The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS 

Senior Sports Reporter 

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net 

AFTER getting off to a great start in their season opener, the defending champions Mail Boat Cybots suffered a humbling defeat to their arch-rivals Commonwealth Bank Giants at the AF Adderley Gymnasium on Saturday night.

The Giants, rebounding from their New Providence Basketball Association championship loss to the Cybots last season, won the big match-up 97-87 in their season opener.

In other games played on Saturday, the Pirates knocked off the Island Game Pros 93-74 and the Shockers rolled to their second straight win, handing the Rockets a 76-69 defeat.

In a double header on Friday night, the Double R Cleaners held off the Rhythm Rebels 73-71 and the Mr Ship It Regulators outlasted the PJ’s Stingers 96-92.

The league, which will reintroduce its division II play with the late Godfrey McQuay and the Charles ‘Chuck’ Mackey divisions, has been a competitive one so far with many players switching teams and a number of others making their return after a brief absence.

• Here’s a summary of games:

Giants 97,

Cybots 87

Newlywed Michael Bain Jr exploded for a game high 29 points with seven assists and six rebounds to pace Commonwealth Bank to their successful season opener.

Newly acquired Gibran Smith had 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists; offseason acquisition Karon Pratt had 11 points, three assists and two rebounds; Jarell Coakley came off the bench with nine points and 12 rebounds and David Taylor also contributed nine points with six rebounds and four assists.

The Giants controlled every facet of the game after opening a 24-14 lead at the end of the first quarter and pushed it to 45-36 at the half. They were up 70-53 at the end of the third.

Livingstone Munnings came up with 18 points and 22 rebounds; Ernest Saunders also had 18 points and five rebounds; Dario Seymour had 13 points; Delvonne Duncombe had nine points and eight rebounds; Lerecus Armbrister had nine points with eight assists and Jervonne Atkins had eight points and 10 rebounds.

Shockers 76,

Rockets 69

In a balanced scoring attack, William Rigby came off the bench and netted 14 points and nine rebounds to control the tempo for the Shockers.

Antario Collie also had 14 points and four rebounds; Floyd Armbrister had 13 points and four rebounds and Shakwon Lewis chipped in with 11 points and five assists.

Rashad Saunders came up with 22 points and six rebounds in a losing effort. Demetri Mackey had 11 points, six rebounds and six assists and both Tomeko Moxey and Rashad McKenzie had eight points with seven and six rebounds respectively.

After falling behind 33-30 at the half, the Shockers turned things around in the third quarter to go up 53-51 and they went on to pull away in the fourth.

Pirates 93

Pros 74

Keronoff Dean came up with 20 points and five rebounds to take the Pirates to victory. Dominique Fernander had 13 points and 18 rebounds; Antonio Hanna also had 13 points; Tevin Hudson had 11 points, eight rebounds and four assists and Donathan Johnon had 11 points and five rebounds.

The Pirates opened a 21-17 lead at the end of the first quarter but they trailed the Pros 48-41 at the half. However, the Pirates went on a 27-11 run in the third to regain the lead (68-59) and they never looked back in the fourth.

Colton Albury came off the bench and netted 19 points with eight rebounds to pace Island Game. Judino Wilson had 16 points, 10 rebounds and three assists; Derrick Ferguson had 14 points and Denison Johnson added 10 points, six assists and three rebounds.

Regulators 96,

Stingers 92

After playing catch up for the first half as they tried to get their chemistry together, Mr Ship It managed to turn things around in the second half and PJ’s just didn’t have the legs nor the size when it counted the most down the stretch to stay with them.

Eugene Bain, coming over the from the Cybots during the offseason, powered inside for a game high 25 points and 15 rebounds of the bench. Brian ‘Tucker’ Bain, who joined him, but in a starting role, had 16 points and five assists. Dion McPhee, another offseason acquisition, had 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists and Patrick Brice, coming in from the Giants, helped out with 12 points, four steals and three rebounds.

For the Stingers, who blew leads of 22-15 after the first quarter - 46-40 at the half and 71-67 at the end of the third - Devon Ferguson had 22 points and seven rebounds. Anthony Whylly had 15 points and 19 rebounds; Vernon Stubbs had 10 points and four rebounds; Ishmael Curtis 12 points and nine rebounds and both Randy Williams and James Rolle chipped in with 10 points and four and three rebounds respectively.

Cleaner 73,

Rebels 71

With 29 seconds left on the clock, Tamiko King canned a basket to tie the score at 71-71. With nine seconds to go, he hit another basket to push the Cleaners ahead.

While King finished with nine points, five assists and four rebounds, Rashad Woodside led the Cleaners with 18 points and six rebounds. Dax Evans had 13 points and 10 rebounds; Herbert Knowles added 13 points and Romell Johnson had 12 points, four rebounds and three assists.

For the Rebels, Kessi Micial scored 14 points with 11 rebounds; Rashad Williams had 13 points, four rebounds and four assists; Akiel Bullard had 12 points and seven rebounds and Alexander Rolle chipped in with nine points.

Tonight

7pm - Cybots vs Pirates (D.1)

8:30pm - Rhythm Rebels vs

Mr Ship It Regulators (D.1)

Wednesday

7pm - Johnson’s Trucking

Panchos vs Elites Basketball

Club (D.II)

8:30pm - Commonwealth Bank

Giants vs Double R Service

Cleaners (D.1)

Friday

7pm - Shockers vs Legends

(D.1)

8:30pm - University of the

Bahamas vs Rockets (D.1)

Saturday

6pm - Fort Charlotte vs

Future Ballers (D.II)

7:30pm - Bargain Wholesale

Kings vs Breezes High Flyers

(D.II)

9pm - Pirates vs Mr Ship It

Freight Regulators (D.1)