The 24th Annual Bequia Basketball Tournament delivered a series of high-stakes matchups at the Clive Tannis Hard Court this week, marked by a significant upset in the senior division and thrilling overtime action among youth teams.
In the most anticipated game of the midweek slate, the defending 1st Division champions, Court Kings, suffered a convincing 60-44 defeat at the hands of the East Blazers on Wednesday night. The Blazers dominated from the start, holding a 32-19 lead at halftime.
Reigning tournament MVP and national player Jermaine John put on a masterclass for the East Blazers, racking up 29 points and 12 rebounds. He was supported by Joeel Baptiste, who contributed 14 points and 7 steals before fouling out in the final quarter. For the Court Kings, the loss marks a dismal 0-2 start to the season, leaving the 23rd Annual champions with a difficult path ahead to retain their crown.
The youth divisions saw some of the most competitive play of the week. On Wednesday, the Golden Knights narrowly edged out the Titans 12-11 in the Under-16 Division, despite an incredible defensive effort from the Titans’ Aaden Dennie, who recorded 15 steals.
Thursday’s action, which followed rain delays earlier in the week, featured an Under-12 thriller between the Grinches and the Seagulls. The game went into overtime tied at four points, where Symon Miller scored the winning basket to secure a 6-4 victory for the Grinches. Remarkably, Miller accounted for all six of his team’s points.
In other youth action:
- Under-12 (Wed): The Ninjas defeated the Falcons 12-3, led by Chase Kydd’s 6 points.
- Under-16 (Thu): The Titans bounced back from their Wednesday loss to beat the Hornets 12-8, powered by Ray “Rainbow” Joseph, who tallied 8 points and 14 steals.
The Bequia Basketball Association (BBA) expressed high satisfaction with the tournament’s first week, specifically noting the strong turnout of parents and families supporting the youth players.
Fans will have to wait until next week for more action, as the BBA has announced there will be no games this weekend. This hiatus is to allow supporters to attend the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) cricket matches being hosted at the Arnos Vale Stadium.
The tournament is scheduled to resume on Wednesday, August 12, at 6:30 p.m. with the following matchups:
- Under-12: Seagulls vs. Ninjas
- Under-16: Golden Knights vs. Titans
- Second Division: Rising Stars vs. Apex Elite
