The Tribune

By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

The Bain and Grants Town Cybots booked their tickets to round two of the Bahamas Government Departmental Basketball Association (BGDBA) playoffs on Monday night after sweeping the Police Royals 2-0. Meanwhile, the Bamboo Shack Patrollers tied their series 1-1 with the Airport Authority Avengers at the AF Adderley Gymnasium. The playoffs will continue tonight where both the Police Crimestoppers and Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Culture (MOYSC) Panthers will look to complete the sweep in their respective series.

Cybots vs Royals

In one of the more competitive series of the BGDBA postseason, the Cybots secured an 80-77 win to send the Royals home on Monday night. Game two of the series got off to a relatively competitive start with the scored tied 10 apiece at the halfway mark of the opening quarter. By the end of the initial quarter the score was 23-22 with the Cybots in the lead.

Stephen Miller, who poured in 18 points for the Royals, opened the second quarter with a jump shot after a series of bad misses by his team.

The Cybots’ Jeremy Hutchinson made his mark in the game and in the second period canning three two-pointers after being subbed in. He capped off his night with a team-high 20 points, seven rebounds, on a scorching 61.5 per cent shooting from the field.

After a shaky offensive stretch to start the quarter by the Royals, the Cybots took a 43-34 advantage heading into the halftime break.

In the third period the Royals struggled to keep the score within range. The lower-seeded team saw the Cybots widen the gap to as much as 18 points (62-44) at the 3:35 mark of the third. The former BGDBA champions ultimately closed out the period leading by 16.

Miller made it his mission in the final period to keep the Royals’ playoff hopes alive. He splashed a quick three-pointer to get the fourth quarter going. On the following play, his teammate Brandon Cooper was fouled on a three point attempt and drained two out of three free throws at the charity stripe. Miller charged his way to the free throw line on two separate occasions and drained all four of his attempts to trim the lead down to nine.

Despite the Royals trimming the lead down to eight at the 2:39 mark of the final period, the Cybots were able to hold on and advance to round two.

Wayde Watson, head coach of the Cybots, was grateful for the win and commended the coaching efforts of rookie coach Denero Davis.

“For us it was a step closer to our goal we set out to achieve hats off to the Police Staff Association Royals, they are a young and talented team but I know it was my guys’ experience down the stretch that pulled it out,” Watson said.

He added that despite getting the 2-0 sweep it was two very close games and the goal remains the same to bring the BGDBA championship back over the hill to Bain and Grants Town.

Avengers vs Patrollers

After losing in a heartbreaking one-point loss to the Avengers last weekend, the Patrollers got revenge in Monday’s 21-point blowout win. The team finished game two 84-63 to even the series.

Leading up to halftime, both teams were in the contest despite the Patrollers leading 44-34 into the break. However, the momentum stayed with the Patrollers who ran out to a 70-50 lead behind the efforts of Lerecus Armbrister and Kareem Lightbourne Jr to end the third period.

Armbrister dropped a game-high 29 points which was bolstered by six three-pointers splashed from behind the arc. Lightbourne, his teammate, turned in 25 points on 45 per cent shooting along with five boards on the night.

Next up on the BGDBA playoff schedule will be the Panthers versus The Real Deal Rangers and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Rampage against the Crimestoppers. Games begin tonight at 7:30pm.