Pacers Survive Late Oilbirds Surge in Thriller at Maloney

The Maloney Pacers were pushed to the brink—but when it mattered most, the North Zone champions stood tall.

Playing before a charged home crowd at the Maloney Indoor Complex on Saturday night, the Pacers escaped with a hard-fought 91–88 victory over a relentless Morvant Oilbirds squad in the NBFTT Club Champions competition.

Despite being the more experienced and highly ranked side, Maloney struggled to shake an Oilbirds team that arrived short-handed, inexperienced—and completely fearless. Foul trouble plagued Morvant early in the second half, yet the visitors refused to fold, turning the contest into a possession-by-possession battle down the stretch.

Morvant set the tone early, ripping off the first eight points of the night and closing the opening quarter ahead 22–17. The Oilbirds’ intensity rattled the Pacers through much of the first half before Maloney responded behind national 3x3 standout Akeel Boyd, who poured in a team-high 20 points. The Pacers clawed their way back to seize a slim 47–45 halftime advantage.

The second quarter, however, came at a cost for the Oilbirds. Starting center Rashwan Hope picked up his third foul, while forward Obel Guerra exited late in the period after sustaining a mouth injury—setbacks that threatened to derail Morvant’s momentum.

Sensing an opening, the Pacers surged early in the third, stretching their lead to seven as Morvant battled the foul limit with key starters on the bench. But the Oilbirds responded with composure and grit. Sparked by Jhospe Martinez, who came off the bench to score 18 points, along with strong contributions from Kevon Williams and Antonio Ambris, Morvant rallied to reclaim the lead, edging ahead 67–66 heading into the final quarter.

What followed was pure drama.

The teams traded baskets in a tense fourth period as Williams and Guerra returned to the floor, re-energizing the Oilbirds. With under a minute remaining, Morvant surged ahead 88–86, threatening a stunning upset.

Then came the moment.

Tyrese Fields drilled a clutch three-pointer, following an Oilbirds missed opportunity, to swing the lead back to Maloney. On the next possession, Williams missed the potential go-ahead shot, and Boyd calmly sealed the game at the free-throw line after being fouled.

Boyd finished with 20 points, supported by Shekiel Bertrand (19) and Rolanpinho Estias (12). For Morvant, Guerra led all scorers with 24 points, while Martinez added 18, Williams 17, and Ambris 15 in a valiant losing effort.

Under-17: Royalty Pull Away Late to Top Pacers

In the opening game, Royalty delivered a strong fourth-quarter push to defeat Maloney Pacers 90–76 in the 17U division on Saturday at the Maloney Indoor Sporting Arena.

After three tightly contested quarters—Royalty leading 24–21, 37–35, and 61–56—the eventual winners pulled away late behind Jason Best. He was supported by Isaiah Mitchell (17 points), while Reuel Martin and Ryjal Brown added 14 each.

For Maloney, Nkobie Ince exploded for a game-high 27 points, Joshua Fontenelle added 24, and Mark Roopchan finished with 12.

Police Clamp Down Late to Hold Off Straker Nets

On Friday night in Pleasantville, defense proved decisive as the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service basketball team locked down North Zone runners-up Straker Nets for a critical 70–64 win at the Southwestern Regional Indoor Arena.

After trailing 23–19 at the end of the first quarter, Police settled into the game behind Mikahail Williams and Nathan Lewis, who scored 17 points apiece. The South Zone side outworked Straker in every remaining quarter, winning the second 14–11, holding even in the third (17–17), and dominating the final period 20–13 to close out the victory.

For Straker, Maurice Francis led the way with 17 points, Chike Augustine added 13, and Alliser Martin chipped in 10.

Ansa Stars Edge Oilbirds in Controversial Overtime Finish

Earlier in the week, Morvant endured heartbreak in a dramatic—and controversial—94–91 overtime loss to Ansa Stars in Pleasantville.

With Ansa trailing late in regulation, Oilbirds forward Obel Guerra was whistled for a critical foul on veteran Adrian Joseph, a call that drew strong objections from Oilbirds head coach Casey Begrave. Joseph converted all his free throws to tie the game at 86–86.

Morvant had two final chances to win in regulation, but Kevon Williams missed a three-pointer and Rashwan Hope’s tip-in attempt fell short. The foul also sent Guerra—who scored 21 points—out of the game, having earlier been penalized against the same player.

In overtime, Ansa jumped ahead 89–86 behind free throws, including two more from Joseph. Morvant responded when Antonio Ambris blocked a layup at one end, raced the length of the floor, and drilled a clutch three to tie the game at 89–89.

But once again, Joseph found himself at the line late—and once again, he delivered. His four straight free throws sealed the win, leaving the Oilbirds stunned.

Kelvin Sargent led Ansa with a game-high 35 points, while Joseph finished with 24. For Morvant, Guerra had 21, Williams 17, and Ambris delivered key moments despite the loss.

Pacers Run Past Quarters in Opening Blowout

In the opening contest, Maloney Pacers made an emphatic statement, dominating Quarters from start to finish in a 104–64 rout.

The Pacers controlled every quarter, racing out to a 34–8 first-period lead and never looking back. Shakiel Bertrand led the charge with 28 points, Tyrese Fields added 19, and Luke Mahabair contributed 14.

For Quarters, Ako Pascal scored 21 points, Simba Edwards added 17, and Adiel Crosby finished with 11.