Latest update April 8th, 2025 7:13 AM
LABA/Malta Supreme ‘March Madness’ Basketball semi-finals tonight -Raiders tackle Bulls, Jets fly against Royals
Terron Welch
After postponing the semi-finals on Thursday the Linden Amateur Basketball Association’s (LABA) Malta Supreme ‘March Madness’ is on tonight at the Mackenzie Sports Club hard court where early bragging rights are on the offering ahead of the final next Saturday, with two keen encounters.
From 18.30hrs the teams that will be heading for jump ball will be the second ranked Half Mile Bulls, who played unbeaten in their group play to emerge tops, taking on the Retrieve Raiders who ended second in their group play on the other side of the draw. In the other game from 20.30hrs it will see the number one ranked Victory Valley Royals facing the third ranked Amelia’s Ward Jets who were second to the Bulls in their group play.
Bulls are rated second in Linden and are expected to get past the Raiders who have fallen from being the top ranked club to now occupy the fourth seed position and end second behind Royals in their group matchups.
The Bulls will have their outstanding scorer Terron Welch, leading their charge and depending on the availability of Travin ‘Babylon’ Dryden, they will form a terrible duo, in the absence of Michael Turner who has opted out of to play elsewhere; but with the experienced Kevin Easton and young players like Jamar Bethune and Immanuel Larose giving support, the Bulls still will be tough to get past.
The Raiders minus their best players Dwayne ‘Brown Sugar’ Roberts and Neil Marks, who are now residing overseas, will have their work cut out to remain in competitive in the top tier of Linden’s basketball.
Harold Adams
In their play this year, Derrol Montrose and Coel Winter, who were there over the years, will have to take up the role of seniors and with Dauwin Llovell playing well, could provide the effort and energy needed if they are to upset this Bulls team. They will also count on Sheldron Noel who returned after some years to be of help, if they must be the force they once were when they rose to be the number two club in Guyana.
The other semifinal other match will see the top ranked Royals, who were second at the National Club Championship in December, with its spearhead scoring machine Harold Adams facing the Jets. They will miss the contributions of key players Chris Williams and Orlando Glasgow who were not there leading up to this final four stage.
But the Royals are known to have several players at hand which include former junior national Marlon Pollydore who brings experience to this group and with players of the future like Yannick Tappin and his brother Kobe to add with Linnel Warden and another inside force in Dwight Cooper, the Royals will feel good in this match.
However, their game will find them wanting when they matchup inside because the Jets have the Webster brothers Adrian, Allister and Joel patrolling their middle with Donnel Benjamin and Akini Wilson, while their outside players include the former national Orin Rose who can light it up at any time.
The final is set for next Saturday at the MSC hard court.
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