Breezes High Flyers one game from championship

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE Division II defending champions are a game away from repeating as champions while the Division I series went in the opposite direction and is a game away from being all tied up.

The Breezes High Flyers (Divison II) took a 3-0 series lead while the Rockets (Division I) now trail 1-2 after their respective wins in the 2017-18 New Providence Basketball Association championships, Wednesday night at the AF Adderley Gymnasium.

Game four in both series is set for Friday at 7:30pm.

Rockets – 90

Commonwealth Bank Giants – 84

Livington Munnings turned in an MVP caliber performance and led the Rockets with 26 points and 22 rebounds, both game highs.

Eugene Bain finished with a near double double – 20 points and nine rebounds and Quentin Demeritte scored 11 (3-4 from three).

The Rockets led by as much as 10 in the fourth quarter, but had a late game collapse within the last four minutes.

D’Shon Taylor again led the Giants in both scoring and rebounding.

Taylor led five Giants in double figures with 19 points (4-11 from three) and added 11 rebounds.

Michael Bain Jr had another all around game with 13 points, six rebounds and five assists, Jeffrey Henfield added 13 points and eight rebounds, Tehran Cox sand David Taylor each scored 10 and Gamaliel Rose finished with nine points and nine rebounds.

The Giants led briefly in the opening stages of the fourth on a jumper from Cox, but the Rockets took control for good several possessions later. Eugene Bain’s floater put the Rockets up 77-67 with 3:52 left to play.

The Giants pulled within five when Henfield made a pair of free throws, 86-81 and followed up with a turnover on the next possession. However after an empty trip on offence, Munnings would seal the Rockets win with a dunk.

Bain and Munnings’ dominance in the frontcourt led the Rockets to an 11 rebound advantage on the boards and a 12 point edge in points in the paint. The Rockets also shot 43 percent from the field while the Giants were at just 33 percent.

The first quarter featured six ties and four lead changes before a late Taylor dunk gave the Giants a 21-19 lead at the end of one.

The Giants went ahead by 10 on a Taylor layup, 35-25 with 6:45 left to play in the half. Demeritte’s second three of the game capped an 8-0 run and brought the Rockets within two, 35-33.

The Giants would end the quarter with seven unanswered points to take a 42-35 lead into the half. The Rockets sould outscore the Giants 55-42 in the second half to clinch their first win of the series.

Breezes High Flyers - 93

Aliv Bucket Team - 83

Three Flyers players finished with double doubles led by Dave Davis’ 26 points and 16 rebounds. Devonte Gibson had 18 points and 14 rebounds while Shanton Pratt added 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Jeremy Neely stuffed the stat sheet and nearly finished with a triple double – 15 points, eight assists and six rebounds while Enrico Bethel added eight points and eight rebounds.

Rashad Ingraham’s monster game to lead the Bucket Team included 39 points and 22 rebounds, both game highs. James Rolle scored 15 and Dylan Musgrove added 10.

Davis scored on the opening possession, the Flyers built a 10 point first quarter lead and led wire to wire in the win.