Adrian Frater, News Editor

WESTERN BUREAU:

REIGNING MID-SEASON cham-pions Inner City Avalanche are just a point away from reclaiming the lead in the Western Basketball Association (WBA) Lucozade Men's Championship following a 68-62 win over Bay City Lions at the Montego Bay Cricket Club courts last Saturday night.

In the second game of the night's double-header, fourth-place Savanna Hawks, who have been inconsistent this season, kept themselves in the hunt for the championship title with a pleasing performance, registering a big 103-79 win over the struggling Granville Wolfpack.

Made to fight

In their game against Bay City Lions, the Galton Taylor-coached Avalanche were made to fight all the way as they won two quarters 19-15 and 25-13 and lost the other two 13-9 and 21-15. Except for midway through the final quarter, Avalanche appeared in control despite the closeness of the scores in the end.

Cleon Morgan, who got a game-high 26 points, Nicholas Watson, with 11 points and 13 rebounds and Dane Morris, with 10 points, were the outstanding players for Avalanche. Richard Thomas and Damion Henry, who got 18 points each, were the top players for Lions.

In the Hawks-Wolfpack game, it was all offence and very little defence as most of the game was played under the hoops. In the end, Hawks won all four quarters by margins of 27-16, 29-26, 24-20 and 23-17.

Fair performances

Hawks' win was powered by Kareem Hibbert, who got 31 points, Kenneth (23 points), Maurice Rodriques (17 points and 10 rebounds) and Dillon Hodges (12 points and 11 rebounds).

In bowing to defeat, the Wolfpack got fair performances from Andre Uter, who had 27 points, Hubert Grant (16 points), Vaughn Lee (14 points) and Neil Samuels (12 points).

With the battle for places in the competition's play-off phase now on in earnest, the current standings are Jaguars - 17 points, Avalanche - 16, Hoopers - 15, Hawks - 13, Tigers - 13, Lions - 12 and Wolfpack - 12.