National Mens Basketball League finalists

The final and decisive game three of both Division One semi-finals series’ continued at the Beausejour Indoor Facility on Saturday.  The first of the night featured a battle of youth squads in that of the Combined Schools team verses the Soufriere Sulphur Stars, highly populated by youthful talent.

With the series squared one apiece, it was a case of win or go home for both teams.  It looked clearly like playoff basketball during the encounter with a low scoring output from both teams.  At the half the score was 22-20 in favour of Soufriere with a slim two point margin to go into the interval.

A low six point third quarter saw Soufriere go into the fourth quarter down three points and Combined Schools in front 31-28. Combined Schools held on for the win in the end despite a late spurt by Soufriere to book their way into the finals with a 40-39 victory over Soufriere.

Linzel Alcee led the way for Soufriere scoring 20 of their 39 points (pts) and grabbing 10 rebounds (rebs) and five steals. Combined Schools was led by Troy Louison with 11pts and eight rebs and big Parkel Gumbs with 10 pts and 11 rebs.

Game two of the evening saw a comfortable win for ISE Academy over Bois D’Orange Lions 77-62, to join Combined Schools as the other finalists in Division One basketball.  ISE was ably led again by Gabriel McFarlane on the court with 32 pts, 10 rebs and seven steals. He was supported by Rawlstan Mitchell with 17 pts and four steals.

With defending champions Courts Jets already booking their place in the finals after a 2-0 series win over Babonneau Dynasty, it was the turn of VBCC Warlords and Dennery Dolphins. They clashed at the Beausejour Indoor Facility on Sunday with that series tied at one apiece.

It was a clash indeed with neither teams willing to give up the edge with some aggressive and less than inspiring play from both teams.  In the end, VBCC Warlords proved too much for Dennery Dolphins. A 58-51 score margin booked their place in the finals against Courts Jets.

For the Warlords, Marcian Calderon led them with 16 pts and 22 rebs.

Desmond Vidal added 19 pts, nine rebs and five blocks for Dennery but proved inadequate to put his team into the finals.

So the finals are set in both Divisions: Combined Schools vs ISE Academy in Division One and VBCC Warlords vs Courts Jets in Premier League which begins June 23 from 6 pm.