Teenage basketball has two new champions after epic title matches over the weekend.
Inbound with three seconds left in overtime and David Powery’s right-handed 17ft baseline jumper with no seconds on the clock ensured that his team, the Assassins, made it into the history books as the 2008 champs of PriceWaterhouseCoopers Under-19 Boys League.
The match between Assassins and 345 Ballers last Saturday at the Digicel Courts ended 42-41 after going into overtime.
The finals had fans biting their nails and sitting on the edge of their seats as the game went into overtime and appeared as if it might go into double overtime, but Powery’s two points gave his team the edge.
345 Ballers appeared to have the league all sewn up and it seemed the title was theirs for the taking. Assassins were struggling, as one of their top players, Alex Ebanks, was out due to an injury. But in the dying minutes of the game Assassins bounced back and tied the game 39-39.
In overtime 345 Ballers’ Brandon Thompson scored two points with a lay-up and then followed that up with another two points. At this point 345 Ballers were also facing another obstacle as the team was in foul trouble, and, truth be told, they should have won, but one of their players missed several chances at the basket, which in the end proved to be their undoing.
Powery was the architect of Assassins’ win. He not only scored the winning points but also was the leader with 12 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal. Jamul Miller assisted with 9 points, 4 rebounds and 6 steals. Christopher Reynolds had 9 points and 10 rebounds.
345 Ballers’ main man was Jovanie Simpson with 11 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals. Alexander Pascal scored 8 points and 2 rebounds.
Assassins coach Jonathon Powery praised his team’s win. ‘I had every confidence our team would win the finals. We earned it through excellent teamwork and by sticking to the plan.’
Mystics captured the PriceWaterhouseCoopers Under-15 Girls League on Saturday at the Digicel Court, proving that Coach Dionne Anglin is one of the most successful coaches in the Cayman Islands Basketball Association.
Anglin’s teams have won the U-19 League twice, and over the weekend her new team, the Mystics, defeated Comets 43-24 for the league title.
Mystics set the pace in the opening quarter by lighting up the board first and then by leading by 12 points.
Comets managed to stem the tide a bit in the second quarter, due in part to Felicia Connor who not only led her team in points with 10 but managed 3 steals. Francesca Coleman also netted 8 points and 6 rebounds and Amber Watson had 9 rebounds.
But in the end Mystics proved to be too strong as Latorae Nixon had 18 points, 4 steals and 4 blocks. Andrea Jackson assisted with 13 points and 5 steals.
What also hurt Comets was that their top player, Christina McLean, was off island attending a basketball clinic.
Coach Anglin praised her team’s efforts, saying, ‘The players worked well as a unit and on the floor throughout the night. I believe what made the difference was that my team executed the plays that we had discussed.’
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