Bushrod Bulls continued their dominance over the NPA Pythons on Sunday, March 17th, defeating their rivals 52-44 in a sudden fixture for the 2024 LBA Division One season opener. This win extends the Bulls’ winning streak against the Pythons dating back to last season.
The game, a late addition to the schedule due to a team pulling out as a result of a double forfeit, saw a much younger Pythons squad facing off against the Bulls. However, inexperience proved costly as the Pythons struggled throughout the game.
NPA committed a staggering 32 turnovers, significantly hindering their offensive rhythm. They only managed 44 points from 98 possessions, showcasing their offensive woes. The Bulls capitalized on these turnovers, showcasing a more cohesive offensive performance.
The rebounding battle was another area where the Bulls imposed their will. They dominated the boards with 49 rebounds compared to the Pythons’ meager 22. Notably, the Bulls grabbed a whopping 20 offensive rebounds compared to just 5 for NPA. This dominance on the glass provided the Bulls with additional scoring opportunities.
The Bulls’ defensive pressure also proved to be a key factor in their victory. They tallied a total of 16 steals compared to the Pythons’ mere 3. This disruptive defense effectively shut down NPA’s offensive attempts.
While the Bulls didn’t have any players reach double-digit scoring, Williams Gittens and Will Collingwood provided a balanced scoring attack, each contributing 10 points. The Pythons, on the other hand, lacked a consistent scorer, with none of their players managing to reach double figures.
Looking ahead, the Bushrod Bulls will face a tough matchup against the LPRC Oilers next on Friday, March 22nd. They will then take on the Invincible Eleven on Sunday, March 24th. Both games will be played at the SKD Gymnasium in Paynesville. Ticket prices are set at 500LRD.
The NPA Pythons, meanwhile, will have some time to regroup before their next game against the LPRC Oilers, scheduled for Wednesday, March 27th. This game will also be played at the SKD Gymnasium.
The 2024 LBA Division One season promises to be an exciting one, with the Bushrod Bulls looking strong and the NPA Pythons seeking to bounce back. With more games to come, basketball fans in Liberia can expect to see some intense competition on the court!
Bulls
| # | Player | Position | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 2PM | 2PA | 2P% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | OFF | DEF | TO | PF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fedolph Marshall | Forward | 9 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 36.4 | 0 | 8 | 0.0 | 1 | 6 | 16.7 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| 2 | Austin Coleman | Guard | 9 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 28.6 | 1 | 7 | 14.3 | 2 | 2 | 100.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 8 | Fombah Sirleaf | Forward-Center | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 9 | Kieth Wiah | - | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| 13 | Emmanuel Wrimene | Forward-Guard | 7 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 100.0 | 1 | 4 | 25.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | James Wesseh | Guard | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 0 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 19 | William Gittens | Guard | 10 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 42.9 | 0 | 4 | 0.0 | 4 | 6 | 66.7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Will Collingwood | Forward | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 28.6 | 2 | 5 | 40.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| 34 | Theo Gbarlie | Guard | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 40.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 50.0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Total | 52 | 29 | 9 | 16 | 0 | 16 | 43 | 37.2 | 4 | 31 | 12.9 | 8 | 16 | 50.0 | 10 | 19 | 10 | 18 |
Pythons
| # | Player | Position | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 2PM | 2PA | 2P% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | OFF | DEF | TO | PF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Stevens | Forward-Center | 8 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 42.9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 50.0 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 1 |
| 3 | Patrick Monxhwedey | Forward-Guard | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 20.0 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 5 | 8 | 62.5 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| 4 | Cali Moon | Guard | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 2 |
| 6 | Charles Abiodun | Forward-Center | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 50.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 7 | Samuel Willie | Guard | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 75.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 11 | Sam Paye | Forward-Center | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 66.7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 12 | Darlington Jallah | - | 6 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 33.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| 13 | Alston Mabande | - | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 2 | 8 | 25.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 |
| 14 | Amos Kanneh | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Derrick Quiah | - | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 100.0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 5 | Justin Matthews | Forward-Guard | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Sackie Jr Fahn | Forward-Center | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 44 | 33 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 37 | 37.8 | 2 | 13 | 15.4 | 10 | 22 | 45.5 | 6 | 27 | 32 | 14 |