In a night of high drama at the Barbados Community College Gymnasium, Burger King Clapham Bulls pulled off one of the most memorable comebacks in Barbados amateur basketball history, rallying from a 20-point first-half deficit to secure a 102-98 victory over C.A.M Smart Assurance City United Celtics in Wednesday’s decisive Game 5. The win gives the Bulls a 3-2 series victory in the best-of-five finals, and wraps up a rare three consecutive Premier League titles for the franchise — a feat that hasn’t been achieved in the league in roughly 20 years.
The Celtics, reigning holders of the President’s Cup, dominated the opening frames of the matchup. They jumped out to an early 28-16 lead by the end of the first quarter, and extended their advantage to 13 points at halftime, sitting comfortably at 53-40. At one point in the second quarter, the Bulls trailed by a full 20 points, leaving the championship on the brink of a Celtics upset.
But the Bulls found their rhythm in the third quarter, tightening their defensive pressure and chipping away at the deficit. By the end of the third period, they had cut the Celtics’ lead to just six points, with the scoreboard reading 74-68. What followed was a frenetic back-and-forth final quarter, capped by a game-changing three-pointer from guard Rasheed Maynard in the final minutes that locked in the comeback victory for the Bulls.
Offensively, the Bulls were led by a standout performance from Kyrone Alexander, who put up a game-high 34 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Akeem Marsh added a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Maynard and Rahiim Gibbons contributed 15 points apiece to the winning effort. For the Celtics, the game was nearly carried by Kiserian Adams and Deroni Hurley, who both dropped 24 points, with Theo Greendidge adding 22 points of his own in a losing effort.
Following the historic win, an elated head coach Kelan Phillips credited his team’s mental toughness and unselfish play for the comeback. Phillips noted that slow starts had become a pattern for his squad throughout the finals series, but the team never lost their composure when falling behind early.
“We fell behind early, then in the middle of the second quarter we were down 20 at one point, but then we cut into the lead and our defence got a little better,” Phillips explained post-game. “During the third quarter we really started to get a little rhythm, with our defence improving even more, and then in the fourth quarter we took the lead and it was back and forth, before we just executed down the stretch.”
Phillips highlighted two key adjustments his team made to turn the game around: cutting down on unforced turnovers and improving clock management down the stretch. He also praised Maynard, who struggled through a quiet first half, for responding to halftime encouragement to hit the game-deciding shot.
“Rasheed had a bit of a rough first half and I was just telling him just stay confident — you’re not going to win this game if you don’t stay confident and if you don’t execute in the second half,” Phillips said. “Thankfully that’s what he did. He had a big shot coming out late and basically put the game on ice.”
When asked about the historic three-peat — a milestone not reached in the Barbados Amateur Basketball Association Premier League for roughly 20 years — Phillips pointed to team culture and collective sacrifice as the core of the franchise’s three-year run of success. The team navigated roster changes between seasons, losing several key players and integrating both new recruits and returning veterans from their first championship run, but never fractured under the change.
“Everybody’s willing to buy in and we have a bunch of national players and players who were called to national trials. Despite this, everybody was willing to sacrifice some of their stats, some of their minutes or whatever to get the job done,” Phillips said. “Coming towards the end, there were no egos to get hurt, everybody on the team was still rallying.”
In a show of good sportsmanship, Phillips also praised the Celtics, who have faced the Bulls in three straight finals, as worthy competitors who pushed his squad to their limit throughout the series and the entire season. “Kudos to them, it did not end the way that they would have wanted, but it was still a very good season overall for them,” he noted. “This is the third straight year in a row that we faced them in the final, so they are very good rivals and hats off to them for a good season.”