It was a battle to the very end as the Cougars came from behind to snatch the game from the Pumas. 84-79, in the Battle of the Cats Invitational Basketball Tournament this past weekend at the Barbados Community College (BCC).
If the question was asked at the end of the third quarter, who was likely to take the win, most of the spectators on hand might have said the Pumas, with them confidently ahead, 56-64. The Pumas were up as much as 11 points in the second quarter, cruising at 49-60, including a showtime play from Primus Optimus Walrond, who had a two-handed slam in the period.
However, some miscommunication by the Pumas and strong finishes by the Cougars saw a momentum shift in the fourth. It was a combined effort by Kiserian Adams with 23 points, Adriel Brathwaite with 18 points and 14 rebounds, and Renico Brewster with nine that brought the Cougars back into contention. The men in green took the lead 75-74 with a Gavin Phillips layup, but a three by Puma Saeed Norville and a tough layup by Jamar Spanner Headley tied things up at 79-79 with 1:57 remaining.
The game could have swung in favour of either team, but two strong plays by the Cougars put Adams and Brathwaite at the line, where they converted four free throws to take an 83-79 lead. Miscommunication reared its head again for the Pumas, resulting in a turnover with 24 seconds remaining, and they had to foul to stop the clock. Phillips hit 1 of 2 free throws to seal the win, put the Cougars at the top of the table with three wins, and handed the Pumas their first loss of the tournament (2-1).
Norville top scored for the Pumas with 20 points, Headley finished with 19 points and eight rebounds and Deroni Hurley had 17 points and 9 assists.
Another side losing its first game was the Lions (2-1), who lost to an inspired Jaguars (1-2), who copped their first victory. Veteran Stephenson Callender was the main man for the Jaguars, scoring 28 points in the 79-68 victory. The physical matchup was the second game of the evening, and the Lions came in confident against a team that had not registered a win, but that was their downfall.
At halftime, the scoreline read 36-38 to the Lions, but the Jaguars put up their best scoring effort in the third quarter to outscore their opponents 30-18. Moving into the final 10 minutes of the game with a 66-56 lead, the Jaguars followed Callender with 26 points and Joel Hunte with 18, to maintain their advantage and place a tick in the win column. Jamali Holder played well down the stretch for 10 and six points while Rachad Hall scored eight. Hall was a serious problem for the Lions on the defensive end.
Franchise captain Rasheed Maynard still looked good on the floor but did not shoot the ball well, scoring 18 points but at 28 per cent from the field. Anand Joseph-Thorne contributed 13 and Markahli Downie had 12 in the loss.
The opening game was a blowout. The Tigers also got their first win, defeating the Panthers 85-64. Deveron Knight of the Tigers was the most dominant player of the evening, with 35 points and a massive 22 rebounds. Derion Hurley also played well for the Tigers, with 15 points. Youngsters Yannick Burrrowes and Tehron King pitched in 11 and 10 points, respectively.
The Spar Sports Gear and Peak Sports Caribbean hosted action continues on Tuesday when the Tigers and Jaguars face off at 6:15 p.m. and the Pumas and Lions are slated for 8 p.m.
(AS)
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