Stingers win first NPBA title beat Regulators in five games

Mon, Apr 13th 2015, 01:48 AM

The PJ's Stingers have earned the right to be called the best basketball team in New Providence. On Friday night, the Stingers captured their first New Providence Basketball Association (NPBA) title, with a 101-86 rout of the Patron Regulators. The Stingers won the series four games to one, and Able Joseph was named as the most valuable player (MVP) of the finals.

With the win, the Stingers have earned the right to represent New Providence at the Bahamas Basketball Federation's (BBF) Bernard "Bunny" Levarity National Round-Robin Tournament next month, at the A.F. Adderley Gymnasium.

The Stingers defeated the Y'Care Wreckers in the opening round of the playoffs, and then knocked off the Commonwealth Bank Giants in the semi-final round of the playoffs. In the clincher against the Regulators on Friday night, Joseph finished with 17 points and 18 rebounds for the Stingers, in just over 39 minutes of action. Kemsey Sylvestre came off the bench to lead the Stingers in scoring with 20. Both Jervonne Atkins and Vernon Stubbs added 15 points each, and Devon Ferguson chipped in with 14 points, three rebounds and two assists.

With the Regulators on the ropes, down three games to one in the series, the Stingers came out aggressive on both ends of the floor. They worked to get high percentage shots, while limiting the Regulators on the defensive end. An offensive intensity allowed them to take a 27-17 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Rebounding was a key contributor in the Stingers' push, as they out-performed the Regulators on the boards, 54-41.
Poor ball movement was something that the Regulators struggled with all series, and in the final game, their woes continued on the offensive end, finishing with just 13 assists in the game, compared to 23 for the Stingers.

The Stingers took a nine-point lead into the half, 53-44, and managed to hang on to it throughout the third. In the fourth, Joseph helped to seal the game for his team with several clutch baskets and free throws. The Regulators made one final push with less than five minutes to go, but the Stingers managed to hold on. Cordero Thompson finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds in the loss for the Regulators. Gamaliel "Chameleon" Rose added 15 points and nine rebounds, while Alex Rolle scored 18 off the bench.

The Commonwealth Bank Giants represented New Providence at last year's BBF round-robin tournament. The Giants fell 82-79 to the Grand Bahama (GB) Shipyard Cruisers in the championship game. Cruisers' guard Marvin Gray was named the MVP of that game.

Last year, the tournament featured teams from Grand Bahama, North and South Andros, Abaco, Eleuthera/Harbour Island and Bimini.

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