Home|Sports|Mingoes can’t hold on; lose to Shockers in overtimeSports
The Nassau GuardianSend an emailMarch 17, 2023 146 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email
The University of The Bahamas (UB) Mingoes men’s basketball team came from 10 points down to force overtime against the Caro Construction Shockers on Wednesday night but couldn’t complete the comeback in New Providence Basketball Association (NPBA) playoff action.
Despite leading by as much as eight points in regulation and having to claw back from 10 points down, the Mingoes fell 72-68 in overtime at the A.F. Adderley Gymnasium. The Shockers lead the best-of-three series 1-0, and the second game is set for Saturday.
Erquantae Edgecombe and Justin Burrows each contributed 17 points for the Mingoes in the loss. Ricardo Taylor scored 11 points. Burrows pulled down 11 rebounds and Theodore Grant had seven steals.
Spurgeon Johnson led the Shockers with 18 points, William Rigby scored 16 and Jeron Smith and Dario McKenzie added 12 apiece. McKenzie pulled down 15 rebounds for the Shockers.
The Mingoes led by as much as eight points, taking that cushion after a Dave Lindsey rebound led to a fast break layup for Grant. That shot gave them a 34-26 lead with 1:23 to go in the second quarter.
The Shockers bounced back, tying the game at 41 on a layup from Dominique Fernander.
Johnson capped a 13-3 scoring run for The Shockers, hitting two free throws to put them up 54-44 with 6:23 to go in regulation.
The Mingoes cut the lead down, forcing a tie with 1.3 seconds to go. The score was tied at 62 at that point. The Mingoes called a time-out and were able to advance the ball into the front court. Grant inbounded the ball and got it back. Edgecombe caught a loose ball and attempted a shot but was unable to convert and the game went into overtime.
Edgecombe and Grant combined on a 6-2 run to start the overtime session, putting the Mingoes up four at 68-64. However, the Shockers closed the game on an 8-0 run to pull off the win and go up 1-0 in the series.
“This was a very winnable game for us tonight and the guys played their hearts out,” said Mingoes’ Head Coach Bacchus Rolle. “We made the stops but we couldn’t convert it to baskets. This team fights but I think fatigue set in and when fatigue happens your mind goes and then your legs go. We fought well and came back to tie the game and almost won it.”
Rolle added that heading into the second game of the best-of-three series his squad is going to have to find some offense. “We have to find more than just Justin Burrows who came out big with 17 points tonight,” he said. “We are also going to have to control the paint and hit more jump shots along with spreading the floor a bit more to give our big men an opportunity to work the middle of the floor more.”
The Shockers out-rebounded the Mingoes 70-47 in the game.
Game two of the best-of-three series is set for Saturday at 7 p.m. at the A.F. Adderley gym.