THE SHOWDOWN of the Premier League’s best players surely didn’t look like it included a match-up of its best teams.
Lumber Company Lakers are still looking for that first real test of the season as basketball’s league leaders led by as many as 28 points before coasting to a 79-68 win over a revamped Smalta Pinelands on Sunday at the Barbados Community College.
It was the fifth win in a row for the unbeaten Lakers, who were expected to be challenged by Pinelands following the acquisition of star guard Jeremy Gill. Lakers won their previous four contests by an average margin of 21 points.
But the much hyped matchup proved more froth than beer, just like the showdown between Gill and Andre Lockhart, as Lakers opened a 28-17 first-quarter lead before stretching it to 20 (50-30).
And that cushion ballooned to as many as 28 in the ensuing third after Lockhart hit successive three pointers early in the period prior to back-to-back baskets from Mark Bridgeman.
Lockhart finished with 20 points, Ian Alexander added 12, while Bridgeman scored 11. Gill had a game-high 22 points for Pinelands, who dropped to a 2-3 record, while Charles Vanderpool had 20 points and 11 rebounds.
Earlier, Jamai Puckerin scored 17 points and Kelvin Patterson had 14 off the bench to lead Station Hill Cavaliers to their second win in as many games in a 95-41 rout of the winless Co-operators General Insurance Tridents.
Darren Hunte added 11 points and Lamar Grazette had 11 for the Cavs, who improved to 2-4 after losing their first four games this season. Jae Harris and Alejandro Boxhill both scored 12 points for the schoolboys (0-7).
(JM)
