Maloney Pacers reach national b-ball final

UNIT TRUST Maloney Pacers have advanced to the final of the revitalised National Basketball Cham-pionships.

The Maloney men clipped the wing of Edinburgh 500 Hawks 71-57 in Game 2 of their best-of-three Big Four series at the Chaguanas Indoor Sports Complex on Thursday night. Player of the Game Miguel Williams scored 17 points, ripped down 11 rebounds and had two blocked shots for Maloney, while Edwaldo Bernard added ten points, five rebounds and two assists and Junior Harper nine points and seven rebounds. Khary Alexis led the Hawks with 14 points, 15 rebounds and two assists, while Dexter Hughue had 13 points and three rebounds and Roger Springer ten points and ten rebounds.

Maloney made a brisk start to the game and led 25-13 at the end of the opening quarter, and their lead ballooned to 14 points at the halftime interval — 44-30. The plucky Hawks put in a brave third-quarter show but could only reduce the deficit by four points — 56-46 as the end of the period. Pacers will now meet the winners of the National Flour Mills vs PSAEL Marabella Raptors series. “Flour” won Game 1 122-73 and are expected to romp home again in Game 2 tomorrow night at the Plesantville Indoor Sports Complex. Last night, the Pacers women were playing Defence Force in Game 2 at the St Paul Street Multi-Purpose Facility. The Maloney lasses blew out the Army-Coast Guard girls 66-29 in Game 1, and victory would put them into Wednesday’s final.