06 June 2006
SEYCHELLES : Victors cover lost ground
IT wasn’t too pretty although the victors know that they have covered some lost ground, bringing new twists to the Women’s and Men division 1A championships.
Until Baya remain consistent in their performances, they will always have lingering doubts about challenging Premium Cobras and PLS Hawks for the top flight title. Allowing short-handed MBU Rockers to stop a four-game losing streak with an upset 60-59, Baya who had made their intention known with victory over Premium Cobras, have gone from good to bad.
As for the Rockers, last Saturday’s performance will go a long way in making them believe in themselves for the remainder of the championship.
A second defeat in only seven matches played in the league is a record not usually attributed to PLS Hawks. But it’s a fact and with no one having to tell them, the team know that they have to come out stronger and grittier in their remaining matches if they want to retain their Men division 1A title.
Premium Cobras’ 78-68 win over defending champions PLS Hawks have given them the edge over their main rivals but team manager Roy Collie has said that “our task has become more difficult as all our opponents play tough against us.”
The women’s league is a wide open affair now with Bel Air having claimed the scalps of Anse Etoile Stars who dethroned them as champions last year.
But despite the 42-47 loss, the Stars have taken over top spot from Hot Shots while Bel Air are third. All three teams boast 11 points after five wins and a defeat apiece, but the positions are being decided on the head-to-head rule.
Defeats for both Stars and Baya have left coach Michel Malbrook with a lot of questions to answer and among them “is defeat contagious?”
Bel Air 47 ... Anse Etoile Stars 42
After their surprise loss to Hot Shots, Bel Air chose Saturday’s fixture against reigning champions Anse Etoile Stars to make their way back in the championship fight.
Coach Robinson Boniface’s team overcame a poor third quarter during which they scored just four points compared to the Stars’ 13 to inflict a first defeat in six games on the champions.
Lindy Aglaé scored seven of her 11 points in the fourth quarter helping Bel Air to their fifth win. Burtina Désir and Thrya Boniface were Bel Air’s two other players in double digits with 11 points apiece.
Although Malagasy Lalatiana Razaiarisoa finished with only four points, she was instrumental in her team’s win as she drew double-teams thus freeing her teammates who had some open shots.
L’enjeu of the match was of a high importance that it was a rare scene to see two female players - Bel Air’s veteran Jeanine Lawen and Star’s Lindy Mathiot - almost exchange punches. In the end, Lawen was punished by umpire Steve Hoareau who hit her with a technical foul with 40 seconds left in the third quarter.
The Stars really missed the inside presence of skipper Simone Malbrook who left the match early with a knee injury and with just four points.
With four 3-pointers for a joint game-high 12 points along with Geneviève Beaudoin, Dynah Louis tried to save her team in the dying minutes but when she rushed her shots it did not do anything good for the Stars.
Having beaten Hot Shots 71-28, the Stars are top while the Anse Boileau-based team are second after their 48-38 defeat of third-placed Bel Air.
Premium Cobras 78… PLS Hawks 68
With playmaker Thomas Collie serving the first of a four-match ban to add to the absences of Bernard Bristol, Neddy Fanchette (long term bans), Jefferson Nganga (retired) and Stephen Omony (still in his native land Uganda), PLS Hawks knew that playing a full-squad Premium Cobras was a tall order.
Having twice defeated their arch-rivals in last year’s best-of-three Seychelles Basketball Federation (SBF) Cup final with an under-strength team, PLS Hawks had a lot of self-belief which in the end was not enough to see them prevail.
After winning the first quarter 20-12, PLS Hawks went for the break with a five-point lead (35-30), but when Premium Cobras decided to press harder on the accelerator they failed to follow the rhythm, losing the third and fourth quarters 28-15 and 20-18.
With two wins over PLS Hawks since taking over from Steve Hoareau as Premium Cobras’ head coach at the start of the season, Jude Talma does not want to rest on his laurels.
“We are not happy with our performance today (Saturday) although we won,” he told Sports Nation.
Captain James Beier top-scored for Premium Cobras with19 points, Nigerian playmaker Mohamed Ozegya added 17 while Lenny Aglaé made a 14-point contribution.
Coming off the bench to replace Jim Domingue who fouled out with seven points Rodney Lozé had a huge game for PLS Hawks with 27 points as he joined forces with influential centre Barry Baron (17 points) to control the offensive and defensive boards.
In the end, the two big men’s combined 44 points were not enough to prevent PLS Hawks from losing a match with just four 3-pointers made. But PLS Hawks’ coach Tony Juliette remains confident saying “everything will be decided in the second-round match-up.”
MBU Rockers 60 … Baya 59
Baya need to start to re-focus otherwise they will miss the boat.
With just seven players, coach Malbrook, who was missing Nigerian Ugoh who is out of the country, could not motivate his team who lost three of the four quarters and the game against a determined MBU Rockers who rocked them all the way.
Playmaker and skipper Nigel Sinon had the hot hands for the Rockers with 21 points and Ryan Volcère added 13 for the team who have three players out for their involvement in a brawl.
With 19 points, centre Robert Léon was the best scorer for Baya who have 10 points after four wins and two defeats.
MBU Rockers stay bottom with six points after their first win.
G. G.
Until Baya remain consistent in their performances, they will always have lingering doubts about challenging Premium Cobras and PLS Hawks for the top flight title. Allowing short-handed MBU Rockers to stop a four-game losing streak with an upset 60-59, Baya who had made their intention known with victory over Premium Cobras, have gone from good to bad.
As for the Rockers, last Saturday’s performance will go a long way in making them believe in themselves for the remainder of the championship.
A second defeat in only seven matches played in the league is a record not usually attributed to PLS Hawks. But it’s a fact and with no one having to tell them, the team know that they have to come out stronger and grittier in their remaining matches if they want to retain their Men division 1A title.
Premium Cobras’ 78-68 win over defending champions PLS Hawks have given them the edge over their main rivals but team manager Roy Collie has said that “our task has become more difficult as all our opponents play tough against us.”
The women’s league is a wide open affair now with Bel Air having claimed the scalps of Anse Etoile Stars who dethroned them as champions last year.
But despite the 42-47 loss, the Stars have taken over top spot from Hot Shots while Bel Air are third. All three teams boast 11 points after five wins and a defeat apiece, but the positions are being decided on the head-to-head rule.
Defeats for both Stars and Baya have left coach Michel Malbrook with a lot of questions to answer and among them “is defeat contagious?”
Bel Air 47 ... Anse Etoile Stars 42
After their surprise loss to Hot Shots, Bel Air chose Saturday’s fixture against reigning champions Anse Etoile Stars to make their way back in the championship fight.
Coach Robinson Boniface’s team overcame a poor third quarter during which they scored just four points compared to the Stars’ 13 to inflict a first defeat in six games on the champions.
Lindy Aglaé scored seven of her 11 points in the fourth quarter helping Bel Air to their fifth win. Burtina Désir and Thrya Boniface were Bel Air’s two other players in double digits with 11 points apiece.
Although Malagasy Lalatiana Razaiarisoa finished with only four points, she was instrumental in her team’s win as she drew double-teams thus freeing her teammates who had some open shots.
L’enjeu of the match was of a high importance that it was a rare scene to see two female players - Bel Air’s veteran Jeanine Lawen and Star’s Lindy Mathiot - almost exchange punches. In the end, Lawen was punished by umpire Steve Hoareau who hit her with a technical foul with 40 seconds left in the third quarter.
The Stars really missed the inside presence of skipper Simone Malbrook who left the match early with a knee injury and with just four points.
With four 3-pointers for a joint game-high 12 points along with Geneviève Beaudoin, Dynah Louis tried to save her team in the dying minutes but when she rushed her shots it did not do anything good for the Stars.
Having beaten Hot Shots 71-28, the Stars are top while the Anse Boileau-based team are second after their 48-38 defeat of third-placed Bel Air.
Premium Cobras 78… PLS Hawks 68
With playmaker Thomas Collie serving the first of a four-match ban to add to the absences of Bernard Bristol, Neddy Fanchette (long term bans), Jefferson Nganga (retired) and Stephen Omony (still in his native land Uganda), PLS Hawks knew that playing a full-squad Premium Cobras was a tall order.
Having twice defeated their arch-rivals in last year’s best-of-three Seychelles Basketball Federation (SBF) Cup final with an under-strength team, PLS Hawks had a lot of self-belief which in the end was not enough to see them prevail.
After winning the first quarter 20-12, PLS Hawks went for the break with a five-point lead (35-30), but when Premium Cobras decided to press harder on the accelerator they failed to follow the rhythm, losing the third and fourth quarters 28-15 and 20-18.
With two wins over PLS Hawks since taking over from Steve Hoareau as Premium Cobras’ head coach at the start of the season, Jude Talma does not want to rest on his laurels.
“We are not happy with our performance today (Saturday) although we won,” he told Sports Nation.
Captain James Beier top-scored for Premium Cobras with19 points, Nigerian playmaker Mohamed Ozegya added 17 while Lenny Aglaé made a 14-point contribution.
Coming off the bench to replace Jim Domingue who fouled out with seven points Rodney Lozé had a huge game for PLS Hawks with 27 points as he joined forces with influential centre Barry Baron (17 points) to control the offensive and defensive boards.
In the end, the two big men’s combined 44 points were not enough to prevent PLS Hawks from losing a match with just four 3-pointers made. But PLS Hawks’ coach Tony Juliette remains confident saying “everything will be decided in the second-round match-up.”
MBU Rockers 60 … Baya 59
Baya need to start to re-focus otherwise they will miss the boat.
With just seven players, coach Malbrook, who was missing Nigerian Ugoh who is out of the country, could not motivate his team who lost three of the four quarters and the game against a determined MBU Rockers who rocked them all the way.
Playmaker and skipper Nigel Sinon had the hot hands for the Rockers with 21 points and Ryan Volcère added 13 for the team who have three players out for their involvement in a brawl.
With 19 points, centre Robert Léon was the best scorer for Baya who have 10 points after four wins and two defeats.
MBU Rockers stay bottom with six points after their first win.
G. G.
# posted by afrbk : 15:06
