Ramon Simmons has continued his fine start to the season. If only Pinelands could say likewise.
Kareem Farrell had ten first-quarter points before sparking a 10-0 run to start the second as First Works Warriors overcame Simmons’ game-high 21 points in Thursday’s 70-51 thumping of Premier League basketball’s previously unbeaten Pinelands at the Wildey Gym.
It was the third time in as many games that Simmons crossed the 20-point threshold – a far cry from last season’s dreadful six-game start that saw the national swingman shoot just 27 per cent from the field.
However, his latest performance wasn’t enough to extend Pinelands’ two-game winning streak as Warriors entered with a three-game surge of their own to protect.
And Farrell wasted no time looking to continue that run, scoring all but four of his team’s first 14 points after Pinelands managed a mere field goal inside the game’s first three minutes.
Simmons led a more uptempo attack though, responding with a pair of lay-ups and a trey in transition to pull the Pine within one (16-15) heading into the second quarter.
But they got no closer the rest of the way, with Farrell driving the lane for a huge one-handed dunk as the start of a 10-0 surge to start the period.
Ricardo Toussaint was left free for a pair of uncontested lay-ups that maintained Warriors’ double-digit advantage (32-22) at the half, before Farrell extended the cushion (40-26) on the other side of intermission via a double-clutch reverse.
That lead was only threatened once thereafter when Simmons sank two threes and another long jumper as part of a two-minute stretch that saw him score eight straight points for Pinelands.
However, Tremaine Shaw responded with a pair of long-range bombs of his own, before Andre Pierre added a third to put Warriors ahead 52-39 heading into the fourth quarter.
Farrell led Warriors (4-1) with 16 points, Shaw scored 14 while Jamar “Spanner” Headley added a further ten. Charles Vanderpool was the only other Pinelands player in double digits with 13 points and 11 boards.
Earlier, Justin Gaskin had five straight points to break open a fourth-quarter deadlock and Stevenson Callender scored ten of his game-high 19 points down the stretch to lead Patriots to their first win in a 67-58 victory over Co-operators General Tridents.
The win broke a two-game slide for Patriots (1-2), who entered the game’s final period tied at 44, before squandering Gaskin’s surge to allow the schoolboys to lock the scores again at 51.
But Callender had four straight baskets in a decisive 8-0 run as Patriots outscored Tridents 14-3 to hand the schoolboys just their second loss in five games.
Gaskin ended with 15 points, Julian Walcott scored 12 and Anthony “Bill” White netted 11. Mark Bridgeman led the schoolboys with 18 points and 14 rebounds.
In the day’s other game, Jefferson Trotman marked his return to Sonics by scoring 12 points off the bench and reigning MVP Akeem Marsh had 16 points and 14 boards as St John’s beat Colombian Emeralds International Senators 60-51.
It was Sonics’ (1-2) first win of the season, following earlier defeats to unbeaten League leaders Clapham (5-0) and defending champs Station Hill (2-3).
Shane Whittaker chipped in with 14 points and Dwayne Kellman added 11, while Alwyn Lovell led Senators (1-4) with 12 points and 16 boards.
