With his best game of the season, veteran BABA player Adrian Stuart finished with a game-high 19 points to help City United Celtics book their way to the League finals.
Randy Lucas was hot in Game 2 of the semi-finals series from behind the arc for Warriors, but he was cold in the game that mattered and his team went down 70-47 in the end.
Warrens, City United in League Finals
IT will be a veteran Barbados Amateur Basketball Association (BABA) League finals when the City United Celtics meet Pan American International Insurance Warrens Sports Club on Thursday for all the marbles.
City United booked their way to the final round when they defeated the Barbados Hilton Resort Warriors 70-47 in Game 3 of their semi-final series at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex. Warriors put up a real fight for at least one quarter – the first one and kept the game close 17-14, but from then on it was all City who dominated. Former national player Sydney ‘Bouncer’ Rowe started the ball rolling for United with 13 points in the first quarter and then another veteran Adrian Stuart took over. Stuart hit back-to-back three-pointers to end the second quarter and then added another consecutive 7 points to start the third. Kenny Matthews then finished the game off for Celtics with 14 points between the third and four periods of the game.
‘Bouncer’ and Stuart both topscored in the game with 19 points each with Matthews finishing with 16. It was enough to stretch the half-time score of 36-23, a lead of 13 to 23 by the final whistle. For Warriors it was Nicholas King that put the points on the board, with a team-high 12 points.
They will face Warrens, who are a stacked veteran team with four former national players including Peter Alleyne, Kevin Austin, Pearson Griffith and Zahir Motara. United’s veterans know the game, but the scoring power of Warrens has been the major issue for opponents over the last two years. Even if only two of the players are hot on the night, all the United players will have to be on point. (AS)