CLAPHAM have already held up their end of the bargain.
And Station Hill look likely to do the same.
Bulls-Cavs Part 5 seems a mere formality now after Toni Atherley scored a game-high 26 points to help defending women’s league basketball champs Clapham Bulls book another finals appearance via Thursday’s series-clinching 74-45 Game 2 win over Roll-A-Way St John’s Sonics at the Wildey Gym.
The victory guaranteed a fifth successive spot in the Barbados Amateur Basketball Association’s title series for Clapham, who faced Station Hill in all four previous editions – including last year’s stunning dethroning of the lady Cavs.
But the win wasn’t without worry, as Clapham had to overcome a woeful four-point second-quarter effort – and an equally dreadful performance from Sade Clarke – before putting away an overmatched Sonics team by outscoring them 47-25 in the second half.
The rout appeared to be on from as early as the opening period when Bulls hit four of their first five jumpers in an initial 12-3 lead that Antonia Baptiste turned into a 27-9 romp following her transition forays.
However, Clapham managed just a further four points all half, and St John’s threatened via a series of long jumpers from Danesha Brathwaite that reduced the deficit to single digits (29-20).
Atherley duly put away the contest in the ensuing third, though, scoring 12 points in the quarter including seven straight to cap a 13-5 opening burst (44-25).
Rhe-Ann Niles added 12 points, Baptiste ended with 11 while Jennifer Joseph-Hackett also scored 11 points. Brathwaite was the lone Sonics player in double digits with 13 points.
Earlier, Astrid Alleyne and Wanda Agard-Belgrave combined for 65 points as former ten-time queens Mpact Station Hill continued their quest to recapture the league title with a 91-47 Game 1 blowout of Combined Schools Hoopsters.
Alleyne scored a game-high 37 points – 17 of which came in the first quarter to transform an initial 9-6 gritty contest into a 24-11 cushion before both she and Agard-Belgrave proved unstoppable around the basket.
Agard-Belgrave finished with 28 points after erupting for 20 over the middle quarters, including 12 third quarter points of a 22-14 spurt. Ashlee Daniel scored 15 points for the schoolgirls, who will be looking to avoid a sweep tonight at the same venue, while Winmalecia Bowen added ten.
