MONTEGO BAY, St James – Hoopers were on Tuesday crowned champions of the inaugural National Basketball League West after beating Catherine Hall All-stars, 67-60, at the Montego Bay Cricket Club for a 2-0 margin in their best-of-three finals series.

The game, however, ended on an anti-climatic note as it was blown off with 27 seconds left in the contest after Catherine Hall players Goyan Malcolm and Duwaine McIntosh were ejected for unsportsmanlike fouls.

Things almost got out of control as Malcolm then approached the scoring table where he loudly vented his anger at what he thought was poor score-keeping which robbed his team of a chance to win.

Up to the incident, the game was competitive and exciting as despite starting with just six players and adding a seventh late in the first quarter, Catherine Hall played a disciplined game and held the lead as late as four minutes into the fourth quarter.

Hoopers, on the other hand, despite having the numerical advantage, struggled to maintain any momentum and had two players foul out early in the fourth quarter.

Neil Samuels of Hoopers and Malcolm of Catherine Hall both led their respective teams with 22 points each.

Hoopers will now advance to the national quarter-finals where they will face the winners of the Central Division.

After losing Game One, 66-52 on Saturday at the same venue, Catherine Hall came out more aggressively, scoring the first basket of the game and then led 17-13 after the first quarter.

But Hoopers responded in the second quarter to trail by just one point, 31-32, at half-time.

Hoopers held a one-point lead going in to the fourth and managed to increase that late and were up by seven when the game ended prematurely.

After being down at the end of the first quarter, Hoopers scored the first seven points of the second quarter, but Catherine Hall clawed their way back to lead 28-27 with three minutes and 20 seconds to go to the half-time break.

All-stars led 40-35 with six-and-half minutes to go in the third, but Hoopers stormed back with a 6-0 run capped by a mid range jumper from Dennis Brown to lead 41-40.

Catherine Hall had a run of their own at the start of the fourth quarter, scoring the first four points to lead 52-49 but allowed Hoopers back in the game before Malcolm tied up the scores at 54-all with seven minutes to go.

Despite back to back three-point baskets from Samuels and Omar Bell, Hoopers failed to shake the pesky Catherine Hall and led by only one point, 59-58.

Hoopers finally managed to push their noses in front and led by four, 64-60, with just under three minutes, then were up 67-60 when the game was called off.

Samuels led Hoopers with 22 points and seven rebounds; Bell scored 10 points coming off the bench, while Brown and Marlon Comrie scored eight points each.

Malcolm had eight assists to go with his 22 points; McIntosh scored 15 points; Sallie Thompson had 10 points, while Jermaine Rerrie got six points and 10 rebounds.