Challengers face highs and lows

It was a mix of fortunes for the Challengers Sports Club on Thursday as one of its team demolished their opponent while the other went down hard against a bigger and better foe in the Barbados Amateur Basketball Association (BABA) Lower Division League tournaments at the Wildey Gymnasium.

Sunsplash, The Store & CM Catering Challengers battled against the Lakers Sports Club Legends in the 2nd Division matchup, but the combination of fitness and sheer talent separated them. The 79-40 loss could have been much worse with the calibre of scorers on the Lakers roster; however, the Challengers’ defence was resistant during the first half, stemming the flow of points at times.

Missed shots was also a factor for both squads, as Challengers let themselves down offensively, leaving at least 20 points on the table from missed easy baskets. By the end of the first quarter (29-11), many of the spectators decided the writing was on the wall for the last game of the night and left the gym, but the Challengers 1st Division side in the stands continued to support their compatriots on the court.

A period of accurate shooting by the Challengers helped to offset the quick and easy scoring by the Lakers, with the likes of veteran and former national player Zahir Motara shooting the lights out from deep. The halftime score line read 44-21 and it was an uphill battle from there. Along with Motara, the height and size of 6’8” Tyreke Lanks Harewood for the Lakers was more than the senior Challengers could handle.

At the end of the third quarter, the Lakers were cruising and ahead 65-32. With a full squad at the game, the substitutions were regular for the Lakers, adding to the age and talent advantage already influencing the game. By the final whistle, Harewood had tallied 25 points, scoring 14 in the third quarter. Motara finished with 15 points, having only dealt in treys from behind the arc.

Anthony Walrond was good for eight points for Challengers while Adrian Fowler shot well for his seven points and captain Alex Clarke added seven points.

The first game of the evening was a high before the low for Challengers as the VJ Carrington Building & Maintenance Challengers wiped the court with the St Martin’s Aviators, winning 80-45. The halftime score was 31-20 before the Challengers put the pedal to the floor. Scoring 27 in the third quarter and 22 points in the fourth, Challengers had little to no sympathy for the young, developmental team.

It was Akeem Smith, with a 25-point effort that took the attack to the Aviators. Mark Leacock with 13 and Blake Foster and Ja-Rad Grant with nine each also made good contributions throughout the game which ended in a comfortable victory.

(AS)