The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE pennant winning Real Deal Shockers and the defending champions Mail Boat Cybots will now clash in a rematch of the Vince Ferguson divisional final in the New Providence Basketball Association’s postseason.

The Shockers advanced to the match-up after knocking off the Rockets 96-68 on Monday night for a 2-1 advantage in their best-of-three playoffs, while the Cybots held off the University of the Bahamas Mingoes 99-91 in the feature contest to also close out their series 2-1.

Game one of the Shockers-Cybots series will start on Friday at 8:30pm, following game two of the John Archer series between Mr Ship It Freight Regulators and the pennant winning Commonwealth Bank Giants, who are up 1-0.  That game will get started at 7 pm. “We didn’t expect it (three games), but you have to expect the unexpected because no team is a push over if they come to play,” said Shockers’ coach James Price. “You have to be prepared for anything.”

The Shockers came from a 19-16 deficit after the first quarter to go up 47-39 at the half. They went on a 26-13 spurt in the third to extend their lead to 73-52 at the end of the final break. On another 23-16 spurt in the fourth, they sealed the deal. 

At one point, the Shockers led by as much as 28 points. They held a 41-24 points production advantage off the bench and held a 65-49 edge in rebounding. 

Salathiel Dean exploded for a game high 26 points with 16 rebounds with five block shots, three assists and three rebounds to pace the Shockers, coached by James Price.

Floyd Armbrister came off the bench with 15 points and five rebounds, Lamont Armaly had 14 points, eight assists, three rebounds and three steals and William Rigby had 11 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals.

In a losing cause, the Rockets got 21 points and three rebounds from Tomeko Moxey, 10 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals from Selwyn McKenzie, eight points and five rebounds from Dancel Knowles and seven points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals from Demetri Mackey.

“We played flawless basketball, we played good defense because the players who beat us in game two, we were able to control them,” said Price of the game against the Rockets. “They didn’t do anything. We made the adjustment as we went on. We came out of the zone and we played man-to-man for the full length of the game and that enabled us to do hat we had to do.”

As they look ahead to the meeting with the Cybots, whom they split during the regular season, Price said if they come to play, they should win the series.

“That won’t be no pushover series,” he projected. “The Mail Boat Cybots is a good team, but we owe them something. They knocked us for the past two years in a row. So we have to come out and prove that we are a better team and knock them out.

“We win the division. The previous years they were winning the division and they went on to beat us. So now that we won the division, we have to prove that we are the better team and send them home because they did it to us in the past two years.”

The Shockers last won the league championship in 2007 and Price is hoping that they can celebrate again this year. To do that, he said they would simply have to play team basketball.

The Mail Boat, coached by Wayde Watson, is also looking to get back to defend their championship crown, but they have to go through the Shockers, who have been their worse nightmare in the past.

“The Shockers is a very good team. Those guys have a lot of heart,” Watson said. “They are going to come and they are going to bring it. I anticipate it will be a fierce competition. We will prepare for them. I will exploit their worse points and try to best them.”

In their finale in the series against the Mingoes on Monday night, Livingstone Munnings had another monster game with 27 points, 18 rebounds and nine block shots. Ernest Saunders was also in double figures with 22 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals and Cordero Pinder added 13 points with seven rebounds.

Jervonne Atkins contributed 10 points and seven rebounds; Lerecus Armbrister had nine points, four rebounds and two assists; Dominique Beadle had eight points and Delvonne Duncombe chipped in with six points.

In a losing effort, Justin Smith scored 25 points with eight rebounds; Kemsy Sylvestre had 19 points, 16 rebounds and four steals; Reuben Goodman had 16 points and seven rebounds; Jason Stubbs had 11 points with four steals; Ramon Dames had eight points and seven assists with three steals and Brian Jennings finished with eight points.

“I think it went well. Fortunately we won the game, but I just feel so sorry for basketball because the game that I knew went I came into it 19 years ago has changed drastically.

“The game that can turn out to be so great for us can be manipulated. The Coybs have brought a lot to the level of play to basketball in terms of the way we play and the we prepare for the games.”

However, Watson said although the Mingoes have improved tremendously, he didn’t expect them to perform as well as they did because he feel they have more talent in their match-up.

“Under normal circumstances if the officials called the game straight down the line, it would be very difficult to beat the Cybots,” he said. “The University is a good team, but I can’t fathom myself getting beat from them, considering that they were short-handed as well. But they made it a game.

“I take my hats of to the University of the Bahamas because they really prepare. They worked hard. They have a group of young players who can be the franchise of our league. But I just don’t think they had enough talent to beat us with the perennial all-star players that we have.”

The Cybots out-scored the Mingoes 66-46 in the paint and 58-35 in points off the bench. However, the Mingoes out-rebounded the Cybots 57-51 and had one less turnover, 16-15, compared to the Cybots.

The Mail Boat led from start to finish, going up 17-15 at the end of the first quarter and extended it to 49-29 at the half. At the end of the third, they were up 72-53. The University of the Bahamas, however, went on to a 38-27 rout in the fourth to close the gap.

Note: Before the men’s division one semifinals are played on Friday, the NPBA will continue their men’s division II playoffs tonight. In the opener, the Hype Basketball Club will play the Johndon Truckers in game two at 7 pm. The Breezes High Flyers will meet the Athletico Bahamas in the second game.

The Truckers and the Athletico are both holding 10 lead in their respective series.