Adrian Frater, News Editor
WESTERN BUREAU:
THE 2006 Cool Runnings Spring Water/Western Basketball Associa-tion (WBA) Division II League, which has been on a break for the past two weeks, is set to resume tomorrow with a big showdown between Warriors and Blazers at the Montego Bay Cricket Club Courts starting at 6:00 p.m.
"The competition took a break because the Montego Bay Cricket Club, which we use for all our games, was being used for a Jehovah Witness Convention," said Kirk Comrie, the public relations officer for the WBA. "That convention is now over so the venue is once again available."
Battle for places
When action resumes tomorrow, it should be tense and most exciting as the top teams will be gunning to secure their place in the competition's semi-final which is slated for Saturday, August 19. The winners of the two one-shot semi-final games will qualify for the big championship game.
Prior to the break, the Sam Sharpe Jaguars led the standings in the eight-team competition with 13 points. However, All Stars and Tigers, on 12 points each, were in hot pursuit in joint second place.
The remainder of the standings reads as follows: Hopewell Vipers - 10, Montego Bay Boys Club (MBBC) Warriors - 7, Fury - 7, Blazers -π 6 and Blade - 6. Warriors, with two outstanding games, are favoured to top preliminary standings going into the semi-finals based on the teams they are due to face in their remaining games.
"There is now no margin for error among the top teams at this time as the slightest slip could see them falling out of the race for the semi-finals," said Comrie. "We are expecting all the remaining preliminary round games to be closely contested."
Following tomorrow's game between Warriors and Blazers, the action will intensify on Saturday with Blazers battling Fury at 6:00 p.m. and again on Sunday with a doubleheader featuring Blade against Warriors at 6:00 p.m. and All Stars and Fury at 8:00 p.m.
