THE LADY CAVS aren’t looking so invincible anymore.
Maybe women’s basketball is about to see the start of a new era.
After dethroning their arch-rivals to capture their first league title last year, Clapham Bulls proved that it was no fluke on Saturday night.
They handed Mpact Station Hill Cavaliers their first loss of the season, via a 77-66 defeat at the YMCA during action in the Barbados Amateur Basketball’s Association Women’s Competition.
In the past 11 years, the Lady Cavs have won an astonishing 19 cups – 10 league titles and nine knockout titles – with Clapham more often than not having to settle for the runner-up spot.
Tired of being referred to as “second best”, the Bulls finally put that talk to rest when they defeated the Cavs 2-1 in last year’s best-of-three finals. Then-coach Barry Rock told the Cavs’ two key veterans Astrid Alleyne and Wanda Agard that they would have to keep playing until they were on crutches if they were to have a chance of defeating the Bulls again.
Seems like he may have been right.
Alleyne scored a game high 34 points and together with Agard combined to score 53 of their team’s final tally, but it still wasn’t enough to turn back a determined Clapham side.
Led by last year’s MVP Toni Atherley, the Bulls got off to a fast start, opening a 13-5 lead inside the first five minutes through the efforts of Atherley and fellow guard Sade Clarke.
Layups by Atherley and Clarke pushed the lead to 10 (17-7) before Alleyne and Agard used their height and size to good effect to bring the Cavs right back into the contest.
The duo dominated both the offensive and defensive boards during a key three-minute stretch, scoring all but two of their team’s 20 first quarter points, as they reduced the Bulls’ lead to just four (24-20) at the end of the first quarter.
On resumption, the Cavs’ two lynchpins were back at it again, spearheading a 6-0 run to give them their first lead of the game at 26-24.
But with the bulk of the offence resting on the two veterans, fatigue began to set in, allowing their younger opponents to push the ball in transition as the Cavs failed to get back on defence.
The speedy Ruth Gill seized the opportunity, scoring six straight points as part of a Bulls 10-0 run that helped to give them a 34-26 lead with 4:33 to go before the half.
Alleyne continued to dominate in the post, scoring her team’s final eight points, but the Cavs still trailed 46-35 at the halfway mark.
Both sides continued to trade baskets in the third period, and after a brief 8-2 run by the Bulls to push the lead to 12 (51-39), Alleyne’s layup with 1:33 to go cut the lead to six, 55-49, setting the stage for an exciting fourth quarter.
It didn’t materialize, though, as the Cavs got no closer than seven the rest of the way. The Bulls improved their record to 4-0, while the Cavs dropped to 4-1.
Atherley had 30 points for the Bulls, while Clarke scored 22 and Gill 12. Alleyne had 19 points in a losing cause for the Cavs.