The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE Mail Boat Cybots showed why they are the New Providence Basketball Association men’s defending champions. The Commonwealth Bank Giants will have to find a way to prove that they are still a contender for another trip to the finals.

Saturday night at the AF Adderley Gymnasium, the Cybots rallied after losing the opening of their best-of-five Vince Ferguson divisional final series against the Real Deal Shockers 107-96 on Friday to pull even at 1-1 with a 102-94 victory.

For the Giants, last year’s runners-up, after winning the opener of their John Archer divisional final 105-89, they couldn’t contain the PJCS Stingers down the stretch as they suffered a 97-94 loss to also fall into a 1-1 tie heading into game three tonight.

The Giants and the Stingers will play the opener at 7:30pm, followed by the Cybots and the Shockers in the 9pm feature contest.

Cybots 102, Shockers 94

The Mail Boat is sailing again. After losing their opener, the Cybots made sure that the Real Deal knows they are still the champions as David Taylor produced 23 points with nine rebounds and five assists to pull even at 1-1.

The Shockers had control of the game from the first three quarters, but after they lost Salathial ‘Donkey’ Dean to five fouls to start the fourth, they didn’t have the presence inside to contain the Cybots as they regrouped. The Shockers did come within five (86-81) with 4:55 on the clock.

But as they maintained their advantage, Brian ‘Tucker’ Bain signalled the end with a pair of free throws for a 95-88 lead with 48.8 seconds left in the game.

Roosevelt ‘Chicken’ Whylly had 21 points and 12 rebounds, Brian ‘Tucker’ Bain had 20 points with four rebounds and Ernest Saunders chipped in with 13 points, five assists and three rebounds.

“Tonight, we knew it was a do-or-die game for us, even though it’s a best-of-five series,” Bain said. “We knew that if we had fallen behind 2-0, we could be in trouble. But we are the defending champions. We’re not going to lay down and let anybody run over us. If you are going to take our title, you have to beat us. But we’re not going to let them beat us.”

But coach Wayde Watson said unless his Cybots’ team buckle up on defence, they could taste another loss.

“These guys ain’t serious. The reality is that basketball is a team sport and these guys have to learn to stop complaining about everything and just go out there and play the game,” Watson said. “We can’t win like this. That’s why I miss guys like Nelson Joseph and Billy ‘the Kid’ Sands and Delvonne Duncombe. They knew how to keep the guys together. We just have to play basketball or we will not be able to repeat. Plain and simple.”

Dion McPhee had 19 points with six rebounds for the Real Deal. Ishmael Curtis had 16 points and five rebounds, Floyd Armbrister added 13 points, Vernon Stubbs and Salathiel Dean (before fouling out) helped out with 12 each and Corey Williams had eight points.

“We didn’t come out with the same intensity as the first game,” said McPhee, who played the second half with a heavy heart after his car was broken into. “We played like the underdogs and we out-hustled them. Tonight, they out-hustled us. We only had eight players, but they out-rebounded us, they went for the loose ball and they wanted it more because they were down.”

McPhee said if they can tighten up their defence, they can take the lead in the series.

Shockers 107, Cybots 96

The Real Deal were out for business in game one on Friday night. Salathiel Dean scored 26 points with 13 rebounds and six assists, Floyd Armbrister had 21 points with four assists, Dion McPhee had 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists and Corey Williams added 10 points in the win.

Eugene Bain pumped up a game high 34 points with 13 rebounds, David Taylor had 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists, Brian Bain had 10 points, Ernest Saunders nine points and both Kenneth Pratt and Jermaine Storr added eight points in the loss.

Stingers 97, Giants 94

Just when Commonwealth Bank seemed poised to push ahead in the series, PJCS found a way to make it an interesting series. With two minutes and five seconds left in the game, Able Joseph was fouled by Jeremy Hutchinson as he shot a three-pointer. He went to the foul line and converted the free throw to complete a four-point play and a 90-90 tie.

At 1:22, Hutchinson responded by hitting a jumper to put Commonwealth Bank ahead 93-92.

But at the one minute mark, Ian ‘Wire’ Pinder hit a three-pointer for a 93-92 PJCS lead and affter Gamaliel Rose hit two free throws for a 94-93 Giants’ lead wirh 45.1 on the clock, PJCS took over down the stretch.

First, Gavin Scavalla converted his pair of charity shots for a 95-94 lead with 27.2 left and with 22.0 on the clock, Batchelette LaFleur hit a lay-up for a 97-94 lead that sealed it for the Stingers.

Joseph, ‘Mr Reliable,’ finished with 19 points, 13 rebounds and six assists to lead PJCS to victory.

“We played better team work and we believed in each other and we came out on top,” said Joseph after the victory. “We just have to continue playing harder and sticking together. We just have to bring more intensity and believe in each other. Our defence is going to be the key.”

Cordero Thompson had 16 points and nine rebounds off the bench, Ian ‘Wire’ Pinder had 15 points and nine rebounds and both Gavin Scavalla and Santino Morley added 11 points with three rebounds.

The Giants, already short-handed with Denykco Bowles and Ricardo Pierre both nursing injuries, lost Michael ‘Ferly’ Bain four minutes into the first quarter after he slid on a play and had to be lifted off the court. He re-aggravated a left knee injury that he sustained earlier in the season and could also be on the sidelines for the rest of the year.

To help compensate for their losses, Mark Hanna came up with a game high 28 points and five rebounds to lead the Commonwealth Bank attack. Gamaliel Rose (six rebounds) and Jacob Jackson both had 14 points and Adrian Miller (10 rebounds), Jeremy Hutchinson (11 rebounds) and Jeffery Henfield (seven assists and six rebounds) all had 12 points.

“We can’t take anything away from the Stingers. They are a very good team and they have been playing good all year,” Hanna said. “We came here tonight with a game plan, but after we lost Ferly, our leading scorer, we just didn’t make up the difference. We got back into the game in the fourth quarter, but we didn’t have enough to finish.”

Giants’ coach Perry Thompson said they may be down, but they are certainly not out of the final picture. “In game one, we played a team defence. But tonight, we couldn’t get back fast enough to stop their breaks,” he said. “Our guards have to wake up and be more consistent with what’s going on on the floor, we could be watching the championship. We just have too many key injuries.

“Ferly got hurt tonight, Ricardo (Pierre) is out (Denykco), Bowles is out. So we have to really dig down deep. This is one we should have taken, but we will let it get away. So we have to come back and try to see if we can change our mindset and play better defence.”

Giants 105, Stingers 89

There’s nothing like establishing your presence early. Before he got injured on Saturday, Michael Bain came up with a game high 28 points with four assists, three rebounds and two steals as Commonwealth Bank took the opener of the series Friday night.

Mark Hanna had 17 points, both Gamaliel Rose (five rebounds) and Jacob Jackson had 14 points apiece and Adrian Miller (eight assists) and Jeffery Henfield added nine points each.

For PJCS, who trailed throughout the game, Able Joseph finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Gavin Scavalla had 15 points and eight rebounds, Cordero Thompson had 11 points and 10 rebounds, Devon Ferguson seven points and Batchelette LaFleur and Randy Williams had six points each.