WESTERN BUREAU:

AVALANCHE AND Hoopers earned the right to meet in this Sunday's 2007 Western Basketball Association/Lucozade Sports men's league final at the Montego Bay Cricket Club courts by virtue of respective wins over Lions and Tigers on the weekend.

The rampant Avalanche, on a five-game winning streak, showed no mercy against Tigers, brushing them aside 71-45. The consistent Hoopers were also quite convincing in taming the Lions 56-47.

In the opening game of the doubleheader which was played on Saturday night the Galton Taylor-coached Avalanche, who started the season with a defeat but have been going great, won all four quarters of the game as the Tigers failed to measure up to their intensity.

With top player Adolph Esrkine fouling out early in the game, Oniel Clarke and Cleon Morgan, with 14 and 12 points respectively, stepped up for Avalanche to keep their winning streak intact. Coustant Holness and Tammy Davis, who scored 16 and 10 points, got most points for Tigers.

Second game

In the second game, Hoopers made sure that they would move into the final ahead of Hawks as they won three of the four quarters in taking victory by nine points over an outclassed Lions.

Hoopers, who won the first, second and fourth quarters 14-13, 15-11 and 19-7 but lost the third 8-10, coasted to victory as Neville Christie, who had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Omar Bell (11 points) led the way. Floyd Dixon and Andre Uters were the top scorers for the Lions.

As a bonus for the fans on Sunday, last year's champions Sav Hawks will match skills with 2005 champions Storms in an exhibition game dubbed Skillz Challenge 2007.