LEAGUE champions PLS Hawks earned a 79-73 win over Premium Cobras at the Palais des Sports in Monday’s group ‘A’ match of the men’s division one Top-of-the-table tournament.
Cobras enjoyed the early lead in the low-key match which started late, and they won the first quarter 21-11.
Although they edged Cobras 20-19 in the second 10-minute spell, Hawks trailed by nine – 40-31 – at the break.
With captain Bernard Bristol (eight points) and centre Rodney Lozé (11) combining for 19, Hawks outscored Cobras 29-17 to carry a three-point – 60-57 – advantage into the last quarter, which they dominated 19-16 for a 79-73 victory.
With 21 points, Lozé finished as the game’s top scorer and he was helped on the offensive end by Bristol with 18 and Neddy ‘Oye’ Fanchette with 10 before fouling out.
Nigerian Alao Solomon, who was hit with an unsportsmanlike foul for kicking out at Thomas Collie when the two were on the floor hustling for a loose ball, led Cobras in scoring with 15 points, while power forward and skipper Dominique Pillay showed his scoring touch from beyond 3-point range with two good attempts for six of his 13 points although Hawks had already sewn up the match.
Hawks will meet the losers of yesterday’s group B match between Seychelles Basketball Federation (SBF) Cup winners Baya and Angels, who have replaced MBU Rockers after the league’s fourth-placed finishers pulled out of the competition.
As for Cobras, they will play the winners of this same encounter for a place in the Saturday November 28 final.
Meanwhile, in the women’s competition, Anse Etoile Stars walked over RA Sisters last Friday and their semifinal opponents are league and cup winners HotShots, who lost 49-58 to Mont Fleuri in their group ‘A’ match last week.
If RA Sisters fail to be at the venue for their semifinal encounter against Mont Fleuri, it will mean coach Tony Juliette’s team will progress to the final against the winners of the HotShots/Anse Etoile Stars clash.
The second men’s division two finalists will be decided tomorrow when RA Herons meet Anse Etoile, who lost their first match 47-57 against Razors.
In their first game, Herons walked over Pointe Larue Falcons, who have decided not to take part in the last competition on the Seychelles Basketball Federation calendar.
All teams who lose their match by a walkover have to pay a R500 fine as per by-law before they take to the court for their next game.
G. G.