Four for Rooster Basketball Semis

The Saint Lucia Basketball Federation's Rooster Men's National Basketball League entered its knockout phase on the weekend, eight teams engaged in single elimination playoff games.

In the first of two games the highly anticipated rematch between the Morne Gladiators and Canaries Moon River Champs lived up to expectation. Both teams came out swinging but Gladiators had slightly the better of the first half. Moon ricer Champs, though, came storming back back in the third. At the end of regulation, scores were deadlocked at 46. In overtime, behind the leadership of Larry Shepherd, who had 14 points and 11 rebounds, Canaries asserted themselves and pulled away for the 56-48 win. Teammate Durocher Antoine put up 15 points, 5 rebounds and 5 steals.

Also on Saturday night, The Gardens played Babonneau Dynasty. Early on, both teams were very deliberate in their offense, and it was clear that coaches and players were trying to feel each other out. In the second half, both teams became more comfortable and assertive, but the size and experience of the Castries team would eventually tell. Veteran forward Jermaine " Ringo" Thomas compiled 16 points and 5 rebounds, as The Gardens notched up the 52-44 win to advance to the next round of play.

On Sunday, VBCC squared up against BBC, and from the start it was a lopsided affair with VBCC jumping out to 22-8 lead in the first quarter. In the end, VBCC cruised to a comfortable 83-41 win over their opponents and secured their place in the semifinals for group B. For VBCC Marcion Calderon let all scorers with an impressive 31 points, 16 rebounds and 7 steals. For BBC Kurt Raphael recorded a double double with 14 points and 14 rebounds in the loss.

Closing out the quarterfinals, two-time defending national champions Courts Jets sought to secure their semifinal spot on the road to another title run. In a keenly contested first half, Dennery appeared to be matching the Jets intensity and speed. However in the second half pulled away big time to secure an 83-56, victory and a place in the semi-finals and a head to head with arch rivals VBCC. Once again, Courts Jets were led by their prolific shooting guard Ron DeMurville with 18 points, 6 rebounds. For Dennery, rising star Kevin Mathurin put in a good effort with 22 pts, 8 rebs and 3 steals in the loss.

With the semifinals matchups set, VBCC going up against the champions Courts Jets in Group B is a tasty prospect and will definitely be the one to watch, but the contrast between the athleticism of Canaries Moon River Champs and the experience and interior presence of The Gardens Athletic Club should provide another intriguing contest.