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*** JAMAICAN MEN BASKETBALL MAIN PAGE ***
 | NBL second round starts tonight | |
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| |  | The second round of the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)/National Basketball League (NBL) kicks off this evening at the National Stadium courts with two games. At 6:00 pm JDF will face Runnin' Rebels and at 7:45 pm former champions St. George's Slayers will tackle Portmore Flames. The first round of the competition ended last Saturday with the playing of the Midseason Finals, where defending champions Urban Knights held off a strong challenge from newcomers Port Royal Bulls. |
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| Knights reigns supreme in midseason finals | |
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| | | Who says 13 is an unlucky number? Well, just don't tell that to Urban Knights, as the defending champions walked away with the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)/National Basketball League (NBL) Midseason Finals for the second year in a row when they scored a thrilling 63-59 victory over newcomers Port Royal Bulls on Saturday night at the National Stadium courts. The victory was the second for Knights over the Bulls this season and helped the champions extend their unbeaten start in the league to 13-0
A rivalry established
Not surprisingly, it was the Bulls who came out fired-up, after predicting a victory minutes after suffering their first defeat of the season two weeks ago. They outplayed Knights in the first two quarters and led 19-13 after one, then went on to build a 12-point (33-21) advantage early in the second quarter. A late rally by the champions, however, cut the lead to 36-30 just before halftime, but the Bulls still liked their chances of turning the tables on the team that they now officially regard as their 'nemesis.'
Defense the key
Knights came alive in the third quarter as they defense forced the Bulls to abandon their inside attack and settle for long jumpers. On offense Kenardo Young and Andrew Whilby picked up the scoring slack and outscored Bulls 19-12 in the quarter to take a one-point lead (49-48) into the fourth. A decisive 7-2 run to start the quarter extended the lead to 56-50 and it appeared that the Bulls were done. Well, not quite! Center Paul Brown, who leaves the island shortly to take up a full basketball scholarship at Southeastern Illinois College, sank four straight points to cut the lead to 56-54 with just over four minutes to go, followed by two free throws from Leighton Meeks that trimmed the lead to one (58-57).
Knights too tough
Knights showed why they've dominated the NBL over last two years when Fernando Young drilled a clutch three-pointer in reply to the Bulls run and pushed the lead back to four points (63-59) with under two minutes remaining. This proved to be the final score as the inexperienced Bulls panicked and lost their composure, hoisting up ill-advised shots that had no chance of going in. Omar Barnes, Young, and Whilby scored 12 points each to lead Knights, while Andy Smith added 11. Meeks had a game-high 17 points for the Bulls, while Damion Young (12) and Davion Wade (10) also reached double-figures. |
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| Knights and Bulls clash in midseason finals | |
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| | | Defending champions Urban Knights will face upstart newcomers Port Royal Bulls on Saturday night for the second time this season, but only this time the stakes are much higher. Both teams are set to clash in the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)/National Basketball League (NBL) Midseason Finals at the National Stadium Courts beginning at 8:00 pm. In the first game Portmore Flames will go up against Catherine Hall All Stars.
In their first encounter billed as the 'Battle of the Unbeatens,' Knights used a stifling defense to shut down the diminutive Paul Oliphant, leaving Damion Young to run wild. Young finished with a triple-double (24 points, 18 rebounds and 12 blocks) but must have felt like the Lone Ranger as Paul Brown was the only other Bull in double-figures. Immediately after the game player/coach Oneil Williams boldly predicted a Bulls victory in this game, but that could be a very difficult one to pull off.
Knights are a much more balanced team and it is simply difficult to predict which of their offensive weapons will go off tomorrow night. It could be Andy Smith who went for 19 points in the first clash, or it could be Omar Barnes, Andrew Whilby, etc. Their defense held the Bulls to just 57 points the first time, but has the potential to be even stingier. Still, the defeat should still be fresh in the minds of the Bulls, and a few adjustments here and there could swing the advantage in their favor. For the Bulls to turn the tables on their opponents, Brown must dominate the boards on both ends of the court and make himself an immovable force inside the paint on defense.
Tickets will be available at the courts. The cost is J$200.00. |
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| Knights prevail in Battle of the Unbeatens clash | |
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| | | In one of the most anticipated Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) National Basketball League (NBL) games in recent history, defending champions, Urban Knights, outplayed newcomers Port Royal Bulls to walk away with a 66-56 victory on Friday night at the National Stadium courts in front of a large and rowdy crowd.
Damion Young registered 24 points, 18 rebounds and 12 blocks, but his rare triple-double was wasted as Knights used a stifling defense to lock-up the Bulls spark plug, Paul Oliphant (182-G-83), holding him to just nine points. Leading from the outset, Knights held a 12-point cushion with just over five minutes left, and used their defense to hold the Bulls at bay. Both teams will meet again in the mid-season final at a date and time yet to be decided, and the Bulls will have a chance to turn the tables on the champions. Player/coach Oneil Williams has boldly predicted a Bulls victory in that game. Andy Smith (-G/F-83) led Knights with 19 points followed by Omar Barnes (191-F-84) with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Paul Brown (198-F/C-85) with 13 points and 11 rebounds was the only other Bull to reach double figures. |
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| Bulls toy with JDF | |
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| | | The Port Royal Bulls are one of the two newcomers to the 2008 Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)/National Basketball League (NBL) but you would never know it. The Bulls defeated JDF 64-57 last night to run their record to 10-0 and take over first place in the standings from defending champions Urban Knights who are also unbeaten with a 9-0 record. Both teams are set to clash for the first time on Thursday, July 24, 2008, but Knights still had a date with a dangerous Portmore Flames team the day before the anticipated clash.
Last night at the Stadium courts, the Bulls apperaed disinterested and allowed JDF to dictate play early. Bulls fans suffered many anxious moments for the first three quarters as their team's lethargic play left them trailing their rivals 35-41 going into the fourth quarter. Not to worry, the Bulls began the quarter with an emphatic 15-0 run that seem to catch JDF napping. They took the lead 50-41 and from there the issue was no longer in doubt. The winners posted four players in double-figures as Kenardo Wright (-F-83) led the way with 13 points, followed by Leighton Meeks (183-G-77) with 12, and Paul Brown (198-F/C-85) and captain Dovian Wade (175-G-82) added 11 points each. Raymond Francis led JDF (4-6) with a game-high 22 points followed by Dermaine Foster (188-G-83) with 15 points. |
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| Hail Mary shot keeps Knights unbeaten streak intact | |
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| | | Urban Knights dodged a major bullet last night when a last second hail Mary heave from Andy Smith swished through the net to preserve their unbeaten streak, as Knights rallied to defeat Runnin Rebels 72-69 in a Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) National Basketball League (NBL) encounter. The defending champions have now joined Port Royal Bulls at the top of the standing with an 8-0 record. Down 36-29 at halftime, Knights tried to catch up in the third, but only managed to cut the advantage down to three (51-48) at the end. Knights rallied the troops, however, in the fourth but Rebels would not surrender their advantage. With the score tied 69-69, and just 1.8 seconds on the clock, Smith launched the miracle shot to avert what looked like certain overtime. Javon Bailey led Knights with 18 points while Smith added 15. Paron Brown led Rebels with 16 points and Omari Green added 11 points. |
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| Are the Bulls for real? | |
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| | | KINGSTON, Jamaica - July 13, 2008 - Port Royal Bulls, with some of their detractors looking on from the stands, took a big step to legitimizing their claim that they belong in the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) National Basketball League (NBL), when they came from behind to defeat St. George's Slayers 71-61 at the National Stadium court this evening. Damion Young with 22 points and 15 rebounds led the way for the unbeaten bulls, who extended their unbeaten streak to 8-0, while the former champions fell to 4-4 on the season. Many have questioned the Bulls auspicious start in the league and this win could go a long way in silencing their critics.
After trailing 18-10 at the end of the first quarter, the Bulls scored 21 second-quarter points and held Slayers to only nine to take a 31-27 halftime lead. Slayers came out smoking in the third period as resident marksman Michael Jackson found his range. The Bulls behind Young, and Paul Oliphant kept pace, however, and found themselves down by only one (51-50) going into the fourth quarter. A tenacious assault on both the offensive and defensive boards by the Bulls proved to be too much for Slayers to overcome and they gave up their lead and eventually the game. Oliphant chipped in with 16 points for the winners while Dwayne Goldbourne with 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Jackson with 17 points led Slayers. The Bulls and defending champions Urban Knights are the only two unbeaten teams in the league and their uncoming encounter shout be a treat. Bulls fans began chanting 'we want Knights' midway through the fourth quarter, with some of the Knight sitting just a few feet away. |
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| JBD, Inc. Establishes Academic Scholarship Foundation | |
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| | | Miami, FL - July 13, 2008 - Jamaica Basketball Development (JBD), Inc. is pleased to announce the establishment of the 'Kids First Foundation,' a scholarship fund that will provide future scholarships to local student/athletes for academic achievement. 'At JBD, Inc., we recognize that not every student/athlete has the opportunity to receive an athletic scholarship. As a result, we have established this fund to account for those students with great academic results so they too can get an opportunity to further their educational aspirations,' explained Gary Henry, President of JBD, Inc. The fund is being managed by the Greater Kansas City Foundation, who currently manages foundations for fortune 500 companies such as Hallmark Cards. |
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