The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AFTER a competitive regular season, the New Providence Basketball Association is gearing up for the post-season as the teams vie for a chance to compete in the Bahamas Basketball Federation’s national round robin in Bimini in April.

The regular season came to a close over the weekend at the AF Adderley Gymnasium as the Patron Regulators held off the College of the Bahamas Caribs 81-79 in one of two games played on Saturday night. The Island Luck Pros routed the Y-Care Wreckers 93-76.

And on Friday night, the PJ’s Stingers knocked off the Double R Services Limited Cleaners 104-78 and the Mail Boat Cybots handed the College of the Bahamas a 72-69 loss.

Both the defending champions, Commonwealth Bank Giants, and runners-up Mail Boat Cybots are hoping to that they can return for another epic showdown in the big dance for the championship crown at the end of the post-season.

“I’m just asking for some consistency from them,” said Giants’ coach Perry Thompson as they prepare to take on fourth placed Double R Services Limied Cleaners in one half of the John Archer Division. The other will feature the second place PJ’s Stingers will take on the third place Y-Care Wreckers.

“We just need the guards to control the ball and minimise our turnovers and just pick up our defensive screen. I think if we can do that, we can go very far. We just have to be more focussed with those two things and we can do some good things, providing that we have everybody because we haven’t played with a full team in a long time.”

As for the Cybots, after winning the title two years ago only to lose it again last year to the Giants, coach Wayde Watson is confident that they are on the right path to regaining the title this year.

“The guys have been playing very good. We won the last seven out of our eight games in the regular season and the defence seemed to be getting much better and the offence is a little more consistent, so I expect that we will carry the same intensity over in the playoffs with a little more urgency to get the job done,” said Watson, whose Cybots will take on the fourth placed Pyramid Food Rockets. Second place Real Deal Shockers will play the third place Patron Regulators.

“The Rockets are a really good team, but unfortunately, their true competitor, David ‘Skittles’ Taylor, is unavailable. We would have really like for him to play because he really brings out the best in anybody and you want to play the best so that you can be at the top of your game as you move deeper into the playoffs. Unfortunately, he is injured, so they won’t have him at their disposal. But they are still a very good team.”

Two teams to look out for in the playoffs are the Shockers, coached by Jaes Price and led by the league’s leading scorer William ‘JR’ Rigby, and the Regulators, coached by Don ‘Robocop’ Dorsette and featuring probably the most dominant big man in Gameliel Rose.

It will be interesting to see how it all unfolds once the action gets started tonight.

Regulators 81, Caribs 79

With the game on the line down the stretch, Gameliel Rose went to work, scoring a basket for a 77-74 lead with 26 seconds and he added two of three free throws with four seconds left to preserve their win.

Rose led six players in double figures with 19 points, 13 rebounds, eight block shots and seven assists as Patron gear up for the playoffs.

Kenneth Pratt had 14 points, seven rebounds, five steals and three assists; Deven Johnson also had 14 points; Robert Missick 12 points and seven rebounds; Cruz Simon 12 points, four rebounds and three assists and Cordero Thompson 10 points, five steals and four assists.

Reuben Goodman scored 25 points with five rebounds and four steals as the College of the Bahamas ended their season. Alvano Laing had 20 points, seven rebounds and six steals and Glen Davis added 16 points.

Pros 93, Wreckers 76

Kevin ‘Dog Bite’ Wright had a big game with 25 points and three steals as Island Luck came up with the big numbers to get ready for the playoffs.

Miguel Mackey, joined by three other players in double figures, had 22 points, six assists and three rebounds; Livingstone Munnings had 21 points, 10 rebounds and five assists and Jason Mitchell chipped in with 11 points, six rebounds and five assists.

Despite getting blown out, Randy Williams had 20 points and six rebounds; Tavares Roker had 16 points, four rebounds and four assists; Emeka Watson had 14 points and 13 rebounds and Leon Bain added 14 points.

Stingers 104, Cleaners 78: Devon Ferguson posted 20 points with seven rebounds and four assists to pace PJ’s as they closed out their regular season on a high note and head into the playoffs.

Able Joseph had 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists; Kemsey Sylvetre had 15 points, 10 rebounds and three assists; Jervonne Atkins had 13 points and 10 rebounds and Daniel Bullard had 11 points, four assists and three rebounds.

For Double R Services Limited, who are also preparing for the playoffs, Tamiko King had a game high 27 points, three rebounds and three assists and Raynardo Minus had 22 points and seven rebounds.

Cybots 72, Caribs 69: Ernest Saunders scored 17 points, four rebounds and three assists as the Mail Boat completed their regular season to go into the playoffs in high gear.

Lerecus Armbrister scored 13 points; Angelo Lockhart had 10 points and seven rebounds; Delano Knowles scored eight points and both Cordero Seymour and Jeremy Hutchinson added seven points apiece.

Reuben Goodman had a game high 19 points and six rebounds for the College of the Bahamas. Ethan McKenzie had 17 points, 10 rebounds and four assists; Alvano Laing 12 points and eight rebounds; Justin Smith nine points, six rebounds and six assists and Justin Munroe chipped in with eight points and eight rebounds.

NPBA playoff schedule

Tonight

7.30pm: Mail Boat Cybots v Pyramid Food Rockets. 

9pm: Real Deal Shockers v Patron Regulators. 

Wednesday

7.30pm: Commonwealth Bank Giants v Double R Services Limited Cleaners. 

9pm: PJ Stingers v Y-Care Wreckers. 

Friday

7.30pm: Patron Regulators v Real Deal Shockers.

9pm: Pyramid Food Rockets v Mail Boat Cybots.

Saturday

7.30pm: Y-Care Wreckers v PJ Stingers.

9pm: Double R Services Limited Cleaners v Commonwealth Bank Giants.