Plaisance/Vryheid’s Lust bounce back with strong statement

Jun 04, 2012 Sports

– Kwakwani emphatically launch Super Eight campaign

By Edison Jefford
After succumbing to group leaders, Lodge/Meadowbrook in a nail-biting encounter last week on the Burnham Basketball Court, Plaisance/Vryheid’s Lust, one of the strongest teams in the event, made a strong statement against South Ruimveldt Saturday night.
Plaisance/Vryheid’s Lust bounced back in their second National Community Basketball League (NCBL) game, blowing out South Ruimveldt 98-36, which moved them to second place in their group behind Lodge/Meadowbrook that have already qualified.

Shelroy Thomas

Dave Plass

The win for Plaisance set up a straight fight for the other qualification spot in the group with the Albouystown/Charlestown team. The game between the two teams will more-or-less decide who advances along with Lodge/Meadowbrook out of the group.
Two teams from each of the four groups will advance to the Super Eight Knockout round of the competition. Ron Campbell dropped a career-best 27 points while veteran guard Enoch Mathews scored 15, Nikkoloi Smith 14 and Gerald Harry 11 points to keep Plaisance/Vryheid’s Lust in the hunt for a Super Eight berth.
Floyd Manifold had 12 points and Clarence Blackman 10 points for South Ruimveldt, who could not find any sort of offensive rhythm against a young brigade of second-string Plaisance players at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall in the second game.
Plaisance/Vryheid’s Lust pulled senior national players, shooting guard, Steffon Gillis and Ryan Gullen from the game in the second quarter after establishing a 34-8 lead. Harry, Smith, Colwyn Nurse and Theon Berkshire were the second-string replacements.
The substitutes were fast owed to their youthfulness, and there was no counter for that from the South Ruimveldt unit that looked obviously out of sync with each other; their struggles to gel as a unit were obvious as Plaisance ended the first half up 51-15 points.
Gullen and Gillis restarted the third quarter and helped their team add 15 points to their second quarter score before handing over reigns to the substitutes again. Gillis had just two points in the game, but his role was different, he was obviously the play-maker.
The third period ended 74-27 with the writings on the wall in the final period. Plaisance eased to victory in the contest as most of the patrons at the venue fixed their eyes on the NBA Conference finals between San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder that was been shown at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall as added attraction.
In the first game, Kwakwani brought all their former junior national players to the fore against a West Side team that slumped to their third defeat. Kwakwani thrashed the West Side Boys 92-34 to launch their Super Eight campaign in the national tournament.
Forward, Dave Plass scored 26 points for Kwakwani as guard Shelroy Thomas adding 16 points. Raul Gordon had 12 points and Dave Causway had 11 points. Gordon was the only player amid the points without junior national experience.
Lionel Lobert scored 10 points for the West Side Boys. The competition continued last night at the same venue and will continue tomorrow and Thursday nights before moving to Linden at the Mackenzie Sports Club Court for one of two scheduled away-games.