Make it two in a row for the boys from Paddock Road.
Defending champs Graydon Sealy collected yet another title as MVP Andrew Ifill and Shaquon Newton combined for 63 points to lead them to an 87-66 rout of Lester Vaughan in yesterday’s Co-operators General Insurance Under-16 Basketball final at the Wildey Gym.
The win capped the latest unbeaten tournament run for the undisputed junior kings, who got their 13th victory in as many games by double digits after winning by an average of over 41 points per contest.
Graydon Sealy looked certain of threatening that mark after Newton and Ifill hooked up for a quick 17 points as part of the champs’ 22-10 lead. It didn’t help matters that Lester Vaughan couldn’t clear the offensive glass which led to several second-chance points for the frontrunners.
With the dynamic duo forcing the action in transition and centre Amal Smith controlling the paint, that cushion quickly became a 37-20 advantage as Lester Vaughan were literally ran off the floor.
Cane Garden lads threatened briefly before the break, with Brandon Hope sinking two long jumpers and Brett Williams adding a drive on the very next possession to reduce the deficit to ten points.
However, Ifill went on one of his trademark coast-to-coast runs before flipping an over the shoulder pass to Newton for a transition bucket to put a swift end to that rally.
Williams and Hope weren’t done just yet, as the former made good on some telling dribble drives which opened the floor for a couple of Hope treys that pulled Lester Vaughan within 11 (51-40) midway through the third quarter.
They just never got any closer the rest of the way once Smith ended the surge with a timely put-back and Ifill went the length of the floor once more to spark a 13-8 run that pushed the lead back up to 16 (64-48).
Smith then had a run of three successive baskets in the paint early in the fourth as part of an initial 7-1 surge, before Ifill and Newton added layups of their own in midst of the rout.
Graydon Sealy went up by as many as 27 points at one stage after successive Newton baskets following a steal and layup from Ifill that sealed an 87-60 advantage.
“It’s always about getting better for us,” said championship-winning coach Orland Roach.
“Yes, we want to win championships but it’s about developing players and getting them to play well at the next level. That’s what we’re about and that’s our motivation.”
Newton led all scorers with 35 points, Ifill finished with 28 while Smith chipped in with a further 16. For Lester Vaughan, Williams had 31 points and Hope ended with 28.
