Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter
St. George's Slayers' Ricardo Hunt (right) pushes the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) player Dermaine Foster (second right), while Raymond Francis of the JDF looks on during a KFC/bmobile National Basketball League (NBL) match at the Stadium courts on Monday night. The JDF won 57-56. - PHOTO BY ANTHONY MINOTT
THE JAMAICA Defence Force (JDF) shocked St. George's Slayers for the second time this season when they clipped them 57-56 in KFC/bmobile National Basket League (NBL) action at the National Stadium on Monday night.
The army men who were promoted to the top local league basketball this season, snapped the Slayers four-game winning streak and put the cup holders in a bit of bind as they now fall three games behind Denham Town Wizards and Urban Knights, who jointly lead the league on 28 points from an identical 13-2 record.
The JDF who are in eighth- place with a 6-11 record at 23 points, also got the better of the Slayers when the teams met back in March and therefore now hold a 2-0 record against them.
Stephen Spence top-scored for the JDF, who found themselves repelling a furious fourth quarter surge by St. George's, with 17 points and six rebounds, while Fertardo Clarke also contributed meaningfully to the cause with a 10-point, 16-rebound double-double. Slayers' big man Rohan Robinson had 14 points and eight rebounds in a losing effort, while Leon Chung had 11 points, four rebounds, five steals and three assists.
HOT SHOOTING
In the day's other game, 31 points from shooting guard Gregg Warlock saw Runnin' Rebels thrashed Link Up All-Stars 90-77. Link Up, who had plenty of help from Jeffery Brown with 20 points and eight rebounds, found themselves leading at the end of the first quarter 19-17.
They, however, lost their way in the second when hot shooting by Warlock saw them trail by 14 points at the end of it, a lead which they were never able to reduce. Despite the loss, Link Up share an identical record with the Rebels which sees the teams battling for the sixth and seventh position. Both teams, with a 6-10 record, have 22 points.
