The Co-operators General Insurance Premier League Playoffs was full of excitement on Sunday night at the Barbados Community College (BCC), as the 246 Mobile Shop City United Celtics overwhelmed the Island Care Ambulance Service & BodyxB Lakers 101-69 in Game 1 of their best-of-three semifinal.
Earlier, the Burger King Clapham Bulls held off a fiery comeback attempt from the Fusionz Boutique Station Hill Cavaliers, eking out a 95-92 win in a tightly contested battle.
The Celtics, playing in front of a packed BCC gym, came out like a team with something to prove, clamping down on defense and dominating every hustle stat. By the midpoint of the second quarter, the Celtics had already forced 10 turnovers and notched seven steals, capitalising on nearly every Lakers mistake.
Deroni Hurley set the tone early, orchestrating the Celtics’ offense while also racking up 13 points, eight assists and six rebounds. But it was captain Joel Hunte who lit it up, torching the Lakers for 34 points on 60 per cent shooting, including six threes. Kiserian Adams added 20 points, and the Celtics as a whole drained 17 treys at a 33 per cent clip (17 of 51), making the perimeter a danger zone all night long.
Chiamaka Browne made his season debut for the Lakers but struggled to adjust to the playoff pace. His slow momentum up the floor gave the Celtics time to set up their trap-heavy defense. When Kaliel Wilkinson came off the bench to speed up the offense, there was a brief spark, but the damage was done by then. The Lakers coughed up a whopping 17 turnovers by halftime and trailed by 12 (42-30) at the break.
Lakers Tyreke ‘Lanks’ Harewood looked tired throughout and he and Primus Walrond had their chances but failed to convert consistently, often swarmed by defenders or stripped of the ball. Keefe Birkett hit a few key threes and finished with 18 points, but every Lakers run was answered immediately by Celtics threes, crushing momentum before it could build. In the end, Primus Walrond was another bright spot, notching a team-high 25 points and 12 rebounds, hitting multiple baseline jumpers to keep the points flowing.
By the fourth quarter, the Celtics were rolling with a game-high lead of 34 points, clearing the bench to close out a clinical performance that put them up 1-0 in the series. The Lakers will have to regroup and work on taking care of the ball because not many teams win games after compiling 37 turnovers by the final whistle.
The earlier game of the evening delivered playoff intensity at its finest. The defending champions, Clapham Bulls, held off a determined Cavaliers squad to win 95–92 in a contest that featured six lead changes and eight ties.
Akeem Marsh led the Bulls with 22 points and 12 rebounds, while Andrew Ifill added 14 points and 10 boards in a rugged performance inside. Clapham dominated the glass, pulling down 61 rebounds to the Cavaliers’ 46 and generating 23 second-chance points.
At halftime, the score was 50-47 and tied at 72 apiece at the end of the third. The game swung back and forth, with the Bulls holding an 11-point lead at one stage, only for the Cavaliers to surge late. Deveron Knight was massive in defeat, tallying 23 points and 13 rebounds. He got support from Stephan Ottley (16 points), Zachary Cave (13), and Adriel Brathwaite (9 points, 9 rebounds), but Station Hill’s late-game run came up just short. Adding a shooting boost for the Cavs was overseas-based player Chikosi Boardi, who finished with 14 points.
Antoine Winter of Clapham posted a double-double of 19 points and 15 rebounds for the Bulls, and Rahiim Gibbons added 13 points and solid minutes. The ability of the Bulls to execute down the stretch and hit clutch free throws sealed the win.
While the Celtics dominated their game, this Bulls-Cavaliers matchup is shaping up to be the more competitive semifinal. Game 2 of the series is set to be a must-watch on Wednesday.
(AS)
