Gatorade Future Pinelands came for the rematch and got their revenge instead.
The Pine have settled the score, and on a big stage too, having upended hated rivals and defending champs Mr H Invest Station Hill Cavaliers 67-55 to win Saturday night’s emotionally charged NexGen Under-23 Basketball Final in Jackson.
It proved the perfect cap to a perfect season where The Pine’s talented collection of Premier League youngsters played unbeaten to capture the second edition of the junior tournament.
The match-up only made it that much sweeter too, as Pinelands washed out the sour taste of last year’s 17-point finals loss to a Cavs side they have no love for.
“For us it wasn’t about revenge because we needed this win to bring confidence to this team as we don’t only just play basketball, we live life together and that’s what makes Pinelands, Pinelands,” said eventual finals MVP Derion Hurley.
“It’s a good feeling but it’s nothing unexpected. This group of young players is a very special group.”
And they showed just how special they are with a whirlwind 28-11-run spanning the third and fourth quarters that all but decided the game.
Clinging to a 33-27 half-time lead, the Pine blew the contest wide open by taking away the paint and pushing hard in transition as part of an initial 14-6 burst (47-33).
Station Hill had issues keeping them off the offensive glass, particularly Hurley, who had a pair of put-backs and the transition bucket that put Pinelands up 47-33.
The Pine also did a good job containing Premier League swingman Zachary Cave and tournament MVP Deveron Knight in the key, forcing the wayward Cavs to settle for jumpers.
Kiserian Adams then got in on the act with his trademark euro-step finishes before cutting off the ball for a huge one-handed throw-down to start the fourth quarter.
He wasn’t done just yet, adding a deft floater for good measure to help The Pine go up by as many as 21 (61-40).
The game inevitably got chippy thereafter, as Cave and opposing forward Tehron King were both assessed technicals after Knight was ejected for hitting King in the face with the ball.
“When Pinelands and Station Hill play it’s not just a basketball game, it’s a rivalry, so when we get together it’s going to be a fight and I don’t mean in the literal, physical sense of the word. We’re both going to fight hard,” Hurley explained.
But Station Hill didn’t go away quietly, as the tussles appeared to ignite Cave, who sparked a threatening 15-4 Cavs rally.
Last year’s finals MVP looked near unstoppable at point, bullying his way to the front of the ring for a series of layups and a huge jumper to get Station Hill within ten (63-53) with two minutes left.
However, Adams duly ended the run with yet another euro-step while the Cavs only managed a further basket the rest of the way.
It was all too familiar to wild back-and-forth first quarter where Hurley and Adams traded buckets with Cave in an 11-all deadlock.
The faster Pine tried to use the huge crowd support in a rampant up-tempo attack, as Rasheed Maynard added a spark off the bench with a big trey and two fast-break layups.
But they never led by more than six (33-27), having struggled to contain Cave in the painted area.
Hurley and Maynard finished with 18 points apiece and Adams added 16 while Cave led Station Hill with 27 points. (JM)
