The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

After dropping game one of the series, Johnson’s Trucking sidestepped a possible deficit and tied their NPBA Division II series 1-1.

Johnson’s withstood a late fourth quarter rally to escape with a 104-100 win over the Breezes High Flyers in game two at the AF Adderley Gymnasium last night.

Breezes nearly erased an 18- point deficit in a high scoring fourth quarter where both teams combined for a total of 81 points.

Clinging to a two-point lead with seven seconds left to play, Cordero Coakley made a clutch pair of free throws to secure the win and tie the series.

Christorr Stuart had a game high 30 points, 12 rebounds and four asssits to lead five players in double figures. Henry Rolle finished with 22 points, eight rebounds, four asssists and four steals, Coakley scored 15, Tyrell Griffin added 12, Horris McKenzie chipped in with 11 and Michael Davis grabbed a game high 14 rebounds.

Travis Stuart and Jeremy Neely each had 23 points to lead the High Flyers. Shanton Pratt added 19 points and six steals, Devontee Gibson finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Delano Forbes scored 10.

The High Flyers opened with a quick 6-0 run in the first two minutes of the game before the Truckers responded with six of their own to tie the score. The High Flyers led by as much as seven points in the quarter on Enrico Bethel’s layup for a 14-7 lead with 43 seconds left to play. Stuart converted a three-point play on his tip-in but Shanton Pratt made a pair at the line to give Breezes a 16-10 lead at the end of the first.

The Flyers struck first in the second with a Devonte Gibson free three throw to regain the seven-point lead but the Truckers answered with another run.

Horris McKenzie added a layup and free throw, Stuart converted two free throws and McKenzie made another layup to tie the game at 17. Henry Rolle gave Johnson’s their first lead on the next possession with his layup (19-17) with just over eight minutes left to play. They would go on to build a 40-31 lead with 42 seconds left when Stuart added a jump hook in the lane. Johnson’s led 40-35 at the half. The game broke open for the Truckers in the third when they won the quarter by 10 points. A Franz Smith tip-in gave Johnson’s a 47-35 lead at the eight-minute mark before Breezes trimmed the lead to just two. Forbes’ layup brought Breezes within two (54-52) but Johnson’s closed the remainder of the quarter on a 15-2 run. Rolle made a layup with seven seconds left in the period and Johnson’s took a 69-54 lead into the fourth.

Coakley opened the fourth with a three-pointer to give the Truckers their biggest lead of the game (72-54) before the Breezes fourth quarter comeback.

The Truckers shot 47 per cent from the field. They held an 11- rebound advantage on the boards and outscored the High Flyers by 18 in the paint.