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Ravens edge Royals to capture Brusche’s Basketball Classic title
…Eagles clip Jets to secure third place
Kaieteur Sports – Georgetown’s powerhouse Ravens Basketball Club soared to victory on Saturday night, outlasting Linden’s Victory Valley Royals 61–57 to capture the 2025 Brusche’s Basketball Classic title.
The hard-fought final, played before a spirited crowd at the Retrieve Hard Court in Linden, saw the Ravens pocket the top prize of $450,000.
Organiser, James Brusche (first from left) and Champions Ravens after they collected their cash and other prizes won.
The Victory Valley Royals came out gunning early, riding the energy of their home crowd to take a slim 15–13 first-quarter lead. Their quick transition play and perimeter shooting caused early problems for the visitors, but the Ravens, anchored by their superior size and rebounding presence, soon began to find their rhythm in the paint.
As both teams traded buckets through the second quarter, the momentum swung when Nikkolai Smith drained a deep three-pointer in the closing seconds of the half to break a 26–26 tie, giving the Ravens a 29–26 advantage heading into the locker room.
The Royals wasted no time after the break, knotting the score at 29, but Smith, who later earned the Most Assists Award, orchestrated a clinical third-quarter surge.
With Owan Walton coming off the bench and lighting it up from downtown, the Ravens stretched their lead to 50–40 after a 21–14 run in the third. Their inside dominance, led by Akil Hodges, kept the Royals on their heels.
Part of the action between Ravens and Royals in the finals of the Brusche’s Basketball Classic.
In the final quarter, the Royals mounted a late comeback, tightening up on defense and pushing the pace, but they couldn’t crack the Ravens’ interior defense. Despite their hustle, Linden’s finest simply ran out of time and answers.
Hodges was a force on both ends, finishing with 19 points to lead the Ravens’ scoring, while Smith added 15, Walton chipped in 11, and Jude Corlette contributed eight.
For the Royals, Vibert Benjamin poured in 14 points, while Rakin McDonald and Kobe Tappin added eight apiece, and Yannick Tappin had seven. Royals walked away with $225,000 and a trophy for their runner-up finish.
In the third-place matchup, Georgetown’s Eagles clipped Linden’s Amelia’s Ward Jets, 64–52, to secure $110,000 and their own slice of silverware.
The final night also featured James Brusche, the U.S.-based former national captain and founder of the Brusche’s Basketball Foundation, who joined LABA President Dawn McCammon-Barker in presenting trophies and prizes to the top teams.
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