Basketball in Africa

ANSE ETOILE STARS are a match away from defending the women’s Curtain-raiser title they won last year after edging Mont Fleuri to make this coming Saturday’s final.

Winners on a narrow 52-51 score against HotShots in last year’s final, the Stars will be up Zerah Fontaine’s HotShots will clash with Jennifer Bonne’s Stars in a repeat of last year’s finalagainst the same opponents on Saturday after labouring to a 49-48 victory over the Mont Fleurians in Sunday’s second semifinal encounter.

As usual, veteran skipper and centre Simone Malbrook – who picked up just one point in the first quarter – led the Stars in scoring with 15 points, including a trey in the fourth.

Malagasy Miantratsiory Rakotomahadimby added 11 points, including two 3-pointers, for the Stars and her twin sister Fanatitra got five.

Veteran Williana Dubois, who once again showed that she can still play the game at 42, got some help from Burtina Désir in offence as they both finished with 14 points – among them two 3-pointers.

Defending league and cup champions HotShots had cruised to the final earlier last week by posting an easy 53-28 win over Juniors.

Still without suspended centre Tina Agathine and power forward Myra Solin, HotShots were paced by Sheriffa Agathine with 18 points and captain Beguitta Fontaine added 15.
Meanwhile, the men’s competition has reached the semifinal stage.

In yesterday’s first last-four match, Baya were to play first division newcomers Razors, while defending champions Premium Cobras play MBU Rockers today to decide who will make the trip to the final.

Playmaker Giovanni Laval was on fire from downtown with a season-leading six threes for 18 of his game-leading 31 points as Baya reached the century mark in a 100-49 win over RC Dynamics, who got 22 points from James Joubert.

Captain and centre Robert Léon added 30 points for Baya coached by Michel Malbrook, whose son Stephen Malbrook fouled out with a trey to his name.

Semifinalists Razors were paced by Liston Reginald with 21 points in their 86-55 victory over RA Herons and they had two other players – Sandy Moustache (14) and Alex Baron (12) – scoring in double figures.

Premium Cobras’ new Nigerian recruit, playmaker Michael Oko Ohiero, carried his team’s scoring load with 36 points including three 3-pointers in a 95-44 victory against second divisioners Pointe Larue Falcons.

Abdel Sylla made a 22-point contribution and James Beier added 14 in the win for the Cobras, who meet MBU Rockers today after coach Alvin Alcindor’s team needed two overtimes (OTs) to dispatch Mont Fleuri Dawgz 93-92 on Monday night.

Robert Francis gave the Rockers victory by burying both shots from the stripe with less than five seconds remaining on the clock after being fouled by Kevin Romain.

With the score locked at 64-64 at the end of normal time (40 minutes), a first OT of five minutes was played during which both teams scored 17 points. Tied once again at 81-81, a second OT was needed and the Rockers outscored the Dawgz 12-11 for the win.

Playmaker Nigel Sinon scored 22 points for the Rockers before fouling out and Francis added 19.
Steven André got 15 points and Nigel Cafrine 12 for the Dawgz, who had eliminated second division outfit Drifters on an 88-47 score in the previous round.

G. G.