Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter
AFTER 11 straight games, St. Jago's winning streak was shattered by St. Catherine, who handed them a crushing 56-44 defeat and sent them crashing out of the KFC-sponsored National Basketball League (NBL) at the semi-final stage of the competition yesterday at the National Stadium courts.
Not many would have expected the St. Catherine team which finished the second round with a 1-3 record and advancing on goal difference, to get the better of a Jago side which had until then preserved a flawless record.
"They were bigger than us, but like I've always maintained, my team is more experienced in terms of knowing how to win, said coach of last year's finalists St. Catherine, Lennox Lindo.
The team, which narrowly lost to St. Jago on the road in their third game the season, was determined not suffer the same fate and led by floor general Javan Bailey, who finished the encounter with 19 points and 10 assists, pushed the ball at a furious pace from the opening whistle.
St. Jago never got set defensively and not only found themselves constantly trailing St. Catherine in the open court, but faced a 16-8 deficit at the end of the first quarter.
However, Jago's big man, Adrian Forbes, who had 16 points, 16 rebounds and five huge blocks for the game, made sure his team did not go quietly. Midway the second quarter he led them back to tie the game at 18-18 but St. Catherine clung stubbornly to their lead and would close the half with a 24-20 advantage.
St. Jago dug in defensively and with four minutes to go in the third quarter had their first lead in the game at 34-32, but it was not one that they could maintain as they failed to find a way to get the ball into Forbes and committed a number of careless turnovers.
A big three-pointer by Bailey, which ignited a 6-0 run with 5:02 left to go in the final quarter, saw Jago's game and their season grind to a halt.
"We are very disappointed. We came today and we did not play any defence and we lost the game. They came out here to beat us today and they played well and they deserved to win," said a disappointed Jago coach Kevin Brown.
St. Jago will now face another team with an unbeaten streak, Wolmer's, in the finals of the competition in a best-of-three series beginning at Wolmer's tomorrow. In the Under 16 action, 12 points and 10 rebounds propelled St. George's to a 57-40 victory over a heavily-favoured Ardenne. St. George's will now face Calabar at Calabar tomorrow.
