A feature of the 2019 Mexicali Fresh Summer Jam has been the closeness of the games and Round 4 was no different as Birdmen held off Gauchos to win 110-105 and Blue Chips beat Railsplitters 99-89.
Despite a combined 76 points from Tinashe Matambanadzo (30pts), Shalom Broughton (26) and Zack Te Puni (20) Railsplitters went down 99-89 to Blue Chips. The Chips were led by Jaylen Gerrand’s 37 points but Ryan Laumatia, Nate Wilson, Chris McIntosh and Dillon Boucher all made telling contributions to the victory.
Chips seemed well in control at the half leading 57-43 thanks to Gerrand’s hot hands but Te Puni and Matambanadzo shared 17 points in the third stanza as Railsplitters closed to 73-71 at three-quarter time.
The high flying Broughton kept the margin at two (79-77) before Zach Riley and Wilson increased the lead to six.
Broughton and Te Puni kept the Splitters score ticking over but Laumatia and McIntosh landed the knockout blows in the closing minutes to keep the Chips in the ascendancy.
Blue Chips 99– J Gerrand 37, R Laumatia 13, N Wilson 11, C McIntosh 11
Railsplitters 89– T Matambanadzo 30, S Broughton 26, Z Te Puni 20
A balanced scoring effort from the Birdmen, with five players in double figures, ensured they got the W against the Gauchos.
Marvin Williams-Dunn (25pts) and Southland Sharks forward Dom Kelman-Poto (19pts) were the main contributors for the Birdmen while Jaylen Gerrand, playing his second game of the day, had another 30+ outing.
Birdmen led 82-75 with ten minutes to play but when Mitch Dance scored inside the deficit for the Gauchos was just a single point (91-90).
Sean Murphy and Kelman-Poto stretch the lead again and with two minutes to play the lead was at six in favour of Birdmen.
The final stages were dominated by Gerrand’s three-point shooting and the collective effort of the Birdmen to seal the win from the foul-line.
Gerrand made three triples in the final 90 seconds but Kelman-Poto, Jett Thompson, Williams-Dunn and Jaga Mete all made free-throws to hold Gauchos at bay.
Birdmen 110– M Williams-Dunn 25, D Kelman-Poto 19, L Kerr 15, S Murphy 12, J Mete 10
Gauchos 105– J Gerrand 36, S Mennenga 13, M Dance 12, S Tawera 9
The Mexicali Fresh Summer Jam is supported by HoopQuarters, SAS and ABSL.
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