Charterland aim to stay perfect

Gavin McMaster of Charterland is an unsung playmaker in local basketball.

For years he has quietly been a great player in division two. He has kept his club near the top of the rankings. This season he is one of the veteran faces guiding the unbeaten team Charterland.

McMaster has played in every match this season and ranks fourth on the squad in scoring (averaging 14.6 points per contest). He is a big reason why the side ended May in first place at 8-0 atop division two of the Cayman Islands Basketball Association national men’s league.

Charterland now open the month of June against the Rock Hole Fire Ants. The University College of the Cayman Islands multipurpose hall is slated to host the teams on Wednesday 1 June at 6pm. McMaster and company go against a Rock Hole club in what will likely be a first round playoff preview. The Fire Ants are 4-4 in fourth place prior to last weekend’s games. Rock Hole’s last result was a 61-60 defeat at the hands of the Shockwaves. With the victory Shockwaves have all but locked up second place at 6-2.

Aside from the unbeaten record and McMaster’s play, Charterland are heavy favourites. They have the competition’s best offence (scoring 467 points) thanks to the league’s second-leading scorer in Ovaine Monteith (averaging 18.6 points) and the league-leader in assists Scott Murray (averaging 3.6 dishes per game). The side often gets outstanding efforts from role players Conrad Duncan (10.7 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists) and Jeremy Strickland (11 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists).

Then again Rock Hole have a phenomenal scorer in Alton Williams (averaging 29 points in three matches), a solid rebounder in Jason McKenzie (averaging 20 rebounds in four games) and the best overall defence (allowing a league-low 287 points).

Elsewhere in the competition, last year’s champions the Personnel 2000 Warriors are hanging around in third place. Prior to last Sunday’s contest against Future Sports Club the Warriors had a 4-3 mark.

The side gets an automatic victory next Sunday as the Ritz Carlton Lions have dropped out of the competition. A big part of the Warrior’s success is rookie point guard Brad Conolly, who leads the team in assists with 3.5 dishes per game.