The SLBF Select 12 are the champions of the Saint Lucia Basketball Federation’s KFC Pre-Season Invitational following a Sunday night finale. The round-robin style tournament saw four teams, the Soufriere Kings, Bonne Terre Blazzers, SLBF Select 12, and the invited 767 Sports Club Dominica, participate in thrilling hoops action at the Beausejour Indoor Facility from February 27 to March 1. This event served as a prelude to the regular season which starts on March 7.
Following the games, there was a three-way tie on points between the Soufriere Kings, 767 Sports Club Dominica and SLBF Select 12, with all three teams winning three fixtures and losing one. However, under FIBA rules, the SLBF Select 12, a team of all-star players assembled from various squads across the National League, claimed the title on the basis of point differential. The final standings were:
- SLBF Select 12
- 767 Sports Club Dominica
- Soufriere Kings
- Bonne Terre Blazzers
In a post-tournament address, president of the Saint Lucia Basketball Federation Glen Guiste sought to highlight the quality of the basketball on display, noting:
“If this is a prelude to the regular season, there’s some good basketball to look forward to.”
Coach of the 767 Sports Club Dominica Allstars, Dunstan “Maggie” Peters, told St. Lucia Times in an exclusive interview that he was proud of the intensity showcased in the tournament, noting that his “Bouyon Ballers” faced a sterner test than in past editions.
“The way it happened is exactly how I expected, and I wanted it to be tougher than the two other years. So it’s getting tougher, you know. The past two years, we’ve just been undefeated. But now, we lost our first game. The tournament is growing and that’s what we want.”
