Bahamas are CBC Kings! BVI slaughtered again by USVI!
The Bahamas capitalized on their first half performance and scoring during the second half and went on to defeat Cuba, 75 – 64, to earn the Gold-Medal of the 2014 CBC Championship.
Both teams along with the US Virgin Islands will participate in the 2014 Centro Basket Championship, in Nayarit, Mexico from August 1 to 7, 2014.
The Gold-Medal game, began with a triple by the Bahamian Alonzo Hinds, Cuba quickly responded with a three-point play from the hands of Jasiel Rivero. The teams then traded the top of the scoreboard; neither could take a lead bigger than 4 points. Fast offensive possessions and fast transitions was the rule of the game.
The score at the end of the first quarter was Cuba 17 – Bahamas 14. In the second quarter, the Bahamas moved the ball on offense and captured second opportunities, taking a 5-point lead on the scoreboard, 30 -25 and going into the break 34-29.
A Bahamas offensive run of 5 – 0 opened the second half, 39 – 31. The Bahamas lead was extended, Cuba responded with two triples, one by Mestre and one by Rodriguez. A dunk by Hinds of Bahamas over Justiz of Cuba, got the crowd involved in the game and the third quarter ended 51-43 to the Bahamas.
The advantage of the Bahamas reached 12 points during the first half of the fourth quarter. The Cubans couldn’t recover; the victory and the Gold-Medal belonged to the team of the Bahamas. The top scorers of the Bahamas team were Hinds and Gray both with 22 points.
In the match for 3rd/4th place the arch Virgin Islands rivals clashed for the second time in the tournament, but with the same result and the USVI grabbing the Bronze Medal as well as the third and final spot at the Centro Baskets next month.
As history showed, the games between the pair possess high energy, speed, tension and high emotion, and this game for the bronze medal was no exception. The teams traded the lead on the scoreboard; no team could capture a lead bigger than 4 points, during the first half on the game.
Kennedy H. Bass scored at the last seconds of the first quarter to give the team of the British Virgin Islands a three-point lead, 23 – 20. The second quarter followed the same narrative; the teams traded the lead on the scoreboard, until US Virgin Islands captured a slight 7-point lead. The score at the end of the first half, US Virgin Islands 44 – British Virgin Islands 37.
The second half was another story, as the USVI strung together a series of good defensive and offensive plays with many passes to capture a 22 point lead, 66 – 48, during the third quarter, a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
For the USVI, Cuthbert Victor top scored with 20 points, Devon Peltier hit 17, Johnathon Gray 11 and Laron Smith 10.
The BVI were led by Rasheed Cann’s 19 points and 11 rebounds. Bass finished with 14, Halstead “JR” Chiverton 11 and 8 from Steve E. Parillon, who also picked up 7 rebounds.
“The tournament was a great tournament and we started out strong. Losing Leslee J. Smith was a big blow to the rotation and we got out matched in the later rounds. We went down fighting and played with a lot of heart” commented Parillon.
“Size wise we missed Kleon Penn and with him and Smith fit it would have been a totally different outcome,” he said.
Jason A. Edwin, who resides in the BVI and plays for the Legs noted that the USVI were disappointed not to be playing in the Final after a loss to Cuba, but had regrouped well to qualify for the Centro Baskets.
“After last night we were disappointed not to reach the final, but we regrouped and came back strong. I’m sorry the BVI won’t be there, but know my friends, family and country men will support me being there and representing them,” said Edwin.
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