By Neto Baptiste
Multiple times champions Ovals Ojays advanced to the final of the Antigua and Barbuda Basketball Association (ABBA) playoffs on Monday after edging rivals Northside Stingerz by six points, winning 68-62 in a decisive game three of their semifinals series at the JSC basketball complex.
They will face off against another former champion, Flyers Basketball, in the first of their best of five series on Wednesday night at the same venue.
Joshua Minner led the way for Ovals with a game high of 30 points while grabbing six rebounds. Alexis Jackson contributed with 13 points, 17 rebounds and nine assists.
Coach of the Ovals team, Bradbury Browne, credited their triumph to key adjustments made ahead of the crucial game three.
“We made some adjustments in terms of the offence and then we switched up playing … in the second half with the zone that they couldn’t figure out and they weren’t making shots as they were accustomed to, so our job became a little bit easier,” he said.
Browne said a number of players also stepped up to the plate when the team needed it most.
“The first two games we didn’t have the services of Alexis Jackson because he went to St Martin to take part in a tournament. Lennox McCoy got injured, Kareem Edwards got injured the first game, so he didn’t take part a lot in the second game and he didn’t play at all [Monday night]. The others stepped up and I must give kudos to [Joshua Minner] Mario Davis, Tavarus Benta and the veteran Bryan “Hollywood” Matthew who all came through for us in this series,” he said.
In a losing effort, Keroi Lee led the scoring for Stingerz with 18 points while grabbing 17 rebounds. Jayden Andrew chipped in with 12 points and eight rebounds while Jamine Charles contributed with nine points and 17 rebounds.
