Coleby's 23-point, 15-rebound masterpiece delivers Rockets back-to-back NPBA titles

Kadeem Coleby (206-C/F-1989, college: Wichita St.) dominated the paint with 23 points and 15 rebounds as the Caribbean Moonshine Rockets edged the Commonwealth Bank Giants 73-71 in a tense, grind-it-out Game 5 to capture the 2025-26 NPBA Division One championship at AF Adderley Gymnasium on Monday night. The Rockets won the best-of-five final series 3-2, successfully defending the title they first claimed as the Discount Distributors Rockets in 2024 — and for the second straight year needed five games to vanquish their bitter rivals.
Neither team could find offensive rhythm in a bruising, physical affair that saw combined shooting of just 33 percent from the field. The Rockets were especially cold, connecting on only 23 of 77 attempts (29.9%) and going 6-for-27 from three-point range. But they compensated at the free-throw line, going 21-for-31 (67.7%) compared to the Giants' 12-of-20, a nine-point swing that ultimately proved the difference in a two-point game.
Coleby was the undeniable force, muscling his way to 7-of-19 from the floor and converting 7-of-9 from the charity stripe while vacuuming up rebounds at both ends — 13 on the defensive glass alone. Abel Joseph added 16 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and a game-high six steals in a stat-stuffing 40 minutes that disrupted the Giants on both ends of the floor. Livingston Munnings (201-F-1992) ground out 14 points and 12 rebounds for another double-double despite a tough 4-of-16 shooting night.
The Giants got a team-high 19 points from Van Hutchinson (193-G) Jr., who shot an efficient 8-of-17 from the field in 34 minutes but was plagued by six turnovers. Deonta Tinker) provided a spark off the bench with 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting, and Eugene Bain (195-C/F-1988, college: Bellevue) added 12 points. But the Giants shot just 36.3 percent as a team and were largely kept away from the three-point line, converting at a meager clip from deep.
Turnovers were a problem for both sides in the series decider, with the Giants committing 30 giveaways to the Rockets' 25 in a scrappy contest that was more about willpower than shotmaking.
For the Rockets, the back-to-back titles cement their status as the dominant force in Bahamian basketball after years of chasing the Giants, who swept them for the 2023 championship. The Rockets avenged that result in 2024 and have now won two straight thrillers in five-game series against the same opponent.