The 24th Annual Bequia Basketball Tournament got off to a dramatic opening week, with reigning First Division champions Court Kings facing an unexpected uphill battle after dropping their first two matches of the competition. The most high-profile upset came in Wednesday’s headline matchup, where challengers East Blazers dominated from the opening tip-off to secure a lopsided 60-44 win over the defending title holders. East Blazers built an insurmountable 13-point advantage by halftime, holding a 32-19 lead that Court Kings never recovered from.
The victory was fueled by a historic performance from Jermaine John, the tournament’s reigning Most Valuable Player and a standout national team player. John put on a clinic, finishing the contest with a massive double-double of 29 points and 12 rebounds, paired with 3 assists and 6 steals to cement his status as one of Bequia’s top competitive basketball talents. Supporting his standout effort was Joeel Baptiste, who added 14 points, 8 rebounds, one assist and 7 steals before fouling out in the final quarter, turning in an all-around impactful performance for the winning side. For Court Kings, the loss marks one of the rockiest starts to a title defense in the tournament’s recent history, leaving the 23rd edition’s champions needing to string together critical wins in upcoming fixtures to retain their crown.
The senior men’s matchup capped a full two days of competitive action across all age divisions at Clive Tannis Hard Court, where emerging young athletes and veteran players alike delivered thrilling entertainment for packed stands of spectators. Wednesday’s game day opened with action in the Under-12 Division, where the Ninjas cruised to a comfortable 12-3 victory over the Falcons, led by Chase Kydd’s game-high 6 points. Next up was the Under-16 Division, which delivered a tightly contested nail-biter that saw the Golden Knights edge out the Titans by a single point, 12-11. Jeremy Hunte led the Golden Knights to victory with a well-rounded stat line of 5 points, 3 rebounds, one assist, 6 steals and one block. Even in defeat, Titans forward Aaden Dennie turned heads with an impressive all-around performance, matching Hunte’s 5 points while notching 3 rebounds, a staggering 15 steals and one block.
Originally scheduled youth division fixtures from Sunday were pushed back to Thursday after heavy rain made the court unplayable, giving fans a full extra day of competitive basketball. In the Under-12 division, expansion side the Grinches pulled off an exciting overtime win against the Seagulls, after the two rookie teams finished regulation tied at 4-all. Symon Miller scored all six of his team’s points, including the game-deciding basket in overtime, to lock in a 6-4 win for the Grinches. The Under-16 division saw the Titans bounce back from their Wednesday one-point loss to secure a 12-8 win over the Hornets, with Ray “Rainbow” Joseph leading the charge with an elite all-around line of 8 points, 6 rebounds, one assist, 14 steals and 3 blocks. Tevaughn Lloyd was the top performer for the losing Hornets, finishing with 5 points, 8 rebounds, 5 steals and 2 blocks.
Officials from the Bequia Basketball Association say they have been overwhelmingly pleased with the opening week of the 2024 tournament, praising the outpouring of community support and strong spectator turnout across all age divisions. In an official press statement, the association highlighted that the large turnout of family and community members cheering on youth division competitors was particularly encouraging, reinforcing the critical role the tournament plays in growing grassroots basketball development across the island. “The Association remains committed to growing the sport of basketball in Bequia by providing meaningful opportunities for young athletes while maintaining a competitive and entertaining senior competition,” the statement read.
To allow local sports fans to attend the upcoming Caribbean Premier League (CPL) cricket matches hosted at Arnos Vale Stadium in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the association has canceled all tournament fixtures this coming weekend. Tournament play is set to resume on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., with three confirmed games on the schedule: an Under-12 matchup between the Seagulls and Ninjas, an Under-16 rematch between the Golden Knights and Titans, and a Second Division contest between Rising Stars and Apex Elite.