THE Game team members established their dominance in the 3v3 Battle of the Norf basketball tournament after defeating South Boys 7-5 in the open division finale at the As Matuis basketball court over the weekend.
The two-day tournament started on Saturday with 14 teams battling for the two final spots. On Sunday, the top two teams, The Game and South Boys, played for the title.
The Game consisted of coach Clint Albert, Richard McWilliams, Dean Blake, Mac Mintac and Elbin Kim. They appeared to be equally matched against the South Boys’ Jack Aranda, Jaymark De Guzman, Josh Andrew and Paulo Rafols as neither team could gain the upper hand.
The Game drew first blood thanks to Dean Blake’s reliable jump shot. He continued to ride the momentum adding two more buckets to give his team a 3-0 lead.
However, it did not take long for the South Boys to retaliate using pick and rolls to create openings for Rafols and Andrew who finished at the rim to cut down The Game’s lead.
With every shot The Game made, the South Boys had an answer whether it be from the three-point line, inside the paint or around the perimeter.
And so the game was tied 5-5 with six minutes left on the lock.
In the final few minutes of the game, defense became the priority. But with defense, comes fouls which turned out to be the South Boys’ undoing as they went over the foul limit. This provided The Game an unguarded free-throw shot to gain control once again, 6-5.
With successful defensive stops, moreover, The Game kept the South Boys silent.
The Game then squeezed one last free-throw before time ran out to secure victory over the South Boys, 7-5.
“I feel great,” The Game player Richard McWilliams said. “I got great teammates. Basketball is a team sport, and you can’t do it without your teammates. And that is how we won tonight.”
Although The Game players never actually practiced together, McWilliams said their teamwork was the key to victory. “That is what it is to be a team. We came out tonight as teammates and got it done. It was not easy, it was tough, but we did it.”
The Game’s Richard McWilliams dribbles against South Boys’ Josh Andrew during Sunday’s championship game of the 3v3 Battle of the Norf basketball tournament at the As Matuis basketball court.
Photo by James F. Sablan Jr
The Game team members pose with their championship trophy during the award ceremony following the championship game of the 3v3 Battle of the Norf basketball tournament Sunday at the As Matuis basketball court.
Photo by James F. Sablan Jr.
