The Tribune

THE defending champions PJ Stingers and former champions Mail Boat Cybots both staved off elimination Monday night at the AF Adderley Gymnasium as the New Providence Basketball Association continued its best-of-five divisional championship series.

In the John Archer Division, the Stingers routed the Commonwealth Bank Giants 106-87 to snap their two-game losing streak and force a fourth game tonight. Likewise, the Cybots knocked off the Mr Ship It Freight Regulators 98-76 to also look ahead to game four tonight in the Vince Ferguson Division.

If both teams win again, they will force the fifth and deciding game on Friday. If the Giants and the Regulators both win, then the best-of-seven championship series will get started on Friday. The winners of the championship will go on to play in the Bahamas Basketball Federation’s National Round Robin Tournament at the end of the month.

• Here’s a summary of

Monday night’s games:

Stingers 106, Giants 87

With their season on the line, Able Joseph and Batchlette LaFleur were not yet ready to pack it up and go home.

Joseph, in his starting role, came up with 23 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and two steals, while LaFleur came off the bench with 123 points, four rebounds and three assists.

Dion McPhee had 15 points, 11 rebounds and three assists, Vernon Stubbs came off the bench with 14 points, six rebounds and four assists with three steals, Randy Williams contributed 12 points and Devon Ferguson chipped in with 11 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

PJ’s held a 42-36 advantage in rebounds and made two less turnovers than Commonwealth Bank.

The Stingers led from start to finish. They opened the first quarter with a 34-19 rout that they extended to 56-40 at the half. They went on another 32-26 tear in the third to push their lead to 88-66 going into the final period. The Giants used a 21-18 spurt, but it was too late for the comeback.

David “Skittles” Taylor led Commonwealth Bank with 19 points, shooting 6-for-13 from the field and 7-for-11 from the free throw line. He also had six rebounds, two assists and as many steals. Jeffrey Henfield had 17 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals, Mark Hanna had 16 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and a block shot and Kevin Hinsey added 10 points.

Cybots 98, Regulators 76

Eugene Bain exploded for a game high 33 points, shooting 12-for-27 from the field and 9-for-10 from the free throw line to carry the Mail Boat on his back and they avoided getting swept aside. Bain also pulled down 15 rebounds and added three assists and three steals.

Livingstone Munnings had 21 points, 20 rebounds, three steals and a pair of blocks; Dario Seymour had 13 points of the bench; Lerecus Armbristrer also came of the bench and scored eight points with six rebounds and three steals; Cordero Pinder had eight points and four rebounds of the bench and Brian Bain, also coming of the bench, added six points, five rebounds and four assists.

The Mail Boat came from a 20-18 deficit after the first quarter to out-score Mr Ship It Freight 33-13 to build a 53-33 margin at the half. The Regulators had a 28-21 advantage in the third, but the Cybots went up 74-61 to stay put front going into the fourth. They put the icing on the cake with a 26-15 rout as they celebrated their stay-alive victory.

Kenneth Pratt scored 18 points with nine rebounds to pace Mr Ship It Freight. Lamar Watkins had 17 points, four rebounds and four assists; Robert Missick came up with 10 points and six rebounds and both Miguel Mackey and Fabian Lightbourne had seven points.

The Cybots posted a 61-44 rebounding edge and they made just 16 turnovers, compared to 22 by the Regulators, who played without Gamaliel Rose for the second straight game.