The Tribune

THE Division I pennant winners remained undefeated and the Division II defending champions took an early lead as both series got off to favourable starts for the top seeds in the New Providence Basketball Association Championships.

Division I

Commonwealth Bank

Giants - 93

Rockets - 83

THE Giants dominated the second quarter, built a double-digit lead in the first half and held on to the game one win, powered by their high scoring wings.

D'Shon Taylor scored a team high 24, Michael Bain Jr had 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists and Tehran Cox scored 12 to lead the Giants to the game one win. Kevin Hinsey and David Taylor each scored nine points and Darstyn Baker added eight.

Livingston Munnings had 22 points and a game high 16 rebounds, Eugene Bain scored 25, Lyndrick Storr scored 16 and Barry Carter chipped in with seven.

It was a slow start offensively for both teams with just 26 combined points in the first quarter. Tied at nine, the Giants ended the quarter on a 6-2 run and led 15-11. The Giants took control in the second when they opened the quarter on a 13-7 run. A Bain layup gave them a 28-18 lead at the 5:19 mark. Cox made a pair of free throws with just over a minute left to play to push the lead to as much as 16. They led 46-32 at the half. Hinsey gave the Giants a 20-point lead early in the third when his jumper made the score 52-32. The Rockets outscored the Giants 51-47 in the second half but never came within single digits. The Giants were outscored from beyond the arch but had a 20-point advantage on points in the paint and scored 26 points off turnovers.

Division II

Breezes High Flyers - 85

Aliv Bucket Team - 73

DAVE Davis and Jeremy Neely combined for 44 points and led five High Flyers in double figures. Davis had 22 points and 17 rebounds, Neely scored 22 and Shanton Pratt finished one assist shy of a triple double with 10 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in the win. Enrico Bethel scored 14 and Dwight Moss added 10.

Rashad Ingraham led the Bucket Team with 22 points and a game high 22 rebounds. James Rolle finished with 14 points, Akeil Bullard and Kieran Mortimer each scored 13 and Anwar Neilly added eight.

Aliv had a 12-point advantage at the free throw line but the Flyers scored 10 more points in the paint and six more points off turnovers.

Breezes took an early 10-point lead in the first quarter when Pratt's jumper made the score 16-6. They took an 18-13 lead at the end of the quarter and after their highest scoring quarter of the game, the Flyers took a 45-33 lead at the half. They led by as much as 16 and never by less than 10 in the second half.

Game two in each series is all set for 7:30pm tonight at the AF Adderley Gymnasium.