Local basketball: Celtics held to 57 in win against Royals

It was a good effort on the part of the Royals to hold City United Celtics to 57 points in a game after averaging 87 points in previous matchups but the home team was not able to stop the most dominant team in the zone from the 57-44 win.

Playing in the Barbados Amateur Basketball Association First Division competition, the Celtics are a perfect 5-0. Both teams are teams of veterans and the matchup was still expected to be a Celtics victory based on earlier games. It was a surprising
18-17 score at the end of the first with the Royals keeping up with the opposition. Alfred Alleyne was the main culprit with 9 of his game high 17 points in the first quarter while Jerry Burke had 6.

Things began to change straight away in the second with Royals managing only 4 points to the 17 put up by the Celtics. The halftime lead stretched to 14 points, 35-21 but the Royals were not finished yet. They held the Celtics to 8 points in the third and scored 12 themselves to cut the lead to 9, 43-34 at the end of third period. Unfortunately that was the end of their holding off the top team in the Aimey and Shepherd Zone.

Stevenson Callender scored 7 points of his team high 14 points in the fourth to help close out the game and Lyndon Simon had all 5 of his points in the fourth. Royals put up a good fight to hold the Celtics to 30 points shy of their usual tally. The win was still the more important result for Celtics and Sydney ‘Bouncer’ Rowe scored 12 points while Adrian Stewart had 11.

Celtics will play ACS United next week Wednesday at the Garrison School court at 6.30 p.m.

United need a win if they have a chance to stay in play-off contention but it will be a steep hill to climb if they are to do what no other team has done so far for the season. Royals are expected to play the Senators at home in Rockley this Wednesday at 8 p.m. and it should be a competitive game. (AS)