SO MUCH for Patriots’ fabled return to Premier League basketball.
Ryan Lucas scored ten of his 14 points in a decisive fourth-quarter stretch while Roland Bridgeman hit two crucial jumpers in succession as Intermediate contenders Plus Garrison Chargers completed a first-round sweep of Patriots via Wednesday’s 78-70 Game 2 win at the YMCA.
The series-clinching victory put the Intermediate debutants into the semi-finals to play a best-of-three series against either Challengers or Royals, who both earned first-round byes.
But it proved the rather humbling – and unexpectedly straightforward – end to Patriots’ play-off run, which was supposed to culminate in the Husbands side returning to the top flight following last year’s even more wretched demotion.
They did manage to put up somewhat of a fight, though, surviving Junior Clarke’s initial 11-point first-quarter explosion and an early 13-point deficit to lock the scores at 53 entering the fourth quarter.
However, Lucas bullied his way to the basket for easy layups before Bridgeman came off the bench for a triple and another long jumper to reopen a double-digit cushion.
Tyrone Alexander led the way with 16 points and Clarke finished with 14 points while Jehnard Brewster had a game-high 18 points for Patriots. Julian Walcott added 16 points and Neil Yearwood scored a further 11.
In the night’s second game, intermittent showers brought a premature end to Game 2 of the Pinelands-Market Hill series with the Pine leading 44-41 with 40 seconds left in the third quarter.
Market Hill, last year’s losing finalists, lead the series 1-0 after winning 66-62 in Game 1 on Monday. (JM)
