Royals win Nigel Hinds/LABA Senior Championship

Jul 01, 2024 Sports

Victory Valley Royals’ Orlan Glasgow (with ball) on the move against his Amelia’s Ward defender during the final

Kaieteur Sports – With a punishing fourth-quarter display, Victory Valley Royals outplayed the home side Amelia’s Ward Jets to crown themselves winners of the Nigel Hinds/Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) Champions with a 76-62 victory while Block 22 Flames scored a scintillating overtime 58-57 win over Retrieve Raiders on Saturday night at the Amelia’s Ward Hard Court in front of a great following.

Royals, the nation’s top club showed poise and grit in the face of a 30-14 deficit, owned by the Jets in the third quarter, as they came within three points of the country’s top-ranked club, trailing, 59-62, and the likely chances of taking home the bacon, in the form of a whopping $400,000 incentive and trophy.

But this was not to be as Royals showed what they were worth in the final session to turn on the heat, outscoring the Jets, 14-5, and cantering home winners, 76-63, as Yannick Tappin netted seven of his 17 points of the game, in the last quarter.

Royals had taken a 16-7, first quarter lead and things looked ominous when the top club led at half-time, 48-29.

But the Jets’ Quincy Easton and Dennis Niles (Jr.) were determined to give the home fans something to cheer about as they recovered to trail 59-62 when the third period closed out.

However, the Royals would stick to their guns with the heart of a champion and rallied their way at the expense of the Jets who ran out of fuel, to capture another title.

For the Royals, Harold Adams and Yannick Tappin both had 17 points while Orlan Glasgow and Keifer Tappin each registered 11 for the champions, who had an unblemished record in this title run.

Nigel Hinds of Hinds Financial Services Group – the tournament’s main sponsor, was on hand to present the top prizes to the winners, as President of the LABA Mrs. Dawn McCammon-Barker presented prizes to the second, third and fourth place finishers. Other sponsors for this tournament were Gary Stephens and James Brusche, both residing in the United States, along with Aubrey Major and the 20/20 Bar.

Jets got $200,000 and a trophy for second, Flames $100,000 and a trophy and Raiders $50,000 and a trophy.

Once again Quincy Easton was the Jets’ best player with 15 points but fouled out in the final quarter while Dennis Niles, who gave the Jets some hope got 12 points and Shannon Cadogan, who shouldered the Jets coming back into contention with eight of his eventual 10 points coming in the third quarter.

In the other third-place playoff game, Block 22 Flames played well to halt Retrieve Raiders in overtime, 58-57, after the scores were leveled on 55 at the end of regulation play.

Jonathan Clarke scored 18 points and Cleon Johnson 13 as Shawn Cameron chipped in with seven for the third-place winners.

Raiders’ best players were Shemar Savoury with 19 points, Neil Marks (Jr.) with 10 and Derron Montrose 8.

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Amelia’s Ward Jets, Linden Amateur Basketball Association, Nigel Hinds, Victory Valley Royals

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