High Flyers soar to championship

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

The Breezes High Flyers had their best offensive output in the final game of the series to claim the New Providence Basketball Association Division II Championship.

The High Flyers won game seven, 91-78 over the Your Essential Store Giants Monday night at the AF Adderley Gymnasium.

Shanton Pratt led the High Flyers with a game high 29 points on 11-20 shooting from the field while adding eight rebounds and five assists. Dave Davis had 19 points and 12 rebounds, Brendon Stubbs finished with 17 points and six assists, Dario Saunders added seven points and ten rebounds while Devontee Gibson added eight points and 10 rebounds.

Brandon Strachan led the Giants with 21 points, Cormardo Seymour had 10 points and 11 rebounds, Adrian Thompson scored 14 and Michael Bethel finished with eight.

The High Flyers led wire to wire in the 13 point win and once again earned the right to represent the NPBA at the Bunny Levarity National Round Robin Championships this weekend.

Pratt scored the game's first two field goals, setting the tone for his offensive output for the remainder of the night. Breezes took an early eight point lead when Pratt's jumper gave them a 16-8 lead with 4:37 left in the quarter. The Giants came within two on a Strachan layup, 20-18 but the High Flyers ended the quarter on a 7-1 run.

The lead reached 15 points early in the second on another Pratt jumper for a 37-22 lead. They led 46-33 at the half. A 17 point lead was reduced to just five late in the third. The High Flyers led 59-48 with just under two minutes left to play, but Andre Calvert's three pointers made the score 60-55. Stubbs added late free throws to give Breezes a 62-55 lead headed into the fourth. The lead would grow to as much as 19 in the final quarter, fittingly on a Pratt layup.

Neither team shot the ball well from beyond the arch and were nearly even from the field at two point range, but the High Flyers had a major advantage at the free throw line with 13 more made free throws.

The Giants opened the series with a 98-95 win in game one before the High Flyers tied the series 108-101 in game two and took a 2-1 advantage with an 89-77 win in game three. The Giants evened the series with an 89-86 game four win.

The High Flyers regained the series lead 111-102 in game five before the Giants forced game seven with the most decisive win of the series 92-65.