It was a monumental struggle but Lady Cougars endured to stage a comeback and beat Pinelands 2-1 in a three-game final series to become the Barbados Amateur Basketball Association Women’s Premier League champions for 2018.
The champions who were twice before crowned the island’s basketball queens appeared well on their way to a third title when they won the first of the three-game encounter last week, but Pinelands, who held the championship once before, showed intent and made clear that the finals would be no walkover and won the second game over the weekend.
With the series even at 1-1 Pinelands continued to make Lady Cougars struggle of their third championship by holding the game to a 74-all tie at fulltime in the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium.
The Lady Cougars then pulled extra willpower from deep within to outplay Pinelands in the five minutes of extra-time, ending the game and series 85-79.
That play earned the Lady Cougars the ‘#1 Beauty Supplies and Exchange Barbados Amateur Basketball Association Premier League’ trophy and bragging rights for this year.
Top scorers for Lady Cougars were Toni Atherley, 33 points; Astrid Alleyne, Jennifer Joseph- Hackett, and Tiffany Thorpe, 12 points each; and Ria Phillips contributed by putting in 10.
For Pinelands Maria Cumberbatch sunk 20; Latifah Wood, 18; and Tamisha Flatts 13.
Toni Atherley was named the season MVP.
