by JUSTIN MARVILLE
SAY WHAT YOU WILL about these Clapham Bulls, at least they’re still breaking records.
For the second time in as many games the listless Act II Popcorn Bulls set a new mark in futility, replacing their previous Premier League basketball season-low by scoring just 18 second-half points, as the surging Roll-A-Way St John’s Sonics cruised to a 62-52 victory at the YMCA on Thursday.
If anything this season has proved to be a scoring nightmare for the offensively-inept Bulls, who have now dropped three straight games and seven of their last nine, to drop to seventh in the standings.
And even worse than that position is their woeful 67.5 points per game average, which comes despite the presence of the league’s leading scorer.
But the injured Jeremy Gill didn’t dress for this latest encounter, which saw Sonics passed Clapham for good in both the third quarter and the standings when the Bulls could only manage three points, eight minutes into the second half.
However, the only things tied thereafter were the tongues of Clapham supporters, who stood in disbelief while the previously hot Sean Parris sat out most of the third quarter.
Further baffling was head coach Barry Rock’s decision to call off the Bulls’ stifling 1-3-1 defence that gave up just a double-clutch Jeff Trotman triple for the time it was in effect.
What ensued were a couple of baskets from Marsh underneath against the subsequent 2-3 zone, before Trotman hit another three prior to a couple of transition lay-ups from swingman Dwayne Kellman.
A tied half-time affair soon became a 50-41 St John’s advantage, until Clapham went scoreless for the first four minutes of the fourth, as Sonics pushed the lead to as much as 15 (62-47).
Marsh had a game-high 23 points and 14 rebounds, Trotman and Kellman added 12 points apiece, while Parris led Clapham with 13 points.
In the night’s first game, Corey Williams scored a season-high 22 points to lead reigning double crowned champs Cavaliers to a 68-50 win over the slumping Sagicor Tridents and second place in the standings.
