The action continues to heat up in the National Club Basketball Championship. In the first division, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service narrowly secured victory at the Southern Regional Indoor Sports Arena when they defeated the Morvant Oilbirds by an 86–82 score.
Adrian Lazar brings us the highlights from an exciting evening of basketball in Pleasantville. A late tip-off time of 9:15 p.m. in Pleasantville did not stop basketball fans and team supporters from showing their support at the Southern Indoor Sporting Arena when the Morvant Oilbirds, coached by Ashton Peter, met the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service in the National Club Basketball Championship.
It was a lightning-quick start from Police, scoring twice in quick succession to establish an early 11–4 lead. The Oilbirds kept themselves in reach when Obel Guerra scored off a rebound as the score read 13–6 in favor of Police at the halfway stage of the first quarter.
A quick team talk saw the men in blue continue to stretch their lead with another three-pointer. The team in black and orange, however, fought back thanks to some aggressive attacks on the rim, with the Oilbirds only down by two at the end of the first quarter.
Ashton Peter’s men showed great resolve in the second, coming from behind to obtain a narrow one-point lead, with the halftime score 41–40. If the Oilbirds were to win the encounter, Police would not let it come easy, as the high-scoring Fabrice Fisher continued his exploits in the third. The game was poised at 57–57 with under three minutes remaining.
Morvant did not do themselves any favors when a misplaced pass allowed Fisher to score yet again. However, Guerra kept up the fight for his team, scoring from the free-throw line late in the third. Police did just enough to restrain their opponents, with the quarter ending with Police down by just one point.
It was a tense ending to the fourth. Fisher once again visited the rim to regain the lead for Police, who held only a three-point advantage with 33.4 seconds on the clock.
The men from Morvant would not make it easy for the lawmen. A missed shot and swift counter saw Guerra score and get the and-one. With the Morvant supporters on their feet in hopes of a comeback, the number four did not disappoint, scoring from the line and tying the game at 82 with 23.2 seconds on the clock.
Police took the lead after a shot by Fisher fell short to Jesse Hamilton, who made amends. With 4.6 seconds on the clock, Captain Don Wilkinson scored twice from the line to bring an end to a dramatic night in Pleasantville. The TTPS ran out 86–82 winners.