Pinelands knock out defending champs

KFC Orange 3 Pinelands have sent the Station Hill Cavaliers, defending Barbados Amateur Basketball Association President’s Cup champions, packing and have booked their place in the final against the Burger King Clapham Bulls later tonight.

The 86-67 game was to be a battle royale and it was, but not what the crowd expected – it was more of a boxing match, with blows shared of the physical nature throughout. The referees allowed the physicality at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex and it honestly made for an exciting game for anyone who likes old school basketball. Unfortunately in the third quarter, things came to a tipping point and Junior Moore of Pinelands lost his cool after Stephan Ottley of the Cavs swung an elbow at Derion Hurley. Moore was ejected and Ottley won himself a technical and the bench for the rest of the game.

Relating to the basketball part of the game itself, the Cavaliers were without their coach Adrian Craigwell for the first half. The team played well under Carlos Moore, at least for the first quarter, but some questionable line-up choices by Moore saw the Cavs go from down 21-18 after the first quarter to down 41-27 at the half. The 20-9 second quarter was a highlight for veteran Ian Alexander, stepping up to give Pinelands the fuel to make a run. Alexander followed the shooting example set by Derion Hurley early in the quarter, as the two players hit a pair of treys each to give the Cavs the slip.

Craigwell walked in at half-time and the fans and the team seemed a little more upbeat about the game and the possibility that the Cavs would make a push for a come-back. Craigwell had missed the first half and so did Chikosi Boardi, one of the young stars for the Cavs, as he was pegged to the bench by Coach Moore. Boardi came into the game in the third and immediately got on the scoreboard. The issue was that the game was a physical and fast paced one, and coming on so late Boardi barely caught a rhythm and by that time it was too late. Dwayne ‘Boo’ Kellman of Station Hill was also killing in the first half, but was taken out the game while he was hot and never regained the flow he had before Craigwell arrived.

All those factors plus the accurate shooting of Pinelands along with the fortune of having point-guard Deroni Hurley back in the fold, gave Pinelands the wings to fly above the Station Hill effort. Hurley put on a show, leaving the defence confused on many occasions and when they finally thought they had him, the little guard dropped a dime to a cutting team-mate. The end of the third was a 20 point 65-45 advantage for Pinelands and though Craigwell tried to instil life and motivate his players, many of them had already accepted the eventual 19 point defeat.

Alexander had a game and season high 17 points with nine rebounds, and four other players reached the double digit mark. Derion Hurley and Kiserian Adams both chipped in with 15 points each, Rasheed Maynard scored 13 and Deroni Hurley had 10 points, 9 assists and 4 steals. Joel Hunte of Station Hill was the best of the Cavaliers with 13 points and 8 rebounds.
(AS)ﾐ