The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

PHILICIA Kelly may not have been a part of the Four J’s Lady Cheetahs when they repeated as champions of the New Providence Women’s Basketball Association last year. But she made a strong case for the new look Career Builders Lady Cheetahs in their quest for a three-peat this year.

Kelly, one of the new additions to the team coached by Mario Bowleg, was a one-woman wrecking crew as she pumped in a game high 25 points, nine rebounds, six steals, two assists and a block shot to lead the Lady Cheetahs to a hard fought 52-48 victory over the Bommer Gee Lady Operators Saturday night after getting their championship rings for the 2012 season from Bahamas Basketball Federation president Charlie ‘Softly’ Robins.

Playing just over 27 minutes in the feature game at the DW Davis Gym, Kelly was the only player from the Career Builders in double figures. She was not alone, as Suzette McKenzie scored 20 points as the other player in double figures as well for Bommer Gee.

McKenzie also has two assists and steal and a block. “I wanted us to get the win tonight. It wouldn’t have looked good for the team to get the championship rings and lose at the same time,” Kelly said. “So it feels good for them to get their championship rings and get the victory on the same night against the same team they played for the title.”

As they match for another appearance in the championship, Kelly said she was recruited for the simple fact of getting the team another title and she intends to do whatever she can to help them achieve that goal.

Before he presented the rings to the Lady Cheetahs, Robins indicated that if the Grand Bahama Amateur Basketball Association doesn’t include a women’s division in their league this year, he will work along with president Simone Beneby to host the NPWBA women’s championship series in Grand Bahama in an effort to inspire the players there.

In two other nail-biting game, the former four-time champions Johnson’s Lady Truckers kept pace with the top two teams from last year by knocking off the Super Value Cybots Queens 57-56, while the Saints marched past the College of the Bahamas Lady Caribs 50-48.

Lady Cheetahs 54,

Lady Operators 48

From the way they started with both teams failing to get on the scoreboard until McKenzie canned a pair of free throws with four minutes and 58 seconds on the clock in the first quarter for Bommer Gee, you knew this was going to be a real defensive battle.

As it turned out, it was a showdown between McKenzie and Kelly, who finally scored the Career Builders on a lay-up for a 4-2 deficit.

McKenzie went on an offensive tear, scoring five unanswered points with a three-pointer and a lay-up for a 12-3 Lady Operators lead that was stopped by Kelly’s three-pointer to bring the Lady Cheetahs back 12-6.

McKenzie’s lay up with 11 seconds on the clock gave Bommer Gee a 14-6 lead at the end of the period.

Kelly, however, opened the second quarter with a three-pointer to cut the Lady Cheetahs’ deficit to 14-9. A three-point play by Kissie Gray-McDonald pulled them closer at 14-12. But Sharel Cash hit a three-pointer to reopen a 20-14 lead for the Lady Operators, who ended the half on another three from McKenzie that put them up 25-17.

When play resumed after the break, Kelly was rejuvenated as she led a 15-7 spurt for the Careers Builders down the stretch with three consecutive lay-ups to even the score at 32-32 to close out the third period.

Like they did at the beginning of the game, McKenzie and Kelly responded for their teams as they traded the lead. McKenzie put the Lady Operators up 48-47 for their final lead with 1:19 remaining.

But after Pamela Bethel’s lay-up pushed the Lady Cheetahs up 49-48 on the next play, veteran Ann Bullard got a key block, got the ball back and made a dandy pass to Kelly for a fast break lay-up that eventually sealed the deal with a 51-48 advantage with 44.1 left.

“I felt we had a good performance tonight, knowing that we played the Angels in the championship series last year,” Kelly said. “I just wanted us to come out and play good. We didn’t play as good as we could in the first half, but in the second half we picked it up.”

While Kelly led the attack for the Lady Cheetahs, Bethel ended up with eight points, Natishka Silver had seven and McDonald finished with six. McKenzie was joined on the Lady Operators side of the ledger by Chrishandra Rahming and Malesha Peterson with six apiece. Sharel Cash only had five.

“No finish,” was how coach Donnie Culmer summed up the Lady Operators’ loss. “We need heart. The girls have to learn to take the good with the bad and just go out there and play hard.

“But it was obvious that the Lady Cheetahs wanted it more. They had a little more heart than us. We had a little lead and just couldn’t sustain. Kelly went to work and we couldn’t stop her. Have to give her props. But it ain’t over and until it’s over. We will see them in the postseason.”

Truckers 57,

Cybots Queens 56

With the game on the line, Super Value blew four consecutive free throws down the stretch as the Johnson’s Lady Truckers held on for the much needed win as their experience took over when it counted the most.

“It was a close one right to the wire, but we kept our composure, we stuck to our game plan and it worked,” said guard Shantel Rolle. “We just have to come out every night and play Truckers basketball and hold for the best at the end.”

Rolle finished with 16 points, five rebounds, four steals and two assists in 32 minutes. Her backcourt side kick Glenda Gilcud had 13 points, six assists and four rebounds. Latoya Rolle had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds and Ann Bullard chipped in with eight points, seven rebounds and four steals.

For Super Value, Tracey Lewis scored 18 points with eight rebounds, Cristin Seymour had 17 points and five rebounds, Taniel Poitier was held to nine points with four rebounds, while Marva Dean had six points with 11 rebounds. “We missed too many free throws and when we had an opportunity to capitalise, we didn’t take advantage of it,” said Super Value’s coach Wayde Watson. “We missed four free throws down the stretch that could have won it for us. We just couldn’t finish them off.”

Saints 50, Caribs 48

If they don’t beat anybody else this season, coach Davon Johnson and his Saints can claim victory over the College of the Bahamas as they pulled off another showdown between the two cellar dwelling teams.

Marceleine St Jean scored a game high 19 points in the win. Lakeisha Rolle had a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds to go along with four steals, Antonia Flowers had seven points and Alexis Rolle had six points with eight rebounds. Celeste Pyfrom scored 16 points with four steals to lead the Lady Caribs. Gabrielle McKinney had 12 points, 10 steals, seven rebounds and three assists, Akia Rose had six points and 11 rebounds and Felicia Gibson also had six.