Latest update January 18th, 2025 7:00 AM
LABA/ YBG/ Powerade Linden Regional Schools U19 Basketball C/Ship…. Unbeaten LTI stop Mackenzie High as Pellew and Gilkes cart off MVP prizes
Linden Technical Institute’s Jamal Gilkes receives YBG Championship Trophy from LABA President Lawrence Simon.
The Linden Technical Institute preserved their unbeaten record of wins on Saturday by turning back the spirited challenge of Mackenzie High School 39-37 as the Linden Amateur Basketball Association run LABA/Youth Basketball Guyana/ Powerade Linden regional Schools Under-19 final was played under trying conditions from earlier rain at the Mackenzie sports Club hard court.
It was the second defeat for the Mackenzie High School to the Linden Technical Institute who won their first meeting 67-51 in the preliminary round play.
This time around their captain Jamal Gilkes who was the best offensive player with a total 144 points, only netted four points this time around, but grabbed 15 rebounds for which 11 came from the defensive end.
Teammate Dillon Pellew stepped up to haul in 17 boards,10 defensively and seven offensively along with nine points, two block shots and four steals to gain the Most Valuable Player of the final Trophy. This Finals MVP Trophy was donated by United States-based former national football player Rickland Tallo’ Hutson through his ‘Leadership Academy’ which seeks to educate and inspire youths in Linden. That trophy was handed over to Pellew by Jessie Marshall of the Leadership Academy.
For Gilkes outstanding play throughout the tournament he was the winner of the Most Valuable Player Trophy of the Tournament which was donated by Bankers Trust as Gilkes averaged 24 points per game.
The Linden Technical Institute was the winner of the beautiful championship trophy which was donated by Youth Basketball Guyana and making that presentation on behalf of the YBG was the LABA president Lawrence Simon. Bankers Trust Inc. also donated the second and third place trophies in this championship.
Linden Technical Institute’s Daniel Lee also played well in this tournament netting 115 points for an average 16.4 points per game as Ronaldo Patoir and Shamar Chapman each scored seven points in the final.
Mackenzie High School’s Yannick Tappin was another player of great promise and he scored 20 of his team’s 37 points, ending the tournament with 108 points for an average of 18 points per game. Teammate Leon Benjamin, who also had an outstanding tournament, got eight in this game, but totaled 118 points in the end to have average 19.6 points per game and Kareem Roberts scored with five points in this game.
In the third place playoff game which decided the third team to join this tournament’s top two LTI and MHS to gain places in the Youth Basketball Guyana’s National Basketball Festival which began yesterday in Georgetown, Wisburg Secondary defeated New Silvercity Secondary 43-24. Keyon Davidson scored 15 points and Jonathan Copeland 14 for the winners, while Kobe Tappin was again the best player for New Silvercity Secondary with 14 points.
President of the LABA Lawrence Simon congratulated the teams which participated in the tournament and said much more is to be done for the playing of youth tournaments in Linden.
He said next is the inter club under-19 tournament and said he was looking forward to continued partnership as was garnered by the support given by Youth Basketball Guyana, Banks DIH Limited, Bankers Trust, Rickland ‘Tallo’ Hutson, Department of Education, Region Ten (Upper Demerara/Berbice), and the Mackenzie Sports Club Management Committee.
The LABA top official also warned the players to be disciplined because it is key to success in and out of the classroom as the association was not only interested in their performances on the court but also in their classrooms.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Burnham must be having a good laugh
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- Each week, the more Bharrat Jagdeo speaks, the more the lines between party and government... more
Clarifying misconceptions about the Panama Canal
Sir Ronald Sanders (Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the US and the OAS) By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News–... more
Weekend Cartoon
