Barbados Today

Braddies Bar and Ed Signs Pinelands point guards Maria Cumberbatch and Sade Clarke dominated with 32 and 28 points respectively as they defeated Combined Schools Hoopsters 84-69 on the opening night of the No.1 Beauty Supplies and Beauty Exchange Barbados Amateur Basketball Association League final Thursday night at the Barbados Community College.

Pinelands are now just one game away from capturing the best of three title. They led the game 24-22, 51-37 and 71-55 after three quarters.

At the end of the first quarter Hoopsters were only down by two points and were in with a chance to take the lead when Clarke who was well served on offence in that period, nailed a number of three pointers that Hoopsters had no answer for. She netted six of 13 threes in the game, to go along with five defensive rebounds and nine assists.

Last year’s Most Valuable Player Cumberbatch picked up from where Clarke left off and had her way in the second half to end the game with five of seven free throws and seven rebounds. They were the only two players to reach double figures as the next best scores was nine from Anicia Wood and seven from captain Tamisha Flatts.

It has been more than eight years since Pinelands fielded a team in the women’s league and both they and Hoopsters who haven’t played in 20 years will be seeking to end their championship title drought. Obviously Hoopsters will seek to win game two and force a game three but will definitely need to up their game against a very strong Pinelands line-up.

Three of Hoopsters players got into double figures with shooting guard Ashlee Daniel leading the way with 18 points. She netted three of five three-point attempts, had seven rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Hoopsters captain Winmarie Bowen contributed 13 points and Rashanna Thorne netted 11 but did not get the kind of assistance needed to get past Pinelands. Ivanna Odle chipped in with eight points and Tatyana Walrond five.