by Bernard Wagner

NEBL In The Paint

Defending NEBL champs, the Smart Hurricanes survived a ferocious fourth quarter surge by the visiting Dangriga Dream Ballers on Friday night at the St. Catherine’s Auditorium to record their second win straight win in the 2017 NEBL championship.

After jumping out to the quick 22-13 lead in first quarter play, the Hurricanes obviously felt good about their chances of winning back to back games for the first time in 2017. However the Dream Ballers responded with a 9-2 mini run early in second quarter play to pull within two of the Hurricanes 24-22. But an ensuing 8-4 run by the Hurricanes closed the half with the score 32-28 in favor of the Hurricanes.

Third quarter play was ugly for the Dream Ballers as they only managed to score 9 pts, thereby enabling the Hurricanes to increase their lead to 51-37 at the end of three quarters of play. But as the saying goes “every team will make a run”, and tonight was no exception as the kids from Griga opened fourth quarter play with an inspiring 13-3 run to pull the score at 54-50 with 5:14 remaining in regulation. Winston Pratt (20 pts 7 rebs 3 asst) of the Hurricanes then went to work, driving for a layup to extend the lead to 56-50. Baskets by Leroy Louriano (16 pts 6 rebs 4 asst) and Andrew Ortiz pushed the Hurricanes lead to 61-58 with 1:29 remaining, but the Ballers would not go away, as Tahj Wells quick hands led to a steal and a layup to put the game at 61-60. But four blown offensive opportunities by the Dream Ballers in the final 24 seconds spelled their demise as time expired with the final score showing 62-60.

Quinton Bowen led the visiting Ballers with 16 pts 17 rebs 2 asst, while teammate DillmoreConorquie contributed 10 pts 4 rebs 4 asst. As a team they shot a lethargic 29% from the field hitting on only 24 of 82 shots attempted. They outrebounded the Hurricanes 60 to 47, were superior in the paint 32-28, and their bench were better than the champs outscoring them 21 to 5. So where did they lose this game? At the charity strips, statistics revealed that the Hurricanes attempted 28 free throws to the Ballers 15, and hit on 14 of them compared to their opponents 8.

 

(Leroy Louriano of the Hurricanes had 16 pts 6 rebs 4 asst)

(Dangriga Dream Ballers Quinton Hamilton seen here with ball had 16 pts 17 rebs)