Practise?
UWI actually have lots of that when it comes to losing to the champs.
Another finals matchup against UWI has resulted in yet another crown for Station Hill Cavaliers, as the undisputed queens of local basketball copped their 12th league crown in 14 years via Thursday’s series-clinching 67-51 Game 2 victory at the Wildey Gym.
It was as routine a finish to a championship win ever witnessed in local sports, with the lady Cavs all too willing to take a shot-clock violation on their last possession before simply walking over to shake the hands of a clearly beaten opponent.
No champagne. No celebration. No contest.
Not that it came as much of a surprise considering it proved the second successive finals victory for Station Hill over UWI, who also lost the last two knockout title games to the same opponents.
And this now comes amidst public charges from head coach Derek Aimey that the Blackbirds haven’t practised in over two seasons.
“It doesn’t bother us because we don’t practise either,” joked Cavs centre Astrid Alleyne.
The game proved to be no laughing matter, though, as UWI twice battled back from significant double-digit deficits to threaten in the second half – at one time reducing the contest to a one-possession game (32-29) before cutting a 14-point hole to seven (47-40).
But Station Hill answered with a run of their own each time, including a decisive stretch of seven unanswered points to start the fourth quarter that effectively put away the game.
Clinging to 47-40 lead following a menacing 7-0 UWI rally, the Cavs got a timely jumper from Ria Phillips before Alleyne and Maria Cumberbatch stretched the lead to double digits again (53-40) with successive drives.
Toni Atherley seemingly ended the surge with a quick basket moments later, only to see Cumberbatch bait Sade Clarke into an “and-one” play prior to Alleyne and Wanda Agard-Belgrave adding successive put-backs.
Station Hill actually went up by as many as 19 (65-46) after Phillips earned successive trips to the line, prompting Aimey to raise the white flag and put in his reserves for the final three minutes.
“After the first game I was surprised [how easy it was], but tonight I expected UWI to come out with more energy and more fight,” reasoned Alleyne.
They surely didn’t show much fight at the start of the game, at least not star guards Atherley and Clarke, who had a mere two points between them in the first half while going a woeful one of 19 from the floor combined.
At the other end, Station Hill were busy scoring the game’s first six points on three straight Alleyne lay-ups en route to a threatening 18-10 Cavs first-quarter cushion.
Yet UWI still battled, even without much contribution from Atherley, who struggled to deal with Phillips’ ball-denial and the constant pressure of dealing with multiple defenders off the dribble.
American forward Kalaria Obasi provided the Blackbirds a huge and unexpected spark off the bench, scoring seven straight points in transition to pull the Blackbirds within one (21-20) early in the second quarter.
But Station Hill responded with an 11-2 run (32-22) by dominating the paint through Agard-Belgrave and Shakira Shorey, and then survived a subsequent technical to coach Andrew Alleyne to go up 45-31 midway through the third quarter.
“It’s just like before, we’re glad we made it this far and able to come out victorious,” said Alleyne, who had a game-high 21 points.
Agard-Belgrave added 15 points and 12 rebounds while Phillips chipped in with 12 points. Atherley led UWI with 14 points and 11 boards and Obasi finished with 13 points.
