Ravens tame Colts for second Phillip George title

Dec 24, 2013 Sports

– TGH Pacesetters remain atop Div. III basketball

By Edison Jefford
Dyna’s Ravens blew away Colts Sunday night at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall to win their second Phillip George Legacy title with a scintillating display of basketball that trapped Colts in nomad’s land.

Colts and GABA President, Michael Singh (centre) hands over the Phillip George Division I Championship trophy to Ravens Basketball Club Sunday night at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

Ravens ultimately tamed Colts 78-53 to win the Division I title of the competition, which started last year in honour of the late Colts coach, Phillip George. Ravens had defeated Nets last year in the inaugural edition of the Division I and III tournament.
Guard, Ryan Stephney nailed big jumpers all night for 17 points while Akeem Kanhai also had 17 points to lead Ravens. Guard, Dominic Vincente scored 11 points while Rodwell Fortune and Ryan Gullen had 10 points each for the champions.
Guards, Nikkoloi Smith scored 24 points and Dave Causway had 11 points for Colts, which had defeated last year’s finalist, Nets for their place in the final. Smith scored 20 of his 24 points in the first quarter, but a defensive adjustment for the Ravens that allowed Coach, Darcel Harris to scratch-mark Smith completely shut down the guard, who scored just four more points in three quarters.
An offensive exchange between Smith and Stephney in the first quarter sent Ravens ahead 25-22 at the end of the period. Ravens went on a 14-4 run early in the second period with breathtaking touch-passes that bewildered the defence of Colts and obviously opened easy scoring opportunities for Ravens.
The architect was largely Fortune and Kanhai with other support in the backcourt. Fortune nailed a jumper to put Ravens ahead 40-28 with a minute and half to play before halftime; Colts missed three straight three-point jumpers to end the second period struggling to come to grips with some plays Harris had drawn up to free his offensive guards.
Causway helped cut Ravens lead to eight points in the third quarter, but Ravens responded with eight unanswered points for 48-32 advantage. Ravens then stepped on the accelerator and flew to a 64-36 lead compliment of a 16-4 run late in the third quarter.
Ravens defence kept Colts to just 14 points in two quarters following their hot start. Colts raged to a big fourth quarter, outscoring Ravens, but it was too late with Ravens resorting to entertain a small crowd with showtime crossovers and passes.
Earlier in the night, Trinity Grid Holdings Pacesetters had won the Division III title with a 63-59 victory over Plaisance Guardians. Guard, Ruel Ritch scored 20 points while forward, Tariq Cave had 13 points for Pacesetters. Colwyn Nurse and Nduka Horatio had 22 and 14 points respectively for Plaisance.