By Tracey Liverpool
Victory Valley Royals affirmed their status as one of the premier basketball clubs in the country by clinching the top prize in the Nigel Hinds sponsored Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) League.
The final, held at the Amelia’s Ward Hard Court over the weekend, saw the Royals triumph over the Amelia’s Ward Jets with a score of 76-63.
The Royals secured a sponsorship prize of four hundred thousand dollars, bolstered by Nigel Hinds.
Royals’ captain Yannick Tappin expressed his confidence in the team’s abilities, emphasizing their focus on maintaining strong defense, great offense, and ball control.
Tappin was the top scorer for the Royals, netting 23 points. Harold Adams and Orlan Glasgow also contributed significantly with 17 and 12 points respectively.
The Jets, despite strong performances from Quincy Easton (15 points), Dennis Neils (14 points), and Shannon Cadogan (10 points), couldn’t overcome the Royals’ dominance and settled for the second prize of two hundred thousand dollars.
In the third-place playoff, Block 22 Flames edged out Retrieve Raiders in a tightly contested match.
The scores were tied at 55-all at the end of regulation time.
A free throw by Jonathan Reynolds and a lay-up by Jonathan Clark secured the Flames’ victory in overtime.
Flames took home one hundred thousand dollars, while the Raiders settled for fifty thousand dollars.