By Rawle Toney
Finally after three months, the Linden amateur basketball Association (LABA) elite knock out basketball finals was contested on Friday in linden at the Mackenzie Sports Club Hard Court where the Wismar Pistons triumph over the Kashif and Shanghai Kings 55-46.
It was suppose to be a closely contested affair but the kings were over shadowed by the grit and determination shown by Coach Raphael Damon’s squad who made it clear that their win over the kings to take the national Club Championship was no fluke. The game started a bit slow but the Pistons controlled the flow. Their “big three” players Trevor Profit, Neville Grenville and Quincy Jones turned up in usual fashion, combining to score 41 points of their teams total score of 55.
Former National player and national females coach Abdullah Hamid was the rock of the kings foundation in the game which was being dominated by the savory Pistons but there was only so much the veteran player could have done since his normal supporting cast, Marvin Hartman, Jason Alonzo and Omolly Sampson were off key all night. At the end of the first half the score was 32-18 in favor the pistons and they were able to build on that lead even though at one time in the game the kings were aiming to make a come back with Hamid orchestrating several good plays but some good coaching by Raphael Damon saw the Pistons being able to thwart most of their moves.
Profit and Jones both scored 15 points along with Neville Grenville who contributed with 11 for the pistons while Hamid top scored with 16, Sampson ended with 15 and Alonzo seven.
With the win the pistons took home the winners purse of $80,000 and a trophy while the kings will have to settle for $40,000 and a trophy.
Meanwhile in the third place playoff a diminutive Amelia’s ward Jets line up took care of the powerful Victory Valley Royals 78-61. With only seven players and also playing with out their star player, point guard Neil Simon the Jets out played the Royals at both ends of the floor.
National youth player Akeem Kanhai, Dilbert Cesar and the Webster brothers Allister and Domain was all the strike force the Jets needed as Kanhai played at both sides while Cesar took care of the offensive end.
Only Dwayne “Brown Sugar” Roberts and Anson Durant were showing some stability for the Royals who at the end of the half were leading 19-16.
In the end Cesar led all scorers with a game high 31 points while the crafty Kanhai finished with 15 points and Allister Webster 13. For the Royals, Roberts dropped 18 points while Durant netted 12.
The presentation of prizes will be done tomorrow at 6 pm at the Mackenzie sports Club.
