San Cas U.B. evens score in B.B.A. finals
In the B.B.A. basketball playoffs the luck of the hard-charging Raiders hit a brick wall on Wednesday night. Janelle Chanona has the breakdown.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
Game two of the Capital Life Basketball Playoffs and with the Raiders wreckers one up, the San Cas U.B. squad is determined to stop any thoughts of a sweep.
At the tip off it’s Thomas Gillespie and Jeff Clifton…and the Raiders get off to a rousing start with this lay-up from Darwin Carter. And San Cas U.B. stays on the rocks as this 2 pointer from Damon takes the Raiders to a 6 nothing lead.
But pretty quickly, the tide changes with big man Kevin Shand hanging out and the U.B. team lands their first field goal.
And then the Raider defence takes a time out…watch them watch Reggie Elliot shoot through the heart of the black sea and hand-off to Clinton Fuller who hits this three. And again when one man show Seroki works his way past the entire team uncontested. The Raiders are still in front though, but not for long. This sloppy pass from Gillespie sets up Shand again… Buoyah! U.B. never looks back.
Twinges of streetball hit the hardwood because U.B. wants it bad and aren’t afraid to get it. Clinton Fuller heads for the rim and collides dead on with Damon Ollie…and U.B. supporter, Pulu Lightburn, wants the foul call badly. Head Coach Brads Neal takes up the play with the refs and the Raiders, and U.B. would go to the line for 2.
Raiders show signs of life with the 3 from Kurt Burgess and this two from Dwight Myvette and they actually narrow the gap to 1.
But the Raiders dependence on the Dwight/Darwin duo cost them dearly and San Cas U.B. penetrates the Raider realm with embarrassing ease.
And with the Jeff Clifton/Kevin Shand duo taking turns impressing the crowd, at the half the boys from U.B. are ahead by 7 with 42-35.
In the second, Darwin Carter shows a burst of ambition with this hard fought shot and foul. But U.B. enrols the Raiders in the school of hard knocks, heavily contesting things under the rim, with big payoffs.
It would be a big night for Jeff Clifton…he would finish the game with 26 points. The Raiders must have been glad there was only a pilinky crowd to watch U.B. just run things again and again.
Mee mee mee…the fat lady’s starts warming up when Dwight and Darwin come up short again and the Raider turnover yields the goods for U.B., well ahead now by 14.
Captain Bart Sanchez tries to inspire his team as he goes hard for 2. And it seems to work with this Thomas Gillespie pass over the back to Darwin. That would be his only 3.
Matthew Smiling is getting desperate especially when Kevin Shand weaves his way to the hoop for the foul and shot…whoa big boy!
U.B. rubs salt in the wound with Kevin Shand acting like a kid on the monkey bars, not once, but this weh the ball, weh the ball (players fumbling for the ball)…and maybe it’s cooler up there. (Shand dunks)
In the dying seconds of the game, the Raiders close the gap with this 2, but the U.B. squad knows victory is locked up. Things would finish in what is a blowout game for U.B. at 82-69.
We couldn’t find the fat lady, but game MVP Jeff Clifton sings for us.
Jeff Clifton, San Cas U.B.
“I really haven’t even found my total game, but I’m steady feeling it and I’m glad. It’s helping me out and it’s giving me more confidence on the floor and right now I just want to come out and play cohesive basketball with my team.”
“I just wanted to come out and change everything about the turnovers, the defence let downs and everything, and we came out and we did. I really didn’t expect us to win by as much, but I did want us to come out and win and I’ll take it by one or by sixteen.”
Reporting for News 5, I am Janelle Chanona.
Raiders and San Cas U.B. face off again this Friday night. Game time is scheduled for 9:30 at the Belize City Centre.
