Maloney Pacers triumph at Basketball 3x3 Championships

The competition shifted to the indoor Jean Pierre Complex at the semi-final round due to the inclement weather but it did not stop the momentum of the Maloney Pacers as they easily defeated SOS Respect 21-6 to become the inaugural champions. The Boyd brothers Ahkeel and Ahkeem were instrumental all day in the Maloney-based team becoming victorious.

The semi-final round was more keenly contested as they narrowly defeated SOS Peace 21- 20. In the other semi-final match, SOS Respect overcame a stern challenge from Maloney Pacers Recruits 13-11 to reach the final.

The female final was competitive and full of excitement, and it needed an overtime game winner from Golden Stars player Nileen Ramdial to seal the victory over Star Seekers.

The shot came from behind the arc against the run of play in dramatic style.

Both finalists had easy semi-final matches with Golden Stars defeating Splash Sisters 8-3 and Starseekers overpowering Windjammers 10-0.

The topscorers on the day were Ahkeel Boyd (Maloney Pacers - 40 points), Johann Ferdinand (SOS Peace - 26 points) and Joshua Sheppard (Maloney Gardens Recruits - 21 points) among the boys and Demisha Henry (Starseekers - 24 points), Shania Emmanuel (Golden Stars - 16 points) and Mercedes Alexander (Windjammers - nine points) among the girls.

There was also a three-point contest that was won by Christopher Maharaj in the male category and Shania Emmanuel in the female.

The group stages of the national finals consisted of the top two finishers from the Tobago, North, South, Central and East conferences.

The male and female champions earned the opportunity to represent Trinidad and Tobago at the forthcoming Antilles 3x3 International Youth Championships tentatively carded for February 2017 in St Lucia.

Speaking at the prize-giving ceremony, the Minister of Sport Darryl Smith stated, “I`m impressed with the organisation of the tournament and all parties that played a pivotal role in its execution. I always encourage youth participation and I was pleased to see the outcome of players, parents and sport enthusiasts.”