Basketball: National League – Men’s division one and Women’s play-offs   Men’s top flight play-off scene set   |18 October 2022

Beau Vallon Heat’s Danzel Mutyambizi and Drifters’ Arnaud Arissol will face off in the men’s division one play-off (Photo: Roland Duval)

B Challenge inflict first defeat on Anse Etoile Stars

After the first segment of men’s division one league, the names of the four teams for the play-off have been known, while in the women’s league leaders Anse Etoile Stars suffered their first defeat at the hands of Bel Air-based B Challenge.

First-placed Beau Vallon Heat will play against Anse Boileau-based Drifters who finished fourth overall, while runners-up PLS Hawks will clash with third-place finishers Baya in the men’s division one play-offs.

In the women’s competition, top-of-the-table Anse Etoile Stars will play against fourth-placed Mont Fleuri, while B Challenge who finished second will meet third-placed HotShots.

As for the men’s division two competition, Praslin Boys, AB Boys, Anse Etoile and Cascade Bullets have already booked their play-off spots, but are still waiting for the final standings to know their opponents.

Beau Vallon Heat concluded the classification league on top, garnering a total of 22 points from 10 wins and two defeats, finishing ahead of PLS Hawks who collected 21 points from nine wins and three defeats in 12 matches played.

As for Baya, they finished third on 19 points after registering seven victories and five defeats in 12 matches, placing them above Drifters who finished fourth overall on 18 points from six wins and six losses.

In their last league match, PLS Hawk were up against Premium Cobras who were already out of the play-offs after losing on the head-to-head rule to Drifters.

Hawks won the first two quarters of the match – 20-17 and 20-9 – for a 40-26 lead at half-time.

Despite trailing and out of play-off position, Premium Cobras put up a good show in the third quarter which they won 16-5.

Not wanting to lose the match, PLS switched back to their attacking game in the last quarter of the match, outscoring Cobras 19-15 to win the match 64-57.

As for Baya, their last match in the classification league was against bottom-of-the-table MBU Rockers.

Baya won the first quarter 15-11, before being tied on score – 19-19 – in the second quarter for a 34-30 lead at half-time.

Rockers came back in the third quarter, winning it 17-13 to make it 47-47 after 30 minutes of play, before Baya bounced back to win the final quarter 17-9 and the match 64-56.

In the women’s league, Anse Etoile Stars, who were without coach Kenneth Domingue, suffered their first defeat this season, losing 41-45 to B Challenge, a result which did not affect the standing as Stars still finished as leaders.

Both teams concluded the first quarter of the match on 11 points, before B Challenge outscored stars 16-10 in the second quarter to lead 27-21 at half-time.

Stars came back stronger in the third quarter, scoring 10 points, compared to eight for B Challenge, cutting the latter’s lead to 35-31.

In the fourth and final quarter, both teams chipped in 10 more points, and B Challenge managed to cling on to their second quarter’s advantage to win the match 45-41.

Leaders Stars finished the classification league on 17 points from eight wins and a single defeat in nine matches played, while B Challenge finished second on 15 points from six victories and three defeats out of nine matches.

HotShots finished third overall on 12 points from three wins and six defeats, while a single victory and nine defeats earned Mont Fleuri 10 points and the fourth overall place.

Roland Duval