South survive fourth quarter thriller

May 19, 2009 Sports

– Wortmanville easily qualify

Dwayne Roberts

Steve Neils

Andrew Ifill

By Edison Jefford
There has to be quality basketball in the HJTV and Lens Craft Inter–Ward Championship Final Four playoffs to surpass the standard set during Sunday night’s quarter-final game between South Ruimveldt and Kitty/Campbellville.
Enthusiasts endured many nights of minnow games and lopsided wins as the competition leaders crushed minor opposition. But that evaporated in easily the best game of the event so far when South and Kitty met at the Sports Hall.
It was one minute of intense drama that literally brought patrons to their feet in support of their respective favourite team. In the end, South Ruimveldt survived for a 69–66 triumph that placed them among the Final Four.

South had envisioned a definite win in the final minute of the fourth quarter with a 65–62 points lead but Hodayah Stewart helped Kitty to a one point 66–65 edge with less than 30 seconds to play in the important encounter.
But a senseless and unnecessary foul placed South’s Kurt Sunich on the foul line and the balance shifted in a dramatic turn of events. Enthusiasts took to their feet and excitement dominated the atmosphere at the Sports Hall.
National guard Steve Neils Jr. came to play basketball and he ensured that the opposition was aware of that when he took control in the dying seconds. A big three–point jump shot hauled South to 69 while Kitty remained on 66 points.
With approximately nine seconds left on the game clock, Kevin Lawrence’s three–pointer ballooned over the ring to give South the win. Had he made the shot, the gruelling contest would have gone into overtime. It was that close.

South dominated most of the last half as Sheldon Braithwaite brought the energy and life for Kitty in the final quarter. Kitty outplayed South in the first half, to lead 19-15 in the first quarter and 37–36 at halftime.
Neils became a candidate for the MVP award with the second highest individual score in the tournament. He had 29 points and six rebounds while Sherwin Roberts scored 16 and grabbed nine rebounds.
Andrew Ifill has the best individual score of the tournament so far with 30 points.
Lawrence top scored with 13 points while Jason Alonzo had 11 points and 20 rebounds to complete a big double. Darren Thomas scored 10 points with 13 rebounds while Devon Bacchus also scored 10 points for Kitty.

Wortmanville/Werk-en-rust continued its smooth run to the Final Four stage of the event with a comfortable 73–51 points win over surprise quarter-finalist Alberttown/Bourda. The former champions dominated the entire game.
Captain Naylon Loncke scored 14 points while national forward Royston Siland finished with 13 points and seven rebounds. Devon Cameron had 13 points for the team that now plays South Ruimveldt for a place in the final.
Alberttown were restricted to a poor offensive night as Wortmanville consistently applied pressured defence. Jacob Lowe scored eight points while Louis James and Yannick Wade had seven points each for the underdog players.

The Albouystown/Charlestown team that features Alwyn Bellamy, Rodwell Fortune and Dwayne ‘Sugar’ Roberts will play defending champions, North Ruimveldt in game one of the best–of–three semi–finals tonight.
This is definitely bound to be a competitive battle that could end in game three. Albouystown have proven that they are one of the biggest forces in the tournament while North wants a consecutive championship accolade.
The big head–to–head match–up will be ‘Sugar’ against ‘Mr. Dunk’ Ifill from North and Damian Liverpool. The guard position will be just as entertaining with Fortune taking on North’s captain and national point guard, Darcel Harris.
This game is a toss up as the teams are equally balanced. Ifill has proven to be difficult to defend so far in the tournament, but he has not dealt with ‘Sugar’ until tonight. This game shouldl bring the best out of both championship teams.

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