Pirates, wenches and red coats may
be in fashion this weekend but local basketball will fight for some attention.
The next round of the Appleby
Under-19 Basketball League gets going on Sunday at the Arts and Recreation
Centre at Camana Bay. A quartet of matches is on from 3pm until roughly 9pm.
The boys division are up first with
the Esso Blazers facing the Shockwaves of JML International Ltd at 3pm while
the Wolves face the Reapers at 7.30pm. The girls hit the court at 4.30pm when
the Comets face the Sparks and at 6pm as the Lynx and Monarchs square off.
Both the Blazers and Shockwaves
come into this weekend needing wins. Esso have just one win on the season (roughly
two weeks ago) and are struggling to get going around veteran players Avondre
Nixon and Gavin Lothian. Shockwaves, the defending champions, are in the middle
of the standings in spite of the lofty expectations from coach Jonathan Powery.
For the Shockwaves to get back on
track they’ll need more magic from big men Diego Smith and Rashaad
Powery-Saunds. In last week’s 75-62 victory over Wesleyan Christian Academy the
young men combined for 43 points, 33 rebounds and five assists. Clearly the
side is still reeling from the loss of Jordan Cacho, who is sidelined for the
next few weeks while recovering from leg surgery.
The unbeaten Wolves march into
their match riding dominant performances from many key players. Their last
showing was a 126-24 annihilation of John Gray high school that saw six players
in double-digits. The Reapers meanwhile have had their moments and just got by
Esso last Sunday thanks to an incredible triple-double from Jamaal Miller (20
points, 16 steals and 14 rebounds).
The ladies have loads of intrigue
themselves. The Sparks and Comets are top of the standings with just one loss
between them. That success is hardly a surprise considering their wealth of
talents in La-Torae Nixon and Courtisha Ebanks (Sparks) and Annique Holness and
Chloe Powery (Comets).
Meanwhile the bottom-rung Lynx and
Monarchs are not far behind. Sure the wins are lacking but the athleticism is
not with names like Sashaneil McField and Amber Watson (Lynx) and Rose-marie
Wilson and Ashleigh Nalty (Monarchs) on both rosters.
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