The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE Commonwealth Bank Giants are the New Providence Basketball Association men’s 2014 champions. How they did it was a different story. Who would have thought that after watching the Mail Boat Cybots take an insurmountable 3-0 lead that they let their championship title slip away from them.

Saturday night before a packed audience at the AF Adderley Gymnasium, the Giants crushed, stunned, destroyed and deflated the Cybots, winning the clincher 92-83 to rebound to complete the back half of an unprecedented four-game sweep to regain the title they last held two years ago and a chance to add the Bahamas Basketball Federation’s National Championship to their collection.

The Mail Boat were so annihilated as they set sail in the sunset that even head coach Wayde Watson wasn’t able to put their performance in perspective. “I don’t know what happened. I can’t tell you. Just like I wasn’t here,” said Watson, in what could best be described as the quote of the year. “I am still trying to find out if it is for real. We beat this team in the regular season four straight, we had them up 3-0 and all of a sudden, things just changed.”

The Giants, without some key players in the line-up, used their wealth of experience to weather the storm against the youthful Cybots and they stepped up big and got the job done when the game was on the line.

Just ask head coach Perry Thompson how surreal it was for Commonwealth Bank. “We wanted one game at a time. We realised the mistakes that we made in the first three games and we corrected them,” Thompson said.

“Also thanks to Henry Butler, he was able to work on these guys with a couple of free sessions, getting them physically ready and we had a lot more energy than they did. We got together after every game and talked about what we needed to do to come back.”

Not only were the Giants playing for pride, but they had dedicated the series to their point guard Michael ‘Ferly’ Bain, who was unable to play because of an injury to his left knee that required season-ending surgery.

“We really wanted this one first and foremost for Ferly,” Thompson said. “We had Bowles (Denykco) out, we had Taige (Adderley) out, Mark (Hanna) had to travel, so we really went through a lot. Jeremy (Hutchinson) was hurting, but this team really stood the test, we were battle ready and we won the title.”

For Bain, who hobbled on a brace even through timeouts to give some advice to his teammates, said it was a bitter-sweet victory for him sitting on the sidelines.

“They promised me that they were going to win this one for me and being 0-3, some of the guys were low spirited, but the veteran guys kept their heads up, they kept telling me everyday that they are going to do it,” he reflected.

“Gamaliel (Rose), Jackson (Jacob), Log (Adrian Miller) and Jeremy (Hutchinson), those guys came through and they played with heart. That’s the hardest I’ve ever seen them play in my life and the hardest part was the fact that I wasn’t able to come out there and help them accomplish it.”

Rose, voted as the most valuable player, was the heart and soul of the Giants’ success. When he wasn’t swatting away shots like he did with about 10.5 seconds left on the clock as the Cybots made one last bid to cut into the final margin, he was controlling the boards and scoring at will on the inside.

“I just wanted to win,” said Rose as he finished the game with 18 points and a game high 16 rebounds. “I just wanted to play some defence for my team and help us come out with the victory. I had an injury to my hand in the fourth quarter, but when I went to the bench, coach gave me some tiger balm to rub on it and I was good to go.”

Criticised throughout the series for his “hoggish” style of play, Jackson produced a solid “team” effort with a game high 21 points with three assists, two rebounds and as many steals to make his contribution.

“It feels great. It feels very, very great,” Jackson stated. “When we went down 3-0, we got together, chilled, relaxed, got everything off our mind and just concentrated on one game at a time. We came through at the right time.”

Also coming through at the right time was Adrian Miller, the savvy veteran, who stepped it up with 16 points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals. He was determined to “end his career” on a high note.

“We were down 0-3 with some key players out and we fought back,” Miller said. “We had to do it for our injured players and the coach’s daughter, who is sick and was praying. We did it for them. But for me, this is my last year and I wanted to go out on top. It feels good to be champions again.”

Although he didn’t contribute as much as he would have liked to, Hutchinson said he is happy to assist with his 15 rebounds, six points, five assists and three steals. “This one feels good. Coming back from 0-3 and winning four straight, it can’t get no better than this,” he said. “When the Lord is on your side, anything is possible to happen. We got the victory. We expected nothing less than a victory.”

The victory could not have been possible without the 19-point performance from Jeffrey Henfield. The Giants also got six from Jervonne Atkins, four from Ricardo Pierre, who was limping on a sore knee, and two from Patrick Brice.

For the Mail Boat, Eugene Bain had another explosive night with 19 points, 12 rebounds and four assists. And although three other players scored in double figures, it wasn’t quite enough for the Cybots to get the monkey off their backs.

Ernest Saunders and David Taylor had 15 points apiece with four and two rebounds and Brian Bain added 11 points with seven rebounds and three assists. Kenneth Pratt added nine points, Roosevelt ‘Chicken’ Whylly had six points and nine rebounds, Jermaine Storr had five points and Mitchel Bain was held to just three points.

The Cybots will have a long offseason, but just as they ended the series, coach Watson is uncertain about their future.

“I don’t know to be honest with you,” he said. “It’s tough. When you put in all those long hours and you come here and get beat like this in four straight games, it just takes the sail away from you. So I really don’t know what we will do.”

The Giants, on the other hand, will take the week off to recuperate and get ready for the Nationals in their bid to become the new champions of the Bahamas once again. The Nationals, featuring affiliated championship teams, will be held over the weekend of May 1-4 at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

The Mail Boat established control of the game from midway in the first quarter when they broke away from a 9-9 tie on two consecutive baskets from David Taylor for a 13-9 advantage. A run by the Giants, including a three-pointer from Jacob, a Hutchinson layup and a pair of free throws from Henfield, pushed them up 17-13 and they extended their lead to 21-17 at the end of the period.

Midway through the second quarter, the Cybots got two straight baskets from Kenneth Pratt to trim the deficit to 28-27. But after Jacob took over, scoring a three-pointer and a layup and Atkins added a layup to push the Giants up 41-35.

At the half, Commonwealth Bank extended their lead to 41-35. Throughout the third, the Giants maintained their lead, building as much as a 12-point margin as the combo of Henfield, Rose, Hutchinson and Miller went to work. With Jacob continuing his scoring spree, Commonwealth Bank stayed ahead 67-56 at the final break.

To open the final period, the Mail Boat got a Whylly turn-a-round jumper after Mitchel Bain hit a three-pointer to trim the deficit to 69-61. From there, Commonwealth Bank answered with a three-pointer from Adrian Miller and Rose had a two-handed dunk to push their lead back up 74-61.

With 3:39 left on the clock, the Giants had their biggest lead - 81-69 - on a three-point play from Rose.

The Cybots made one last attempt to trim the lead in the last two minutes. Ernest Saunders canned two free throws and Tucker hit a jumper, two free throws and a three-pointer and they only trailed by five, 86-81, at 42.5 seconds.

But as time winded down, Rose converted a pair of throws, Adrian Miller scored on a lay-up and Rose came up with his only block in the game with 10.5 seconds left as the Giants went back up to hold on for the final score, 92-83, to start celebrating the championship win.