|
|
*** SEYCHELLOIS MEN BASKETBALL MAIN PAGE ***
 | Premium Cobras, HotShots lead at halfway stage | |
|
| |  | PREMIUM COBRAS (Mens Division One) and HotShots (Womens League) are in the lead at the halfway stage of their championships.
The Cobras, who did not look like championship material especially after easily losing 59-71 to Baya brought themselves back into contention with a come-from-behind 89-86 win against defending champions PLS Hawks.
On this occasion, their go-to guy Nigerian Alao Solomon scored a season-leading 52 points to bring Premium Cobras points tally to 17.
Coach Guy Halls team thus lead the Hawks on the head-to-head rule as the reigning champions also boast 17 points after brushing aside Bayas challenge in an 87-78 win last Saturday at the Palais des Sports.
Reigning basketballer of the year, Ugandan Stephen Omony came off the bench to score a game-high 18 points in his first match of the season after returning from his homeland only last Thursday.
Its going to be interesting to see Omony square up against Solomon in the second-round fixture, and already PLS Hawks coach Tony Juliette has said the match is going to be a cracker.
On Sunday, Angels beat Razors 86-75 to shoot to fifth place in the standings with 14 points.
On holiday from China where he is studying, Steven Servina showed he has lost none of his scoring abilities with a game-high 34 points, including five 3-pointers.
Interestingly this year, Mens Division One matches will be played on Praslin and the first game is slated for Saturday July 19. Premium Cobras will travel to Praslin to face Praslin Warriors at the Grand Anse court.
This is a good opportunity for Praslinois to see some of the countrys best teams and players in action.
In the Womens League, HotShots havent put a foot wrong in five matches and they have a maximum 10 points.
Losers to HotShots on a 46-57 score in the first-round match-up, defending champs Anse Etoile Stars consolidated second place with nine points after beating bottom side Juniors 109-19 on Sunday.
The Stars had six players scoring in double figures skipper Simone Malbrook (24 points), Lucia Souffe (16), Georgia Dsir (16), Dynah Louis (13), Karil Thlermont (10) and Jennifer Bonne (10).
As for Juniors, they were led in scoring by Samia Asba with 10 points.
In the Mens Division Two, RA Herons walked over Fire Brigade. |
|
|
| Hawks stays unbeaten, talks about Omony's return | |
|
|
by Eurobasket News - Jun 4, 2008 | | | PLS HAWKS are expected to welcome back Ugandan all-rounder Stephen Omony (198-G/F), but it is not clear when the reigning basketballer of the year, who has not played a match for them this year, will wear the number 12 shirt again.
Over the weekend at Victoria Gymnasium, the Hawks extended their winning run and were one of two teams to reach the century mark.
PLS Hawks 111 - Razors 64
In the meantime, coach Tony Juliette rallied his team to a sixth consecutive win - reaching the century mark in a 111-64 win against five-man army Razors.
Point guard Bernard Bristol (22 points), Emmanuel Jupiter (21), Daniel Victor (17) and veteran power forward Jim Domingue (12) led the Hawks in scoring as they won all four quarters 21-7, 21-20, 28-16 and 41-21.
This is the third time PLS Hawks have reached a triple digit score this year, and they have a maximum 12 points to be ranked fourth in the 10-team Men's Division One standings.
The Razors are carrying the weight of the table with seven points after one win and seven defeats.
Premium Cobras 102 - Angels 62
Nigerian Alao Solomon rediscovered his scoring touch and did not foul out to lead Premium Cobras to a 102-62 win over Angels, who had the Agathine brothers - Jean and Norcy - fouling out.
After getting just 14 points and fouling out with only 3:07 played in the third quarter as Premium Cobras lost 59-71 to Baya the weekend before, Solomon went straight back into the scoring groove with a game-high 45 points and he was helped in offence by Dominic Pillay with 15 points. The Cobras' next match is against defending champions PLS Hawks on Saturday June 7.
They are currently third with 13 points after six wins and a loss, while Angels, who got 28 points from Daniel Dodin, slipped to their fourth defeat.
Beau Vallon Heat 47 - RC Dynamics 72
RC Dynamics got a game-high 19 points from Jean-Paul Desaubin and used a 72-47 victory over Beau Vallon Heat to bring their winning tally to four in seven matches.
Coached by Jim Domingue, RC Dynamics are sixth in the standings with 11 points, one more than the Heat who have concluded the first round with one win and eight losses.
Coach Valli Ismael team's only win came the weekend before when they burned the Razors 65-50.
Cascade Bullets 66 - MBU Rockers 98
MBU Rockers got balanced scoring on the way to a 98-66 victory over Cascade Bullets - the only other side to have played nine games.
Centre Timmy Adam led four other players in double digits - captain and playmaker Nigel Sinon (17), Brian Morel (15), Cyril Agrippine and Roddy Fanchette (14 each).
The Rockers have 13 points after six wins and a defeat to occupy second place.
Christopher Camille had the hot hands for the Bullets with 16 points.
Courtesy of Nation.sc |
|
|
|
| Heat burn Razors | |
|
| | | A day after Baya choked Premium Cobras and their top-scoring Nigerian player, Alao Solomon, the Heat burned the Razors at the Palais des Sports.
Winless in their first seven games, Beau Vallon chose to beat strugglers Razors to celebrate victory for the first time in the Mens Division One.
Coach Valli Ismals team took a decisive step towards victory by winning the first quarter 21-15, and although the Razors outscored them 17-14 in the second they still went for the breather with a three-point lead (35-32).
When play resumed, the Heat stayed hot, scoring 30 points and at the same time restricting Razors to just 18 for a 65-50 win.
Marlon Marimba top-scored for the Heat with 20 points, including three 3-pointers, while Tony General Barb (13 points) and Christopher Preira (10) were the other two players in double figures for the winning team.
Christopher Valmonts game-high 26 points went to waste as Razors conceded defeat for the sixth time one of those by a walkover. They have seven points, two less than the Heat, who have played a match more.
Meanwhile, in two Mens Division Two matches, Juniors had skipper Reggie Ah-kong (35 points) and Christopher Valmont (32) combining for 67 of their teams points in the 141-34 win over Fire Brigade, and Pointe Larue Falcons needed overtime to put an end to AAP Brothers five-game unbeaten run, edging them 62-60.
There were no winners at the end of normal time with the score tied at 57-57, but league leaders Falcons outscored AAP Brothers 5-3 in the five-minute overtime for their sixth win in seven matches. Their only loss was through a walkover, while AAP Brothers are fifth in the 11-team standings with 11 points after five victories and one defeat.G. G. |
|
|
| Baya choke Solomon and Cobras | |
|
| | | HE going got tough for Premium Cobras on Saturday at the Palais des Sports and go-to-guy Alao Solomon just could not cope with the pressure.
The Nigerian utility player was a shadow of the player Premium Cobras fans had known him to be in previous matches he has played. Baya got a deserved win on a 71-59 score on the day in a Mens Division One match which did not live up to expectations.
Premium Cobras 59 Baya 71
Baya came into the game with one thing in mind: shut out Nigerian Solomon and stop him from getting the ball to attack the basket both in the paint and from distance shooting.
They were successful as their game plan worked effectively, despite a poor start. The Cobras, who had won their previous five games, led 9-0 before Baya got on the scoreboard through a centre Robert Lon free throw.
Bayas Lon (no. 11) attacks the hoop unchallengedCoach Guy Halls team held a four-point 14-10 advantage at the end of the first quarter but Baya shot into the lead for the first tine in the match at 25-23 on a Hendricks Denis 3-pointer with 2 minutes 50 seconds (2:50) left to play in the second 10-minute spell.
At half-time, Baya had improved their margin to five points 30-25 after outscoring Premium Cobras 20-11.
Expected to pose the biggest danger to Baya, but unable to get the kind of freedom the other teams gave him in the first five games during which he averaged 42 points, Solomon looked frustrated.
He questioned a number of the referees calls as did their bench and he left the court with only 3:07 played in the third quarter after being hit with a blocking foul his fifth of the encounter. As he left the court, he threw his shirt to the floor and kicked it. He left the game with just 14 points a team-high despite it being way too low from his high-scoring performances. The least points the Nigeria player had scored in a single match before Saturday is 34 against Cascade Bullets. His highest-scoring game was against Beau Vallon Heat when he got a season-high 49 points.
With no one to step up in Solomons absence, Baya went to work, winning the third quarter 26-18 for a 56-43 score.
Although the Cobras edged Baya 16-15 in the fourth quarter, coach Michel Malbrooks team, who had killed off the contest in the second and third quarters, are back in the title hunt and leave defending champions PLS Hawks as the only unbeaten team.
Jean-Paul JP Camille scored a game-high 21 points, including five 3-points one short of the season-high six treys held by Premium Cobras Solomon and Bayas international playmaker Giovanni Laval.
The other player to score five 3-pointers in a match this season is PLS Hawks veteran small forward Heribert Derjacques.
Denis and Lon added 14 points apiece fort Baya, while Seychelles power forward Dominic Pillay was Premium Cobras only other player in double figures with 13 points. |
|
|
| Hawks stay unbeaten, Bullets stop losing skid, Rockets win | |
|
| | | PLS HAWKS used a big fourth-quarter performance to beat Angels 104-80 to stay unbeaten in five games, while Cascade Bullets stopped a three-game losing skid with an 86-78 defeat of Praslin Warriors.
The two games were played at Victoria Gymnasium last Saturday the same day MBU Rockers beat RC Dynamics 83-75.
Defending League and Cup champions PLS Hawks, who finished runners-up to three-time champions MBC Sebam of Madagascar in this years 16th Indian Ocean Club Championship in Mauritius, distanced themselves from Angels in the fourth quarter, which they won 35-12.
They lost 24-27 after the first 10-minute spell, but recovered to clinch the second and third 20-19 and 25-22 to lead 69-68 at the end of 30 minutes of play.
Rodney Loz scored 26 points, Neddy Oye Fanchette got 21 and Heribert Derjacques added 19, including five 3-pointers one short of the season-high six treys held by Premium Cobras Nigerian Alao Solomon and Bayas international playmaker Giovanni Laval.
The Hawks are on a maximum 10 points after five wins, while Angels have seven points after two wins and three losses.
Coach Grgoire Scholastiques Cascade Bullets also left it late against Praslin Warriors.
They trailed by seven points 59-66 at the end of 30 minutes of play, but made up for the latest disappointments with a big fourth-quarter performance of 27-12 for an 86-78 victory.
The win was the Bullets second in seven games and they have nine points, while the Warriors boast eight points after two victories and four losses.
In the days other match, Cyril Agrippine (26 points) and playmaker Nigel Sinon (30 points) combined for 56 of MBU Rockers points in an 83-75 victory over RC Dynamics.
Like PLS Hawks and Cascade Bullets, the Rockers also took the initiative in the fourth quarter which they won 28-19 after being led by a point 56-55 at the end of the third quarter.
Current runners-up MBU Rockers have 11 points after five wins and a loss, the same total as leaders Baya.
As for RC Dynamics, they are fifth with nine points after an even win-lose record of 3-3.
Meanwhile, Mont Fleuri defeated RA Sisters 51-33 for their first win in three matches in the womens league last week to shoot to fourth position in the six-team standings with four points.
RA Sisters lead the table with six points after two wins and two defeats.
In three Mens Division Two games, Mont Fleuri Dawgz beat RA Herons 70-55, Pointe Larue Falcons trounced Fire Brigade 91-47 and Anse Etoile defeated RA Rockets 75-70. |
|
|
| Baya bounce back | |
|
| | | BAYA needed a victory last Saturday at the Palais des Sports to put themselves back in the mens Division One title hunt and they got it.
Against Razors, who had lost their previous match by a walkover against RC Dynamics, Baya had no trouble. They won all four quarters, 18-6, 18-15, 23-11 and 30-14, for an 89-46 victory their fifth in six matches for 11 points out of a maximum 12.
Baya got a game-high 24 points from centre Robert Lon, who was helped in offence by Jean-Paul Camille with 22, Giovanni Laval with 14 and Bernard Cherry with 11.
Ricky Vel was the only player to score in double digits 12 points for the Razors, who will have to battle to avoid relegation in a season that looks to be tough for them.
On the same day, Praslin Warriors got their second win of the season with an 84-60 defeat of winless Beau Vallon Heat.
The Warriors, who had three players scoring in double figures skipper Jackson Auguste (24 points), Ryan Volcre (17) and Joseph Souffe (14) were in total control during the game. They won all four 10-minute spells, 18-13, 21-15, 23-20 and 22-12.
As in most of their matches, the Heat were led by Cliff Furneau with 15 points.
For the third consecutive game, Cascade Bullets let victory slip between their fingers. Against RC Dynamics, they committed the same error as against Angels a high level of individual and selfish play.
After losing the first quarter 15-21, RC Dynamics rallied to win the second 22-13 for a three-point 37-34 half-time lead.
With the two teams tied at 16-16 in the third quarter, the Bullets thought they could win the match, but came up short although they won the fourth 10-minute spell 16-15.
After getting a game-leading 20 points from captain Tony Marday and 10 from both James Joubert and Jean-Paul Desaubin, RC Dynamics celebrated victory on a tight 68-66 score.
Kenneth Sophie was the Bullets best scorer with 19 points.
Meanwhile, in a womens match played last week, defending champions Anse Etoile Stars trounced challengers Mont Fleuri 64-36.
In three Mens Division Two games played on Sunday, RA Rockets walked over Fire Brigade, Cadets lost 48-101 against Mont Fleuri Dawgz and AAP Brothers defeated LMS Youth 58-34.G. G. |
|
|
| 16th tournament of the CCCOI - Hawks and Stars returned home | |
|
| | | The teams of the Seychelles, the PLS Hawks (Men) and Anse Etoile Stars (Women) returned home after participating in the 16th Tournament of Champions Cup for Clubs of the Indian Ocean (CCCOI), which had been held in Mauritius last week.
On their arrival yesterday afternoon, members of both teams received bouquets of flowers presented by the cadet-national players.
The President of the Seychelles Basketball Federation, Jude Talma, as well as some of his colleagues were also present to congratulate the players.
The Hawks finished second in the men's competition, after losing 54-77 to Malagasy MBC Sebam who celebrated their victory for the third consecutive year.
Coached by Tony Juliette , PLS Hawks had two victories against Real SC of Mauritius (76-66) and Africa Games of Mayotte (81-76) to finish at the top of Group B.
They then beat St Pierre from Reunion by the score of 83-76 in the semi-finals.
The coach said Juliette was satisfied with the performance of his team.
'There were no easy matches in this tournament which was played at a very high level.
We had a good start against MBC Sebam in the final, but my players were tired in the third quarter. The Malagasy took advantage of it to win the match.
Despite this defeat, I am satisfied with the performance of my team', told the coach the local press. |
|
|
| Cyril Agrippine leads Rockers, Solomon gets season-high 49 | |
|
| | | s as they hurried their game when leading, bridged an eight-point deficit to send shivers down Baya coach Michel Malbrooks spine.
Agrippine got 10 of his 12 points in the fourth quarter and he was helped by captain and playmaker Nigel Sinon with 12 of his team-high 23 points as the Rockers outscored Baya 33-17. They had lost the first three quarters 19-20, 14-19 and 17-19.
Assistant coach Paul Denis was proud of his players and said they had given him a nice 46th birthday present.
Happy to have led MBU Rockers, who had two other players Timmy Adam (16 points and two slam dunks) and Alvin Marie (14) scoring in double digits, Agrippine said:
Winning against Baya is good. But we still have a lot to work on and all players must step up when the game is on the line.
Jean-Paul Camilles game-leading 26 points went to waste in the defeat as Baya, who also got 18 points from Robert Lon and 11 from playmaker Giovanni Laval, need to rethink tactics.
Both Baya and MBU Rockers, who had Gonzague Agrippine, Nigel Henriette and Alvin Marie fouling out, have nine points after four wins and a loss apiece. The two teams remain in the title hunt.
Premium Cobras 135 Beau Vallon Heat 37
There seems to be no heat coming from Beau Vallon, and Premium Cobras made the most of the situation to bring the new highest winning margin of the season to 98 as they steamrollered Beau Vallon Heat 135-37.
The previous high was 78 points and it lasted just one week. Premium Cobras, who had beaten Razors 126-48 in their previous encounter, got a season-high 49 points from Nigerian Alao Solomon, who has now improved his average to 42 points per game after getting a total of 210 points in five games 34 against Cascade Bullets, 46 against Praslin Warriors, 39 against MBU Rockers and 42 against Razors.
Former champions Premium Cobras won all four quarters, 27-7, 32-6, 34-12 and 42-12, for their fifth consecutive win to shoot to the top of the 10-team table with a maximum 10 points.
Abdel Sylla (17 points), Nigerian Simon Pusam (12), Tony Moustache (12) and Steve Allisop (11) were the other Cobras in double figures, while Cliff Furneau again led winless Heat in scoring with 14 points.
PLS Hawks 99 Praslin Warriors 59
Defending League and Cup champions PLS Hawks missed out on reaching the century mark against Praslin Warriors last Saturday with a 99-59 victory bringing their win tally to four.
Runners-up at this years Indian Ocean Club Championship, PLS Hawks had four players Rodney Loz (25), Daniel Victor (17), Wellington Adeline (16) and Bernard Bristol (12) scoring in double digits as they dominated the Warriors in all four quarters 19-14, 24-16, 29-14 and 27-15.
With just one win in four games, Praslin Warriors, last years champions of the old Mens Division 1B league, got 22 points from Joseph Souffe, 16 from captain Jackson Auguste and 13 from Edmond Flicie.
Cascade Bullets 81 Angels 86
Angels had a huge fourth quarter outscoring Cascade Bullets 33-18 to run away with their second win in four games.
After winning the first quarter 20-11, Anse Boileau-based Angels lost the second and third 16-30 and 17-22, but had the energy to come back in the fourth 10-minute spell with Daniel Dodin scoring 12 of his game-leading 33 points.
He was helped in offence by Darren Lesperance with 22 points, while centre Steve Antat added 12.
The Bullets, who had Christopher Camille (30 points), Kenneth Sophie (20) and Sandy Julienne (18) combining for 68 points, have themselves to blame for their fifth loss on the trot.
Coach Grgoire Scholastiques team will only start winning games if they cut out their high level of individual and selfish play.
Razors 0 RC Dynamics 20
As the Razors could not field a team, RC Dynamics did not have to sweat to garner two points and their second win of the season.
Formerly SMB Razorback, the Razors, who lost a number of players during the off-season, face relegation if they miss another match.
Meanwhile, in two Mens Division Two matches, LMS Youth beat Fire Brigade 63-40 and Anse Etoile defeated Cadets 67-39.G. G |
|
|
| SEYCHELLES : High-scoring wins, big-three stay unbeaten | |
|
| | | HIGH-SCORING wins were registered in Mens Division One matches played over the weekend at the Palais des Sports as the big three Premium Cobras, Baya and PLS Hawks extended their winning streaks.
Premium Cobras 126 Razors 48
SOLOMON 42-point performance for Premium CobrasTHE 126-48 win was the biggest victory margin so far this year in the top flight as Alao Solomon had another 40+ match for former champions Premium Cobras.
On Sunday, the Nigerian shooting guard finished with 42 points, making him Premium Cobras and the leagues best scorer so far with 161 points in four matches.
Averaging 40 points per match, Solomon also scored 34 in the 96-57 win against Cascade Bullets, 46 in the 97-58 win over Praslin Warriors and 39 in the 88-68 victory against MBU Rockers.
The Cobras had another six players Dominic Pillay (21), Steve Allisop (18), Abdel Sylla (12), skipper and playmaker Tony Moustache (11), Steve Servina (10) and Biko Biong (10) scoring in double figures as they won all four quarters, 34-13, 31-10, 31-8 and 30-17.
A volleyballer with Premium Spikers, Ricky Vel finished with 17 points to lead the Razors who find themselves on a razors edge after losing for the third time in four games. Their only win was against fellow strugglers Cascade Bullets on an 85-76 score.
The previous highest win was registered by PLS Hawks against Beau Vallon Heat on a 115-50 score.
PLS Hawks 83 Cascade Bullets 53
With a depleted squad, the Bullets wanted to surprise Indian Ocean Club Championship runners-up PLS Hawks, but they came up short after holding the defending champions for more than 25 minutes.
PLS Hawks coach Tony Juliette was not happy with what he saw on the court and had to bark instructions from the sidelines and he even regrouped his players during a time-out to rethink tactics as Cascade Bullets were playing on a par with them.
After trailing 31-34 at half-time and 41-43 midway through the third quarter, the Bullets were thinking of getting their first win in four outings but they probably forgot that the Hawks could move up a gear.
This is exactly what happened and the Hawks won the third and fourth quarters, 24-11 and 25-11, to close the game at 83-53.
Veteran power forward and captain Jim Domingue led the Hawks in scoring with 19 points, with Rodney Loz (14), Neddy Oye Fanchette (13) and Bernard Bristol (12, all from 3-point range) combining for 39 points.
Bullets skipper Kenneth Sophie led all scores with 21 points which went to waste in the defeat.
Beau Vallon Heat 41 MBU Rockers 91
Like Cascade Bullets, Beau Vallon Heat are also without a win in four games and their latest loss was at the hands of MBU Rockers, who rediscovered the winning feeling after losing to Premium Cobras the weekend before.
The Rockers were always in control of the match, winning all four quarters, 22-8, 28-11, 19-14 and 22-8, as they won by a 50-point margin.
Coach Alvin Alcindors MBU Rockers were led in scoring by swingman Cyril Agrippine with 21 points, while playmaker Nigel Sinon (15) and Nigel Henriette (16) also scored in double digits.
Cliff Furneau and Tony General Barb had 10 points each for the Heat, who need to start winning if they are to survive in the top flight.
Praslin Warriors 65 RC Dynamics 71
After getting a win in their second match on a 70-66 score against the Razors, Praslin Warriors went back to losing, this time against RC Dynamics, who got 20 points, including two 3-pointers from Kenneth Domingue.
Captain Tony Marday added 11 points in the win for RC Dynamics, who trailed 11-15 at the end of the first quarter but won the other three 18-16, 22-18 and 20-16. This was their first win in three games.
Ryan Volcre had the hot hands for the Warriors with 17 points, 12 of which came from 3-point range.
Baya 92 Angels 64
Baya extended their winning streak to four games by steamrolling Angels 92-64 on the back of 19 points from both centre Robert Lon and shooting guard Jean-Paul JP Camille.
Nigel Cafrine came off the substitutes bench to get 17 points, while playmaker Giovanni Laval added 13, including three treys.
Coach Michel Malbrook was back on the bench after missing two games while on regional mission with womens team Anse Etoile Stars, and his Baya team entirely dominated the match, winning all four 10-minute spells, 26-13, 17-16, 23-19 and 26-16.
Collin Japhet and Barry Dubignon had 13 points apiece to lead Angels, whose usual high scorers Daniel Dodin and Darren Lesperance were kept silent.
Meanwhile, in a Mens Division Two match, RA Herons beat LMS Youth 55-38.G. G. |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
