BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS (April 23, 2015) -- Based on what transpired on the Challengers basketball hard court Wednesday evening April 22, whoever coined the saying ‘a lion goes home when a lion is ready to go home’ will need to go back to the drawing board.
Heights Basketball Team dispatched, in dramatic fashion, Flawless Construction Lions to take the inaugural Development Bank Challengers Exodus Basketball League trophy when they beat them 80-77 in a nail biting game that was watched by a moderate but vociferous crowd.
The winners took an early command of the game, after the Federation’s most celebrated basketball player Glenn ‘Ghost’ Phillip drew the first blood by scoring the first two points, after the game started at about 8:18 pm. They dominated the first two quarters with ease.
However, the Lions roared back in the second and third quarters and equalised the scores on several occasions and in one occasion were a solitary point ahead at 76-75.
Heights pulled back and went ahead 77-76, and not to be pushed aside Lions came back and tied the game at 77-77 - but with only 2.6 seconds to go, Heights’ Ray ‘Lomax’ Liddie unleashed a high arching shot from the sea-side corner of the court to sink in a three pointer that sent the Lions home unceremoniously.
Referees for this exciting game were Nigel ‘Jades’ Burroughs, and Rawlston ‘Speed’ Richardson.
The game, which was the last of a possible three game finals, was akin to the first of a possible three finals that was played on Thursday April 9 at the same venue when the Lions edged out Heights by a solitary point after Lions’ Ansel Revan sunk in a three-pointer with only five seconds left, to enable his team edge Heights 72-71.
The two teams were star-studded and hence the heat they produced during the three final games. On the Heights team were Shawn ‘Shabba’ Forbes, and Alex Thomas who play in the premier league for Exodus; Glenn ‘Ghost’ Phillip for Legends in the premier league; Ray ‘Lomax’ Liddie for Fig Tree also in the premier league; and Roy ‘Mang’ Doyling who played for Exodus in the past.
On the Lions team were Ansel Revan and Delvin Marshall who play in the premier league for Exodus, and Anthony Grant a member of Exodus but has not played this year. Others are Jouvette Leader, Rondell Francis, Dexter Francis, and Cajim Morris all who play for St. Pauls Tuff Knots in the Premier league.
According to Development Bank Challengers Exodus Basketball Club Team Manager and the league statistician, Roger Gumbs, Heights’ Shawn ‘Shabba’ Forbes was awarded the MVP for the finals.
The game started on a fast pace, and before long, Heights were leading 15-4. When Lions called for the first time-out, Heights were smothering them at 17-4. At the end of the first quarter Heights led 19-14, while at half time were still leading 41-28.
Lions changed their game plan and in the third quarter, and equalised the scores first at 51-51 and later at 53-53, then at 55-55 but Glenn ‘Ghost’ Phillip broke the deadlock when he made a swift manoeuvre to deliver a two-pointer and with Alex ‘Flex’ Thomas displaying a similar feat, it left Heights leading 59-55 at end of that quarter.
When play resumed for the final quarter, Glenn ‘Ghost’ Phillip opened the scoring pushing his team to 61-55, but the Lions ferociously fought back and the game soon tied at 63-63, and again at 65-65, but Shawn ‘Shabba’ Forbes fired a two-pointer for Heights to surge 67-65.
In the dying minutes of the game the score-line would change alternatively to the point where it stood tied at 77-77, when play was stopped after Lions’ Rondell Francis got injured and lay writhing in pain on the court.
After Rondell Francis was carried off court, and with only a few seconds left, game resumed only for Heights’ Ray Liddie to deliver the devastating blow that sent the Lions home giving his team a respectable 80-77 win - and the trophy which was later presented to them by Development Bank Challengers Exodus Basketball Club Team Manager, Roger Gumbs.
Scoring for Heights were Shawn ‘Shabba’ Forbes (21 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals), Alex ‘Flex’ Thomas (21 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals), Ray ‘Lomax’ Liddie (17 points, 7 assists), and Glenn ‘Ghost’ Phillip (13 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists).
For Flawless Construction Lions were Ansel Revan (29 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals), Jouvette Leader (20 points, 2 assists, 3 steals), Anthony Grant (13 points, 6 rebounds), and Delvin Marshall (7 points, 10 rebounds,3 assists).
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