The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THERE will be a new champion crowned in the New Providence Women’s Basketball Association after the Career Builders Lady Cheetahs’ season ended over the weekend.

The Johnson Lady Truckers, who won four previous titles including three-straight, sent the defending champions Lady Cheetahs packing with a 59-55 victory at the DW Davis Gymnasium on Saturday night to complete a two-game sweep in their semi-final playoffs.

The Lady Truckers, winners of game one 86-81 on Thursday night, will now await the winner of the other half of the series between last year’s runners-up Bommer Gee Lady Operators and Super Value Cybot Queens. The Cybot Queens evened the series at 1-1 with a 53-44 decision on Saturday as well after losing the opener 66-60 to the Lady Operators in game one Thursday.

Lady Truckers 59,

Lady Cheetahs 55

Latoya Rolle came off the bench and ignited Johnson’s attack with a game high 21 points with nine rebounds and three assists in 35 minutes and 12 seconds of action in their clincher on Saturday. Suzette McKenzie was the only other player in double figures with 15 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Shantell Rolle, who came off the bench and contributed three points with three rebounds and three assists, said it was a big win for the Lady Truckers.

“I expected the sweep because the win we got on Thursday really built our confidence,” she said. “So I expected us to come out here tonight and continue (to perform the way we did).”

The Truckers, coached by Penial Bain, may not have had the best showing in the regular season, but Rolle said this is now crunch time.

“This is the playoffs and everybody is fighting to go to the championship,” she said. “We don’t just want to go there, we want to win the championship. We are experienced and we have a lot of experience on this team. As long as we are injury free, we should be able to take it.”

The Truckers won the championship three consecutive years from 2007-2008 after winning in 2004. “It doesn’t matter who we get, but we hope it is the Anels (Operators) if we had a choice,” Rolle said. “They re a more slow paced team and the Cybots is a more up-paced team. They give us more fight.”

During the regular season, the Lady Truckers beat both the Operators and the Cybot Queens once, but they lost to them twice.

The Lady Cheetahs, coached by Mario Bowleg, saw their season come to an end as they played without Felecia Kelly, their top scorer. Ruthann Simms, back in their line-up after missing a couple of games, carried the slack with 19 points and 13 rebounds in 30 minutes. Linda Pierre came off the bench, scoring 11 points with eight rebounds.

Career Builders took advantage of the first half, leading 11-9 after the first quarter and 28-24 at the break. But Johnson’s turned it up a notch, using a 20-9 spurt in the third for a 44-37 lead that they took in the fourth quarter. The Lady Truckers held on despite getting outscored 18-15 by the Lady Cheetahs in the final period.

Cybot Queens 53,

Lady Operators 44

Vernisha Moss came up big with a game high 20 points and 13 rebounds in 32:39 minutes to help Super Value, coached by Wayde Watson, to level their series at 1-1 on Saturday. Two other players were in double figures as Melisha Peterson scored 14 points with eight rebounds and seven assists and Tracy Lewis added 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Chrishandra Rahming led Bommer Gee, coached by Donnie Culmer, with 10 points and four rebounds. Keica Smith had nine points and six rebounds, Sasha Ferguson chipped in with eight points and three rebounds and both Diasti Delancey and Alberta Russell contributed six points with seven rebounds.

Lady Truckers 86,

Lady Cheetahs 81

Suzette McKenzie exploded for a game high 24 points with seven rebounds and four assists in 34 minutes as Johnson’s highlighted the opening night of the playoffs with their first upset. Shantell Rolle had 23 points and eight rebounds, Glenda Gilcud had 16 points and seven assists and Latoya Rolle chipped in with 13 points and nine rebounds.

Career Builders got 18 points from Varel Clarke-Davis to lead their charge in 32 minutes. Linda Pierre scored 17 points with six rebounds, Anastacia Sands-Moultrie had 12 points and 17 rebounds and Christine Sinclair helped out with 10 points, five rebounds and three assists. Alyse Dean had eight points, five rebounds and four assists.

No individual stats were available for the Lady Operators’ 66-60 triumph over the Cybot Queens on Thursday night.

On Tuesday night at 7:30pm, the Cybot Queens and Lady Operators are slated to play for the rights to face the Lady Truckers in the final which is scheduled to start Thursday night.