Two early games featured at the Barbados Community College gym for the Co-operators General Insurance BABA Premier League with Warrens All Stars gutting out a 78–74 win over the NSC Combined Schools Tridents and Pinelands put on a clinic to roast the C.A.M Smart Assurance Agent Inc. Heat 89–51.
Warrens only had six guys suited up, but they played well enough to secure an important victory. Captain Manuel Alleng was everywhere, finishing with a monster double-double: 23 points, 14 boards, and six assists. Kaliel Austin added 18 points and a whopping 15 rebounds, showing out on both ends.
Kaliel Austin.
The All Stars had to lean heavily on their core, with five players logging over 28 minutes. Jonathan Dottin played every second, dropping 12 points and snatching 18 rebounds, continuing his good season. Delan Willie was clinical with 14 on 50 per cent shooting, while Zane Cox chipped in 11 points despite a rough shooting night.
The Tridents had their chances with Darreon Griffin lighting up the scoreboard with a game-high 35 points on 52 per cent shooting. But while the Tridents had depth, they could not fully match the composure. Warrens controlled the tempo and cleaned up on the glass, out rebounding Tridents 69–48.
Turnovers and inefficiency haunted the young Tridents who shot a paltry 33 per cent from the field and going 11-for-41 from beyond the arc. Still, Zane Gaskin gave them a spark with a 7-point, 9-assist effort, but it was not enough to pull off the win.
Game one was close early but Pinelands bullied the Heat from start of the second half to finish in an 89–51 steamroll that looked more like a training session than a Premier League showdown.
Pinelands were all business. Rachad Hall was surgical with 9 points, 7 assists, and 18 boards. Rory Taylor added 15 points on a clean 62.5% clip, and Nigel Jones was good for for 20 and 8, outmuscling the Heat in the paint while Miles Weber added 12. However it was Kadeem Eyes Brathwaite who was hot throughout the matchup scoring 25 points and keeping the offense flowing.
The Heat, meanwhile, were stuck in neutral. They shot just 24.4 per cent from the field and 11.5 per cent from deep. Joshua Codrington and Christopher Cadogan were the only signs of life. Codrington scored 15 and Cadogan had 12 points, but the 31 turnovers for the Heat and poor shot selection handed Pinelands easy transition buckets all afternoon.
By the third quarter, Pinelands were up 65–37, and the fourth was a formality. They dominated transition (34 fast break points), cashed in on Heat mistakes (33 points off turnovers), and kept the ball moving. The lead ballooned to 40 at one point, and Pinelands cruised home.
The league resumes on Wednesday. (AS)
