers were on the wrong side of a finals sweep.
Two seasons and a couple of championships later, and it’s the Lakers’ time to use the broom.

Wasting no chance to close out the series, the Husbands-based squad successfully defended their league championship on Saturday at the Barbados Community College, nipping rivals Station Hill Cavaliers 84-77 in Game 3 to record a memorable 3-0 sweep of the Sprite/BOA Premier League Basketball Finals.

And there was no hiding how momentous an occasion it was for the once fruitless club, as players, fans and coaching staff alike stormed the floor after national shooting guard Zahir Motara dribbled out the final seconds of the historic victory.

It was not too long ago that the Lakers were regarded as the whipping boys of the Premier League – good enough to win in the regular season but too soft to ever overcome the gruelling, hard-nosed play of the play-offs.

Now they are back-to-back league champs.

“Last year was a relief, getting the monkey off my back, [but] this year is the one we’re going to enjoy,” said jubilant coach Francis Williams.

Despite what the final series score might suggest, the Lakers were made to fight for the title, as the contest was decided in the last two minutes for the third successive game in the series.

But for the third successive game, the decision would not be in Station Hill’s favour.

Almost identical to Game 1, the Lakers looked in control after breaking an early deadlock in the fourth quarter, as centre Andre Boadu dominated the low post to give the side a 73-68 lead late in the period.

However, the Cavs responded behind a pair of perimeter jumpers from Jason Smith, reducing the deficit to 78-77 with under two minutes left.

That was as close as they would get, though, as Station Hill, once again, failed to score in the game’s final moments.

Motara hit a crucial three-pointer as the shot clock expired on the ensuing possession, while Boadu came up with the play of the finals just seconds later to secure the Lakers’ championship.

Chasing down national point guard Corey Williams in the open court, Boadu jumped from behind the opposing guard to paste the lay-up attempt on the glass, igniting a huge uproar from the fans.

Station Hill would never recover, and when Adrian Stewart put down an uncontested two-handed dunk in transition with 16 seconds remaining, the contest was all but over.

Motara led six Lakers players in double digits with 18 points, while Stewart and Boadu added 15 points apiece. Reserve forward Dexter Gill chipped in with 13, and starters Derek Browne and Matthew Moore had 11 and ten points respectively.

Smith broke out of a series-long shooting slump to lead Station Hill with a game-high 22 points, Kenrick Haynes scored 11, while national forward Junior Moore had a double-double of ten points and 12 rebounds.

by Justin Marville

AN INSPIRATIONAL SECOND HALF APPEARANCE from Andrew Alleyne was almost good enough for the Station Hill Cavaliers to steal Game 2.

A strong finish to the game from Adrian Stewart was even better for the Lakers to seal it.

After Lakers squandered a 21 point lead, Stewart returned to score 12 fourth-quarter points as the Lumber Company Lakers survived anxious moments in the game's final period before coming away with a 90-78 victory in Game 2 of the Sprite/BOA Premier League Basketball Finals at the Wildey Gymnasium.

Leading by as many as 21 points and entering the fourth quarter up 69-52 on Thursday night, the defending champs appeared to weather the Cavs' anticipated run, especially after surviving a telling third-quarter onslaught from national point guard Corey Williams.

But the true Station Hill surge was yet to come.

After erupting for nine third-quarter points, Williams was at it again in the fourth, hitting a pair of long range bombs to ignite another run in the second half as the Cavs threatened to makea game of it.

However, unlike in the previous period, Station Hill floor leader would have help
this time around.

Playing in his first game of the season, Alleyne provided the perfect foil for Williams, adding two treys of his own as the Cavs exploded for five three-pointersin the first six minutes of the fourth quarter.

This time the Lakers did not respond well to their opponents' rally, succumbing to the pressure of Station Hill's heavy three-point barrage and a resurgent defensive effort at the other end led by Alleyne's three blocked shots.

Going away from their set pieces while needlessly throwing away the ball, the top seeds saw their 17-point advantage vanish in the space of a couple of minutes as the Cavs reduced the deficit to 79-76 by the two-minute mark.

But as in their heartbreaking Game 1 loss, the Cavs would run out of steam when it mattered most.

And Stewart was there to take advantage.

After a three-point play from point guard Derek Browne provided a six-point cushion, Stewart led four consecutive scoring drives to put the contest out of reach – finishing with a pair of transition lay-ups while assisting on two others.

Behind sound ball movement and perfect execution of their half court offence, the Lakers stormed to an early 24-13 first quarter lead as national shooting guard Zahir Motara started Game 2 hot from behind the arc.

Continuing to execute proficiently at the offensive end of the floor, the top seeds extended that initial advantage with Station Hill struggling to find any offence outside of Williams and national teammate Junior Moore.

A 45-30 Lakers half-time lead quickly turned into a 59-37 rout despite Alleyne's entry, as the former overseas-based pro failed to end the Cavaliers' offensive woes.

Stewart finished with a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds, Motara scored 19 points, while Browne chipped in with 17 and Matthew Moore added a further
11 points.

For Station Hill, Williams led all scorers on the night with a series high 24 points, Moore ended with 12 points and 11 boards, while Alleyne scored all ten of his points in the fourth quarter.

by Justin Marville

Playing undefeated in the Wildey Gym this season, the Lumber Company Lakers claim to have home court advantage for the finals.

With three of the five games scheduled for the Gym, the defending champs just have to win on their newly adopted home floor to capture their second successive league title.

Behind a game high 22 points from swingman Adrian Stewart, the defending champs managed to “hold serve at home” in Game 1, outlasting the Station Hill Cavaliers 80-76 to take a 1-0 lead in the Sprite/BOA Premier League finals on Tuesday night.

Despite a strong start to the game Stewart, the Lakers struggled from the field to open the contest, led by national shooting guard Zahir Motara’s early shooting woes.

And the Cavs duly took advantage, pushing the ball in transition off the ensuing rebounds to open up a 15-9 lead in the first seven minutes of the quarter.

But Motara would respond quickly, shaking off the early rust to score seven of his side’s last nine points in the period as the Lakers closed the first quarter by scoring nine unanswered points.

Sticking to their game plan of taking opposing national players Corey Williams and Junior Moore out of the equation, the defending champs appeared ready to blow open the game after taking the lead and the momentum in the second quarter.

However, the Lakers did not figure that they would have to include Errol Pollard in that game plan as well.

With all the attention focused on his more highly profiled team-mates, the reserve point guard scored from just about anywhere on the floor, erupting for 17 second quarter points as the Lakers were made to pay for continually underestimating the Cavs sparkplug.

But Pollard’s Herculean efforts would only give Station Hill a slight 41-40 half-time lead as the Cavs had no answer at the other end of the floor for the Lakers’ inside-outside combo of Stewart and centre Andre Boadu.

After combining for 15 points in the second quarter, the Lakers duo were at it again in the third, but this time they would encounter a well balanced Station Hill attack as both sides traded baskets back and forth for the duration of the period.

Neither side would be able to distance themselves from the other, with the Lakers taking a slim two point lead, 60-58, into the fourth quarter which they managed to maintain midway through the quarter.

A brief 5-0 run had appeared to give the defending champs some breathing room as Stewart and reserve shooting guard Adrian Allman got a pair of lay-ups in transition to put the Lakers ahead 70-65.

The Cavs would rally quickly though, responding with a 9-4 run - led by a Pollard trey and some timely scoring from forward Rommel Cutting – to tie the scores at 74 with 1:30 left on the clock.

But Station Hill would have nothing left in the tank from there, turning over the ball on their next two possessions while Stewart and point guard Derek Browne each added a field goal down the stretch to seal the deal.

Boadu ended the night with a double-double of 15 points and 15 rebounds, Motara added a further 13 points while Matthew Moore and Allman finished with 12 and 11 points respectively.

For the Cavs, Pollard tied Stewart with a game high 22 points, Cutting scored 12 and Moore ended with 10 points.

by Justin Marville

DESPITE DROPPING Game 1 to the upstart Sagicor Tridents, the reigning league champs claimed they were never scared.

Who would be with Adrian Stewart on their roster?

The Lakers' swingman scored 11 of his game-high 25 points in a pivotal third-quarter stretch to lead the top seeds to a series clinching 89-71 Game 3 victory in the first round of the Sprite/BOA Premier League play-offs.

Playing at the Barbados Community College on Sunday night, the schoolboys, for the second straight game in the series, would have had high hopes of a historic series win – especially when Lakers overseas-based point guard Andre Lockhart left the game for good early in the third quarter.

But for the second straight game in the series, those hopes were dashed by the closenessof the third quarter.

This one would be all the more painful, as the Tridents held a three-point first-half lead and were just 20 minutes away from their first-ever league finals appearance.

Struggling through their third successive third-quarter offensive slump in the series, the Tridents only trailed 61-54 midway through the period as the Lakers had their own offensive woes at the other end.

That is, until Stewart took over.

Abusing whichever defender was sent his way, the small forward got to whatever spot on the floor he wanted, exploding for the Lakers' last 11 points of the third.

By that time the Tridents still hadn't figured out how to get untracked offensively, as national forward Akeem Marsh failed to find room to operate while the sharp-shooting Keefe Birkett went cold from both the field and the free-throw line.

That resulted in the defending champs taking a 72-61 advantage into the fourth quarter; an advantage they would not relinquish.

Unlike Game 2, the schoolboys' offensive woes carried over into the fourth period as they went scoreless for the quarter's first three minutes, leading to a subsequent 10-2 Lakers run that essentially put an end to the Tridents' fairytale season.

The Station Hill Cavaliers setup a rematch of last year's final when they outlasted Roll-A-Way Storm and Security St John's Sonics 86-81 in Game 3 of their series.

by Justin Marville

Roll-A-Way Storm and Security Shutters St. John’s Sonics guard Jefferson Trotman could not have chosen a bigger stage to prove why he is the league’s reigning MVP.

The national shooting guard came up with two clutch plays at opposite ends of the floor to earn an 80-77 Game 1 victory against the Station Hill Cavaliers in the first round of the Sprite/BOA Premier league playoffs on Wednesday night.

Leading 77-76 with seconds remaining, the Cavs looked well on their way to another thrilling playoff victory at the YMCA, as Kevin Sealy got away for what would appear to be an uncontested lay-up.

But Trotman denied the Cavs national forward with a spectacular block in the open court after tracking down the fleet-footed swingman.

And in true MVP fashion, Trotman returned at the other end of the floor to score the go ahead basket; hitting a difficult floater in the paint after beating his defender to the top of the key.

However, the national shooting guard left more than enough time on the clock for Station Hill to take home Game 1.

But the Cavs failed to capitalise, as point guard Errol Pollard missed an ensuing midrange jumper which lead to an easy lay-in at the other end for Rommel Garnes as time expired.

Earlier in the fourth quarter, Pollard had proved to be an unlikely hero for Station Hill as the Cavs erased a 16 point deficit in the period on the back of his inspiring play from the bench.

Having dominated both ends of the court with their favoured transition game, the Sonics appeared to be cruising towards a Game 1 victory, leading 69-53 in the opening minutes of the fourth until the wheels suddenly fell off.

Easy lay-ups in the open court quickly turned into needless turnovers and several rushed shots as St. John’s failed to cope with the Cavs’ stifling full court pressure.
Pollard and national forward Junior Moore would duly convert the Sonics’ misgivings into easy scoring opportunities at the other end, combining for 14 points in an ensuing 24-7 Cavs run that saw last year’s losing finalists take a one point lead with seconds to go.

Trotman led all scorers with 19 points, getting assistance from forward Philip Harewood who scored 16 points, while Garnes finished with a further 13.

Moore was the lone Station Hill player in double digits with 17 points.

The night’s first game saw Sagicor Tridents continue their fairy tale season with a 77-63 drubbing the defending league champs Lumber Company Lakers in Game 1 of their series.

National forward/centre Akeem Marsh led the way with 19 points and 13 boards while shooting guard Keefe Birkett added 15 points and Andre Holder chipped in with 11 points.

For the Lakers, Adrian Stewart scored a game high 21 points, with Andre Boadu and Zahir Motara adding 13 and 11 points respectively.

by Justin Marville

Being stuck in a relegation battle all season, British American Insurance Jackson now surprisingly has the league’s longest current winning streak.
Now one more victory would give them a more valuable streak; two consecutive years in basketball’s top flight.

Jackson extended its season’s best winning streak to three games after defeating the slumping Station Cavaliers 77-70 on Wednesday night as the Sprite/BOA Premier League continued at the Wildey Gymnasium.

Playing their favoured run-and-gun style of offence, Jackson (4-8) started the contest on an initial 11-5 tear behind the starting backcourt of Javid Beckles and Fabian Sealy.

The energetic duo took advantage of the Cavs’ lacklustre defensive effort in the first quarter, scoring 10 of their side’s first 13 points by forcing the issue in transition for uncontested lay-ups and open looks from the perimeter.

Station Hill (7-5) quickly countered by slowing the pace of the game, locking the scores at 15 by effectively running their half court offence through national forward Junior Moore.

But Jackson too showed they could execute in the half court as forward Ricardo Boyce got going in the low blocks, scoring in the paint while creating acres of space for Sealy on the perimeter.

A 21-17 Jackson first quarter lead quickly turned into a 12 point Cavaliers deficit early in the second, as the pre-season favourites were held scoreless for the period’s first four minutes.

National guard/forward Kevin Sealy would provide the Cavs with a brief spark off the bench at both ends but it would prove futile as Jackson unloaded its full offensive arsenal.

With Sealy continuing his exploits in the open court and Boyce still causing problems in the paint, star swingman Peter Alleyne joined in on the act, propelling the squad to a huge 39-25 lead late in the quarter.

However, Jackson would get sloppy while closing out the half, committing several unforced turnovers which led to a couple easy baskets Station Hill baskets, resulting in the Cavs reducing the deficit to 40-31 at intermission.

But whatever momentum the Cavaliers had entering the half-time break they quickly lost it with the resumption of play as Jackson reopened their substantial advantage.

A pair of treys from sharp shooting small forward Kirk Porte ignited an 11-5 Jackson run to start the third quarter as Station Hill opened the half flat at both ends of the floor.

Trailing 51-36 midway through the period, the Cavaliers would make a valiant attempt at getting back in the game, applying full court pressure on defence when Alleyne decided to sit out the rest of the third.

However, they encountered some stubborn resistance despite Alleyne watching from the side as Jackson managed to maintain a double digit lead, 58-48, entering the fourth.

But that persistent full court pressure would pay off at the top of the ensuing quarter as Jackson suffered an apparent meltdown at both ends of the court, resulting in the Cavs closing the gap to 60-56.

That is as close as Station Hill would get though as Alleyne and Beckles ended the brief insurgence, responding by scoring eight unanswered points to rebuild Jackson’s advantage.

The Cavs would threaten once again in the game’s dying moments behind constant dribble penetration from national point guard Corey Williams, reducing the deficit to five points inside the last minute.

But they would not have enough left in the tank to make a serious run at the opposition while Beckles and Boyce did enough down the stretch to seal the win.

Beckles led the way with his first double-double of the season; 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Boyce scored 19 with Alleyne and Sealy adding 14 and 13 points respectively.

For the Cavs, Sealy led all scorers with 21 points, Williams finished with a further 15 while Moore scored 14 points and grabbed 14 boards.

by Justin Marville - April 14th 2008

After giving up 30 points in the first quarter, pre-season favourites Station Hill Cavaliers rallied to hold the defending champs Lumber Company Lakers to just a further 38 on their way to a convincing 78-68 championship performance in the final of the BOA Premier League Basketball knockout at the Barbados Community College on Sunday.

With that victory Station Hill has now copped their third knockout title in four years to justify their pre-season favourite status.

But, as they did in Saturday’s semi-final against the Tridents, the Cavs looked anything like the favoured side in the first quarter.

The defending champs rattled off nine unanswered points to start proceedings as Station Hill opened their second successive game in as many nights lifelessly at both ends of the floor.

Needlessly throwing away the ball and struggling mightily from the field, the Cavs also failed to get back in transition to stop opposing point guard Derek Browne and swingman Adrian Stewart in the open court.

The Lakers also executed their half-court offence to perfection, as Browne found his way to the ring with utmost ease, while centre Andre Boadu dominated in the low blocks, extending the Husbands side’s lead to 25-8.

Station Hill reserve guard Kenrick Haynes provided a much needed spark off the bench, leading a brief 7-0 Cavs run but Boadu and Browne closed the quarter scoring four consecutive points to keep the Cavaliers at bay.

But it wouldn’t be for long as Station Hill rallied to start the ensuing period with Browne resting on the bench to open the second.

Suffocating their opponents behind a renewed intensity on the defensive end, the Cavs responded with a subsequent 14-4 surge to reduce the once massive deficit to just four points, 34-30, at the 3:40 mark of the quarter.

Inspired by backup point guard Errol Pollard’s play off the bench, added to some timely outside shooting and strong inside play from national forward Junior Moore, Station Hill would get within three in the dying moments of the half until Stewart resurrected the Lakers offence.

Forcing the issue in transition and off dribble penetration, the burly small forward scored five points to ignite a period ending 7-2 Lakers run that pushed their advantage to 45-37 at the half.
However, that advantage would disappear with a blink of the eye.

Sparked by torrid perimeter shooting from starting guards Corey Williams and Jason Smith, Station Hill opened the third quarter scoring seven unanswered points to spark an ensuing 21-8 explosion as the Cavaliers began to stamp their authority on their overwhelmed opponents.

It didn’t help the Lakers’ cause any that their offence sputtered with Boadu being forced to the bench due to foul trouble, while national shooting guard Zahir Motara and Adrian Allman settled for countless, unsuccessful long range bombs.

In all, the defending champs scored just ten third- quarter points on a woeful three of 17 from the floor in the period.

Leading 65-55 to start the fourth, Station Hill’s lead would be threatened midway through the quarter as Allman and Motara hooked up for four treys on consecutive possessions to get as close as three points, 71-68.

But the pair fell in the trap of living behind the three point arc, wasting subsequent possessions by hoisting unwarranted deep balls while the Cavs put away the game behind a solid rebounding effort led by reserve forward Jamai Puckerin.

The last of the four treys, Allman’s third in the period, would turn out to be the Lakers’ final field goal in the game as Station Hill stretched their advantage to double digits once again, duly putting an end to their opponents’ rally.

Smith and Haynes scored 11 points each to lead five Cavs players in double digits while Pollard, Williams and Kevin Sealy added ten points apiece.

For the Lakers, Boadu had a game high 15 points, Browne netted 13, Allman finished with 11, while Stewart and Motara both ended with 10 points each.

by Justin Marville - April 9th 2008

Not even one of the most memorable of performances from Ryan Leacock could exorcise Clapham’s demons against the Lakers.

Despite a game-high 30 points from the veteran shooting guard and an unfortunate incident which sidelined Lakers star Zahir Motara, the reigning double-crown champs maintained their recent dominance of Clapham.

They ousted the Bulls from the BOA Premier League Knockout Competition with a 67-61 first-round victory at the Wildey Gym on Wednesday night.

Having committed the senseless foul on Motara which led to last week’s gut-wrenching league loss, Leacock looked determined to atone for his grave error, turning back the clock in the third quarter with one of the best individual performances of recent history.

However, the Lakers have not lost to the Bulls since being swept in the 2006 league finals – winning the last four meetings between the two elite clubs – and they were keen to extend that streak.

After trailing 30-35 at the half, the defending champs opened the third quarter spiritedly, with forward Matthew Moore scoring four straight points. But they had no idea of what was to come from Leacock.

A foul on the Clapham veteran beyond the arc got the indomitable shooting guard on his way. He made all three free-throws and then scored back-to-back baskets for seven quick points to keep the Bulls ahead 42-39.

Then the Lakers suffered a bit of bad luck.

After hustling on the floor for a loose ball, Motara laid there for several minutes after receiving an inadvertent knee to the back of the skull that opened a huge gash in the national player’s head.

There was a 15-minute delay as Motara received treatment on the floor before making his way to the bench. But he reigning champs failed to heed referee Andrew Mayers’ calls to return to the court, resulting in the official giving the side a technical foul.

This infuriated the Lakers players and coaching staff, but neither their reaction nor the lengthy break seemed to have any effect on Leacock. He calmly sunk both free throws before knocking down a pair of treys to close the period with all 17 of Clapham’s third-quarter points to his name.

But, as they did in last season’s knockout final, ironically against the same Bulls, the men in blue used Motara’s early exit as extra motivation.

Led by a renewed effort at the defensive end of the floor, they took the lead within the first three minutes of the fourth period as reserve guard Adrian Allman connected on two long-range bombs.

Leacock’s younger brother, Neil, finally broke his sibling’s streak of consecutive points for Clapham with back-to-back baskets. But Neil only found himself trading hoops with Allman, as the diminutive Lakers reserve hit his third straight three to lock the scores at 61.

The Bulls failed to bother the scorers from there, as they fell apart after forward Alvin Padmore fouled out at the 1:34 mark. The Lakers’ defence forced crucial turnovers down the stretch to key a game-clinching 6-0 run, with Adrian Stewart leading the charge.

The Lakers swingman scored a team-high 14 points, with Allman and Moore adding a further 13 and ten points respectively.
For Clapham, Padmore ended with 13 points and ten rebounds while Neil Leacock scored ten.

British American Insurance Jackson registered the competition’s first upset when they knocked out second seeded Playfair Warriors 56-53 in the night’s first game.

Shooting guard Javid Beckles and Ricardo Boyce led Jackson to the emphatic victory with 16 and 15 points respectively, while David Smith was the Warriors’ top scorer with 12 points.

by Justin Marville - April 5th 2008

Who would have thought that the leagues’ worst teams could combine for the season’s best game?

Having “choked” in the clutch at the end of Jackson’s last game, star swingman Peter Alleyne would not make the same mistake twice in a row, this time scoring the go ahead basket with 18.5 seconds left on the clock to pull out a 74-72 nail-bitter over winless Weekend Nation Nico Deacons Fastbreaks in the latest action of the Sprite/BOA Premier League on Saturday night.

Playing at the Barbados Community College, the contest had the intensity and passion of a playoff game; highlighted by numerous dives to the floor, hustling and scrapping for loose balls as neither side appeared willing to give anything away with both teams looking to notch their first victory of the season.

Locked at 54 points early in the fourth quarter, the two bottom of the table clubs traded baskets and turnovers alike back and forth for the entire duration of the game’s final period as no one team managed to gain a clear cut advantage over the other with the biggest margin being a four point lead by Deacons.

A pair of treys from diminutive Fastbreaks point guard Dale Clarke had appeared to give his squad the all important momentum midway through the fourth, pushing Deacons a 66-62 cushion as Jackson started to look flat at both ends of the floor.

But that momentum would be short lived as the Fastbreaks inexplicably called a subsequent timeout, allowing Jackson to catch its collective breath as ensuing baskets from post players Shemiele Balgobin and knotted up the scores at 66 with 3:35 left to play.

Jackson would get the big breaks it was looking for just seconds later with the in-form Deacons forward Neil Harewood fouling out leaving the Fastbreaks with one less viable offensive option on the floor.

However, Deacons refused to surrender, with a field goal from swingman Henry Richards plus four made free throws from Clarke and Bryan Worrell keeping the side in the contest with the game tied at 72 points inside the final minute.

But Alleyne would ensure he wouldn’t let two successive close games slip from his grasp, knocking down a tough fade-away over his defender to put Jackson ahead by two, then watching as Clarke turnover the ball at the other end thus forcing the Fastbreaks to foul Boyce in the open court with 4.5 seconds on the clock.

Boyce nearly left the door open though, missing both ensuing free throws, however Balgobin tracked down the offensive board as time expired to seal the dramatic, last-second victory.

Kirk Porte top scored for Jackson with 16 points, Boyce netted 12, while Balgobin and point guard Fabian Sealy both added 11 points each with Alleyne adding a further 10. Richards led all scorers on the night with 20 points while Harewood and Clarke scored 17 and 12 points respectively.

In the night cap, defending double crowned champs Lumber Company Lakers improved their record to 5-2 with a hard fought 66-61 victory over Roll-A-Way Storm and Security Shutters St. John’s Sonics.

Reserves Adrian Allman and Ormond Haynes both led the way with 14 points apiece, with Zahir Motara adding 13 while point guard Derek Browne had 10 points and 11 rebounds for his second double-double of the season.

Jefferson Trotman, Bernard Howell and Hayden Forde all had 10 points for the Sonics who dropped to 4-3.

by Justin Marville - April 3rd 2008

Held to a mere 16 first-half points, highlighted by reigning Most Valuable Player (MVP) Jefferson Trotman's woeful six of 21 shooting performance, Roll-A-Way Storm and Security Shutters St. John's Sonics (4-2) had their worst offensive display of the season, going down 80-54 to Station Hill Cavaliers in the Sprite/BOA Premier League Basketball match at the Wildey Gymnasium on Thursday night.

On a night where the pre-season favourites were clicking offensively from as early as the opening tip, the Sonics' offensive futility merely made the Cavs' work that much easier, as the easterly squad registered just one field goal and four points in the initial six minutes of the first quarter.

Despite captain Jason Smith starting zero for four from the field in the period, the Cavaliers (5-2) appeared as if they could do no wrong offensively in the first quarter, as starting point guard Corey Williams was perfect from the perimeter.

He combined with fellow national players Junior Moore and Kevin Sealy to score 18 of the side's 24 first-quarter points in building a 16-point advantage.

After netting just one of his six field goal attempts in the previous period, Trotman continued to force his hand in the second quarter. But it would be to no avail as he got back the same returns as in the first, resulting in Station Hill extending their substantial lead past 20 points.

Even without Williams providing a major contribution in the period, the Cavs offence did not miss a beat, with reserve swingman Corey Howard giving the team huge impetus off the bench, while the misses piled up at the other end of the floor.

From outside jumpers, to runners in the lane and even simple lay-ups, nothing would fall for Sonics, illustrated by the fact that small forward Rommel Garnes' two successful second-quarter field goals represented half of the Sonics' total points in the period.

By half-time they faced a massive 42-16 deficit.

The Sonics' fortune changed with the onset of the second half, however, as the Gall Hill-based team began to force the issue in their favoured transition game by turning up the defensive pressure.

Capitalising on some untimely turnovers and poor decision-making from the opposition, Trotman and Garnes converted Station Hill's misgivings into points in the open court, steadily chipping away at the substantial lead as the Cavaliers could only manage eight points in the first six-and-a-half minutes of the third quarter.

However, Sonics' efforts would be in vain, as back-to-back baskets from reserve guard Kenrick Haynes spurred a Cavs' offensive revival that opened the floodgates in the fourth.

Moore, the league's leading rebounder, ended with 16 points and 18 boards, while Williams also finished with 16 points and Sealy added a further 13. For the Sonics, Trotman scored a game high 20 points and Garnes ended with 13.

by Justin Marville - April 2nd 2008

Even the older Clapham stalwarts are finding ways to add to the Bulls’ forgettable first round.

Getting the advantage of two successive mental errors from Clapham’s veteran players, national shooting guard Zahir Motara scored four consecutive free throws within the space of seven seconds as the reigning double crowned champs Lumber Company Lakers overcame a dubious three point deficit to record a tense 64-63 victory in the Sprite/BOA Premier League at the Wildey Gymnasium on Wednesday night.

Leading 63-60 with 14.5 seconds left in regulation, the Clapham side merely had to avoid giving up a subsequent three point play, an uncontested shot from behind the arc or worse yet, a foul on an opposing three point shooter.

To the Bulls’ anguish, veteran forward Mark Foster just happened to pick the last of the three.

Inexplicably reaching in on an ensuing, off-balance Motara three point attempt, the former national stalwart caught the Lakers shooting guard on the wrist, sending the island's best foul line shooter to the charity stripe for three free throws and a chance to tie the game.

Motara would gladly oblige, sinking all three foul shots to lock the scores at 63 with seven ticks remaining on the clock; time enough though for the Bulls to atone for their grave error at the other end of the floor.

However, fellow former national player Ryan Leacock would only further add to Clapham’s grief, missing a subsequent runner in the lane after taking on two defenders at the top of the arc, only to commit another unfathomable foul on Motara eighty feet away from the basket after the diminutive Lakers guard hauled in the ensuing rebound.

With less than a second left in the game Motara made sure the opposition would not get a chance to win or force overtime though, intentionally missing the second free throw after making the first that gave his side the lead; ensuring the Bulls had no opportunity of calling a time-out to run an inbounds play.

Earlier in the contest, centre Andre Boadu overpowered the smaller Clapham frontcourt on the glass and at the offensive end as the Lakers executed well at both ends of the floor to take a 17-12 lead in the first quarter.

But the Bulls would bounce back in the ensuing period behind a greater half court defensive effort and a perimeter assault which featured Leacock and athletic swingman Halley Franklyn.

The pair attacked the rack relentlessly, creating for themselves off the dribble while their opposition struggled to protect the ball against some oppressive Bulls’ defence, registering eight turnovers in the period as Clapham took a 30-29 advantage by the half-time break.

However, Boadu would get going in the low blocks once again, pairing with Motara who stretched the opposing defence on the perimeter to pilot a resurgent Lakers offence as Clapham failed to sustain their defensive pressure from the previous quarter.

It did not help the Bulls’ cause that their guards failed to get the ball on the inside to promising forward Alvin Padmore, relying solely on Leacock and younger brother Neil for most of their offence in the third.

This resulted in Clapham falling behind by eight points, 43-51 by the end of the quarter and by as much as twelve early in the fourth as the reigning champs pressed home the advantage.

That advantage would quickly fade once the Bulls brought their renown, stifling defence however, allowing for easier opportunities at the other end as Padmore finally broke free of the Lakers’ shackles when allowed to operate with a less crowded interior.

The athletic big man scored seven of his 10 points down the stretch of the fourth to key a crucial 15-3 Clapham lead that saw his team take their first lead since the first quarter at 62-58 with 2:15 to go.

In the night’s first game, star British American Insurance Jackson swingman Peter Alleyne missed two free throws in the dying moments of the fourth allowing league leaders Playfair Warriors to walk away with an impelling 58-56 triumph despite the absence of leading scorer Corey McDonald.

David Smith led the way with 16 points while Ricardo Boyce top scored for the winless Jackson side with 13.

by Justin Marville - March 29th 2008

Even with the absence of superstars Andrew Alleyne, Jeremy Gill and Kelvin Patterson the league’s oldest rivalry continues to be its most gruelling.

Spurred on by a stellar defensive effort in the third and fourth quarters, pre-season favourites Station Hill Cavaliers broke out of a 38 all half-time deadlock by holding the Clapham Bulls to just 26 second half points on their way to a convincing 76-64 victory when the Sprite/BOA Premier League resumed at the Barbados Community College on Saturday.

Failing to break free of their historic rivals in a riveting, back and forth first half, last season’s league finalists made a concerted effort to protect the ball on offence early in the third quarter to keep the Bulls out of their favoured transition game in hopes that a slower half court game would cause problems for the Clapham side.

It would indeed as swingman Halley Franklyn appeared to be the lone effective option in the Bulls half court offence with Station Hill denying any room on the interior for forwards Alvin Padmore and Mark Foster to operate, resulting in Clapham scoring just eight points in the first six minutes of the period.

Though not particularly fluid at the other end of the floor, the Cavs still managed to take advantage of their opponents’ offensive woes by capitalising on the Bulls’ ordinary perimeter defence through the outside shooting of national point guard Corey Williams.

Obviously believing that they had to pay no attention to their poor defensive rotation along the perimeter as the sharp shooting Jason Smith watched from the Cavs bench in foul trouble, the Bulls quickly found out the error in their ways with the diminutive Williams knocking down a pair of treys to lead a parade of perimeter jumpers from Station Hill.

Guards Errol Pollard and Corey Howard each added a three pointer of their own as the Cavaliers went a scorching four of six from behind the arc in the third quarter to open up a seven point advantage, 60-53, heading into the fourth.

The Cavs swiftly stretched that lead to double digits, 65-55, in the early exchanges of the ensuing period as Franklyn fouled out within minutes of the game’s resumption after Williams connected on yet another triple to start the fourth.

With Station Hill continuing to make life difficult down low for Padmore and Foster, veteran shooting guard Ryan Leacock would attempt to take on Station Hill’s defence single-handedly but failed miserably, going a woeful one of eight from the floor in the quarter before he too fouled out midway through the fourth.

By that time the Cavs were in full cruise control despite missing nine free throw attempts in the fourth as Clapham’s subsequent full court press only managed to put the Station Hill players at the line instead of forcing the intended turnovers.

Williams led the way with a game high 17 points and got useful contributions of 10 points from both Howard and Pollard. For the Bulls, Franklyn and Leacock each scored 15 points while Padmore finished with a double-double of 12 points and 13 rebounds.

A BABA season high and career best 37 points from Sagicor Tridents shooting guard Keefe Birkett helped the school boys overcome a disastrous nine point performance in the first quarter to come away with a hard fought 86-76 triumph over winless Weekend Nation Nico Deacons Fastbreaks in the night’s first game.

National forward/centre Akeem Marsh chipped in with 18 points and 11 boards while swingman Henry Richards top scored for Deacons with 30 points.

by Justin Marville - March 25th 2008

Despite a game high 20 points from Sagicor Tridents shooting guard Keefe Birkett, the Roll-A-Way Storm and Security Shutters St. John’s Sonics held the school boys to a season low 63 points, snapping their opponents’ three game winning streak with a comfortable twelve point victory at the Wildey Gym on Tuesday in the Sprite/BOA Premier League.

Led by the sharp shooting Birkett, the Tridents (3-2) entered the contest scoring a league best 85.5 points per game and seemed well on their way to dropping their second successive 100 point performance as the six foot guard had his way with the Sonics’ perimeter defenders from the opening tip.

Last season’s Most Improved Player started the first quarter aggressively, scoring his side’s first seven points in the game to initiate the Tridents’ high powered offence as the school boys put up a staggering 21 points within the first eight minutes of the first quarter to blow open a quick double digit lead.

But the Sonics (4-1) would respond with a run of their own to close the period, rallying behind five quick points from reigning Most Valuable Player Jefferson Trotman to pull with six, 24-18, heading into the second quarter.

The crafty St. John’s shooting guard was then forced to take matters into his own hands after his side went down by nine early in the ensuing period following a controversial second unsportsmanlike foul on Sonics forward Bernard Howell.

Trailing 30-21 two and a half minutes into the second, last season’s MVP took over the game’s proceedings, forcing the issue in transition by scoring eight points in the open court against multiple Trident defenders as the Sonics turned up their defensive intensity and forced several timely turnovers.

Struggling to protect the ball and settling for numerous outside jumpers, the school boys’ offence sputtered in the second quarter, scoring just ten points in the period resulting in the Sonics taking a 41-34 lead into the half as Trotman found the perfect foil in forward Hayden Forde.

Continually doomed by their poor decision making and failure to get the ball into national forward Akeem Marsh in the low blocks, the Tridents’ offensive woes carried over to the third quarter allowing their opponents to stretch the advantage to double digits despite Trotman having a quiet period.

The school boys would end up scoring just eight points in the period, only managing four of 17 from the floor in the third to highlight their offensive futility against some stifling Sonics’ defence while opposing forward Dwayne Kellman proved to be a source of frustration on the offensive glass.

Five quick points from guard Nicholas Bradshaw gave St. John’s its biggest lead at 61-48 early in the fourth before the Tridents finally found their groove offensively once again behind a resurgent Birkett.

Back to back treys from the Tridents scoring leader, who went just three of eleven from the field through the second and third quarters, got the school boys within nine points midway through the fourth but that is as close as they would get the rest of the way as Forde and swingman Rommel Garnes scored at will to put away their listless opponents.

Trotman finished with a team high 15 points, Garnes and Forde both ended with 12 points apiece while Bradshaw chipped in with a further 11. For the Tridents, Marsh had a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds while adding six steals.

A career best 32 points from reserve shooting guard Adrian Allman steered reigning double crowned champs Lumber Company Lakers to a 92-51 blow-out of Weekend Nation Nico Deacons Fastbreaks in the night’s second game.

Starting point guard Derek Browne added 25 points and 10 boards for the Lakers who improved to 3-2 while forward Matthew Moore scored 12 points. Fastbreaks swingman Henry Richards was the lone Deacons player in double digits with a team high 16 points.

by Justin Marville - March 22nd 2008

After suffering a humiliating twenty point defeat at the hands of Clapham, the league’s best player was not about to let his side suffer a similar letdown against Station Hill.

Corey McDonald poured in a game high 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, his fifth straight double-double in as many games, as the Playfair Warriors took sole possession of first place with a 68-62 victory over the pre-season favourites Cavaliers in the Sprite/BOA Premier League on Saturday night at the YMCA.

With McDonald struggling from the field to begin the contest the Cavs (3-2) jumped out an early 9-1 advantage within the first two minutes of the opening period as they executed their half court offence to perfection, finding open looks for guards Corey Williams and Jason Smith.

But it wouldn’t take long for the league’s leading scorer to get going offensively, with the versatile swingman scoring back to back baskets to spark a revival at both ends of the floor for the Dayrell’s Road side.

Led by a resurgent defensive effort in the half court, the Warriors (4-1) held their opponents to just a further five points in the first quarter, making life difficult for national forward Junior Moore in the paint while forcing Smith and Moore into taking bad shots.

That momentum carried over to the ensuing period with the Warriors opening the second quarter on an 8-3 run, scoring four unanswered baskets at one point, as the Cavs fell behind 17-19 at the 6:30 mark.

By that time McDonald was in full flight, using his entire offensive arsenal to dominate the game’s proceedings as the Warriors threatened to run away with the contest late in the second quarter.

Through an array of moves the prolific forward went for 12 points in the period, going a scorching five for six from the floor, but he only found himself trading baskets with burly Station Hill inside player Andre Jean-Pierre.

The former Bulls forward carried the Cavs’ offence by scoring six points down low and providing the necessary space for Smith to operate on the perimeter as Station Hill trailed by only one, 32-31, heading into the half.

However, the Cavaliers failed to sustain that groove on offence start the third, having to encounter yet another stifling defensive wave from an invigorated Warriors squad.

Station Hill would go a woeful four of sixteen from the field in the third quarter while committing nine turnovers in the period as the Warriors went on a 13-6 run, transforming a point lead into a double digit advantage.

The Cavs’ deficit could have ballooned to almost twenty points if not for a couple missed lay-ups in the open court from opposing point guard Nicholas King but it would not matter in the end with Ricardo Yearwood sealing his own team’s doom early in the fourth quarter.

After Station Hill managed to reduce the lead to just six points early in the fourth by holding their opponents without a field goal for the first three minutes of the period, Yearwood picked up a pointless unsportsmanlike foul, resulting in an ensuing 10-2 Warriors run that put the game well out of the Cavs’ reach.

Nation forward Kevin Sealy top scored for Station Hill with 12 points and Jean-Pierre added 10.

The night’s first game saw the Bulls improve their record to 3-2 after routing winless British American Insurance Jackson 98-57 to register the Clapham side’s second successive victory.

Ryan Leacock led the Bulls with 23 points, younger brothers Neil and Kodia Leacock added 16 and 11 points respectively, while Alvin Padmore scored 15 points and Halley Franklyn chipped in with 12 points and 13 boards.

For Jackson, Peter Alleyne top scored with 18 points, Ricardo Boyce netted 13 and Jason Waithe finished with 12 points.

by Justin Marville - March 20th 2008

Having dropped two of their first three games, the 2006 Premier League champs looked in apparent disarray entering Thursday night’s contest with the undefeated league leaders.

The only thing apparent was that the Warriors had no answer for Ryan Leacock.

The veteran shooting guard scored 14 of his 18 points in a 26-3 third quarter run as the Clapham Bulls exploded for 37 points in the game’s penultimate period on their way to an 86-65 rout of the Playfair Warriors when the Sprite/BOA Premier League continued at the YMCA.

Taking a 42-41 advantage early in the third period after dominant swingman Corey McDonald sank four consecutive free throws, the Warriors impending doom would have been inconceivable to most especially considering the lead changes that took place in a closely contested first half.

There would be no more lead changes once Leacock and company were finished with their Dayrell’s Road opponents.

Sparked by a resurgent defence led by forward Mark Foster and back to back outside jumpers from Kodia Leacock and Halley Franklyn, the Bulls went on a remarkable tear, dominating both ends of the court in outscoring their opposition 26-3 as Ryan Leacock returned to his glory days of the late ’90s in a forgettable six minute span for the Warriors.

The former national standout came off the bench and immediately knocked down an uncontested look which capped off a Clapham surge that saw the Bulls open up a double digit advantage after scoring 11 unanswered points.

McDonald would further complicate matters by picking up an unnecessary technical foul thereafter, forcing coach Frederick Bynoe to bench his star forward midway through the third.

The Bulls’ great defence would only get more suffocating for the shell-shocked Warriors with the league’s leading scorer watching from the side.

The flood gates opened as Leacock scored from just about everywhere, sinking outside jumpers while finding his way to the foul line to build a huge 67-45 Clapham advantage with less than two minutes remaining in the third.

McDonald would try to lead a brief rally when he was reinserted late in the quarter, scoring five quick points to cut into the Bulls’ substantial lead but Leacock would add a timely three pointer at the end of the period to put an end to the insurgence.

With McDonald only playing the first few minutes of the ensuing quarter Clapham duly put away the previously undefeated league leaders, restricting the usually defiant Warriors to just two field goals in the fourth while forward Alvin Padmore scored at will in the paint to lead the Bulls charge.

Behind great execution of their half court offence led by the inside-outside tandem of McDonald and Kevin John, the Warriors built an early 17-8 lead in the first quarter as Clapham struggled offensively with Padmore missing several easy scoring opportunities down low.

However, the Bulls would find themselves back in the game once the athletically gifted forward sorted out his mistakes, scoring seven unanswered points to end the period which resulted in the Clapham side taking an ensuing 27-19 lead in the early goings of the second quarter.

But the Bulls would get an unlucky break as Padmore was forced to the bench midway through the period with a bloody nose and the Warriors quickly took advantage.

Led by reserve guard Kareem Farrell’s six points off the bench, the Warriors reduced the deficit to a mere point, 35-34, by the half-time break despite the resilience of Foster and Neil Leacock.

Padmore led the way with 19 points and 11 rebounds, Franklyn also had a double-double, finishing with 15 and 13 while Foster added 14 points and three blocked shots.

McDonald was held to 19 points and 10 boards, well below his season averages of 27.7 points and 13.7 rebounds, while John was the only other Warriors player in double digits with 11 points.

by Justin Marville - March 15th 2008

With swingman Adrian Stewart watching from the side and national shooting guard Zahir Motara having one of his worst shooting performances in recent memory, the Lumber Company Lakers suffered quite possibly their worst fourth quarter performance in the club’s Premier League history.
Led by national forward Junior Moore’s season high 19 boards and 13 points, the Station Hill Cavaliers (3-1) held the reigning double crowned champs to just eight fourth quarter points, earning a hard fought 62-55 victory in the Sprite/BOA Premier League at the Barbados Community College on Saturday night.

After hitting his first shot attempt of the night, Motara, who has started the season in a horrid shooting slump, missed the next 16 from the field including all four tries in the fourth quarter to lead a woeful three of 23 outing for the Lakers (2-2) in the game’s final period.
Station Hill did not fare much better from the field in the fourth either but the Cavs capitalised on the seven offensive boards they grabbed in the period, resulting in several second chance points for last season’s losing league finalists as they never trailed in the quarter after leading 52-47 at the end of the third.

The outcome might have been different if not for Stewart, the Lakers’ leading scorer this season, being forced to the bench in the third quarter after picking up an injury to his right leg.
At that time the veteran swingman had scored an efficient 12 points but was then obliged to endure something more painful than his ailing limb; a front row view of his team’s dreadful fourth quarter performance.
Starting Cavaliers point guard Errol Pollard was the only other Station Hill player in double digits, finishing his solid effort on the night with 10 points, five assists and three steals while his Lakers counterpart Derek Browne had 14 points.

Last season’s Most Improved Player Keefe Birkett scored a career best 31 points, leading four other team-mates in double digits as the Sagicor Tridents whipped British American Insurance Jackson 113-76 in the night’s first game.
The rout was on from as early as the first quarter, with the school boys exploding for 31 first quarter points on their way to a season high 64 point first half effort, leading by as many as 26 points before the half-time intermission.
The Tridents have now registered their third successive victory after dropping their first game of the season while Jackson has yet to record a win in four tries.
National forward Akeem Marsh had his second double-double of the season with 21 points and 10 boards, Stefan Clarke added a further 20 points while Stefan Yarde and Jamar King chipped in with 14 and 11 points respectively in the win.

For Jackson, Kirk Porte top scored with 22 points, Javid Beckles netted 20 and Ricardo Boyce finished with 12 points.

by Justin Marville - March 12th 2008

Showing the mental resolve they lacked all last season the school boys have already doubled their win total from last year in just their third game.

After missing his first three free throw attempts in the fourth quarter, forward Stefan Clarke hit four consecutive shots from the charity stripe in the game’s last twelve seconds as the Sagicor Tridents held on to beat the Clapham Bulls 63-59 at the Wildey Gym on Wednesday in the Sprite/BOA Premier League.

It was just last season that teams merely had to wait for the customary collapse from the school boys in the fourth quarter after they would valiantly compete in the first three periods of the game.

However, that now seems to be a thing of the past as the Tridents (2-1) have now registered two successive victories against playoff tested opponents while almost shocking the reigning double crowned champs Lakers in their first outing of 2008.

But that horrid past nearly came back to haunt them after giving up a double digit advantage in the third quarter. With the sharp shooting Keefe Birkett in full flight against a hapless Clapham zone defence, the Tridents stretched a nine point half-time lead to a 14 point cushion, 45-31, midway through the third quarter as school boys appeared to be in cruise control.

That comfortable advantage would quickly dissipate in a matter of minutes though as the Bulls (1-2) applied some stifling full court pressure on defence which the Tridents failed to negotiate; committing several turnovers which led to the Clapham playing their favoured transition game. Led by forward Mark Foster’s eight third quarter points, the Bulls capitalised on their opponents numerous errors in the period’s final five minutes, closing the third on a subsequent 14-4 run to reduce the deficit to just four points heading into the fourth quarter.

The school boys’ sloppy play carried over into the ensuing period as they continued to throw away the ball against Clapham’s incessant pressure, opening the fourth with five consecutive turnovers and going scoreless for the first four and a half minutes of the quarter. By that time the Bulls had taken their first lead of the game behind a resurgent Halley Franklyn, who went extremely cold from the field in the first three quarters, and everyone expected the Tridents to fold in the wake of yet another fourth quarter meltdown.

Well, everyone but the Tridents.

Both teams traded scores back and forth midway through the quarter until back-to-back baskets from Clarke and national forward Akeem Marsh gave the school boys four point cushion, 59-55, with forty-six seconds left on the clock. Clapham failed to score on the subsequent possession despite grabbing three successive offensive rebounds until veteran guard Ryan Leacock was fouled.

After going one for two from the charity stripe the Bulls were forced to send Clarke to the line with 14.7 seconds remaining in the game, but the Tridents forward would miss both free shots leaving the door open for a dramatic Clapham finish.

However, the quick thinking Clarke atoned for the error by tracking down the ensuing offensive board compelling the Bulls side to put him back at the free throw line. He would make no mistake this time, sinking both attempts from the line and would add a further two for insurance when fouled just seconds later after Leacock got Clapham within three to seal the second straight upset in as many games for the jubilant schools’ team.

Birkett scored a team high 12 points in the win with Clarke adding a further 10 while Franklyn led all scorers on the night, finishing with a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds. Led by guard/forward Jason Smith’s 15 points, the Station Hill Cavaliers improved to 2-1 with an 81-64 thrashing of Weekend Nation Nico Deacons Fastbreaks.

National players Corey Williams and Kevin Sealy chipped in with 1 and 11 respectively for the win while Henry Richards was the high man for Deacons (0-3) with a game high 17 points.

by Justin Marville - March 11th 2008

Just two weeks into the season and Corey McDonald is already making his case for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

The Warriors prolific swingman poured in BABA season highs of 29 points and 14 rebounds on Tuesday to lead his side to a last minute 67-64 victory over Roll-A-Way Storm and Security Shutters St. John’s Sonics in a battle of the two undefeated teams in the Sprite/BOA Premier League at the Wildey Gymnasium.

Undoubtedly the island’s best two-way player, McDonald followed up performances of 27 points and 13 rebounds against Deacons and 27 points and 14 boards versus the double crowned champs Lakers with yet another dominant showing while going head to head with the reigning MVP Jefferson Trotman.

However, for the second successive fixture the Warriors would have to wait until the game’s final possession to secure victory despite their franchise player’s season’s best performance.

Leading 50-44 at the start of the fourth quarter, the Warriors struggled to protect the ball against the opposition’s stifling defensive pressure early in the period as the Sonics forced several turnovers which they converted into points in transition behind Rommel Garnes and Philip Harewood.

The duo would spark a 13-4 St. John’s run to give their side a slim three point advantage midway through the fourth as the Warriors encountered problems containing the Sonics’ small line-up in the open floor.

Despite great man-to-man defence from Trotman, McDonald did his best to keep the Dayrell’s Road side in the contest, scoring his team’s first six points in the period by working his way to the basket and the free throw line.

But the prolific swingman’s efforts proved futile as his team failed to slow down Harewood at the other end of the floor, with the former Spartans forward exploding for nine fourth quarter points to maintain the Sonics’ three point lead, 62-59, with just over two minutes to play.

However, the Warriors would get a lucky break when Harewood fouled out at the 2:06 mark after picking up two quick, ill-advised fouls leaving the St. John’s squad with no recognised ‘big men’ on the floor.

Reserve forward Anthony Bynoe quickly seized the opportunity.

With the Warriors frontline already causing problems on the offensive glass the entire night, Bynoe took advantage of the Sonics’ lack of size in the key, scoring back-to-back baskets in the paint sandwiched around a Trotman jumper to pull the Warriors within one.

St. John’s would completely fall apart from there, missing four straight free throw attempts while unnecessarily putting McDonald at the charity stripe by fouling him while attempting to bring the ball out of backcourt.

McDonald predictably gave the Warriors the lead at 65-64 with 26.3 seconds to go, then the Sonics missed two more free throws leading to guard Nicholas King getting away for an uncontested lay-up at the other end to stretch the advantage to three with only a couple seconds left on the clock.

Trotman sprinted the length of the court and got away a decent attempt from behind the arc on the right wing but only managed to draw iron as time expired with two defenders draped all over the six foot shooting guard.

Harewood led St. John’s with 20 points, Garnes and Trotman finished with 16 and 15 points respectively while Bynoe was the only other Warriors player in double digits with 10.

National shooting guard Zahir Motara scored 11 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter as the Lumber Company Lakers erased a 12 point deficit in the final period before coming away 89-83 victors in overtime against British American Insurance Jackson.

Adrian Stewart led the way with a team high 19 points while guards Derek Browne and Adrian Allman chipped in with 13 and 11 points respectively. For Jackson, Peter Alleyne led all scorers with 21 points, Ricardo Boyce and Kirk Porte both added 19 and Shemiele Balgobin netted 10 points.

by Justin Marville - March 9th 2008

After leading by as much as 22 points, the Solar Dynamics Clapham Bulls survived a daunting 22-5 third quarter run from Weekend Nation Nico Deacons Fastbreaks before eventually dismissing their opponents 72-56 in the featured game of the Sprite/BOA Premier League on Sunday night.

Playing at the Barbados Community College, the Bulls opened the contest in customary Clapham fashion by applying great defensive pressure to create several turnovers which Kodia Leacock converted into uncontested lay-ups in the open court.
By the time the Deacons bench had caught their collective breath after a cold start from perimeter players Henry Richards and Bryan Worrell, the Fastbreaks were already trailing 19-7 with over three minutes still to play in the first quarter against a Clapham team in full flight. Neil Leacock would then join his brother in taking advantage of Deacons’ poor transition defence, combining with Kodia to score 17 first quarter points, with swingman Halley Franklyn adding a couple perimeter jumpers to push the Bulls’ lead to 26-13 at the end of the period.

Clapham forward Michael Woodroffe got in on the act early in the ensuing period, opening the second quarter by scoring five unanswered points and totalling seven in a subsequent 11-4 Bulls run as the Fastbreaks could not buy a basket in the early goings of the period. Richards would end up being the lone Deacons player to score more than one field goal in the second quarter, with the Fastbreaks going a woeful three of twenty-four from the field while Kodia Leacock continued his exploits in the open court to extend Clapham’s advantage to 46-22 by intermission.

But instead of putting away the listless Deacons side the Bulls got careless and sloppy with the ball in the third quarter, resulting in the roles being reversed as it was now the Fastbreaks’ turn to get easy points in transition.
Sparked by point guard Dale Clarke’s entry in the second half, Deacons embarked on a huge 22-5 run over the first seven minutes of the third quarter which saw them reduce their once massive deficit to just seven points, 51-44, as Clapham could only manage to muster two field goals while committing ten turnovers in the quarter. However, lacking a quality bench, the Fastbreaks were not able to sustain those energy levels at both ends of the court and the Bulls quickly broke out of their slump to put away the tired Deacons squad.

Led by a renewed effort on the defensive end, Clapham only gave up a further twelve points for the remainder of the game; forcing ten more turnovers while Neil Leacock and Mark Foster added the finishing touches on offence as the Bulls outscored Deacons 21-12 the rest of the way. Neil Leacock finished the night tied with a game high 19 points, with his younger brother adding 14 and Woodroffe chipping in with 13 points. Richards led Deacons with 19 points while Clarke scored all 11 of his points in the second half.

Led by twenty point performances from Akeem Marsh, Andre Holder and Keefe Birkett, Sagicor Tridents registered a huge upset victory when they shocked pre-season favourites Station Hill Cavaliers 92-78 in the night’s first game. Trailing 43-41 at half-time the school boys came up with their best defensive performance of the season, holding last year’s league finalists to just twelve third quarter points on four of thirteen shooting while forcing eight turnovers to take control of the game.

The Tridents’ “Big Three” then combined to score 17 of the team’s 26 points in the period as the school boys opened up a twelve point advantage heading into the fourth. Behind national point guard Corey Williams’ aggressive play at the offensive end the Cavs threatened to make a game of it early in the ensuing period, cutting the Tridents’ lead to four points but the inside play of Marsh and Holder would be too much for the smaller Station Hill frontline to withstand as the pair combined for a further 18 points to see their side home safely.

Marsh led the way with a BABA season high 28 points and 13 rebounds, Holder added 21 points, nine boards and three blocks while Birkett also finished with 21 points. Williams scored a team high 21 points for the Cavs.

by Justin Marville - March 8th 2008

Despite recording his second consecutive double-double in as many games, Corey McDonald still required some help down the stretch to get past an old rival. Guard David Smith scored the go ahead lay-up with 6.6 seconds remaining and then watched while Lakers swingman Adrian Stewart missed a contested mid-range jumper as time expired at the other end, allowing the Playfair Warriors to hold on for a 64-62 win over the defending double crowned champs in the Sprite/BOA Premier League on Saturday night.
Fresh from tallying 27 points and 13 boards in a rout of Deacons, McDonald was well on his way to notching his second dominant performance of the season with his side cruising in the third quarter against their heated rivals. But the versatile swingman was forced to the bench after picking up a controversial fourth foul midway through the penultimate period leading to a subsequent Warriors collapse as the Dayrell’s Road side crumbled at both ends of the floor. Sparked by defensive specialist Peter Bancroft’s surprising offensive explosion off the bench, the Lakers reduced the Warriors’ 43-33 lead to a mere 48-45 advantage by the end of third as their opponents looked almost clueless with their franchise player watching from the side.
The defending champs’ run wouldn’t end there however as Bancroft’s huge play carried over into the fourth quarter; with the reserve forward connecting on back-to-back jumpers while assisting on an Adrian Allman three pointer to ignite a 12-3 run to start the period that gave the Lakers a 57-51 lead with 6:20 to go. By that time Warriors’ coach Frederick Bynoe had seen enough and decided to bring back his star forward.

McDonald responded immediately.

The 6’4” forward replied by scoring five unanswered points and seven in total during a subsequent 11-5 surge which ended with Kareem Farrell spinning along the baseline for a lay-up to tie the scores at 62 with about a minute to play. Both teams traded misses before Lakers’ starting point guard Derek Browne was whistled for a controversial infraction on an inbounds play underneath the Warriors’ ring which cost the Husbands side possibly the game’s last possession with 10.2 seconds remaining. The Warriors would then run a perfectly executed inbounds play which led to an uncontested lay-up for Smith along the right side but left almost seven seconds on the clock for the Lakers to run one more play. They got the ball into Stewart and the crafty forward got a decent look at the ring after taking a couple dribbles to his right but the Lakers’ swingman could only manage to find the back of the ring as the buzzer sounded. McDonald dominated the night’s proceedings from the opening tip, getting to the free throw line with relative ease while knocking down a couple perimeter jumpers on his way to 10 first quarter points as the Warriors built an early 17-12 lead. Former Tridents swingman George Farrell provided a huge spark of the bench for the defending champs but it would not be enough to slow down their opponents as McDonald continued his scoring exploits in the second, adding a pair of treys and a short jumper to extend the Warriors advantage. Forward Kevin John provided McDonald with the perfect foil as the pair combined for 14 points in the second period, giving the Dayrell’s Road side a 35-26 half-time lead. McDonald ended with 27 points and 14 rebounds, Stewart led the Lakers with 17 points while Bancroft added a further 11.

In the night’s first game, reigning MVP Jefferson Trotman scored eight of his team high 23 points in the fourth quarter to lead Roll-A-Way Storm and Security St. John’s Sonics to a hard fought 72-69 victory over British American Insurance Jackson. Jackson shooting guard Javid Beckles led all scorers on the night with 24 points while Ricardo Boyce and Oneil Gill ended with 11 and 10 points respectively.

by Justin Marville - March 5th 2008

National forward Kevin Sealy scored six of his team high 14 points in a crucial 13-4 third quarter run to lead pre-season favourites Station Hill Cavaliers past British American Insurance Jackson 73-61 in the latest action of the Sprite/BOA Premier League at the Wildey Gymnasium on Wednesday night.

After building a 33-27 half-time advantage the Cavs had looked to put away the contest early in the third quarter, with guard/forward Jason Smith scoring five quick points to spark an initial 8-2 run within the first two and a half minutes of the game’s resumption, pushing Station Hill’s lead to 12.

But Jackson responded with a brief surge of their own behind a well executed 3-2 zone defence and a combined eight points from Fabian Sealy and Bernard Riley, reducing the deficit to just six points midway through the third quarter as the Cavaliers got sloppy with the ball.

However, that is as close as the 2006 Intermediate champs would get the rest of the way as the Cavs national swingman came off the bench to provide Station Hill with a huge lift at both ends of the floor.

Led by a renewed effort at the defensive end of the court and some needless turnovers from Jackson, the Cavs got out in transition behind Sealy and Kenrick Haynes for easy points in the open court, closing out the quarter by outscoring the opposition 13-4 to reopen a 13 point advantage, 56-41, heading into the fourth.

Prolific shooting guard Javid Beckles threatened to rally a fourth quarter comeback by erupting for 13 points in the game’s final period but with star Jackson guard/forward Peter Alleyne and Kirk Porte struggling from the field Beckles efforts would be in vein as he merely found himself trading baskets with Station Hill reserves Corey Howard and Ricardo Yearwood.

Despite failing to hit several uncontested jumpers in the first quarter the Cavaliers managed to end the opening period with a 20-14 advantage thanks in large part to the inside-outside combo of Smith and former Clapham forward Andre Jean-Pierre.

Executing their half court offence to perfection, the Cavs found numerous open looks on the outside for Smith and starting point guard Corey Williams against some poor defensive rotation from the Jackson perimeter defenders but failed to make the recently promoted side pay for its defensive short comings.

Alleyne tried his best to pull Jackson back on level terms in the ensuing period, going a perfect three of three from the field in the second but Station Hill maintained its marginal as Fabian Sealy went cold after enjoying a productive first quarter while the Cavs kept Beckles and Porte quiet, giving Alleyne no other offensive options.

Smith and Jean-Pierre finished with 13 and 10 points respectively for the Cavs while Beckles scored a game high 19, Sealy added 12 and Alleyne netted 11 points.

by Justin Marville

Bulls vs St.Johns

One game into the season and Clapham is already finding out how hard life in the Sprite/BOA Premier League will be without Jeremy Gill.

Recently acquired forward Philip Harewood scored 12 of his 13 points in the third quarter to ignite a key 13-3 run as the Roll-A-Way Storm and Security Shutters St. John’s Sonics turned a two point half-time lead into a 60-43 rout of the Solar Dynamics Clapham Bulls at the Wildey Gymnasium on Tuesday night.

Having to play the entire year without Gill, the league’s leading scorer for the past two seasons, the 2006 champs knew they would sorely miss the prolific national team playmaker but that would not be the only absence that hindered the community-based club on the night.

With forwards Gary Miller and Andre Jean-Pierre no longer donning the ‘orange and black’, the Bulls were forced to use a very small line-up which resulted in St. John’s frontcourt dominating the offensive glass from the opening tip.

2007 MVP, Jefferson Trotman got going early, scoring six quick points to open the affair but the Sonics struggled when their star player took an early rest, failing to capitalise on numerous second chance opportunities and foul trouble to opposing swingman Halley Franklyn.

Trailing 12-15 to start the ensuing period, the Bulls’ stingy half court defence managed to keep them in the game as they held Trotman scoreless in the second quarter.

But they suffered terribly at the other end, muffing several scoring chances in transition while failing to execute in their half court sets with Franklyn watching from the side after picking up his third foul midway through the period.

However, the Sonics did not fare any better offensively in the quarter, merely taking a 23-21 half-time advantage as they failed to cope with Clapham’s stifling half court defence led by Mark Foster’s three second quarter blocked shots.

That all changed in the third quarter.

Harewood proved to be a matchup nightmare for the Bulls after the game’s resumption, virtually scoring at will by using his speed advantage over Foster and Michael Woodroffe on his way to the rack while abusing the smaller Neil Leacock in the paint.

With St. John’s merely leading 28-25 in the early minutes of the third quarter, the former Spartans forward sparked a subsequent 13-3 game breaking run to put the Sonics ahead 41-28 with just over two minutes to go in the period.

Clapham switched to a subsequent full court man-to-man defence in a futile attempt to get back in the game but they failed to create enough turnovers to cause the Sonics any problems while finding difficulty of their own in keeping Harewood and Dwayne Kellman off the offensive boards.

The Bulls would add just a further nine points in the fourth to complicate their misery as Trotman and fellow guard Terrance Roach duly put away the listless Clapham side at the other end of the floor.

Trotman finished with 13 points, Kellman added a further 12 while Leacock top scored for Clapham with 11 points.

In the night’s first game, versatile forward Corey McDonald scored a game high 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead Playfair Warriors to a 79-53 victory over Weekend Nation Nico Deacons Fastbreaks.

Warriors guards David Smith and Kareem Farrell chipped in with 13 and 11 points respectively while Deacons swingman Henry Richards scored 23 for the Fastbreaks.