The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

EXCEPT for their sluggish start, coach James Price said he was pleased with the way his Real Deal Shockers played.

The Shockers bounced back from a 38-37 deficit at half time to pull off an impressive 82-69 rout of the Patron Regulators in game one of their New Providence Basketball Association first round playoff match on Monday night at the AF Adderley Gymnasium.

Their match followed the opener in which the pennant-winning Mail Boat Cybots took care of the Pyramid Food Rockets in the other half of the Vince Ferguson divisional playoffs.

Tonight, the John Archer division will get started with the defending champions and pennant winning Commonwealth Bank Giants taking on the Double R Services Limited Cleaners in the opening game, followed by the PJ Stingers versus the Y-Care Wreckers in the nightcap.

Looking at his team’s performance, Price said he is confident that his Real Deal will be ok against Patron.

“Sometimes when you look at the team you are playing, you have to make some adjustment for the way they are playing,” Price said. “In the first half, they out-rebounded us and we turned things around in the second half by winning the battle of the boards and we were able to control the game.”

Based on the stats at the end of the game, the Regulators had a slim 55-53 advantage on the boards and they had less turnovers with just 14, compared to the 21 by the Shockers. But the Real Deal had the better shooting percentage in all areas - 39-30 per cent from the field, 17-15 per cent from the three-point line and 80-39 per cent from the free throw line. Both teams had four players scoring in double figures.

William ‘JR’ Rigby led the attack for the Shockers with a game high 23 points, 16 rebounds and four assists. Floyd Armbrister had 23 points with five assists before fouling out; Salathiel Dean had 14 points and 16 rebounds and Dominique Beadle added 11 points.

For the Regulators, coached by Don ‘Robo’ Dorsette, Gameliel Rose had 19 points, a game high 17 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two block shots. Cruz Simon came off the bench to score 15 points; Cordero Thompson had 14 points and seven rebounds and Carlos Thompson chipped in with 11 points and six assists.

Game two in their series will be played on Friday night and Price said he doesn’t expect to make too much of an adjustment against Patron.

“We just have to do what we did in the second half and that is to control the boards,” he said. “From the stats, they out-rebounded us, but in the second half we were able to come back and close the gap. That is the key because if you control the boards, you control the game.”

Although they have taken the initial lead in the series, Price said his Shockers will not get too complacent because they are playing a very good Regulators’ team.

“If we can play the way we played in the second half from start to finish, I think we will be ok,” Price projected.

No doubt, Patron will be looking at some adjustments as they try to regroup and get back in the series. They will play the feature game at 9pm, while the Cybots and the Rockets will be in the opener at 7.30pm.