DON’T COUNT on getting any favours from the champs.
Veteran Cavs centre Astrid Alleyne says Station Hill will be doing everything not to let rivals UWI back into the finals after revealing the Cavaliers have their sights on closing out women’s basketball’s championship series tonight.
Alleyne was speaking in anticipation of Game 2 at the Wildey Gymnasium, where the lady Cavs are seeking to hoist an unprecedented 12th league title in 14 years.
“It’s not like we can’t afford to give up Game 2, but we definitely don’t want to because we’re an ageing team and another game at this level is more taxing on the body,” said the long-serving national centre.
“The next morning after Game 1, I couldn’t move, and this isn’t just about how I feel because Wanda [Agard-Belgrave] isn’t a young girl either.
“I don’t expect them [UWI] to roll over and hand us another title though, but we have confidence in closing out in Game 2 because if it goes to a Game 3 then anything can happen. And if you have a man down then you look to keep him down.”
UWI did roll over in Game 1, or at least they appeared to, having trailed for all but the opening minute of a contest they lost by a whopping 34 points.
Not that the result came as much of a surprise for either team considering the Cavs have prevailed over their rivals in the last two knockout finals plus last year’s championship series.
But it was almost as if UWI were resigned to losing after barely mustering a challenge while falling behind by as many as 15 points in the first quarter alone.
And this came amidst public charges from their head coach Derek Aimey that they haven’t practised in over two years.
“Honestly, I thought [Game 1] would’ve been a closer game as it was a final and considering how close they’ve played us over the years,” admitted Alleyne.
“But we know what to expect from them so we’re very confident about what we can do but not overconfident to the point where we get complacent and overlook them.”
Alleyne’s latter comments probably come in light of the fact that UWI’s Big Three of Toni Atherley, Sade Clarke and Jennifer Joseph-Hackett played huge roles in leading Clapham to successive championships over Station Hill in 2011 and 2012.
However, that trio came up way short in Game 1, with the Blackbirds stars going a combined 14 off 55 from the field with a total 12 turnovers.
“We know what our game plan is and we
stick to our game plan so I’m not surprised that it led to victory,” said Alleyne.
“And I’m confident in my team to stick to that game plan and close out this series [tonight].”
