-GABA/HJTV/Lens Craft Inter-Ward Basketball
And so it was written that North Ruimveldt would sweep Wortmanville/Werk-en-Rust in their best of three finals to retain their Georgetown Inter-Ward Basketball Championship.
They did it in style by blowing them out by 26 points (85-59) and cashing in on the tournament’s $500,000.
Wortmanville/Werk-en-Rust showed little resistance and at times none whatever as, from jump ball, Andrew ‘Mr. Dunk’ Ifill scored the first four points of the game hitting back-to-back jumpers.
Player/coach of the Wortmanville/Werk-en-Rust team Naylon Loncke, attempted to put some pressure on Ifill (who literally made his opponents appear woeful throughout the tournament) by placing Paul Mendonca on him and also adding a little double team with centre Royston Siland helping out.
But this only made things easier for the North team who swung the ball well for easy shots.
Loncke told Stabroek Sport after the game that maybe his players were still recovering from their narrow defeat in the previous game and he called it right considering their lacklustre performance.
The North team led 17-9 at the end of the first period and things only got worse as once again Ifill showed why he is deemed unstoppable, scoring eight of his 10 shots from the floor. It was decorated with some smooth fade-away jumpers, and he also lived up to his sobriquet by throwing down some massive dunks.
His run, coupled with the good team chemistry, highlighted North Ruimveldt’s first half which ended with the eventual champions leading 46-27.
The third quarter saw a more purposeful type of basketball from Wortmanville/ Werk-en-Rust with Loncke and Siland leading the way. However, North Ruimveldt closed the penultimate period 61-47 and it was so close but yet so far as North made the 14 points deficit look impossible for their opponents to wipe off.
Ifill sat out almost the entire third quarter and immediately made his presence felt in the final period, opening with a jumper over Siland who was having one of his worse nights of the tournament.
The tide never really turned for the losers in the game and the North players looked like winners all the way.
As a matter of fact, the team played with a swagger that even trickled down to their supporters, some of whom had walked with a broom to the Sports Hall to signify a clean sweep of the series.
Ifill scored a game high 26 points with 10 of 21 shooting from the floor and he also grabbed eight rebounds, two blocked shots, five steals and one assist. Ryan Stephney also had a fruitful night on the court, netting 15 points and picking up three steals.
Quincy Jones and Damien Liverpool once again controlled the boards while finishing with 10 and 11 points respectively.
For the losers, only Loncke and Aubrey Smith touched double figures, each scoring 12 points. Siland could only manage seven points but grabbed nine rebounds in the process.
Wortmanville/Werk-en-Rust had to settle for $300,000.
In the third place play-off, Charlestown Albouystown defeated South Ruimveldt and got the $100,000 prize.
The presentation of prizes will be on Saturday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
