NBE would like to congratulate the V.I. Jaguars on their 4th place finish at the 44th Annual Small Fry International Tournament held at Walt Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.
This may have been the United States Virgin Islands' first attempt at Small Fry Basketball, but they proved their worth with their performance. The V.I. Jaguars, a group of 12 St. Thomas elementary and junior high school boys players, competed in the 44th International Small Fry Basketball Tournament this week in Orlando, Florida., and fell just short of third place in the Consolation Tournament.
Small Fry Basketball is a developmental program created in 1968 for shorter youths in the U.S. mainland and Puerto Rico. Only players no taller than 5-foot-1 and not older than 12 are allowed t participate. Small Fry Basketball has clubs all over the U.S. and Puerto Rico, and this was the Virgin Islands' first Small Fry team.
The Jaguars began to play on Monday with a 50-23 loss to Chi-Town NBN as the team got six points each from Isaiah Harvey and Andy Thompson. That loss sent them to the Consolation Tournament, which was composed of eight teams.
The Jags won their first consolation game on Tuesday, 40-28, against the Highwood Hurricanes. Thompson led the team in scoring with 14 points, followed by Harvey with 9 points. Later that day, they suffered a 47-32 loss to Ponce Constancia as Thompson again led the team in scoring with 10 points.
In a unique crosstown title matchup, Ponce Constancia won its fourth championship with a 42-39 decision over Ponce Lomas, as Sebastian Lezcano hit a trio of threes to lead the way with 15 points. Fernando Gonzalez topped Lomas with 14 points.
Marquette Best toppled Robert Taylor in an all-Windy City third-place matchup and Chi-Town NBN claimed the consolation championship. Longtime officer Moe Reed had his name attached to the Friendship Tournament (won by BNB Outlawz) and first-time participant Colombia, South America earned the Friendship Sportsmanship Award.
The VI Jaguars upset the solo Pirates from Chicago, 48-43, in their first international tournament game. The Pirates were last year's champions. The Jaguars lost to Ponce Lomas of Puerto Rico, who advanced to the championship. St. Thomas lost the game, 40-32, and lost to ABB from Puerto Rico, 63-59. In the seventh-place game, the Jaguars won the game with a 46-22 victory against Chicago Heights. Some of the younger players, such as Nekwante Sprauve and Khamani Olivacca, scored in the final game. Overall, team captain Jourdyn Rawlins scored 61 points and added 29 points, 20 steals, five blocked shots, and 13 assists in the tournament.
Shakeem Sackey had 30 points and six steals while Jahsief Benjamin had 39 points, 22 rebounds, eight assists and seven steals. Zayd Brannigan had 26 points, 23 rebounds, eight assists, and eight assists, and De'Shamoi Greaves had 38 points and eight steals. The Tournament concludes today with the final games. Overall the VI Jaguars placed seventh at the tournament.
The tournament featured teams from the US, Caribbean, and Columbia. Meanwhile, the Positive Guidance team from St. Croix did not advance to the international tournament but instead played in a consolation bracket.
The Jaguars recovered on Wednesday by taking a 24-8 lead at halftime and holding on for a 27-26 win over Bucaplaa B. Johjadey Hodge led the Jaguars with 12 points as the team earned a berth in the third-place game later in the day. In the third-place game, Guayama dominated the third quarter, 17-6, to improve on a 20-17 halftime lead and beat the V.I. Jaguars, 55-45. Collins Joseph and Hodge led the Jaguars with seven points each as the Jags ended the tournament with a 2-3 record.