The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

The New Providence Basketball Association continued league play with a double header at the AF Adderley Gym Monday night.

And in Thursday night’s double header, the Island Luck Pros are scheduled to take on the Defence Force Marines at 7:30pm followed by PJCS and defending champion Mailboat Cybots at 9pm.

Double R Services

Cleaners - 81

Pyramid Food

Rockets - 71

Reigning MVP and scoring champion Lenny Oscar turned in one of his best performances of the season to lead the Cleaners to their first win of the year.

Oscar finished with 21 points, 16 rebounds and five assists and the Cleaners’ defence limited the Rockets to just nine points in the second quarter en route to the win. They improved to 1-4 while the Rockets fell to 2-3.

Trevor Greene added 11 points and nine rebounds while Greco Evans came off the bench to finish with 15 points. Kevin Hinsey led the Rockets with 20 points, Tamko Moxey added 14, Henderson Curry finished with 13 while Garvin Lightbourne and Barry Carter each finished with 11.

The Cleaners outscored the Rockets 34-2 in points off the bench.

The Rockets got out to a quick start in a first quarter which featured two ties and four lead changes.

Demitri Mackey’s layup gave the Rockets a 23-17 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The moment shifted heavily to the Cleaners’ favour as they opened  on a 12-2 run to take the lead.

The run began with Greene’s jumper and continued until Rolie Henfield’s layup with 2:12 left to play in the half to give the Cleaners a 29-25 lead.

After winning the quarter, 19-9, the Cleaners took a 36-32 lead headed into the half.

In the third it would be the Rockets who came out firing with an 8-0 run of their own to regain control.

Hinsey and Moxey opened the quarter with three-pointers, followed by a layup from Curry to give the Rockets a 40-36 lead at the 7:15 mark.

Oscar gave the Cleaners a 41-40 edge at the line and they widened the margin to seven at the end of the third, 55-48.

The Rockets would come within a single possession on a pair of free throws from Carter to make the score 69-67 at the 1:46 mark. However, the Cleaners ended the game on a 12-2 run.

Neither team shot particularly well from the field, with the Cleaners at 39 per cent and the Rockets at 34 per cent.

The Cleaners dominated the boards with a 55-35 advantage.

Real Deal Shockers - 80

Y Care’s Wreckers - 68

With the Rockets’ loss, the Shockers were able to maintain fourth place in the standings with a win over the hapless Wreckers.

Vernon Stubbs led three Shockers in double figures with 22 points and 13 rebounds.

Salathial Dean finished with 14 points, Sidney Hillary added 12 and Anthony Williams grabbed 10 rebounds off the bench.

The Wreckers had five players in double figures but got just eight points from the remainder of their roster.

Kevin Armstrong led the way with 14 points and eight rebounds, Anthony Whylly and Leon Bain each finished with 12 points, while  Dancel Knowles and Daniel Bullard each added 10 points. 

The Shockers moved one game above .500 at 3-2, while the Wreckers are one of two winless teams in the league along with the Defence Force Marines, both 0-4.

The Shockers took control early and appeared well on their way to a rout from the first quarter. They led by double digits early on when Stubbs made a layup at the 4:55 mark for a 14-4 lead. The lead grew to as much as 19 on another layup from Stubbs to give his team a 25-6 lead.

The Wreckers finally reached double figures with 34 seconds left in the period, which the Shockers won 25-11.

The Wreckers never threatened in the second or trimmed the deficit to single digits and trailed 38-26 at the half.

Y Care’s would make a run at the end of the third quarter to pull within six on a tip in from Bullard, 54-48.

Real Deal led by as much as 14 in the final period to hold on for the win.

They shot 44 per cent from the field and limited the Wreckers to just 31 per cent.

The Shockers attempted just eight free throws, while the Wreckers shot 28 but made just half with 14.

Real Deal held advantages in rebounds (55-42), points in the paint (54-38), second chance points (21-14).