By Neto Baptiste
Veteran national player and leader of the F and G Trading Cuties Ovals Ojays outfit, Bryan Matthew, said his team is not done with winning titles in the national basketball programme.
Speaking on the Good Morning Jojo Sports Show, Matthew said he is not harbouring thoughts of retiring any time soon, but that grooming young blood is also a top priority for the organisation.
“I can see us doing a lot of things further down the line. We have a good roots programme going right now; the core of the team is still there bonded together but we just need to get some rest because we will be back at it again,” he said.
Ovals beat LJ Stingerz 69-57 to take game five and capture the series 3-2, lifting their third playoff title in front of probable the biggest crowd on record at the JSC basketball complex.
Matthew said having a strong third quarter was always part of the game plan.
“Going into the third [quarter] we just wanted to hold that strain again and just keep the defense energy up and once we did that, third quarter is usually our quarter and we knew we would have had that game where we wanted it,” he said.
The player, who struggled partially throughout the playoff finals, praised their opponents for the fight they exhibited in the keenly contested battle.
“Stingerz, I have to give them all credit too; they pushed us to the limit. They made changes, they came out and won the first one, they punched us first, they punched back and then they nipped us again and we just had to make them see where the experience came in and I think that [Tuesday] night played a role in us getting over the hump,” Matthew said.
CBA player, Joshua Minner, who was later named the Most Valuable Player of the playoffs alongside teammate Jermaine Bolden, led Ovals’ charge with 23 points, 11 rebounds and four assists.
Bolden had 13 points, five rebounds, seven assists and six steals.
National player, Joel McIntosh, ended the game with 12 points and eight rebounds while skipper, Marlon “Buju” Charles, stepped up to the plate as well after dismal performances in the first four matches, to score 10 points.