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Central Mackenzie blow away Christianburg
– win MCYS Inter-Block Basketball Title
First Inter-Block Basketball Champions!!! The first team to win the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport Inter-Block Basketball C/ships, Central Mackenzie/Retrieve /Kara-Kara pose for this Kaieteur Sport photo following their win Saturday night.
By Edison Jefford
The Central Mackenzie/Retrieve/Kara-Kara team had too much fire-power for their opponents in the final of the inaugural Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) Inter-Block Basketball competition Saturday night at the Mackenzie court in Linden.
Christianburg/Blueberry Hill were thoroughly outclassed when they faced evidently the strongest team in the competition. Central Mackenzie thrashed Christianburg 55-30 in a low-scoring game that had little flare say for Mackenzie’s shooting.
It was a complete team effort from the inaugural champs with Louis James top scoring with nine points while Jason Alonzo and Alexander Rose had eight points each. Ruel Williams made seven points with Neil Marks finishing with six points.
Quincy Jones was the leading scorer for Christianburg with 10 points while Nevin Grenville had seven points for the team that had a fairytale trip to the final. However, the short-story proved to be pure fiction against the giants, Central Mackenzie.
Marks and forward Marvin Hartman immediately went on the offensive from jump ball and there was a major defensive lull from Christianburg that allowed the two lanky forwards to control the pace of the game. The result was an 11-6 lead for Mackenzie.
Christianburg had immense struggles converting on possession and conversely, Mackenzie made their attempts to lead the first quarter 15-8. Both teams struggled offensively in the second period as Christianburg constructed its two-three zones.
The zone defence was suppose to have forced an obviously bigger Mackenzie team to take shots from the parameter, which succeeded for the first five minutes of the period where Mackenzie on offence, was allowed only six points in that time.
However, the success of the defensive tactic should have brought equal success for Christianburg on offence, since a drop in their opponents scoring really should have allowed them back into the game but the complete opposite occurred.
Christianburg just did not have the finishing touch, so even when Mackenzie had struggles on the offensive end, they could not capitalise. Enter Alonzo in the last five minutes before halftime and his inside dimension broke up the zone defence.
Mackenzie remained ahead at halftime 25-14, outscoring Christianburg 10-6 in ten minutes and securing a moral advantage. Classical plays from Jones and Nevin Grenville that included a put back and three-point jumper gave Christianburg momentum.
They came within six points (21-27) of Mackenzie in the initial four minutes of the third quarter, which turned out to be the closest they came in the game. Christianburg smartly returned to zone defence but this time Mackenzie were better prepared.
Shooting guards came into the game for Mackenzie and end result was a high percentage of shots that elevated them to 10-0 run in six minutes. The third phase ended 37-21 with Williams and the always dangerous Orin Rose making big shots.
Williams and Rose continued their fine shooting in the last quarter of regulation time and Alonzo added the inside game: put backs, offensive and defensive rebounds. A deflated Christianburg on the other hand, responded with apparent despondency.
Mackenzie raced to 46-25 in the first five minutes of the last period. Damian Allen then placed a heap of salt in the wounds when he ‘swooshed’ a three-pointer to extend the score to 52-28 with just under a minute to play before the final whistle.
Earlier, Back Scheme Amelia’s Ward had secured third place when they defeated the Silvertown and Scheme team 52-47. Neil Simon had 14 points while Javon Nelson scored 12 points, Damian Webster 11 and Ruel McKinnon 10 points for Back Scheme.
Garnett Sampson scored 13 points for Silvertown while Trevor Profitt finished with 11 points.
Parliamentary Secretary within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Steve Ninvalle had met both teams before the start of the final. The trophies and cash prizes will be presented when to all the winners when minister, Dr Frank Anthony returns next week.
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