The 2026 PwC Under 16 Boys Basketball League came to an exciting end as two teams battled it out to the very end, with the championship decided by a single point.
The match, held on Saturday, 6 June, at the University College of the Cayman Islands Gymnasium, saw the defending champions SLK Blades edge out the Hurricanes 73-72.
Top performers from Blades during the finals included Delroy Irvine III who led the charge with 29 points while also contributing 6 rebounds and 4 steals. Following behind was Rajon Boothe who recorded 20 points, 13 rebounds and 2 blocks.
Despite the loss, the Hurricanes pushed the newly crowned champions to the limit, with Mason Miller leading the pack with 27 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Byron Ebanks filled up the stat sheet with 21 points, 3 rebounds and 3 steals.
Tournament awards
The league also announced its individual awards at the conclusion of the tournament, with Delroy Irvine III of Blades taking home both the Regular Season and Finals MVP awards.
Mason Miller of Hurricanes claimed the scoring champion for the league and tied for the assist champion title alongside teammate Jaydon Palmer. Palmer was also recognised as the league’s rebound champion and best defensive player, while Byron Ebanks of the Hurricanes took home Rookie of the Year honours.
Manderson reflects on final seconds
Reflecting on the tense final moments of the match, SLK Blades head coach Franz Manderson Jr. said that his primary focus was simply remaining composed during those last seconds.
“I called a time-out to calm down my guys and to align them with our game plan. We’ve been here before as this is a back-to-back championship for us, so during every time-out I had to make sure that the guys were still focused on that plan,” Manderson said.
“I reminded them that if we made mistakes already, that’s in the past and we can’t fix them now, so just stay in it and stay in the moment,” he added.
While players on both sides put up impressive numbers, Manderson pointed to a crucial shot by one of his players as the definitive moment of the game.
“Nathan Ashman, one of my point guards, made a three-pointer coming down to the wire and that was a big clutch bucket for us,” he said.
“I think that put us up by two and that gave us the advantage that we needed going down to the last 30 seconds of the game. Being up by two points, we just didn’t need to foul and needed to prevent a three-pointer from happening on the other end,” he added.
Behind-the-scenes work
Manderson, 29, who was named Coach of the Year, credits the success of his team to a four-year journey of building trust, structure, and a unique bond with his players, supported by assistant coach Redver Ebanks.
Manderson said that coaching requires long, often thankless, hours of behind-the-scenes work. He added that one specific area he focuses on heavily with his team is swapping court time for film sessions to analyse mistakes and to scout opponents.
“I instill this into my players from now, so when they go overseas, it’s second nature to them to be in the film room. I give my athletes tasks to do, such as assigning them to a player to watch, to write down their pros and cons, and more,” Manderson said.
“It’s a lot that goes into this … but it’s rewarding to know that a lot of people see the work that I’m doing with these kids, and I’m grateful for the opportunity,” he noted.
With the league wrapped up, the focus now shifts to summer, where Manderson said the players will transition into off-season training.
“Every summer, all of our athletes come home from school, and instead of them just staying home and losing what they’ve gained throughout the year, we have off-season workouts for them. Whether it’s weights, track work or beach training in the morning, we have something for them to do to stay in shape,” Manderson said.
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