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LADY AVS TO DEFEND TITLE AGAINST
ANGELS
It all comes down to this, the 23rd and final game of
the season, where one faces two - the challengers Mobay
Angels up against the defending champions in the finals
on Saturday, October 6th at 6:00 pm at the Montego Bay
Cricket Club court.
Lady Avalanche and Angels have built up one of the
fiercest rivalries in the Western Basketball
Association’s Female Basketball League in recent times
and having already played each other twice this season;
this game is expected to be no different to the physical
and intense clashes of the past. In game 5 (September
2), the Angels ended the Lady Avs’ undefeated start to
the season with a close 35-33 win. In game 15 (September
16), Lady Avs responded to beat the Angels 44-22,
leveling the head-to-head season series at 1-all.
As a result, both teams now possess a wealth of
knowledge about the other’s strengths and weaknesses.
Lady Avs finished the regular season with a 6-2 record,
safely earning them the second seed. Lady Avs were the
best defensive team in the League as they boast a mere
26.3 points per game (ppg) average while ranked number
two in the scoring column with 46.7 ppg. In the
semi-finals Lady Avs proved why they are defending
champs as they put on a scintillating display,
dismantling Mobay Pacers by a whopping 32 points to oust
them from contention. Angels secured the top seed by
virtue of their 7-1 win-loss season record. They also
hold the record for the most points scored in a single
FBL game, when they scored 86 points back in game 8. The
‘Halo-girls’ scored an average of 40.6ppg, whilst giving
up 27.3 ppg on the defensive end. In their semis against
Naldi Knights, they showed resilience by a coming from a
double-digit fourth quarter deficit to defeat Naldi
Knights by 6 points.
Nicole Dias, the league’s reigning MVP will anchor the
Lady Avs on the defensive end while remaining dominant
on the boards as well as scoring inside. The versatile
and consistent Olivia Bowen will be hard to stop, expect
support from the duo of Tavia Shaw and veteran Suzette
Virgo. Point guard Mahavia Findlator will orchestrate
their offence; she is a solid performer and leading MVP
candidate this season. Head Coach Galton “GT” Taylor
will be at the helm determined to mine the elusive
silverware after previously failing to do so with his
male senior squad in the concluded Men’s Basketball
Championship.
On the other hand, Angels will want to cap-off their
cinderella season by wresting the title of champions
from their opponents and take home the championship
hardware. Running the sidelines will be the
knowledgeable Hubert “Skubby” Grant, who is responsible
for turning his outfit around significantly since their
lowly performance in the 2006 season when they placed
3rd. He must have done his homework and must have being
preparing his girls for the toughest game of their
lives. Inspirational leader and team top-scorer
Donesha Love will lead their charge, as a MVP candidate
herself expect her to be in top form. Nadine Earle and
Bridgett Brown will be expected to contribute. Omesha
Peterkin’s scoring prowess will be needed along with
centre Ladonna Lamonth who is tipped as the x-factor if
Angels is to topple the champions. Ladonna is a menacing
force on the defensive end. She is a great blocker and
rebounder; it’s her offence that needs to shine through
on
Saturday.
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