Bounty Colts sweep Pacesetters
-Yohance Douglas Memorial Basketball finals By Clyde Pestano
Stabroek News
November 11, 2003

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Bounty Colts Basketball Club in the wee hours of yesterday morning was able to snatch the Yohance Douglas Memorial Basketball (Senior) title from nemesis Courts Pacesetters at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. The result means that they have made a clean-sweep (2-0) of their two-best-in-three series with the Pacesetters. The game which ended at 1:00am was lost to the Pacesetters at the end of the third quarter when they fell behind badly by 13 points 44-57. They tried their best to overcome this deficit in the fourth period but failed as the Colts gained `sweet' revenge after losing 2-1 to the Pacesetters earlier in the year.

As the game unfolded it became apparent that the Colts wanted the title more badly than Courts as they unsettled them with tough physical play. The Colts played like a team `possessed' especially in the final quarter as they literally `shut-down' the Pacesetters while they set the pace. So effective were their efforts that they held the Pacesetters to just 10 points in the final quarter while they had 16 in an inspired performance.

From jump ball the Colts let the Pacesetters know who would be kings by taking an early 11 point lead 13-2 with just 2:55 left in the first quarter. However, Courts called time out at this stage of the game and rallied well to be behind by just three at the end of the first, 14-17. The early exchanges in the second period was the best segment of the game for the Pacesetters as they took the lead at 18-17 and extended it further by four at 21-17.

The Colts sensing that they were losing the initiative called a time out. On the resumption they did well to tie the game at 21 and then kicked in their heels as they motored on to a six point lead at half time, 36-30. The crucial third quarter began with Courts exhibiting signs of a renaissance when they battled back to take the lead at 39-38. However, the Colts would not be denied and that was the last time in the game that the Pacesetters were in the lead. In the final three minutes of the third, the champions outscored the Pacesetters 17-6 in a blitz from which they never recovered.

When the fourth quarter began it soon became evident that it would take a herculean effort on the part of Pacesetters to surpass a `worked-up' and emotionally charged Colts team. With 2:07 remaining in the game and the Colts ahead by 21, 69-48, some fans who seemed to be supporters of the Pacesetters started to trudge out of the venue with their faces a mixture of disappointment and bewilderment at the impending demise of their team.

In contrast Bounty Colts' fans were whooping in delight and poking fun at the remaining Courts supporters with some good-natured heckling. The Colts did not disappoint them and powered on to win by a massive 20 points 73-53.

Clarence Bennett was once again the Colts' man-of-the-moment with a game-high 25 points and up and coming `star' Kerwin Blades dazzled for 22 while Dane Kendall had a solid 18 points. For the Pacesetters Stephon Henry had 16 points and Horace Hodge 12.

Colts' Captain Rondal Murphy who spoke with Stabroek Sport after the game said that sweet was too mild a word to describe their victory. According to him their triumph was especially sweet, since they were out to prove who are the `real' champions. He added that their win was also important since Courts must now respect the fact that they are an outstanding team even without the services of their `star' player Andrew Ifill. Murphy boasted that his team is on the way to establishing a lasting legacy in basketball in Guyana as they seek to win more matches and tournaments.

Stabroek Sport observed a number of Colts players and fans actually sweeping the basketball court with brooms, symbolic of their clean sweep of the Pacesetters.

In the second game of the women's finals, Pepsi Sonics levelled their three game series clash against Courts Pacesetters (females) 1-1 with a pulsating three point victory. In that game Pepsi Sonics held the upper hand for most of the time but lapses almost cost them the game. At one point in the first half they led by as much as 17 with the score 33-16. Half time saw the Sonics enjoy an eight point lead 37-29 as they consolidated with good all round ball distribution. However, Courts came back with a bang in the early exchanges of the second half and in fact were able to take the lead at 40-39 with approximately 16:00 left in the 20 minute second half. It was an exhilarating and nerve wrangling `affair' subsequently as the lead changed `hands' on a regular basis. With 8:17 left Pepsi held a slight three point edge 53-50 in a `war of attrition' as both sides started to tire. The scores were tied at 55 and 58 and with Pepsi ahead 60-59 they called a strategic time out with 53.3 left in the game. They moved further ahead 61-59 but Courts battled back to tie the game at 61 with 31.0 remaining. One of two free throws gave the Sonics the lead 62-61 and another lay up after a Courts turnover gave them victory as they held on and `ran out' the remaining time. For the Sonics Natasha Andrews and Temike Joseph both had 10 points while Nicola Jacobs continued to impress with a game high 19 points and her teammate Tamika Alphonso assisted with 12.

Merle Joseph coach of the Sonics told Stabroek Sport that her side this time around played with much more composure and determination than they did in the first game. She added that her team's strategy was to `burn' out the Courts team in the first half while they rested key players. The coach is predicting a 20 point victory margin for her team in the final when the teams meet again on Wednesday, based on the way they played game two.

In the third-place play-off game, Courts junior men defeated a game but inexperienced Plaisance Patriots Academy side by six points. At half time the Patriots enjoyed a comfortable 11 point lead 40-29 but the Courts side went on a 10-0 run at the start of the second half to move to within one point of he lead. As they grim struggle for third place play off rights unfolded the game was tied at 43, 48, 54 and 63. With 2:10 left in the game Courts suddenly found their shooting and defensive `zones' and eked out victory after they converted several turnovers by the Patriots in the dying seconds to earn a well-deserved win.

For the Pacesetters Ryan Gullen had 16 points and Devon Fredericks 15 while Enoch Matthews poured in a game high 34 for the Patriots.