Basketball National League – Men’s division two |10 August 2022
Top scorer Michael Agathine scored 29 points for AB Boys against Anse Etoile yesterday
AB Boys scare Anse Etoile late in the match to climb back on top
Two missed free-throws by captain Alf Aglae with less than two seconds remaining in the match cost Anse Etoile dearly as they went on to lose their match 54-55 against Anse Boileau-based AB Boys yesterday, allowing the latter to climb back on top of the men’s division two league table.
It was AB Boys who took the lead in the match earlier on, outscoring Anse Etoile 14-8 in the first quarter, before allowing the players of coach Kenneth Domingue to come back stronger, winning the second quarter 16-9 for a slight 24-23 lead at half-time.
In the third quarter, both teams struggled, but the Anse Boileau side were more consistent in their offence, compared to Anse Etoile which was missing easy scoring opportunities, especially through free-throws.
AB Boys won the third quarter 14-11 to lead 37-35 at the end.
In the fourth and final quarter, the match changed drastically, bringing more entertainment to fans than a division one match would, especially for the AB Boys who came down in numbers to support their team.
Both team displayed an entertaining basketball final quarter, and with AB Boys leading 55-54 in the dying seconds of the match, Aglae was awarded two free-throws.
Stepping on the line, he missed both to keep the final score 55-54 in favour of AB Boys.
Michael Agathine was AB Boys’ and the match top scorer with 29 points, while Nigel Cafrine once again led the scoring for Anse Etoile with 21 points.
The victory has steered AB Boys back on top of the league table on 17 points from eight wins and a loss out of nine matches, leapfrogging Cascade Bullets who have the same points tally, by a superior basket difference.
As for Anse Etoile, the defeat relegated them from second to third place on 16 points from seven wins and two losses out of nine matches played.
In the other match played in the division on Monday, St Louis Saints collected two precious points following their 48-46 victory over Anse Royale.
St Louis won the first quarter 11-9, before Anse Royale fought back in the second quarter, winning it 13-11, concluding the first half of the match with both teams scoring 22 points apiece.
The third quarter also ended on a tie – 8-8 – concluding it 30-30
It was in the fourth and final quarter that St Louis Saints made the difference in the match, scoring 18 points, compared to 16 for Anse Royale, giving the former a hard-fought 48-46 victory.
The win keeps St Louis Saints fifth on 14 points from five wins and four defeats out of nine matches, while Anse Royale are sixth on 12 points from three wins and six losses out of nine matches played.
Roland Duval