Unbeaten NFM seek national b-ball crown

NORTHERN basketball kings National Flour Mills completed an unbeaten run in this year’s revival of the National Basketball Championships preliminaries. On Saturday night, they blew out Seattle 94-58 at the St Paul Street Multi-Purpose Facility, to top Group B and cement their place in the Big Four series. After a close opening quarter which ended 19-14, the Flour Boys ended the game as a contest by the end of the half, leading 45-24. They extended the lead to 63-27 at the end of the third period, and was a question of whether NFM could reach the 100 mark in the final stanza. Jason De Lisle had a game-high 19 points and four rebounds and was named Player of the Game, while Kerry Westfield added 15 points and six rebounds and Douglas McNilly 13 and two boards. Ome Belfon had 19 points, 13 rebounds and two blocked shots for Seattle who also got 16 points nine rebounds and four blocked shots from Dextroy Manswell.

Big Four action tips off tonight at the Maloney Indoor Sports Complex from 6 pm, when unbeaten women Group A winners Unit Trust Maloney Pacers take on powerful North zone queens Defence Force in Game 1. And the Unit Trust Maloney Pacers men, runners-up in Group A will tangle with Group B runners-up Edinburgh 500 Hawks in Game 1 from 8 pm. Tomorrow, Police who topped Group B in the women category will play Group A runners-up Courts Horizon from 6 pm, while National Flour Mills meet PSAEL Marabella Raptors from 8 pm in the men’s game. The scene shifts to the Chaguanas Sporting Facility for Game 2 on Thursday night, and Pleasantville on Saturday night. Tip off is 6 pm.