Esso Blazers stretch winning streak

(CNS): In the Cayman Islands Basketball Association (CIBS) Boy U-19 League, Esso Blazers continued its winning ways at the CIBA court on Saturday, when they defeated Silver Bullets 81-46. This latest win places Blazers at the top of the tables and seals their position as the only undefeated team in the CIBA’s U-19 Boys League. (Photos CIBA)

Despite the 35-point deficit, the game was not an entire washout, says a CIBA release. In fact, Silver Bullets kept the game within a respectable range of 18-11 in the first quarter, 36-29 in the second and 46-41 in and third quarter.

But then Bullets’ game plan fell apart largely due to players getting in foul trouble and compounded by a lack of players on the bench from which Coach Redver Ebanks could draw.

The foul trouble left the team short as only three players were eligible to play in the fourth quarter with four minutes remaining on the clock. This gave Blazers the opportunity to score a whopping 26 points within those four minutes.

The go-to-it guys for the Silver Bullets were Kwei General and Deandre Simpson who scored 43 out the team’s 46 points. Simpson also captured 15 rebounds and was one of the players in foul trouble. Jake Whittaker and Kadane Hall were the other two players who had to watch the remainder of the game from the bench. The Blazers players executed their coaches (Shawn Pitterson and Deon Ebanks) game plan to near perfection.

“Our team played as a unit. So it was no surprise that Blazers took control of the game when Simpson got in foul trouble with four minutes remaining,” said Blazers U-19 coach Deon Ebanks. Top players for the Blazers were Patrick Barnes with 33 points and Stephan Shaw with 15 points and 17 rebounds.

Photo: Esso Blazers’ player (blue) double tag Deandre Simpson