The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WHILE the New Providence Basketball Association’s perennial men’s division one champions Commonwealth Bank Giants put the lid on a perfect regular season, their first year division II team Your Essential Store Giants clinched their pennant.

As the NPBA regular season came to a close on Saturday night at the AF Adderley Gymnasium, Commonwealth Bank routed the Fort Charlotte Defenders 90-66 and Your Essential Store knocked off the Basden Elevator Elite 77-59.

In the other game played, the Leno Regulators took care of the struggling Pros 91-69.

In games on Friday night. Aliv Bucket defeated Leno Eagle’s Nest 97-95, the Discount Distributors Rockets defeated Fort Charlotte Defenders 83-72 and the Breezes High Flyers defeated Your Essential Store Giants 72-70.

• Here’s a summary of the games played:

Giants 90, Fort Charlotte 66

Jackson Jacob exploded for a game high 25 points off the bench to go along with four rebounds, three assists and two steals to lead Commonwealth Bank to a 16-0 win-loss regular season.

“It wasn’t something that we set out to do,” said Giants’ long-time head coach Perry Thompson Sr, who has passed the reign on to his son Perry Thompson Jr from three years ago.

“It’s just a matter of taking one game at a time. But going into the season, the nucleus of the guys and the chemistry was just there. The guys have a lot of respect for each other in that when things go wrong, they can correct each other without any feelings. They bond well together off the court.”

The Giants’ coaching staff have also brought a professional look to their team in that they provide all of the necessary things before, during and after each game for their players to reach their maximum potential.

Thompson Sr said with the team they have and the way they are performing, they are going to take the postseason one game at a time and if they can go all the way and complete a perfect season, it would be icing on their cake. But he said their goal is to celebrate with another championship crown.

Michael Bain, back home from his duties with the men’s national team, came off the bench with 18 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals to follow Jacob’s leading role. Darstyn Baker had 12 points, four steals, three rebounds and two assists and Jeffrey Henfield added 10 points, three assists, two rebounds and an assist.

In a losing effort for fort Charlotte, who won’t make the playoffs at 2-14 in eighth place, Charaz LaFleur had 17 points, eight rebounds and eight assists; Gregory Storr had 15 points and 16 rebounds and Clayton Tucker chipped in with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Corringrton Dean helped out with nine points and six rebounds.

Giants 77, Elite 59

In posting a 13-3 win-loss record to clinch the pennant, Your Essential Store got 12 points from Andre Calvert and Andreas Black came off the bench to add 11 points, four rebounds and two assists to lead their attack.

Adrian Thompson also came off the bench with nine points and 13 rebounds; Cameron Strachan had nine points and nine rebounds; Lorenzo Riley had eight points, five rebounds and two assists and Brandon Strachan had seven points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals. “This is their first time in the league, but they ended up winning the pennant,” Thompson Sr said of their YES Giants division II team. “We brought together a lot of young fellows who haven’t played together and they did very well. So we are very proud of them as well.”

Like their division one Commonwealth Bank team, Thompson Sr said if they can take it one game at a time and execute their plans, they should be a contender for the title when it’s all over and done.

The YES team is hoping to get the Giants back to the glory days when they won the division II title before it was abandoned by the NPBA, who only brought it back to their line-up two years ago. Tario McKenzie came off the bench with a game high 20 points, 10 rebounds and four steals for Baden Elevators, who finished in seventh place at 6-10. Hi twin brother Dario McKenzie also got off the bench with 17 points and nine rebounds. Simar Rolle was their next best scorer with nine points, six rebounds, five steals and two assists in his starting role.

Regulators 91, Pros 69

Leno, sixth place finishers in the league at 5-11, got 17 points from Kenneth Pratt with six rebounds, four steals and two assists in their big win.

Both Renardo Bailou (13 rebounds, two steals and two blocks) and Carlos Thompson Sr (six assists and three steals) had 13 points. Trujillo Darville came off the bench with 12 points, five assists and two steals and Cordero Thompson joined him with 10 points and three rebounds.

The cellar dwelling Pros, who finished the season at 1-15, was led by Kramer Taylor with a game high 19 points and 13 rebounds. Derrick Ferguson had 17 points and five rebounds; Judino Wilson had 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals and Colton Albury added 14 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and two blocks.

Bucket 97, Eagles’ Nest 95:

With 31 seconds remaining on the clock, James Rolle scored on a lay-up to put Aliv up by three, 97-94. With 16 seconds left, Rolle fouled Johnacy Augustin, but he only managed to hit one of two free throws to bring Leno’s within two.

Rolle finished with 18 points and seven rebounds, but it was Dylan Musgrove who exploded for 35 points, 15 rebounds, six block shots, six steals and three assists to provide the spark for the Bucket. Kieran Mortimer came off the bench and contributed 16 points with six rebounds. Akeil Bullard added eight points and 10 rebounds and Levonne Moxey had seven points off the bench.

For Leno, Bradley Altidor lit up the nets for a game high 36 points with 18 rebounds, two assists and as many steals. Augustin ended up with 21 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals. Jonaldo Joseph came off the bench with 19 points and six rebounds and T’Shad Cornish added 12 points and four rebounds.

Rockets 83, Defenders 72

Discount Distributors got 18 points and three rebounds from Georgio Walkes; Dominique Beadle came off the bench with 15 points and 13 rebounds; Barry Carter had 11 points and nine rebounds; Cordaro Pinder had 10 points and 11 rebounds and Lerecus Armbrister assisted with seven points and four assists.

For Fort Charlotte, Gregory Storr had a game high 24 points, 19 rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Shannon Hall came off the bench with 12 points and five rebounds and Corrington Dean had nine points and nine rebounds.

High Flyers 72, Giants 70

Devontee Gibson’s jumper with 19 seconds left lifted the defending champions Breezes to victory.

Gibson finished with 10 points and five rebounds. Dale Davis had 21 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and a pair of block shots.

The High Flyers also got 12 points, 10 rebounds and four assists from Shantoin Pratt. Dario Saunders had 10 points and six rebounds and Justin Gardiner came off the bench with eight points and three rebounds.

Adrian Thompson led Your Essential Store with 16 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and two assists; Herbert Knowles had 13 points, four rebounds and three assists and Andrias Black had 11 points and nine rebounds.

• The playoff schedule for the week is as follows:

TONIGHT

7:30pm - Sun Oil Rockets vs Triple K Stampers.

8:30 pm University of the Bahamas Mingoes vs JD’s Seafood Shockers.

Wednesday

7:30 pm Aliv Bucket vs Leno Eagles Nest.

8:30 pm Discount Distributors Rockets vs Leno Regulators.

Friday

7:30pm - Triple K Stampers vs Sun Oil Rockets.

8:30pm - JD’s Seafood Shockers vs University of the Bahamas Mingoes.

Saturday

7:30pm - Leno Eagles vs Aliv Bucket.

8:30pm - Leno Regulators vs Discount Distributors Rockets.