After losing the opening game of the 2010 New Breed Basketball finals last week, Boys Dem came back to even the series Monday night with a 73-70 hard-fought victory over Guidance in front of a near-capacity crowd at Central High’s Ronald Charles Gymnasium.
Not wanting to go down 2-0 in the series, Boy Dem played with a sense of urgency throughout, and it was the extra energy that helped them to hold off a hard-charging Guidance in the end.
Defense was the name of the game in the opening quarter, and the teams played to a draw in the first period with both scoring 14 points.
Boys Dem, however, continuing to play tight defense, utilized a balanced attack to erupt for 26 second-quarter points and a 40-32 eight point lead at the half. Glenroy Cogging, Boys Dem point guard and floor general, was in total control running his offense as he was continuously creating plays and finding open shooters. He ended up with 12 assists in the contest with several coming just before the half.
Guidance’s Shakeem Edwards scored 11 points, which allowed his team to get within three points of the lead at 55-52 at the end of the third stanza.
This set the stage for an exciting finish; and that is exactly what the fans got. Guidance came back to tie the game at 58 early in the fourth. They would then have tied scores at 60, 62, and finally at 64, before Boys Dem was able to take the lead and held on for the 73-70 series-tying victory.
“We definitely played harder tonight, but I think we will have to play much harder to win the championship” said an excited Boys Dem coach Zorro Swanston. Swanston also said winning will also be much harder because four of his young players were leaving for Singapore to play basketball in the youth Olympics on Tuesday.
Wilson Ferrance led a balanced Boys Dem attack with 15 points, while teammates Coggins, Ryan Rawlins, and Havier Martinez all finished with 13 points apiece.
For Guidance, Edwards scored a game-high 18 points, Lamar Bough netted 17, and Calvert White, Eric McBean, and Andy Chelcher finished with 11 points apiece.
Game three is on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
