BVI Basketball Association Summer League

DA 5TH Holds Off EMPIRE in 92-83 Shootout

ROAD TOWN, Virgin Islands — DA 5TH secured a hard-fought 92-83 victory over EMPIRE on Sunday evening at the Multi-Purpose Sports Complex, using a strong first-half surge and balanced scoring to improve to 3-1 on the season.

DA 5TH came out firing with a 37-point opening quarter and carried a comfortable early advantage into halftime, despite EMPIRE’s improved scoring in the second half. The early cushion proved enough as DA 5TH withstood repeated runs to close out the win.

Ryan Alfred led DA 5TH with 18 points, three rebounds, one assist, two steals, and one block. Jaa-mala Miller added 16 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two blocks, while Deon Edwin contributed 13 points, seven rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block. Dominic Ward also posted 13 points, nine rebounds, and two assists, and Nigel Carey matched the 13-point mark with two rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Dione Blyden chipped in 10 points, four rebounds, and four assists.

DA 5TH’s depth and inside-out scoring proved too much for EMPIRE, which struggled to fully close the gap despite a strong second-half push.

EMPIRE was led by Michael Leonard, who posted 19 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Timron Nickie also scored 19 points with three steals, while Nathan Francis recorded a double-double with 14 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Drexton Gaton added 12 points, three rebounds, and four assists in the loss.

Despite strong individual performances, EMPIRE fell to 0-4 on the season as DA 5TH closed out the game with timely scoring and defensive stops down the stretch.