After a winless (0-3) performance in the Barbados Hoop Classics, some people in the Federation’s basketball community — including some members of SKABA — are questioning whether Rams Hitters should have been the team chosen to play in the tournament.
Hitters lost all three games to opponents from Grenada, St. Vincent and Barbados at an average of more than 15 points — losing to the Sparklers by 25, the Hairuon All Stars by 19 and the Lumber Co. Lakers by 44.
Much of the criticism has been thrown at James Hanley, Hitters’ coach and past president of SKABA.
Hanley served as president of SKABA for more than 10 years as such has became well known throughout the Caribbean for basketball.
However, Hanley is no longer president of the association and he has been criticized for accepting invitations on behalf of the association, even though he has no authority to do so.
Hanley strongly denied those allegations.
“I am going to make a big issue out of this,” Hanley said. “The invitation was for Hitters and did not come to SKABA. The invitation was not to SKABA.”
Some members of the association have argued that Hitters should not have gone to Barbados to participate in the tournament, but should have been Fig Tree, the Federation’s club champions.
“This was my invitation,” Hanley said. “They cannot tell me who to invite. This was an invitational tournament.”
SKABA’s current president, Wendell Pemberton, said at the moment he does not feel that Hanley acted wrongly when he took his Hitters team to Barbados. Pemberton also said he has not seen the letter of invitation that Hanley said he received from the organizers of the Hoop Classic.
As such, Pemberton said, he cannot say if Hanley acted wrongly.
“But I know normally a letter of invitation will go to the association, and the executive will pick the club that would represent the Federation,” Pemberton said.
And, most likely that would be the current club champion, Pemberton said.
At the Barbados Hoop Classics Hitters first took on Sparklers from Grenada on opening night. The Sparklers led for the entire game enjoying a 19-10 advantage at the end of the first quarter, 45-29 lead at half time and a 65-47 lead at the end of the 3rd. The final quarter saw much of the same as the Sparklers Lyndon Lewis ran circles around the Hitters defense scoring a team high 20 points. Marvin Davis led the Hitters with a game high 21 points and Glen “Ghost ” Phillip proved that he still has something left in the aging legs as he scored 16 points while David “Longman” Dowell supported well with 10 points. The final score saw Hitters suffering a 25 point demolition at the hands of the Grenada Scisson Sparklers team 87-62.
Hitters suffered their second loss to the St.Vincent Hairoun All-Stars. The Vincentians enjoyed a commanding lead for the entire duration of the semifinal match-up. Hitters kept the scores close in the first quarter ( 22-21) but All Stars was able to keep a seven point lead over the next two quarters, 49-41 and 70-63. The final quarter All Stars extending their dominance with Oral Roberts scoring 22 points to lead his teams. Six (6) other players in double figures including Lezzo Mckenzie with 18 points, Bradford Duncan with 16 points, Alexus Foyle had 14 points while Ishamra Nickee and Kendol Cumberbatch gave good support with 12 points each. Hitters were led by David Dowell with 12 points and SKABA All Star captain and national player Troy Chumney with 10 points. The final score saw the Vincentian Hairoun All-Stars totally outplaying the Kittitian team 99-80.
Despite losing two games Hitters met with Barbados Lakers for the third place position but there was no change in their fortunes. In a low scoring encounter the Barbados Lakers outlasted Hitters 50 -36 as both teams showed fatigue in the final quarter. The competition was eventually won by St. Vincent Hairoun All Stars who defeated Grenada Sparklers in the finals 88 57. Alexsis Foyle who had a 38 point game in the finals and consistent in the All Stars other two victories was adjudged the MVP of the competition.
The dissapointing showing by Hitters will undoubtedly force the widely regarded team to have an introspective look at themselves and Hanley will have to definately make some tough decision and possibly some personnel changes if they want to reach back to the pinnacle of local and regional basketball.
Hitters were semifinalists in the St.Kitts basketball association championships in 2005 after enjoying an unprecedented 7 year run as league champions. They lost to eventual champions the Fig Tree Dirt Revelers.
