Thursday’s games at the Beausejour Gymnasium in the fifth annual Aloysius “Loloy” Daniel Youth Basketball Tournament stood out thanks to a scoring masterclass from Antigua & Barbuda’s Jayden Lewis and another strong showing from the three-time defending champions, the New Chapter Academy (NCA) Warriors of Trinidad & Tobago. The East Coast Academy (ECA) Lions also secured their third win this week.
With only one game day left, Lewis turned in the tournament’s top individual performance so far. He scored 41 points to lead the Antigua Pitbulls to a big 118-51 win over Guyana’s D-Up Academy. Lewis also had four steals, four assists, and three rebounds. His teammate Gabriel De Souza chipped in with 17 points.
Despite the blowout, D-Up Academy’s Kemal Pickering put up a fighting double-double, with 21 points and 17 rebounds, supported by Aliandro Wickman’s 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Earlier in the day, the NCA Warriors maintained their flawless record atop the standings, overwhelming Basketball For The Future (BFTF) Pitbulls 123-29. The defending champions applied their suffocating transition defence from the opening tip. Zayden Charles set the tone with 19 points and seven steals, while Nhyim Pierre orchestrated 14 points and seven assists. Hushan Simon led BFTF with eight points and four rebounds.
In the evening’s local derby, the ECA Lions rebounded emphatically from their narrow Day 3 defeat, brushing aside the ECA Tigers 113-26. Nyel Joseph spearheaded the Lions with 26 points, nine steals, and six rebounds. Jabari Archibald contributed an 18-point, 12-rebound double-double. and four blocks.
For the Tigers, Daelan Magloire finished with eight points and seven rebounds, while David Chandler collected six points and seven boards.
As the preliminary round wraps up on Friday, the Warriors (4-0, 8 points) lead the standings with an impressive +308 point difference. The Lions and Antigua Pitbulls (both 3-1, 7 points) are tied for second, with the Lions ahead on points difference. D-Up Academy and BFTF Pitbulls (1-3, 5 points each) are in fourth and fifth, while the Tigers (0-4, 4 points) are still looking for their first win.
