The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE Commonwealth Bank Giants were on the right end of a blowout and the PJ Stingers withstood a late charge to score wins in the New Providence Basketball Association on Saturday night.

The Giants won 114-45 over the Vita Malt Chargers while the Stingers topped the Rhythm Rebels 95-90 at the AF Adderley Gymnasium.

Seven Giants scored in double figures, and nine players scored at least seven points in the rout.

The Giants field several former national team members and current members of the team that competed last week at the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.

Tehran Cox scored a game-high 22 points and shot 4-5 from three-point range. Tehrad Rahming posted a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds, Darstyn Baker stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points and seven rebounds, four assists and three steals, Michael Bain scored 15 and added six steals, Jeffrey Henfield scored 16 points with four steals, Herbert Knowles scored 12 and Kevin Hinsey added 11.

D’Shon Taylor had a near double-double with nine points and eight rebounds while David Tayler scored seven.

An offensive struggle all night for the Chargers, Andrew King led the team with 10 points and Dennis Turnquest scored seven.

The Giants limited the Chargers to just eight points in the first quarter to pull away early. An Alexander Bullard layup pulled the Chargers within two (7-5) at 6:32 left to play. Baker scored a tip-in to spark a run for the Giants. They closed the quarter on a 17-2 run. At the 2:21 mark, they ended with 10 unanswered points to take a 24-8 lead. The Giants had their most productive quarter in the second but a Bain scored a late jumper with 20 seconds left to play and the Giants took a 49-26 lead at the half. The Giants outscored the Chargers 65-19 in a dominant second half. Vita Malt made a single field and added a pair of free throws for their only points of the third. Knowles scored a late layup with 37 seconds left to play and the Giants took an 81-30 lead into the fourth.

The Giants shot 57 percent from the field and 46 percent from three while the Chargers shot 28 percent from the field and 16 percent from three. Commonwealth Bank held an overwhelming advantage in assists (29-5), steals (20-3), points in the paint (58-24), points of turnovers (46-5) and bench points (61-18).

Four Stingers scored in double figures and Able Joseph nearly posted a triple-double in the win. Devon Ferguson led a team with a game-high 18 points, Randy Williams scored 17 points, Mark Hanna scored 15 and Salathiel Dean had a double-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds five blocks and three assists. Joseph had 11 rebounds, 10 assists, five steals and five points while Mario Pickstock scored eight.

Antario Collie led the Rebels with 17 points, Adorn Charlow had 15 points and eight rebounds while Craig Buchanan scored 13.

The Rebels opened the game on a 9-2 run but the Stingers responded with 15 unanswered points to and eventually took a 19-16 lead. The Rebels’ Rashard Williams made a layup to tie the game at 32 at the 3:17 mark in the second quarter. After the teams traded baskets late, the Stingers took a late advantage and led 43-37 at the half. The run continued early in the third quarter and Ferguson’s layup gave the Stingers’ a 50-39 lead. The Rebels worked their way back into the game 57-53 on Brian Bain’s free throws, but the Stingers extended their lead again. Dean’s layup capped a 9-0 run to give the Stingers a 13-0 lead. They took a 74-63 lead into the fourth. The lead reached as much as 19 when Vernon Stubbs made a layup at the 4:27 mark for an 89-70 lead.

In tonight’s matchups at the AF Adderley Gymnasium, Leno Eagle’s Nest will face the Triple K Stampers and the Island Game Pros take on the Rockets.