Basketball: National leagues - Heat scorch Dawgz to win men’s division one crown |11 October 2016

Beau Vallon Heat are the men’s division one champions after they scorched Mont Fleuri Dawgz 86-43.

On Friday night at Victoria Gymnasium, Beau Vallon were too much for the Dawgz who could not withstand the heat as sharp shooter Timmy Adams scored 32 points including six 3-pointers.

Coach Guy Hall praised his team on their first championship win.

“The season went very well for us. Our recruitment was good as we brought in two foreigners, and got the services of local boys Timmy Adam and Steven André,” said coach Hall whose team’s last league game is against former champions Baya.

He added that “our aim now is to complete a league and cup double”, then next year we will prepare for the Indian Ocean Club Championship.

The team played in the competition for the first time in 2014 when the tournament was held here.

In two other men’s top flight matches on Saturday, PLS Hawks trounced Baya 70-60 at Victoria Gymnasium and Drifters travelled to Praslin where they met Praslin Warriors and won 96-34.

In the men’s second division, Premium Cobras Youth defeated Point Larue Brothers 108-97, Espoir beat MBU Boys 76-36 and Mont Fleuri Ballers beat Anse Etoile 66-47.

HotShots edge B Challenge

HotShots’ Sheriffa Agathine scored the winning basket as her team put an end to B Challenge’s unbeaten run since the start of the season.

HotShots beat B Challenge 67-65 in the last second round league game played last Friday at Victoria Gymnasium.

With 14 points in the fourth quarter, Agathine was the game’s top scorer with 26 points.

It all started well for the Bel Air-based B Challenge as their veteran centre and captain Simone Malbrook opened the score in the first seconds after winning the jump ball against Anse Boileau-based HotShots’ centre Tina Agathine.

After captain Malbrook made it 4-0 from the free throw line, Sheriffa Agathine answered back with the first 3-pointer of the game for HotShots (4-3). The score was tied at 6-6 as HotShots’ centre Tina Agathine scored in the paint following a strong move.

B Challenge stepped up their play and with a tough zone defence, they retrieved the ball and scored through three fast breaks for a 12-6 advantage forcing HotShots coach Philip Arrisol to call for his first time-out of the game.

Not comfortable in their game, HotShots lost the ball through fail passes and missed shots as B Challenge took advantage and continued to score on fast breaks to win the first quarter 22-12.

HotShots came out stronger in the second quarter with a well-organised defence and it was B Challenge’s turn to falter as they missed baskets and committed turn-overs which their opponents turned into baskets to outscore them 9-4 in 15 minutes. Thus with the score 26-21 still in B Challenge’s favour, coach Michel Malbrook was forced to take his first time-out. But still his players continued to give the ball and as they rushed their shots, HotShots’ Tina Agathine brought down most of the rebounds, both defensively and offensively, as her team took the lead at 27-26 for the first time through compatriot Sheriffa Agathine. Then B Challenge’s captain Malbrook equalised at 27-27 with a free-throw.

Well-organised defensively HotShots went on to outscore B Challenge 19-7 in this half to lead 31-29 at half-time. 

With 2 minutes 30 seconds (2:30) gone in the third quarter, HotShots’ Sheriffa Agathine netted two free throws to bring her team’s lead to 33-29.

B Challenge were back in the lead at 37-36 in the 27th minute through Jana Malbrook before HotShots’ Beguitta Fontaine answered quickly at the other end with a 3-pointer (39-37) but the score was tied again at 39-39 after B Challenge’s Sylvie Meme netted her free throws. B Challenge went on to win the third quarter 17-14 and led 46-45 after 30 minutes of play.

Sheriffa Agathine was on fire as she gave HotShots the lead at 47-46, but B Challenge responded well as they scored on two fast breaks and a 3-pointer from captain Malbrook for a six-point advantage (53-47) in the 32nd minute.

It was then that HotShots’ Sheriffa Agathine took matters in her own hands as her teammates gave her the ball on almost every attack and he drove into the paint to score at will.

With 1:30 left, the game could have gone either way. With B Challenge leading 61-60, HotShots’ Sheriffa Agathine again displayed her attacking skills as she drove to the basket and was fouled by Simone Malbrook. She scored the first and missed the second free throw but grabbed the rebound to score (63-61).

B Challenge’s Simone Malbrook got a two-pointer and again Sheriffa responded (64-63) before Jana Malbrook was fouled while driving to the basket and only managed to score only one free-throw (65-63). With only 43 seconds left, HotShots quickly attacked their opponents’ basket and Myra Solin leveled the score at 65-65 after receiving a pass from Sheriffa Agathine.

When B Challenge lost possession in attack, the ball was played to Sheriffa and she attacked the B Challenge defence to score the winning basket at 67-65 as her team’s supporters celebrated victory.

HotShots’ Tina Agathine said “even though some of our players were banned for the whole of the first round we have come back together and trained and we have shown everyone that HotShots are still a strong team.”

B Challenge’s Simone Malbrook said even though some players were injured and could not play she is confident her team will still win the league title.

“I am confident that we will still win the league as both our closest contenders have lost three games and this is our first defeat,” she said. Both teams had eight players on their benches.

In another women’s match, Anse Etoile Stars beat Juniors 89-29.

P. J.