Big 4 Semifinals: Pacers Punch Finals Ticket, Nets Refuse to Die

The Kelvin Roberts North Zone Basketball Commission League Big 4 semifinals lit up the Woodbrook Youth Center on August 26 with all the fire and drama you’d expect when a finals spot is on the line. The crowd got everything—overtime madness, monster performances, and one team sealing their place in the championship while another clawed back from the brink.

Game 1: Straker Nets 93 – TTDF 89 (OT Thriller)

What. A. Game.

Straker Nets, staring down elimination, dug deep and stunned the Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (TTDF) in an absolute nail-biter that needed overtime to separate the two.

From tip-off, the intensity was sky-high. The army squad, fresh off a Game 1 win, came out swinging. But Nets weren’t ready to pack it in. Triston Benjamin came out blazing, dropping seven in the first to give Nets a slim 20–18 lead.

TTDF answered in the second behind Jediah Celestine (9 points) and Kerry McMillian (8 points), taking a 46–43 lead into halftime. But with their season on the line, the Nets flipped the script in the third—Benjamin slicing through defenses and sparking a 22–16 run to reclaim momentum heading into the fourth.

And then? Pure chaos.

Veteran guard Kensley Sandy refused to let TTDF fold, scoring 10 in the quarter to tie things up 69–69 midway through. From there it was lead-change after lead-change. Benjamin pushed Nets up 81–80, Celestine buried a clutch three to swing it back, then youngster Shaquille Lewis coolly knocked down a free throw to force OT at 82–82.

In the extra frame, Nets’ floor general Sadiki Guerra—quiet most of the night—finally exploded, scoring four clutch points as Nets outlasted TTDF 11–7 in overtime to survive and force a decisive Game 3.

Top Performers – Straker Nets: Triston Benjamin 25pts (1 three), Sadiki Guerra 20pts (2 threes) & Allister Martin 10pts.
Top Performers – TTDF: Jediah Celestine 23pts, Kensley Sandy 21pts & Kerry McMillan 12pts

Quarter Scores:

1st Quarter: Nets 20 – 18 TTDF

2nd Quarter: Nets 23 – 26 TTDF (Halftime: TTDF 46 – 43)

3rd Quarter: Nets 22 – 16 TTDF (Nets 65 – 60)

4th Quarter: Nets 17 – 22 TTDF (Tie: 82 – 82)

Overtime: Nets 11 – 7 TTDF (Final: Nets 93-89)

Game 2: Maloney Pacers 98 – Morvant Oilbirds 77

If Game 1 was survival, Game 2 was domination.

The Maloney Pacers weren’t about to waste time—they came out firing, and Ahkeel Boyd put on a show for the ages, torching the Oilbirds with 41 points and seven triples to slam the door on the series, 2–0.

Boyd wasted no time, dropping 16 in the first quarter as Pacers stormed to a 29–21 lead. Without point guard Juan Lopez in the lineup, the Oilbirds tried to hang on through Kevon Williams (9 points) and Obel Guerra (7), but every time they got close, the Pacers answered. At the half it was 56–42, and the energy in the arena said it all—this was Boyd’s night.

The third quarter sealed it. Boyd, Shakiel Bertrand, and Tyrese Fields kept their foot on the gas, blowing the lead open to 22 points. By the time the fourth rolled around, it was just a matter of finishing the job.

Unlike Game 1, Oilbirds had no defensive answers this time, and their missed free throws and easy layups piled up while Pacers buried dagger after dagger from deep—12 threes in total, with Boyd and Fields accounting for 10 between them. Fields’ last triple in the dying seconds was the exclamation point on a statement win.

Top Performers – Pacers: Ahkeel Boyd 41pts (7 threes), Shakiel Bertrand 18pts & Tyrese Fields 15pts (3 threes)
Top Performers – Oilbirds: Kevon Williams 27pts (2 threes), Obel Guerra 21pts (1 three & 4 blocks) & Antonio Ambris 18pts (1 three)

Quarter Scores:

1st Quarter: Pacers 29 – 21 Oilbirds

2nd Quarter: Pacers 27– 21 Oilbirds (Halftime: Pacers 56 – 42)

3rd Quarter: Pacers 24 – 16 Oilbirds (Pacers 80 – 58)

4th Quarter: Pacers 18 – 21 Oilbirds (Final: Pacers 98 – 77)

The Road Ahead

One semifinal gave us a battle for the ages, the other a superstar performance for the highlight reel. The Maloney Pacers are officially through to the finals, brimming with confidence after a commanding sweep. Meanwhile, Straker Nets just proved they’re not going away quietly—forcing a Game 3 against TTDF with their backs against the wall. In the meantime, Oilbirds await the loser for 3rd and 4th spots

The stage is set. Buckle up. Expect fireworks.