Hoopers take early lead in best-of-three 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.
Goyan Malcolm (left) of Catherine Hall All-Stars
confronts Hoopers' Levar Rose in last Saturday's Game
One of the Flow NBL-West best-of-three finals at the
Montego Bay Cricket Club. Despite Malcolm's 27 points,
Hoopers took the lead with a 66-52 win. (Photo: Paul
Reid)
Saturday's loss snapped a four-game winning run by
Catherine Hall who must now win Tuesday evening's Game
Two to force a decisive Game Three on Saturday at the
National Indoor Centre in Kingston.
If they are to win tomorrow, Catherine Hall must provide
offensive support for Goyan Malcolm, who carried the
team with a game-high 27 points on Saturday.
Additionally, three Catherine Hall players fouled out
mid-way the fourth quarter allowing Hoopers to run away
with the game at the end.
The teams got off to a nervous start, and it took almost
five minutes before Hoopers' Toussaint Williams
scored the first points as his team got off to a 10-0
lead.
Catherine Hall responded by putting together a run of
their own to pull to within one point at 10-9 and
trailing by two points (17-19) after the first quarter.
With Hoopers starting centre Marlon Comrie
picking up three quick fouls before he scored his first
point, Catherine Hall took full advantage and led by six
points (32-26) with three minutes, 17 seconds to go in
the first half, but Hoopers rallied to tie the scores at
32 at the break.
The scores were tied again at 36 with five minutes, 32
seconds to go in the third period, but once again
Hoopers had the edge going into the final period 49-44.
The Douglas Reid-coached Hoopers then started the
fourth quarter with a 6-0 run despite Kemar Dean
fouling out with just over seven minutes to go, and were
up by 12 points (57-45). Catherine Hall then lost
Damion Curtis and Jermaine Rerrie within
minutes of each other as Hoopers cruised.
Levar Rose led Hoopers with 14 points, Williams
had 11 points and 14 rebounds, while Andrae Morgan
and Rayan Bolt both had nine points.
Malcolm missed nine free throws, but still led Catherine
Hall with a game-high 27 points, while Allie Thompson
scored eight points and had 11 rebounds.
