NATION NEWS

Lady Cavs take league crown
Published on: 8/29/06.

STATION HILL CAVALIERSare the 2006 Sagicor/BOA Women's League basketball champions of Barbados.

The Cavs successfully defended their crown on Saturday night at the Barbados Community College, doing a "repeat" by easily taking out Colombian Emeralds International Senators 95-73, to win the best of three final 2-0.

Station Hill have now won the women's league title five times since 2002, showing their complete dominance of the competition in the new millennium.

The depth of the Station Hill team was on show since the start of the season when they began with young players such as Kera Britney, Tamesha Flatts, Safiya Henry, Nikita Cyrus and Trisha Payne, helping them to win the Women's Challenge Trophy.

But on Saturday night, it was the veterans who made sure that the league trophy remained in Station Hill.

Main weapon

National player Astrid Alleyne, the team's main weapon in the post, was hampered by early foul trouble and could not get involved in the offence. But her protégé Jamila Griffith, and the evergreen Cheryl Piggott took up the slack, giving the Lady Cavs the push that took them to a 43-30 halftime lead.

Piggott, a former national netballer and basketball, rolled back the years, as she scorched Senators for 14 points with exceptional shooting from the floor.

Griffith, who will soon start playing professionally in Switzerland, also shot well from the floor as she too scored 14 first half points.

National Centre Natalie Hunte fought hard to keep Senators in the game during the third period as she ran the court well and was nearly unstoppable around the basket, but this was a game the Cavs weren't about to let slip away.

Easy victory

Station Hill were determined that the series was going to finish, as they kept the pressure on, with Alleyne finding her touch by dominating the defensive and offensive boards, which allowed Station Hill to an easy victory, and another opportunity to pop the champagne.

Summarised scores:

Cavaliers 95 (43) (J. Griffith 24, A. Alleyne 23, C. Piggott 16, R. Phillips 12, J. Oderson 10) Senators 73 (30) (N. Hunte 21, M. Cumberbatch 18).