Hoopers, Allstars for Flow Western Finals
MONTEGO BAY, St James - Hoopers and Catherine Hall
All-Stars will meet in the best-of-three finals of the
Flow National Basketball League-West, starting this
weekend, after topping the tables at the end of the
preliminary rounds.
Both finalists, as well as Granville Jaguars, finished
on 14 points, but Hoopers and All-stars made the
finalists on goal difference - the second tie-breaker
used, according to the rules of the competition.
Vaughn Lee (centre) of Granville Jaguars leaps to sink a
two-pointer as Steven James of Inner-city Avalanche
tries to block him during Sunday's Flow NBL-West game at
the Montego Bay Cricket Club. Jaguars won 93-81 in
double over-time. (Photo: Paul Reid)
Hoopers, who beat Sav Hawks, 63-42, to snap a two-match
losing streak at Montego Bay Cricket Club on Sunday,
topped the standings with a goal difference of 10,
followed by All-stars on minus two and Granville, who
beat Inner-city Avalanche, 93-81 in double overtime in a
game marred by violence, finished with minus eight.
Meanwhile Hawks, who lost both games played at the
weekend, have been relegated to the Western Basketball
Association's Men's Championships after finishing at the
bottom of the tables.
On Sunday, Avalanche and Granville were locked in the
first over-time period in an exciting game when an ugly
incident forced the first of two interruptions.
A number of players went for a rebound under the
Avalanche basket and the ball was slapped away from
Granville's Leroy Lawrence.
Lawrence approached Godfrey Rodriques menacingly, but
was dragged away by teammates. He went to his bench and
then walked close to Rodriques and was against dragged
away by teammates, but returned to slap the Avalanche
player with an open hand in the face.
The attack, combined with an accident in the second
period of over-time when Granville's Dave Black fell
heavily after a mis-timed attempt at an interception by
Dwayne Johns, saw him fall heavily to the ground and
took the energy out of the game.
Up to then the teams, despite several errors late in
regulation time, had kept the crowd entertained and on
the edge of their seats.
Avalanche led by as many as 10 points early in the
fourth quarter, but Granville, who started sluggish,
steadily chipped away at the lead with Lawrence scoring
nine straight points of his 23 to bring his team back in
the game and a three-pointer from Black with just over
three minutes to go, gave them the lead at 62-61.
