NO GAME-WINNER.
No overtime or even late-game drama.
This time basketball’s epic rivalry just didn’t get its classic finish.
It’s back to the finals for Lumber Company LSC, as the champs used a big third-quarter run to finally close out their first-round series against the rival Cavs in Thursday’s 79-63 Game 3 win in the Co-operators General Insurance Premier League playoffs at the Wildey Gym.
It proved the disappointing cap to what was being billed as another post-season blockbuster, with the two age-old adversaries splitting their last four play-off matchups down the middle.
But part 5 merely served as the preface for the second straight championship series between LSC and Smalta Pinelands, and the fifth straight finals appearance for a Husbands side that will now contest its eighth league title in nine years.
There were some moments of uncertainty though, even if they were limited to the first half, as the champs never led by more than seven points before taking a 33-28 advantage into the break.
And Station Hill got within three just seconds into the game’s resumption following a quick Kevin Sealy jumper.
That, however, was the extent of Cavs’ remaining resistance once Adrian Allman replied immediately with back-to-back long-range bombs of his own as the start of a decisive 16-6 run.
Allman wasn’t done there either, converting a cheeky fast-break layup after he never got back to play defence on the prior possession, and then finding Andre Boadu for an easy basket off an inbounds pass.
Oddly enough, Cavs coach Adrian Craigwell didn’t call a timeout until the side was already down 49-36, opting instead to bring Kelvin Patterson off the bench early, with little success.
Nothing actually went right for Station Hill in that second half, as LSC greeted their subsequent small-ball line-ups with a run of transition points that put them up even further (59-42).
And when they weren’t racing out in the open floor, the champs got busy dominating the offensive glass behind reserve forward Mark Bridgeman, whose one-handed dunk kept them ahead 61-46.
The Cavs did eventually manage to make inroads, with Corey Howard’s dribble penetration leading to crucial baskets in the paint, including Patterson’s “and-one” score that reduced the deficit to just ten (65-55).
But Keefe Birkett squashed that brief rally with a runner and a huge trey, sandwiching two big buckets from Bridgeman that featured another throw-down in transition.
As if that wasn’t enough, centre Andre Boadu further piled on the dirt by coming up with a steal, which he took coast-to-coast for a backbreaking lay-up (76-58).
It was a finish that belied the tight start to a back-and-forth rivalry game that both warring factions were clearly riled up to win.
Yet no one seemed more revved up than Birkett, who literally ran rings around each defender sent his way en route to nine quick first-quarter points.
Allman then got in on the act with successive treys to end the quarter (21-15) before Darren Hunte’s second-quarter entry started to turn the tide in Station Hill’s favour.
LSC’s shoddy work on the defensive glass didn’t help matters either, as the Cavs would’ve probably taken the lead were it not for Bridgeman getting second chance points off his own at the other end.
Bridgeman led all scorers with 24 points and nine rebounds, Birkett finished with 18 points and five assists while Allman had 16 points. For Station Hill, Jamario Clarke scored 16 points, Jason Smith had 12 while Hunte added 11.
Game 1 of the best-of-five finals is slated for 8 p.m. at the Barbados Community College.
