Antigua Warriors 2009 Basketball Team
Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
April 27, 2009
The 2009 St. Kitts Amateur Basketball Association (SKABA) league opened Sunday night (April 26) with a thrilling battle between two of the Eastern Caribbean”s top teams.
The Antigua Defence Force Warriors, led by Coach Bradbury Browne, are the reigning champions out of Antigua and Barbuda and came into their match-up Sunday night against the SKABA Premier Division Champion Ram”s Hitters ready for victory.
Warriors had the momentum coming into the game after defeating an all-star team from the Challengers Basketball League the night before, and the action at Basketball City was definitely fast-paced as Hitters stars such as Shawn Forbes and Marlon Powell clashed with their Antigua and Barbuda counterparts, Shawn Williams and Marlon Charles.
Though the battle was close throughout the game, Warriors pulled ahead in the final minutes and were able to walk away with the winning score of 81-80.
Despite Forbes and Powell scoring an outstanding 37 combined points, Warriors proved to be their offensive equal in a game that could have gone either way.
Earlier in the evening, the 2008 Runners-up in the Premier Division, S. L. Horsford”s Ghetto Roots, were able to knock off one of their top competitors from last year, St. Pauls Hard Wine Tuff Knots.
Roots were coached by Dr. Garfield Alexander on the way to their 81-76 victory, who graduated to the Premier Division spot after coaching the Basseterre Senior High School Broncos to the finals of the Junior Division in 2008.
The revamped Roots were also assisted by former guard for the McKnight Trotters, Levi “By-By” Fyfield. Fyfield managed a massive 25 points, but was still outscored by teammate Carlos Monzac, who looked good with 33 of his own.
The SKABA season was officially opened by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sports, Tourism and Culture, Lloyd Lazar, and was also attended by the President of the St. Kitts-Nevis National Olympic Committee, Alphonso Bridgewater.
In his address to the 32 league teams and gathered fans, SKABA President James “Barman” Hanley noted that the league is still in search of a sponsor to partner with, which would help to facilitate the local players being able to compete in overseas regional tournaments.
To date, the only division to receive sponsorship has been the Junior Division, which is being backed by attorney Lindsay Grant
For more information on the St.Kitts Amateur Basketball Association got to the association website at:
www.stkittsbasketball.com