Pine advance to finals, Bulls force game 3 

A thrilling performance by Kemar Benn propelled Burger King Clapham Bulls to a 83-78 victory over the Station Hill Cavaliers on Saturday at the Barbados Community College.

The second game of the best of three semifinal series in the Co-operators General Insurance Barbados Amateur Basketball Association competition was decided in the final seconds when  Benn hit a three-pointer from the baseline which sealed the win and sent the crowd in a frenzy. 

The overseas-based forward finished with 23 points to help force a third and deciding game after the Cavs won Thursday’s opener. 

It was a close game throughout, with neither team having able to dominate. Once again, the referees allowed a physical matchup and it provided much for the spectators in a packed BCC gym to talk about. 

[caption id="attachment_393289" align="alignnone" width="650"] Station Hill’s Adriel Brathwaite defended by Kemar Benn of Clapham, pulls up for two of his 13 points.[/caption]

At the end of the first quarter, Clapham led 21-17 and expanded the advantage to 45-35 at halftime. Guard Rahiim Gibbons, after an awful first game, found his mid-range stroke, scoring easily from his spots on the court. That along with Simeon Maynard knocking down a couple three’s was enough to hold the Cavs at bay in the first half.

The turnaround came in the third quarter when the Cavs’ veteran forward Joel Hunte began to attack Clapham’s defence. Hunte constantly drove to the basket with much success, scoring at the ring, no matter the defender. Unfortunately, he picked up an injury to his right knee which hampered his mobility, but young Gavin Phillips picked up the slack for the Cavaliers. 

The Bulls were unable to keep the high-flying Phillips off the glass, and the momentum and the score shifted in Station Hill’s favour, as they managed to erase the deficit and take a six-point lead (63-57) heading into the final period. 

What also occurred was that the Bulls went away from the combination of mid-range shooting and three-point shooting in the third and failed to box out effectively. The main focus on shooting threes nearly was their downfall in the fourth as well, but two big three’s by Kyrone Alexander, followed by one by Gibbons and the last by Benn was just enough to force a game 3 on Tuesday evening.

Gibbons finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists, Alexander scored 14 points, nine rebounds and six assists while Maynard had 13 points and seven assists in the game. 

For Station Hill, Hunte had a game high 24 points, four rebounds and five assists with good contributions from young Adriel Brathwaite with 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Chikosi Boardi with 13 points including three treys. Phillips had 14 points and 15 rebounds, 12 of which were on the offensive glass.

In the first matchup of the night, the Lakers Sports Club were knocked out of the competition,  after going down to 98-87 to Pinelands to lose their series 2-0. 

The game was much closer than the first, with the Lakers keeping it competitive for much of the contest.  

Pinelands’ Derion Hurley had a game high 28 points and five assists while Deveron Knight put up a double-double of 24 points and 15 rebounds. 

Their teammate Rasheed Maynard was also on his way to a great game before attempting a tomahawk dunk over Lakers’ Tyreke Harewood. Maynard was fouled on the play and fell awkwardly to the floor. Unfortunately, he received a cut to the face and had to be escorted off the court for treatment by the medic in the third quarter.

Once again the big men were the best players on the floor for the Lakers with Jehu Lafeuille and Justin Bramao scoring 22 points each and Harewood 21.

Game 3 of the Bulls versus Cavaliers series is slated for Tuesday, July 11th at the Wildey Gymnasium at 8 p.m. () ]]>