‘I was just trying to get the job done’- MVP Khalid S. Gerald
Gerald worked his way to 28 points and 12 rebounds as Pure Playaz secured their first championship with a 117-92 win at the Save the Seed Energy Center in Duffs Bottom, Tortola. The two teams were leveled, 1-1, going into the all-important game of the best in 3 championship series.
For his valiant efforts, Gerald was named Most Valuable Player (MVP).
“It’s the first time playing in Save the Seed [League], first time I get a chip. The experience was good man, good competition all around,” Gerald told Virgin Islands News Online.
Asked if he would be looking to come back next year, without hesitation Gerald responded “For sure, defend the title.”
Never doubted the win- Ray D. Victor
Meanwhile, the man or ‘machine’ behind Pure Playaz’s sublime performance throughout the league was their talisman and draft player, Ray D. Victor, who said he never doubted Pure Playaz was going to win on championship night.
Victor said the strategy was to especially contain Aubrey S. Daniel of Bayside Blazers, who he felt was the biggest threat with his aggression. “He would push and get us into foul trouble so we ended up not getting caught up in the beginning.”
And with the elusive championship in sight, Victor turned in an inspirational performance and ended with a triple double that included a game high 32 points, 12 rebounds, 13 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks.
Victor’s task also was to close mark Bayside Blazers’ overseas player Hansen S. Donato, a highly skilled player who visualises the game with precision.
“I came with fire in my eyes. I played against him (Donato) in St Marteen and I beat him so I am familiar with him,” Victor stated after the game.
‘The win was for the coach’
The draft player, Victor, said he wanted to win the championship especially for Pure Playaz coach Sheldon N. Matthews and was grateful to co-founder of the league Hon Julian Fraser RA for allowing him to play another year with the team.
Victor had led Pure Playaz to the finals in 2018 but suffered an ankle injury that side-lined him. Bayside Blazers would go on to win the championship for a second time.
“For the longest while he [Sheldon] has been trying to win a championship. Mr Fraser saw that I was injured last year and he put me back on the team and I promised Sheldon I was going to get him a chip. I came out with blood in my eyes tonight. That win goes out to Sheldon and the Pure Playaz organisation,” Victor declared.
Sleepless nights
Meanwhile, an elated Mr Matthews said winning the championship felt really good.
“Last year when we lost the championship and also lost our main player, Ray [Victor], it was heartbreaking for me, sleepless nights, sleepless nights, and I really had to come back big and the guys them promised me a championship this year to rebound from the heartbreak of last year because they knew how heartbreaking it was for me. It just feels good right now. I had tears in my eyes,” Matthews stated.
‘We had a great running team’- Steve E. Parillon
Victory for Pure Playaz meant another championship for Steve E. Parillon, who won it with Splash Brothers previously.
“It all feels great to win a championship. It is always a great feeling when you go to a team that has not won. I brought my veteran’s presence and, along with some young studs, we had a great running team and I came in and just played my role and tried to mentor the guys,” Parillon stated.
The experienced Parillon, who ended with 14 points and 10 rebounds, added that defeating the defending champions is always a great feeling.
One the challenging side
Another experienced player and no stranger to winning a championship in the Hon Fraser League was former Bayside Blazers’ Lyle W. Duggins.
The most senior man on the team noted; however, this championship was a little bit on the challenging side “because we had a little bickering and stuff in the team but at the end of the day it is always about digging deep and finding yourself and playing with your teammates because it is a team game. One man cannot do it.”
Duggins, who has also won championships with Young Legs and East Rockers in the Town League, said it was also tough because a lot of the times “the odds were against us, seeing who we were playing, seeing that the other team, and this is just my opinion, they have the league a little dictated, so it was challenging, because at times you wouldn’t get the call that you want from the referees but you still have to keep on playing.
Asked how he is still able to mix it up with the young players at such high intensity, Duggins said it was about putting in the hard work on and off the court.
“It is not easy, because a lot of the times I tell the guys for me to come out here and play is challenging because I do put in the work, stay prepared and be ready every time. It’s not easy mentally, you have to be disciplined, if you are not disciplined you will not be able to do what I am doing. I will be honest with you because it takes a lot of hard work. What you see here is because of a lot of preparation I do off the court.”
Pure Playaz wanted to win more- Jason A. Edwin
Meanwhile, a disappointed Bayside Blazers coach Jason A. Edwin felt the team that wanted the championship more ended up winning it.
“I thought in the third quarter Pure Playaz came out with a burst of energy that was tough for us to match and they rode that wave for the remainder of the game. They seemed like the team that wanted to win more. They were playing in the passing lane, getting their hands on the ball, deflections, running the floor and we just seemed like we were a step slow in the third quarter.”
According to Edwin, a team has to play for 40 minutes. “You just don’t play for half a basketball game. We played a good half but for the second half it just seemed like the other team wanted it more.”
Edwin also expressed some disappointment with the officiating, stating that there was a lot of inconsistencies with the referees. “I hate to say it but every game we came out, we never knew who the refs were and it was always a dilemma with the referees but in the end, not to hang our hat on that statement, but the better team won.”
Basketball still in a good place
On the positive side; however, Edwin commented that basketball in the Virgin Islands is still in a good place. “There is a crowd that still wants to see the game played at a high level so we just got to work as a basketball community to improve on it, work on the refs, work on the statisticians, work on the individual players and take it from there.”
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