Mixed fortunes for Unit Trust Maloney b-ballers

Unit Trust Maloney Pacers had mixed fortunes at the Maloney Indoor Sport Facility when both the men and women’s teams showed up for their National Basketball Champion-ship Big Four Finals Game Two appointments with National Flour Mills (NFM) and Courts Horizon respectively.

Going into Monday’s match Horizon had a 1-0 series lead over Pacers having won Game One 65-54 and it was left for Jackson Charles girls to catch up. They put up their best chase in front of strong support winning 62-48 to take the series to Game Three. Pacers applied the pressure as they assaulted the lane with ferocious determination to take an early 14-10 first period lead. Horizon, led by Philomena George’s 17 points and four rebounds, did not look like they fancied backing down and made Pacers work for every basket. Chezelle Griffith with 16 points, three assists and 20 rebounds put up a wonderful challenge for Horizon to shut out the series. But Pacers’ Melissa Guerero put in a game-high 28 points and held 11 rebounds to keep them in it.

Although Pacers never dropped the lead there was always the threat of Horizon slipping past them and Natalie Peters’ ten points and 11 rebounds was well appreciated by her Pacer team mates. The half-time saw Pacers ahead 32-24, they restricted the Horizon scoring to ten points and upped their ante to lead 51-34 going into the final chapter. Both teams were well matched throughout the encounter and have set up a feast of a Game Three. The Pacers men were in a better position than their women as they came out of Game One with the precious lead winning that match 80-79. But Game Two belonged to NFM who walked off 84-78 victors. From the tip NFM announced their intention as they raced down court to score the game’s first basket in the first few seconds.

Pacers however also had something to say as Edwaldo Bernard charged into the lane, scored his basket and drew the foul to complete a three-point play and give them the lead. This lead changed hands for most of the energetic first quarter as the on court gladiators grappled for position but it was Maloney that stamped their mark on the period as they stole the ball four successive times and scored five unanswered baskets in the final moments of the quarter to take a 30-20 lead. During the break Pacers supporters were ably marshaled by “number one fan” Kirt Pierre in chanting “ole ole” but their joy would be short lived on the resumption as NFM retorted with restrictive defence and improved scoring. They put in 25 points to Pacers nine and led 45-39 at the half.

The third quarter proved to be the closest with both teams stepping up on defence hoping to hold a substantial lead going into the fourth period but NFM retained a 67-64 lead to keep the arena at the edge of their seat. NFM trio Jason Delisle contributed game high 23 points, Ashley Bynoe had 16 and Andy Best put in ten points while they all had eight rebounds. Derrick Boxhill led the Pacers scoring with 20 points and three rebounds, Randy Harewood had 13 points and six rebounds and Miguel Williams put in ten points and held seven rebounds. Series deciding Game 3 will be played tomorrow at St Paul’s Street indoor Complex in Port-of-Spain.