Kashif and Shanghai Kings came out victorious 53–48 over Victory Valley Royals, en route to maintaining an unbeaten record in this year’s Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) Trophy Stall-sponsored league.
Both teams entered Wednesday night’s game unbeaten in their three previous matches and were looking to finish on top of the other clubs.
However, the low score of the game doesn’t reflect how well the two clubs played but they made it clear from jump ball that the game would not be won by who scores the most baskets but who played better defence.
Kings ‘Big Man’ Jason Alonzo made it hard for the Chris Williams-led Royals to even get close to the basket as the 6’ 6” player played a ‘brick wall’ like defence in the front court while on the offensive end he terrorized the ring.
Alonzo ended with a game high 20 points and piloted the Kings to a 19–6 lead at the end of the first quarter after sending the Royals muscle inside Harold Adams to the bench due to early foul trouble.
Royals coach Kester Jeffrey took to the drawing board heading into the second quarter and this saw his side bouncing back from their miserable first period and led by Junior National Point Guard, Marlon Pollydore, veteran Julius Carter, Orlan Glasgow and Williams, the Victory Valley team outscored the Kings 15–13 but still trailed by 11 (21–32) at the close of the first half.
Kings had little participation from Alonzo in the third quarter, scoring only two points since he was relegated to the bench for the most part due to four fouls he picked up.
It was then that Williams burst out, scoring 11 of his 15 points mostly from punching the lane and getting to the rim without much of a bother since his nemesis was not on the court.
Royals scored 21 points as compared to their opponents’ seven in the quarter due to Williams’ heroics coupled with that of Carter who finished the game with 12 points, Glasgow’s (9) stout defence and Pollydore’s many steals at the top on Steve Neils to finish the period leading the Kings 42–39.
Marvin Hartman opened the period burying a three-point shot over Pollydore at the top of the arc and then at the Royals’ front court, Alonzo made consecutive stops blocking the shots of Williams and Glasgow repeatedly.
The Royals scored just six points in the final period which came from Williams, Alwyn Rodney and Glasgow.
But Pollydore had the final shot to tie the game for the Royals when the scores were 51–48 and four seconds remaining. He received a pass from Williams at the top of the three-point area but his shot barely grazed the front of the rim.
Some fans and players of the Royals, however, queried the call asking if it was goaltending, arguing that Omally Sampson’s hands had touched the ball simultaneously with the rim.
Sampson was eventually fouled after taking the rebound and went to free throws and made both shots and by this time the game clock had already expired and the Kings held on to clinch victory.
Hartman finished with 10 points and Sampson seven. Steve Neils, Jr. continued to shoot the ball poorly but finished with eight points.
With the exception of the Wismar Pistons who have only played two games so far, the other six teams only have two games remaining.
TEAMS GAMES PLAYED WINS LOST POINTS
K&S KINGS 4 4 – 8
V/VALLEY ROYALS 4 3 1 7
AMELIA’S WARD JETS 4 3 1 7
HALF MILE BULLS 4 2 2 6
RETRIEVE RAIDERS 4 1 3 5
BLOCK 22 FLAMES 4 – 4 4
WISMAR PISTONS 2 – 2 2
