Double upset as 2013 VG Summer Jam gets off to thrilling start
Set It Off went down to East Rockers 80-85 in overtime in the A Division while earlier Let’s Get It couldn’t find their winning touch as they went down 64-65 in a tight encounter to Terror Squad.
As is customary, the event opened with the march pass of participating teams, which was then followed by remarks from Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Culture Ms Lorna Stephens who represented the Hon. Minister for Education and Culture, Myron V. Walwyn who was said to be off island. Remarks were also made by Regional General Manager of Delta Petroleum (Caribbean) Limited, Bevis Sylvester.
Mr Sylvester congratulated the teams that showed up for the march pass and commended Ms Dawn Crabbe-Herbert of Play to Win sports store for her part in helping to have the various teams decked out in proper uniforms.
“We support this particular league because of our pledge to future generations. Believe you me, you are customers in the future. If we don’t secure you then really and truly we don’t have anything to look forward to in the future. Therefore, I am happy that Delta Petroleum continues to play a pivotal role in this particular league.”
Mr Sylvester said he regarded the Summer Jam as the most disciplined league in the entire Virgin Islands. He added that fights at basketball games are unheard of in Virgin Gorda. “I could tell you, the integrity, respect and discipline of this league will be maintained at all costs. The referee’s call is final. We don’t want to hear that a league that Delta associates themselves with has fighting and bickering. We don’t want to be a part of that. So secure your corporate sponsor and secure your league by having discipline and respect for your coaches, referees, the association members, and for the fans. I hope that this message goes forward loud and clear.”
The Regional General Manager also announced that Delta Petroleum would be putting out a series of promotions during the Summer Jam for its High Octane gasoline and LPG cooking gas. Paying fans would be entered into a weekly raffle and can also use that ticket to get “benefits” at the Delta Virgin Gorda service station. He said further details of the promotion would be announced next week in the various media outlets.
There was also applause when Mr Sylvester announced that the Virgin Gorda vs Tortola All Stars game would return this year.
The 13 of 22 teams that showed up for the march pass were High Speed, Come to Defend, On a Mission, No Worries, Let’s Get It, Terror Squad, Chaotic, Go Hard, Youths On Fire, Final Judgement, OTC, Set It Off and Without a Doubt.
In the opening game, Terror Squad made their intentions early by racing to a 7-0 lead against defending B Division champions Let’s Get It. They even held a 17-6 lead in the second quarter, however, Let’s Get It managed to pull themselves together and clawed their way back to a 5-point deficit, 28-23 at halftime.
It remained a very close game from then on with Terror Squad guilty of too many turnovers during their fast breaks that had proved rewarding for them in the first half of the game.
William Penn Jr. was also impressive as he showed much skill and fight to keep Let’s Get It in the game and bring them to a 43-44 third quarter score line. Penn Jr. also had the crowd in uproar with back to back dunks in the final quarter.
With seconds to go in the game, Let’s Get It were leading 64-63 but Terror Squad slipped in a bucket for a 1-point advantage with 9.4 seconds remaining on the game clock. It would prove to be too little time for Let’s Get It.
The final scores were Terror Squad- 65, Let’s Get It- 64.
William Penn Jr. netted a game high 28 points and Stephon Caul dropped in 16 for Let’s Get It. Terror Squad’s attack were led by Aldric Thomas (16), Shomar George (15), J'Verne Findlay (12) and Jehmarey Benjamin (12 points).
“It was really tight and it got a little scary but it is always like that when those teams meet up,” said a relieved coach of Terror Squad, Ethan O’Neal. The coach did point out, however, that his players would need to improve on their handling of the ball as they made too many turnovers.
Meanwhile, coach of Let's Get It, Erwin 'Redz' Telemaque was not too bothered with the surprise defeat and in fact said he saw it coming. “Last year we went through the whole league undefeated so basically we were due for a loss. “And I rather get the loss early rather than late. All this would do for us is to not make us feel invincible so we just have to come back with the fire and keep working. We going to recover, we going to recover,” Mr Telemaque emphasied to Virgin Islands News Online.
But if fans thought that the first game was thrilling they would have been truly entertained by the feature game between East Rockers and 3-peat champions Set It Off.
The game was a keenly, and sometimes physically, contested affair among the big boys and big names on the court such as Kennedy Bass, Steve Parillon and Devon ‘Judah’ Wattley.
And after a bruising encounter in regulation time, the scores were tied at 72-72, however East Rockers’s fans would have certainly been squeezing when Bass sent up a jumper in the dying seconds that hit the rim.
With overtime needed to separate the two determined sides, East Rockers held their nerves to eventually win 85-80.
David Lettsome led the East Rockers charge with a game high 32 points and also made some critical baskets that kept Set It Off in check. Devon Wattley powered his way to 22 points while Jamal Rabsatt supported with 9.
The Set it Off top scorers were Coy Dore (19), Kennedy Bass (18), Travis Isaac (16) and Trevon Reese (10).
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7 Responses to “Double upset as 2013 VG Summer Jam gets off to thrilling start”
Good investment Bevis!
girl ms. stevens hope you do not get st@!n associating with that minister