There was no room for doubt at the BCC Gym as both the 246 Mobile Shop City United Celtics and defending champions Burger King Clapham Bulls punched their tickets to the 2025 Cooperators General Insurance BABA Premier League Finals, each completing 2-0 sweeps in their respective semi-final series.
The Celtics were all business, dispatching the Island Care Ambulance Service & BodyxB Lakers 90-80 in the first semifinal game on Wednesday. Their offense flowed early and often, putting up 50 points (50-22) in the first half, largely thanks to a barrage of threes and aggressive perimeter play.
NBA G-League Maine Celtic forward Hason Ward, making a surprise debut for the Lakers after flying in from the US that same afternoon, showed glimpses of his pro pedigree in the second half. However it was too little, too late in the series. The Lakers clearly struggled to integrate him into their system.
Ward often signaled for the ball early in possessions, exposed mismatches, and even looked to distribute once he settled in, but the chemistry was not there. Guards were hesitant to feed him lobs, and it probably would have taken Coach Derek Browne stepping onto the court to show his players how to utilize the 6’9” big man. After three quarters the score was 68-44 but during the fourth Lakers played like they had nothing to lose, closing the gap to lose by 10.
Meanwhile, the Celtics never wavered from their script. Deroni Hurley was electric with 22 points and five assists, while Kiserian Adams added 23 points and 10 boards. Joel Hunte and Theo Greenidge also contributed 13 and 10 respectively. Celtics scored 32 points from turnovers, capitalizing on the 24 Laker turnovers and keeping the tempo in their favor.
Keefe Birkett (21 points) and Primus Walrond (21 points, 8 rebounds) fought hard for the Lakers, but the damage had been done. David Walkes hustled plenty on defense but on offense had a tendency to over dribble the ball.
In the nightcap, the Clapham Bulls left no doubt about their title defense, dispatching the Fusionz Boutique Station Hill Cavaliers 102-85.
The Bulls went on a 22-7 run in the second quarter to blow the game open, surging to a 70-38 lead at halftime. Their intensity on both ends showed as they poured in 30 points off turnovers, outran Station Hill for 32 fast break points, and played like a team that smelled another championship.
Rasheed Maynard led the way with 24 points, five assists and four steals, while Derion Hurley dropped a smooth 19 points and Simeon Maynard put up 18. Andrew Ifill was a wrecking ball in the paint, bullying smaller defenders and finishing with 9 points, 9 assists, and a +16 efficiency rating. Rahiim Gibbons added to the defensive gauntlet with 12 points and four steals.
The Cavaliers, who had shown sparks of rhythm earlier in the campaign, unraveled under Clapham’s pressure. Stephan Ottley fouled out early in the third quarter, and with key players Zachary Cave, Deveron Knight, and Chikosi Boardi off the floor in the second, the Bulls seized total control. Knight still managed a solid 22-point, 15-rebound performance. Gavin Phillips played aggressively and compiled 17 points while Cave had 13 and Ottley 10.
The Cooperators General Insurance BABA Premier League Finals tip off on Wednesday, April 23, at 7p.m. at the BCC Gym. It will be a best-of-five heavyweight clash between the well-oiled, sharpshooting Celtics and the fast-breaking, pressure-driven defending champions Bulls. One aims to take the throne, the other will try to keep it. (AS)
