The sixth edition of the Cayman Islands Classic is now in full swing, with the Boise State University basketball team looking like the favourite to win the pre-season championship, after coming up short in 2018.
Action on the court commenced Sunday, 24 Nov., with four NCAA men’s squads moving to the next round after exciting gameplay at the John Gray High School gymnasium, where many fans showed their support throughout the day.
Boise State, South Dakota State, Missouri State and Boston College all got the job done in their opening matches.
The first game of the mega Cayman basketball tournament featured Boise State besting Hampton 83-69, before South Dakota State defeated Duquesne 71-60.
Next up was a nail-biting showdown, which finished with Missouri State edging High Point 71-61. Day one capped off with Old Dominion losing 82-52 to Boston College.
A kiss of ‘good fortune’
For the Boise State team, festivities had already begun prior to competition with a close encounter with a stingray that Mike Burns, associate head coach for the Broncos, said brought his boys a lucky charm against a tough team.
“We took some time, went out and kissed the stingrays and so that probably had a lot to do with our good fortune today,” Burns told the Compass after his team’s game against Hampton.
He gave credit to the Hampton team, which displayed valiant efforts but fell short in their comeback rallies.
“I thought our guys came out with great energy, and took care of the ball, moved it well, created scoring opportunities and we defended really well in the first half and that’s kind of what got us out with a big lead,” Burns said.
“You have to take your hat off to Hampton. They are a really good team, and they are far better than their record indicates.”
The Broncos previously competed in the 2018 Cayman Classic, finishing sixth that year.
However, after their win against Hampton in their opening game, the Broncos went on to narrowly edge South Dakota State 83-82 on Monday, 25 Nov., punching their ticket to the finals, scheduled for Tuesday.
It’s a redemption story in the making, and Burns noted that is exactly what his team is counting on.
“Obviously winning is what we would like, but we take a one-game-at-a-time approach,” he said. “Hopefully we can take the Cayman Islands championship back home. I think that would be something both of our players and coaches would really enjoy greatly.”
The other result from Monday was Boston College defeating Missouri State 76-74 to advance to the finals against Boise State. In the consolation bracket, Hampton bested Duquesne 64-59 and Old Dominion loss 73-67 to High Point.
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