LeVaughn Flynn, Staff Reporter

Braves' Lascelles Johnson ... had a team-high 20 points. - photo by LeVaughn Flynn

FREE THROWS could decide the decisive Game Three of the Homestyle Juices Southern Conference Division One Basketball League final this Friday, starting at 6:30 p.m.

So said Dennis Gardner after watching his team, Selassie Gardens, shoot 38 per cent from the charity stripe, yet still managed to eke out a 59-53 win against Braves Chiefs on Monday night at the National Stadium court.

Made free throws or not, Selassie Gardens had every reason to force a Game Three after losing Game One of the best-of-three series 57-53 on Friday night.

"We missed a whole lot of free throws. We have to make them in the next game," said Gardner. "We are getting fouled so we have to make our free throws. As a matter fact, if we made our free throws tonight (Monday), the margin of victory would have been much wider," he said.

While Braves were better at 50 per cent from the free throw line, they only shot seven of 14, compared to Selassie Gardens' 13 of 38.

Along with making more of the free throws attempted in Game Three, Gardner added that he wants his team to continue doing what they did well in Monday's game.

"They were more focused and played as a team and they picked up the defence," Gardner said of Game Two.

Three-pointers

Second-half substitute Steve Tucker led Selassie in scoring with 15 points, including three consecutive three-pointers, which flipped the game in his team's favour. Kemar Cohen earned his 13 points in the key and added seven rebounds while Richardo Willis chipped in with 10 points and eight rebounds.

Braves' power forward, Lascelles Johnson, had a poor shooting night but had a team-high 20 points with 13 rebounds. Lloyd Cruikshank added 13 points and Brian Grant ruled the boards with 18 rebounds and added four points.

Braves coach Ludlow Barker said his team played out of character in a rush to take home the title.

"We were too much in a hurry this evening," said Barker. "We got indisciplined defensively and we didn't move the ball around. So next game we have to play offence as a team and defence as a team or we are going to give away the game."