Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter
DEFENDING CHAMPIONS Urban Knights booked themselves a place in the bmobile and KFC sponsored National Basketball League (NBL) semi-finals when they outshone the Denham Town Wizards 96-82 on Tuesday night at the National Stadium.
They were led by a 22-point effort from Dorrell Barrett including a four-from-five performance from behind the arch.
The Knights were tough defensively as they kept the Wizards at bay, crowding the lane to limit the penetration of guard Levar Henry. They got off to a blistering start and ended the first quarter with a 10-point lead which the Wizards were never able to get over.
Twenty-five points from Henry, most of which came in a spirited third quarter which saw him relentlessly attack the basket looking to will his team into the next round, proved to be inadequate as the Knights had all the answers and thwarted the Wizards' run.
The Knights were aided in their cause by poor transition defence on the part of their opponents as they often failed to get back, leaving key players open. Fernando Young, with 17 points and eight rebounds, was the Knights' second highest scorer.
Carl Wellington top scored for the Wizards with 26 points and seven rebounds including some big three pointers in an attempt to keep things close. Denham Town forward Anthony Farqueson had an uncharacteristically quiet performance with 14 points and only three rebounds in the elimination game.
MEET ST. GEORGE'S SLAYERS NEXT
The Knights will next meet St. George's Slayers when the semi-finals begin on Saturday, June 18.
In Tuesday night's other game, a 26 point and eight rebound performance by Ryan Peddlar and 15 points and 15 rebounds from Kareem McFarlane was enough to lead the fifth-placed Portmore Flames past the fourth-placed Harbour View Lakers.
The Lakers, who had to play without injured All-Star Christopher Walker, found it difficult to contain Peddlar in the early going as he drove past defenders and made his way to the hoop with alarming regularity as the Flames stormed out to an 11-2 lead. The Lakers came back into the game by adjusting with a full-court press.
Lakers guard Michael Jackson, who finished with 18 points, caught fire in the third quarter scoring three three pointers in a row as part of a run which saw the team make five in a row to give them a 60-59 lead going into the fourth quarter.
However, the Flames finished strong and a three-point dagger by Peddlar with 56 seconds on the clock and cool shooting by Adrian Coote, who chipped in with 15 points, put an end to the Lakers' season.
The Flames now await the winner of Tivoli All-Stars and Blazing Panthers.
