Antonine Squeeze Past NSA, 93-90
In a nail-biting D1M contest at Antonine Club, Antonine escaped with a 93-90 victory over NSA on Sunday, January 4. Clint Chapman led the charge for Antonine with a game-high 24 points and 23 rebounds. The lead changed hands 8 times before Antonine eventually pulled away for good.
Antonine took a 42-37 lead into halftime. The fourth quarter was the decisive stretch, with NSA outscoring their opponents 35-24 to swing the momentum in their favor.
The game featured several highlight plays. C. Chapman (Antonine) threw down a powerful dunk in the third quarter. P. Rakicevic (NSA) connected from beyond the arc in the third quarter. C. Chapman was a force on the defensive end with 3 blocks.
Clint Chapman was the undeniable star of the game, finishing with 24 points, 23 rebounds in 35 minutes of action. He shot 10-of-21 (48%) from the field, 1-of-4 (25%) from three-point range. The double-double effort underlined his all-around impact on the game. Patrick Bou Abboud provided valuable support with 18 points, 2 assists, 2 blocks, including 3 three-pointers. Ricky Ledo also chipped in with 20 points off the starting lineup.
Antonine's bench was a major factor, contributing 26 points off the pine. Patrick Bou Abboud was the standout reserve, providing 18 points, 2 assists, 2 blocks in a spark-plug role.
Both teams shot similarly from the field — Antonine at 46% and NSA at 45%. From beyond the arc, Antonine connected on 12-of-30 (40%) while NSA managed just 6-of-27 (22%). Antonine also had the advantage at the charity stripe, converting 19 free throws to NSA's 12.
Antonine's ball movement was superior with 22 assists to NSA's 13. Antonine was in control for much of the game, building a lead of up to 19 points and putting together a 12-0 scoring run.
The biggest momentum shift came when Antonine put together a 12-0 run in the first quarter, leaving their opponents scrambling to respond.
Down the stretch, Antonine came up clutch when it mattered most. G. Cosey nailed a clutch free throw with 00:11 remaining to help seal the victory. It was a white-knuckle finish that had both benches on their feet until the final buzzer.
Despite the result, Elijah Lufile showed his quality for NSA, contributing 25 points, 11 rebounds. Petar Rakicevic added 26 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, but their combined efforts were not enough to turn the tide.