By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

The Bamboo Shack Patrollers and Nassau Flight Services Ballers have secured their spots in the semifinals of the Bahamas Government Departmental Basketball Association (BGDBA) playoffs which are slated to begin at 7.30pm tonight at the DW Davis Gymnasium.

The Ballers snuck away with a 98-96 game three win on Monday night to eliminate the Real Daal Rangers 2-1 in their best-of-three series.

Meanwhile, Patrollers bested the Bahamas Department of Corrections (BDOCs) Challengers 67-66 in game three to advance to the semis.

Ballers vs Rangers

The Ballers needed an extra period of play to put away the Real Deal Rangers on Monday night. 

Both teams put on a masterclass performance in the fourth quarter of the “do or die” game three.

The victors had four players hit double digits in the win. Deonta Tinker posted a team-high 28 points, 14 rebounds and six dimes.

His teammate Abel Joseph was equally as impressive with 26 points, 9 boards, 8 helpers and four steals.

Lamont Mcphee also contributed 19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals.

The ball game was tightly-contested in the first half which resulted in only a 45-42 advantage for the Rangers at the halftime break.

Joseph was on target from deep and canned a three at the halfway mark of the third to put the Ballers ahead 54-51.

However, the momentum shifted back into the Rangers’ favour thanks to an unanswered 9-0 run to close the third quarter up 67-61.

In the fourth quarter, the BGDBA pennant winners wasted no time cutting into the Rangers’ lead. Tinker made a layup that gave the Ballers a 73-71 edge early in the final quarter.

The back and forth dance continued down the stretch between the round one teams. With less than two minutes to go, McPhee canned a big three-pointer to take the lead 83-81.

However, Craig Smith Jr, who had a strong fourth quarter, drew a foul and cashed in on his attempts at the charity stripe to tie the score at 83 apiece for the Rangers.

Tinker was fouled in the final seconds of regulation but split his free throws, giving the Ballers just a one-point cushion (84-83).

Jude Rolle forced the OT with one make at the charity stripe to knot the score at 84-84.

In the overtime period, the Ballers outscored the Rangers 14-12. Tinker made up for the missed free throw at the end of regulation by making a go-ahead layup to wrap up the overtime period 98-96. 

Craig Smith Jr and Mark Hanna were on fire for the Rangers. Smith turned in a game-high 36 points, 12 boards and 5 assists while shooting 48 per cent from the field. 

Hanna also had 36 points, 16 boards with 3 assists and 2 steals.

Patrollers vs Challengers

The BDOCs Challengers had their chances to force overtime in crunch time against the Patrollers. However, the team squandered their chances and got sent home.

Lerecus Armbrister led all scorers with 18 points. He also pitched in 3 boards and assists respectively and shot 8-of-9 at the charity stripe.

His teammate Kareem Lightbourne Jr powered his way to 15 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and two steals.

After three quarters of play, it was still unclear which team would advance and which team would be sent home early. The Patrollers pulled ahead 46-43 to end the third period.

The see-saw affair continued late into the final seconds of the fourth quarter. Clifton Barr made one of his two attempts at the freethrow line with under a minute remaining. The Challengers were up 65-63 at this point.

Armbrister then scored a layup which tied the score at 65-65 with 26 seconds on the clock.

Darius Adams, of the Patrollers, fouled Kyle Wilson who split a pair of free throws but gave the Challengers a one-point lead (66-65). Armbrister put the game away with a two-point jumper to seal the 67-66 win.

Barr missed two freebies and a jump shot for the Challengers to watch their postseason window close.

The 2024 BGDBA semifinals will feature the Police Crimstoppers versus the defending champions Bain and Grants Town Cybots at 7:30pm. This game will be followed by the Bamboo Shack Patrollers versus the pennant-winning Nassau Flight Services Ballers.