East Mucurapo win 2022 Basketball Showdown

MUCURAPO East Secondary were crowned the inaugural champions of the Matthew Pierre Basketball Academy (MPBA) Basketball Showdown which tipped off at the Mayaro Indoor Sports Facility, Mayaro, on Saturday.

The Port of Spain basketballers played unbeaten throughout and defeated south-based team Hoop Nation 37-17 in the final.

Top scoring for Mucurapo East was Uthman Bilal with 18 points, which included a few three-pointers and some outrageous dunks. For the 17-year-old title-winning captain, Jaheil James, it was a sweet victory.

“This was a great experience, and it was a hard-fought win. I am really proud because we played as a team and lifted each other just as we lifted the championship trophy in the end.

“There was a lot of great talent here and I think that we are all leaving here a little bit better and more experienced. I thank Matthew Pierre Basketball Academy for creating this platform for us to compete and play at our best.

“One day, when I’m playing in the NBA, I will reflect on this as an experience that shaped me as a player,” said James.

The youth competition featured eight under-18 teams – Hoop Nation, Manzanilla Secondary, Mayaro Secondary, Mucurapo East Secondary, North Eastern College, Rio Claro East, Rio Claro West, and South East Combined Youths.

Playing two ten-minute halves, each game was hotly contested and kept the audience on their feet.

Welcoming the athletes and sharing words of encouragement was Rushton Paray, MP for Mayaro, who was also a tournament sponsor.

In the third-place playoff, Manzanilla Secondary defeated Mayaro Secondary.

Matthew Pierre, academy founder and former national basketballer, was elated with the response from young teams.

“I believe that when you put the spotlight on young people, they will rise to the occasion and shine brightly. The players represented their teams well today, and given the high level of the competition, I would count them all as winners. “I would like to thank the coaches, parents, members of the MPBA and the sponsors for making this possible. This wasn’t just a tournament; it was an investment in the sporting future of our nation,” said Pierre.

Supporting the initiative were main sponsors Hydro Tech Limited, as well as CJ Communications, KFC, Trinidad and Tobago, the Mayaro Movement for Social Upliftment, Rushton Paray – Member of Parliament for Mayaro, and S&S Persad Supermarket.

RESULTS OF THE 2022 MPBA

BASKETBALL SHOWDOWN 2022

Winner - Mucurapo East Secondary

Runner-up - Hoop Nation

Third - Manzanilla Secondary

Fourth - Mayaro Secondary

Most Valuable Player – Uthman Bilal, Mucurapo East Secondary

Most Disciplined Team – Manzanilla Secondary