Women take to the hoops again

After an absence of three years, the Women’s Basketball Tournament has returned.

The tournament shot off last Sunday afternoon at the New Montrose Basketball Facility. however, only three of the seven registered teams showed up for the Opening Ceremony and March Past.{{more}}

Those present were Celebrity, Maple Sports Club, and Bustas Hardcore. It was Celebrity that got the adjudicators nod for being the Best Turned Out outfit, with Maple taking the Best Banner Award.

The other competing teams, which were absent from the opening, were Advent Ballerz, Bequia Liberty, Calliaqua United and Layou Pulse.

The ceremony was addressed by Chairperson of the Women’s Organising Committee Sonja Lewis, President of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Basketball Federation Wayne Williams and Parliamentary representative for West Kingstown Hon. Rene Baptiste.

The tournament, apart from honing the skills of female basketballers, is being held to select a team to begin training for the 2012 Olympic Games Qualifiers.

To qualify, the team has to first compete successfully in the CBC Tournament, followed by the CENTRO Basketball Tournament and finally the FIBA America Tournament.

The trophies for the tournament are being donated by WNBA player Vincentian Sancho Lyttle. Additionally, Lyttle, this country first WNBA player, is offering a $1,500 annual scholarship to a male and female basketballer who has excelled in the sport as well as their academics.

Following last Sunday’s formalities, the three teams faced each other for the President’s Cup.

In the first match up, Maple downed the youthful Celebrity 63-37. Vasha Adams had a game high of 33 points.

And, in the final against the reigning champions, Hardcore, Adams again was the hot hand, as she poured in 17 points, as Maple triumphed 40-19, and made good their first piece of silverware in the tournament.

The tournament was set to begin in earnest last Wednesday evening, when Celebrity was scheduled to meet Calliaqua United. (RT)