Headley leads Heat to highest height

Jamar Spanner Headley was unstoppable on the floor as the CAM Smart Assurance Heat Basketball Club fought their way to the Barbados Amateur Basketball Association BABA First Division throne, defeating the VR Carrington Building Maintenance Challengers 65-55 on Saturday night.

The desperate effort by the Challengers was just not enough to avoid the clean 2-0 sweep, even after an impressive 0-8 start to the matchup at the Barbados Community College (BCC). Spurred on by a strong first quarter by Akeem Melons Smith of Challengers. Smith put up 12 of his team high 21 points in the first quarter, and Challengers had a ten points advantage 10-20 at the end of the period.

However, Smith was the only one in a rhythm for Challengers. Without their top scorer, Todd Bourne, in the do or die game, Challengers struggled to put points on the board.

On the other end Headley had started to cook, smoking all defenders in front of him.

Whether with his back to the basket or facing up, Headley went to work in the paint and finished his layups acrobatically at the hoop over helpless defenders, for 12 points in the quarter. The lanky forward also broke away in the open court to elevate and slam home two dunks. The Heat had turned the tide and were ahead 32-27 by the halftime break.

During the second half, Challengers made several runs, including tying the score at 35 with 4:55 left in the third. The problem came with Headley scoring at will and the Challengers turning over the ball at the most inopportune times down the stretch. At the end of the third (47-43), they were still hanging on to hope  but some key jumpers by veteran player Adrian Stewart of the Heat sank the opponents ship.

Headley finished with 20 points, supported well by Ricardo Toussaint with 13 points and four blocks. Stewart added 10 and Adrian Alman scored nine along with three steals for the Heat.

Coach of the Heat, Frederick Bynoe explained that the newly formed team was the brainchild of sponsor and player Stephenson Callender. Invited and encouraged to coach the side, Bynoe stated that he was skeptical to come out of retirement but his former players wanted an experienced coach to take their talents and experience to the championship.

“Challengers came out knowing that they had nothing to lose and came out shooting. There were players that were not accustomed to scoring that score.” said Bynoe adding that, “We decided to play more aggressive defense and played man and that worked. Then we would play 2-3 zone and switch it to offset them and it worked.”

The coach commended the efforts of his team, highlighting the talented Headley, who recently returned to the court, in the mix.

“During the season, Spanner showed the person he is, he is fit. Spanner can run and run and run and even if he did not play for two or three years, he will come back and play the same way. That is the type of person he is, that is the mentality he has, to go out there and play his heart out.” explained Bynoe.

The team will now be promoted to the Premier League level but Bynoe stated that he was undecided about which players would move up with the team and if he would continue to lead them. The coach did hint, however, that there were young players already making inquiries to come play with the team, to bolster its ranks with much needed youth to tackle the more challenging level of basketball.

In the first game of the night the Lakers Legends never looked phased as they defeated the Fusionz Boutique Station Hill Cavaliers 79-60, to even the series 1-1. The two teams will face off in the deciding game of the BABA Second Division competition on Wednesday, October 16th at 8 p.m. at the BCC.

(AS)