Defence Force start with win
T&T Express Reports.
FORMER champions Defence Force started the new season of the North Zone Basketball League with a comfortable 74-64 win over Diego Martin All Stars at Jean Pierre Complex (JPC), Port of Spain last Sunday night.
The Army-Coast Guard combination, who lost three consecutive finals to Detour Shak Attack, got a game-high 26 points from national player Steven ''Lighter'' Lewis.
The shooting guard was well supported by his captain and centre Mervyn Headley, who netted 16, and Michael Alert, who ended with 14 points.
Curwin Blades and Michael James, with 11 points each, led a spirited second half effort for the boys from the west, who managed to outscore Defence Force 19-11 and 26-20 in the penultimate and last periods, respectively.
All Stars trailed by a 24-point spread at the conclusion of the opening half, before dominating the second half, but the deficit was too much to make up.
On Saturday night at the same venue, Sedley De Montrichard registered a game-high 30 points but his effort was not enough to stop Unit Trust Pistons from going down by 12 points at the hands of Macoya Forum.
On the opening night last Friday, Sportworld Straker Nets hammered newcomers University of Trinidad and Trinidad (UTT) 71-42 in a first division match.
Haskim Arcia and Christopher Lares had 14 and 11 points, respectively, for the Barry Stewart-coached Nets outfit in the final game of a double-header at the JPC.
For an out-of-sorts UTT, coached by Lenny Guy, Miguel Sansavour had 13 points. They arrived late for their encounter and never looked threatening at any stage of the game.
In the night's opener, former Defence Force footballer Kevin Williams netted 16 points to lead the Army to an unimpressive 66-57 win over Crusaders in a Second Division game.
Reyon Wilson and Anton Noel had 13 and 11 points, respectively, for the winners, while for the losers, Wendell Andrews scored 19 and Jamal Williams added 11.
