Basketball in Africa

THEY have their tickets for the Saturday October 21 finals of the Top-of-the-table tournaments after winning their semifinal match-ups on Saturday at Victoria Gymnasium.Anse Etoile Stars (women) and LMS Jazz (Men’s division 1B) can start preparing for the title deciders but they were to know their final opponents yesterday with the taking place of the other semifinals.

After not even making the final last year, Anse Etoile Stars, who achieved a League and Cup double last season and retained their League title this year, floored defending champs Bel Air 57-50 in Saturday’s semifinals.

The win is the Stars’ second consecutive against Bel Air this year after winning the League decider 49-38. Bel Air won against the Stars in the Charity match (51-46) and in the first-round League encounter (47-42).

Having already won the Curtain-raiser competition and the League championship, the Stars are aiming to claim another piece of silverware.

It must be noted that 2006 Women’s League runners-up Bel Air made life difficult for themselves when they suffered a 45-60 loss in their first match to Mont Fleuri whom they beat 56-47 in last year’s final.

With a win against Mont Fleuri, who also beat them 45-43 in the Curtain-raiser semifinal, Bel Air would have avoided their most-feared opponents Stars in the semifinal to possibly meet them in the final.

Coach Robinson Boniface’s team will now watch the final from the side-lines.
In the Men’s division 1B/2 competition, LMS Jazz sent favourites Pointe Larue Falcons sprawling and out of the final.

Runners-up to Men’s division 2 champions Juniors and with a playoff decider against Men’s division 1B Beau Vallon Heat next week, five-man army LMS Jazz threw cautions to the wind as they coasted to a 15-point margin victory (58-43) against Men’s division 1B champions Pointe Larue Falcons who will be playing top flight basketball next season.

Interestingly for former Men’s division 1A side LMS Jazz, they had lost 76-81 to Men’s division 1B runners-up Ex-Champs in their first match last Friday but they were able to recharge their batteries to get an important win the following day.

Pointe Larue Falcons started the tournament on a good note last Thursday with a 51-46 victory against Men’s division two winners Juniors who were to play Ex-Champs in yesterday’s second semifinal.

Meanwhile, the finalists of the Men’s division 1A version of the tournament will be known today and tomorrow.

Losers on a 100-67 score to Premium Cobras in the 2005 final, Baya took the sting out of the recently crowned top flight champions on a 75-53 score in their first match.

They play SMB Razorbacks today and it is very likely that captain Dave Roseline will again be missing as he has not totally recovered from a hand injury and a fever.

In their first match, SMB Razorbacks lost 45-82 to PLS Hawks who play rivals Premium Cobras in tomorrow’s second semifinal at the Palais des Sports.

Badly missed in the defeat to Baya, Tanzanian Abdallah ‘Dulla’ Ramadhan is eligible for selection for tomorrow’s encounter.

G. G.