Basketball City, St.Kitts, Novemebr 14th 2011 -- The final night of the SKABA organised Sugar Creole Festival Weekend saw yet another massive crowd packing the stands at Basketball city to see the St.Kitts-Nevis Select team take on the Dominica National Team.
The game did not disappoint as the action was keen and intense from the opening tip-off.
The first quarter saw the St.Kitts-Nevis frontcourt duo of Troy “Jasbo” Wattley and Kimo “Shasta” Duncan giving the 7 foot 2 inch Dominican Center Garth Joseph all he could handle and more as both men overcame the imposing Joseph to score 11 of the 14 first quarter points for the SKN team.
Despite being hugely outsized by the Dominican frontcourt the SKN big men were able to score with excellent shot selection and quick post moves by both Wattley and Duncan. Joseph scored 10 of the Dominican team’s 14 first quarter points. The quarter ended with both teams on 14.
In the 2nd quarter it was more of the same except with different players on the SKN team taking the bulk of the scoring load.
Again it was one of the frontcourt players this time Shawn ShabbA Forbes who went on a 2nd quarter tear with 6 straight points and he was ably supported by SKABA MVP Tamboura Tambie Caines who finally got his groove after a disappointing showing the night before with his Club team Ghuat Bucs. Joseph continued his scoring tear in the 2nd quarter with some help from Ramal Carbon . The first half ended with both teams tied at 30.
The 2nd half was much of the same as Joseph continued to score almost at will while the SKN frontcourt began to pick up the scoring pace behind the energetic play of George ‘Goolay” Gaton, Marlon “Jah Love” Powell and Tamboura “Tambie” Caines.
Powell was hard nosed and got to the basket with relative ease whilst setting up his teammates Duncan and Wattley for easy buckets at the basket. At the end of the 3rd quarter the Domnnicans had a very slim 51-50 advantage.
The 4th quarter was all St.Kitts-Nevis as the duo of Shawn “Shabba” Forbes and Kimo “Shasta” Duncan proved to be too much for the bigger Dominican frontcourt players including Joseph. Shabba and Shasta both individually scored more than the entire Dominican team in the final quarter.
The Dominicans were outscored 17-4 in the final quarter. The final score saw team St.Kitts-Nevis with a hard fought and exciting 67-55 victory. Kimo “Shasta” Duncan was declared the top performer for team St.Kitts-Nevis with 12 points , 5 rebs and 1 block. While Tamboura “Tambie” Caines led the team with 13 pts, 4 rebs, 2 assists
Other top performers for team SKN were:
• Troy “Jasbo” Wattley- 10 pts, 5 rebs, 1 stl
• Shawn “Shabba” Forbes- 10 pts, 8 rebs, 1 stl
• George “Goolay” Gaton- 8pts, 3 assists, 4 stls
• Marlon “Jah Love” Powell- 8 pts, 4 rebs, 4 assists, 4 stls
Garth Joseph led all scorers with 29 pts and a massive 24 rebs. No other Dominican player reached double digits in either points or rebounds.
In the earlier game on Sunday evening the Molyneux Inner City Champions Young Legs lost to SKABA “A” Division Champions the Challengers Exodus 90-83.
The Domnicans ended the weekend festival having won their first 2 games in quite a dominating fashion and then losing the final game to team SKN. On Friday they defeated SKABA “A” Division Champions Exodus 67-59 then on Saturday they totally outplayed SKABA Champions Ghaut Bucs to win 90-51.
The Festival Finale on Sunday evening also included entertainment by renowned Reggae Artiste Masud Sadiki along with rap senstation Daggah and the up and coming Footsy. Jade Orchid also gave a splendid performance.
“We are quite happy with the weekend and we are already planning something similar for early in the new year with another regional national team ,” said Wallis Wilkin a member of the Basketball Festival’s organising committee.
Dominican Coach Mickey Joseph was quite happy with the weekend tour and although his team lost the final game he indicated that he was very pleased overal with the weekend festival and the performance of his team.
“Although I felt we should have won that final game I must say that I was happy overal with the St.Kitts tour,” said Dominican Coach Mickey Joseph.
“I hope this weekend festival is the start of a movement towards the resurgence or resurrection of sub-regional tournaments like the OECS Club and National Championships, “ Joseph continued. The Dominicans left the federation on Monday afternoon to return to Dominica.
Next on the agenda for the St.Kitts Amateur Basketball Association is a proposed Christmas Knockout Tournament for the first 2 weeks of December. No details are yet available about the tournament. Also the SKN Female National Team will be participating in the Annual Gillian Brazier Tournament in Antigua from November 23rd to 28th.
The team is currently in training and are expecting to give another good showing at the annual regional tournament.
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