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Nth R/veldt force game three
– shut down opposition’s offence
By Edison Jefford
North Ruimveldt did all they did not do in game one and the result was that fortunes were reversed and the best-of-three semi-final series was levelled in the HJTV and Lens Craft Inter-Ward basketball competition Saturday night.
Ryan Stephney
Andrew Ifill
Pundits had believed that swingman, Andrew Ifill would not exit the tournament without a game-winning performance and they were right – Ifill was unstoppable and categorically established himself as the leading MVP candidate.
He scored 21 points with eight rebounds to lead North to a commanding 75-56 win in the defensive game against Albouystown/Charlestown. He received excellent support from Ryan Stephney, who had 14 points and six rebounds.
North Ruimveldt hustled, played hard defence and finished the easy chances, which was the complete opposite of what occurred in game one where Rodwell Fortune was able to dominate their defence with dribble penetrations.
Fortune was kept away from the ball Saturday night and was closely marked. He was not able to exploit the tough defensive situation. Dwayne ‘Sugar’ Roberts was also attacked; he only managed nine points and four rebounds.
North’s strategy was definitely aimed at improving their interior defence while allowing their obvious offensive strength to flow naturally. Trevor McCleod scraped a top score of 12 points with six rebounds for Albouystown.
Alwyn Bellamy, Fortune and Roberts were the main targets of North’s defensive strategy.
The three players are head of Albouystown’s offence and the ones that led them to the emphatic game one triumph last Tuesday.
Ifill’s 21 points in the game was his fourth score past 20 points in the tournament after his 26 points and 15 rebounds in the first round, 30 points and nine rebounds in the last eight and 23 points and 10 rebounds in semi-final game one.
The national player shot three-point jumpers and threw down huge one-handed dunks in the first quarter Saturday night on his way to the top of the MVP list. It was his time to lead and he did it with authority, avoiding a sweep.
North made an excellent adjustment when they decided to increase Stephney’s minutes in game two. The guard was able to match Fortune’s quickness and penetration, which took away prior advantages from Albouystown.
At the end of the first quarter, North held a 13-8 lead that was still precarious but with the tempo raised in the second quarter, Albouystown was guilty of an abominable number of turnovers that North did not hesitate to finish.
Albouystown still had hope at the end of the second quarter despite North being up 31-22 but that seem to fade at the beginning of the last half when North raced to a 46-23 points lead with just four minutes left in the third period.
The quarter ended 55-33 and patriotic ‘ghetto’ supporters continued to urge their players on in the final minutes.
However, North was not in collapse mood and clinically went on the offensive again to the delight
of their fans.
Ifill was on show and from two-handed dunks to turn-around jumpers; his game was sure and revengeful. He wanted Albouystown to know that they are not capable of stopping him and more so, he wanted ‘Sugar’ to be aware.
With 6:24 seconds remaining on the clock, North took their biggest lead of the game with a 62-37 points’ advantage. Ifill constantly banged his chest and roared in the air – the smell of victory had engulfed the leading offensive player.
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