Ravens puncture Pacesetters wheels on ‘Road to Mecca’

Mar 11, 2014 Sports

– Final Four of National Basketball C/ships decided

By Edison Jefford
An epic night of basketball, with the final minute deciding two quarterfinal games, enveloped the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall Sunday night, leaving just four teams to continue their journey on the ‘Road to Mecca’: The National Basketball Club Championships.
Linden’s Retrieve Raiders and Georgetown’s Ravens won in the final minutes of their games that more than anything else was a preview to what will be an intense Final Four this Sunday after the Amelia’s Ward Jets and Colts also won their quarterfinal encounters.
Ravens’ shooting guard, Ryan Stephney penetrated the lane with 35 seconds left to win 61-58 in their game against the Georgetown’s number one seeded, Trinity Grid Holdings Pacesetters after a dubious

Ravens’ guard, Akeem Kanhai evades Pacesetters’ forward, Naylon Loncke (#12) in the air as he releases a floater in the paint at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

pushing call from the referees handed Ravens possession.
Nevertheless, Ryan Stephney finished with 25 points from an awesome shooting display as well, which countered the accuracy of Steffon Gillis from downtown, while Akeem Kanhai scored 12 points for Ravens in their fourth straight win against Pacesetters.
Gillis put on a sharp-shooting clinic for his 23 points while Travis Burnett had 10 points in the game for Pacesetters after an intense offensive level to start as Gillis and Stephney traded three-point jumpers that entertained the sizeable crowd at the venue.
Stephney nailed a missile from beyond the arc to put Ravens up 19-10 before Rodwell Fortune released a floater in the lane to conclude a 21-14 first quarter for Ravens.
However an 8-2 run early in the second period that included back-to-back three-pointers from Gillis cut the Ravens lead to one point, before Burnett’s double-pump left-handed lay-up gave Pacesetters a 26-25 lead with seven minutes to play before halftime.
Kanhai finished an And1 play to equalise 29-29 then both teams added just two points each in a defensive exchange that left them on 31-31 with three minutes remaining before the break. Then the Sports Hall exploded with an offensive blast.
Gillis landed a big three-point jump shot to put Pacesetters ahead, but Stephney responded with a huge shot from downtown before Hugh Arthur joined the party downtown with a three-point shot as well before Burnett also fired one in for a 41-40 Pacesetters halftime lead.
With seven minutes left in the third quarter, Dominic Vincente put Ravens ahead with his jumper but it was short-lived as Gillis immediately responded with a baseline shot. The intense offensive start for both teams dwindled to a second half defensive battle with Pacesetters adding just 10 points and Ravens 11 points to their halftime scores.
The two teams continued to exchange points until one of two free throws from Stephney gave the Ravens a 59-58 lead with 41 seconds left in regulation time; Ravens regained possession with 35 seconds left in the game, compliments of a pushing foul call against Pacesetters then Stephney had the honours of sealing the deal with a lay-up in the lane.
The game before, a Linden showdown between Retrieve Raiders and number one ranked, Kings had similar drama in the closing minute. With under seven minutes to play in the game the scores were levelled 50-50 after Orin Rose drilled a three-pointer for Kings.
However, Keon Cameron responded with a shot from downtown to put Raiders ahead 53-50 then Dwayne Roberts finished a turn-around jumper for a 55-50 lead. But Rose again nailed a big shot from beyond the arc with three minutes left in regulation time.
Kings forward, Trevor Profitt scored two free-throws to level the scores at 55-55 with 1:23 left in the final quarter. Roberts and Cameron then made free-throws that put Raiders ahead 57-55 with five seconds left for Kings to configure a play within its kingdom.
Kings went to Rose for a jumper, but the shot missed to give Raiders a 57-55 win and a place in the semi-final. Roberts scored 21 points and grabbed 20 rebounds while Cameron ended up with 20 points and three steals in the nail-biting encounter down the stretch.
For Kings, Omally Sampson had 15 points and eight rebounds while Rose had 14 points. Steve Neils Jr. had 10 points.
In the first game of the night, Colts defeated Pepsi Sonics 65-51 in a Georgetown match-up with
Dave Causway scoring 19 points and seven rebounds, Shelroy Thomas 16 points to go with his seven boards and Steve McSeen 13 points and 12 rebounds.
Trevor Smith scored 17 points, Jason Squires had 11 points and 10 rebounds while Collis ‘Forty’ Pluck scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds for Sonics.
Amelia’s Ward Jets had a comfortable victory 67-56 over Victory Valley Royals with Shane Webster scoring 22 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. Emmanuel Archibald scored 14 points and Rodwell Pellew had 11 points. For Victory Valley, Harold Adams had 18 points and 10 rebounds while Ron Beckles scored 11 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.