Third division newcomers Buxton Heat found their rhythm in the second half and blew away Republic Bank Nets 76-54 yesterday during the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) Super League at the Burnham outdoor basketball court.
Playing in their first game of the league, Buxton Heat struggled to play team defence and even though they began the game with an 8-0 run, a depleted Nets side fought their way back into the game.
Nets’ starting five was their only five until a few minutes before half time when a late arriving Rudolph Daly joined them.
Nevertheless, the Nets managed to breakdown Buxton Heat’s zone defence, with a few passes each time. Nets guards penetrated from the wings and baseline as the Heat players did not rotate and restructure when the ball was on the sides. Nets came up with key defensive stops and led by the slimmest of margins 35-34 at halftime. Daly finished the half for the Nets but some of his old habits of turning over the ball and taking ill-advised shots began to reappear in the third quarter.
After expending most of their energy in the first half, Nets struggled to run back and defend in transition in the second half.
Their number one scoring option Peter Lashley sat winded on the bench, while the inexperience Daly coughed up a few turnovers down the stretch.
Nets never got settled in the third quarter and after putting up 35 first half points, Nets scored just two points in the third quarter which ended with the Heat way ahead 61-37. Former Bounty Colts guard Quasie Newton, finished with 15 points while Devon Roberts also added 15 to Buxton Heat’s total. Okemi Sampson added 10 points while Amineke Archibald finished with six.
In the feature encounter on Friday night, Pepsi Sonics had their way against Demerara Colours Panthers 47-34.
In this battle of the defensive minded coaches between former national point guard Mark Agard of Pepsi Sonics and Panther’s Derrick Alphonso, Agard’s charges showed more versatility during the final minutes. Panthers led at halftime 21-18 but nearing the close of the third quarter their experienced point guard Kevin Cumberbatch went down with an injury and did not return to the game.
Panthers had scored four points in the quarter at that point but failed to score any more in that quarter while Pepsi Sonics scored 13. Ryan Melville, who had been out of uniform for a while, top scored for the Sonics with 12 points including a match clinching three to stop any chance of a comeback in the fourth quarter, while Trevor Scott who drilled two threes finished with eight points. Sonics’ dynamic small forward Jason Squires had a quiet night on offense and added seven points for his team. Panthers centre Haslyn Hooper had a team high of 15 points with quite a few blocks while Yannick December scored 11 points.
In the first game on Friday night, the Plaisance Guardians third division side defeated Melanie Patriots 48-42.
Nduka Horatio led Guardians with an impressive offensive performance of 23 points while Daymian Denny added nine and crafty point guard Tabby Matthews added five. Anthony Richards was the only player for Melanie in double figures with 14 points. The GABA league continues today.
