Cyclones And Toilers Play Deja Vu Game
Photos and story by Robert Thomas
The three way tie for first place in the city league’s senior boys basketball division is temporarily a little bit thinner as the Central Cyclones defeated the visiting Peacock Toilers 93 to 71 on Tuesday evening.
It was also deja vu from last year as Peacock won the first game and Central won the second game in the regular season.
In what best could be described as exciting for the fans the two arch rivals put on show in front of a packed gymnasium.
It was a game that the final score did not reflect the effort nor close play between the two teams.
The score at the end of the First Quarter was Central 27 and Peacock 20.
The Toilers fought back in the Second Quarter closing the gap to two points at the half. The score at Half Time was Central 49 and Peavock 46.
The Third Quarter the Cyclones started to hit a large number of three pointers. It was something the Toilers could not match.
A big dunk by Makungu Mutabazi had the large contingent of Toilers fans come alive.
The score at the end of the quarter was Central 71 and Peacock 62.
The Fourth Quarter was big for the Cyclones as the outscored the Toilers to take the game 93 - 71.
“What else is new,” Central Cyclones head coach Barry Seaborn said when asked about the same split in last year’s season.
Seaborn said the game turned out to what everyone was expecting.
“It’s always a tight game with them. We have battles. They played pretty well and they played pretty well so it was good,” he said.
Despite the final score Seaborn said it didn’t really represent the play in the game.
“No it was a battle. It was really close until the last five minutes (of the fourth quarter). We kind of got it up to 20 (point lead) but it was back and forth and back and forth all night,” he said.
Asked about the number of three pointers the Cyclones sunk - 11 three pointers - Seaborn said the team “shot OK” but they had shot better over the weekend at a tournament in Edmonton m.
A big concern was the team failing to connect on the foul line.
“We’re still missing a lot of free throws and I don’t know why. I challenge them to make 18 out of 24 (free throws) and they do it five out of six times. So I don’t know what happens in the game but we’ll get better.”
Seaborn pointed to the play on the floor.
“We pushed the ball really good down the floor and they played well. I think Makungu (Mutabazi) played awesome as usual. He is one of the best kids in the province and you can see why. We guard him and he still scores 20 or 30 points. He’s just an incredible athlete.”
Mutabazi scored 24 out of the Toilers 71 points (including two field goals).
The next big challenge for the Cyclones is a Thursday night on the road matchup versus Swift Current. If the Cyclones can pull off a victory against 5 - 1 Swift Current Seaborn said it should lock up first place for the Cyclones.
“If we can win on Thursday it’s going to be a battle.”
A win by Swift Current over the Cyclones followed by victory by the now 5 - 2 Toilers over Swift Current would lead to a three way log jam in wins for first place.
“Swift Current has got a really good basketball team there. They are really good. You look over and they’re not very big but they battled us hard and they played it hard,” Seaborn said.
Despite the loss Peacock Toiler’s head coach Troy Setter said his team played well.
“It was an intense game. A high scoring game. The offences were flowing,” Setter said.
He said it was a good entertaining game for the fans - especially Central fans.
The Toilers have yet to think about the upcoming playoffs but are focusing on their next game. A game against Swift Current on February 25th.
“We aren’t focused on anyone in particular we know that Swift Current already laid it to us once so that’s our focus.”
Setter said the Toilers are going to make the best use of their off time as the don’t play again in the league until following the break.
“We have a lot of time to practice, get healthy and just go out and have fun. Basketball is a sport you are suppose to be going out and having fun.”
The scoresheet