By Carlena Knight
Graphic Impact Printz Shooters were crowned the 2022 Antigua and Barbuda Basketball Association (ABBA) Cool & Smooth Business League Basketball Playoff champions on Sunday night.
Shooters earned their first ever business league title with a 61-45 victory over Anjo Wholesale in Game three of the best of three finals at the JSC Sports Complex to take the series 2-1.
It was a true team effort for the champions as four of their players were in double figures to secure the win.
Sean Nicholas had 15 points, Tavarus Benta 14, Yannick Samuel 13 and Nickon McGregor, 12 while for Anjo Wholesale Xavier ‘X-man’ Meade was the lone player in double figures with a game high 24 points.
Along with walking away with the title, the Most Valuable Player award for the playoffs went to Benta while Meade from Anjo Wholesale was named the Most Outstanding player.
Observer media caught up with Benta after the win about his thoughts over the season.
“Proud of my guys. We fought hard, even when we lost, we didn’t hold our heads down. We came back, we regrouped and we got the job done. I think that my performance was consistent. My teammates helped me tremendously and in turn I was able to help them,” Benta said.
Benta also won the Most Outstanding Player (MOP) award for the regular season, the Most points award, the Most Three-pointers award, the Skills Challenge title and the Most Points in a Single Game award.
The latter he shared with Sandals’ Devorn Benjamin as both men scored 41 points.
Coach of the winning team and basketball legend Richie Francis was also elated after the win and the performance of his players.
“It was a great performance. I had to go deep down in my bag of tricks and speak to these guys from the heart to come out with this victory and they did not let me down. They played with heart like myself and how Carl ‘Bowlie’ Knight would have done, and I saw that fighting spirit tonight and I am so thankful for them to give me that victory as their coach, as their sponsor, as their manager, I thank them.
“It was a whole team effort tonight. Tavarus had a lovely season. Sean was exceptional tonight, Kwame done the game with a fantastic slam dunk. We have Nickon and Yannick who really stepped up tonight. It was a team effort and I couldn’t ask for anything better tonight. I am so joyful,” Francis said.
Eye Mobile Vision Care was named the League Champions after finishing undefeated.
The league champs walked away with a number of individual awards that evening. Adonis Humphreys and Tequan Brodie were named joint League MVPs; Byron Andrew—Coach of the year; Slam Dunk champion Lopez Adams; and Speed lay-up Champion Kevin Pimental.
Anjo Wholesale finished second in the league and Sandals, third.
Anjo’s Cohen Desouza was named the Block Shot King, Sandals’ Selassie Braithwaite took home
the Best Slam Dunk award, Board of Education’s Erol Henry had the Best break a leg Move and
Devorn Benjamin was the recipient of the Shaq-tin a Fool award.
Pointe FM’s Josue Hernandez along with being named the All-Star Game MVP was along named
the Most Exciting Player in the league.
Most Disciplined team was Mill Reef and Most Disciplined player was Joseph Prosper of Galley
Bay.
Sandals’ Coy Quinland was the Three-point Shoot out winner.
Antigua and Barbuda Transport Board (ABTB) was the team that won the biggest cooler award.
The duo of Marlon ‘Buju’ Charles and Ishan Peets were the Two-man Shoot out winners.
