Basketball: Premium Cobras Warm-up Tournament |14 February 2024
Beau Vallon Heat’s Kris Andre takes on the Drifters defence during the final (Photo: Roland Duval)
Beau Vallon Heat the champions
- Khris Bouchereau wins final MVP title
Defending league, Land Marine Cup and last year’s Curtain-raiser champions Beau Vallon Heat have started the year on a winning note, claiming the Warm-up Tournament hosted by Premium Cobras, while male basketballer of the year for 2023 Khris Bouchereau was voted the final’s Most Valuable Player.
The tournament which began on a league round format, before progressing into knock-out phases, was primarily aimed at reviving basketball which had been inactive during 2023, and also to quench the thirst for playing time of active players, as well as to bring back much-awaited entertainment for the fans.
Only six out of the 10 registered teams from division one – Cascade Bullets, Drifters, Premium Cobras, Beau Vallon Heat, Mont Fleuri Dawgz and AB Boys –were involved in the tournament, in the absence of PLS Hawks, Anse Etoile, MBU Rockers, and Baya.
Group A featured hosts Premium Cobras, Cascade Bullets and Drifters, while Beau Vallon Heat were drawn in group B alongside Mont Fleuri Dawgz and AB Boys.
The Heat of coach Steven André and assistant coach Grégoire Scholastique dominated their group, defeating Mont Fleuri Dawgz 97-76 in their first match, before crushing AB Boys 102-61 in their second game to qualify for the semifinal as group leaders.
In the semifinal, Beau Vallon Heat eliminated hosts Premium Cobras to book their spot in the final.
As for Anse Boileau-based Drifters, they dominated group B, beating Cascade Bullets 89-42 in their first match, before beating Premium Cobras 67-49 in their second group game.
In the semifinal, Drifters played against Mont Fleuri Dawgz who were the runners-up in group A.Drifters won the match 55-42 for a slot in the final.
In the final, both teams gave their fans some good entertainment, with Beau Vallon Heat having the upper hand, winning the first quarter 23-17.
Known for their agility on the court, Drifters stepped up their game in the second period of the match, narrowly losing it 15-16 to trail 32-39 at half-time.
With more quality players, in terms of skills and experience, Beau Vallon Heat went on to win the third quarter 18-15, extending their lead to 10 points – 57-47 – at the end of the third quarter.
In the fourth and final quarter, both teams threw everything into the match with Drifters trying to close the gap while Beau Vallon Heat worked hard to preserve their lead.
Drifters went on to win the quarter 14-11, but Beau Vallon Heat’s advantage from the previous three quarters kept them ahead on score to win the match 68-61 and the Premium Cobras Warm-Up tournament title.
Speaking to Sports NATION, Premium Cobras manager Roy Collie expressed satisfaction for the way the tournament went, especially the fine turn-out, and also the good quality performance displayed by the teams, even if it is only the beginning of the year.
He said the feedback from the public was great and very encouraging.
Mr Collie added that depending on the situation regarding the start of the league, they will not hesitate to host another competition, just to keep the momentum for the players, and fans, as well as the officials.
Roland Duval
