July 19, 2008 — Guidance let the rest of the Choices Basketball Association Summer league know that they are definitely a championship contender with a crushing defeat of the Lakers Friday evening by a score of 106-78.
For the Lakers fans it was a shocking loss, but even for some Guidance fans the win was stunning. They may have expected the victory, but neither they nor anyone in the St. Croix Central High Gym expected a massacre.
The Lakers looked good in the first quarter, running the court, filling the lanes and delivering crisp passes for some easy baskets. This enabled them to outscore Guidance 20-17 in the first period.
It would be the only quarter they would win.
Guidance turned up its defensive intensity and the whole game changed as the Lakers came unglued. A plethora of steals and bad passes led to numerous easy baskets for Guidance and what was a three-point lead for the Lakers at the end of the first turned into 17-point Guidance lead at the half at 46-29. Guidance's Akeel Lewis and Quenton Guirty netted eight points in the period.
A 14-10 start by Guidance in the third period pushed their lead to 21 at 60-39. The lead would go to as high as 25 points before the Lakers closed the third quarter with a mini-run to trail by 18 points at 73-55.
In the final quarter, Guidance built up leads of as many as 30 points before cruising to a bruising 28-point victory.
The story of the game was Guidance’s Calvert White, too experienced, big and strong at point guard for any one the Lakers matched against him. “C” White's all around effort included 17 points and 10 assists plus four steals, two blocks, and five rebounds.
White had four other teammates in double figures led by Lewis, who had a game-high 19 points, Richard Isles netted 15, Mathew Ogarro 14, and Guirty finished with 10. For the Lakers Jerome “Hives” Nathaniel top scored with 18 points, Carlos Solano netted 12 and Shane Hodge finished with 11.
Earlier in the evening the Dread Eyes recorded their first win of the season, with shocking 77-72 upset victory over Speak the Word. Surprisingly enough, that first win also put the Dread Eyes in the playoff picture, and they could clinch a berth with a win Saturday night.
