Buckets of fun at Shooting Stars

By Cayman Sports Buzz
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Updated: 1 August 2017

A dozen teams took part in the Shooting Stars 3-on-3 tournament.

Youngsters flocked to the Arts and Recreation Centre at Camana Bay on Saturday (29 July) for the Shooting Stars 3-on-3 basketball tournament organised by Star 92.7FM.

Teams competed in three age divisions: 7-9, 10-12, and 13-15. In all, more than 40 players hit the court for the official closing tournament for Camana Bay’s Mixed Sports Camp and Basketball Camp.

“I’m very pleased. I think the turnout has been one of the best even though we took a two-year hiatus,” said Star 92.7FM’s Program Director, John Watler.

Josh Gardener goes up for a stylish score.

There was lots of entertainment on the court, as children showcased their skills and had fun in a competitive environment. The tournament ended with a thrilling final in the 13-15 age group. The Skinny Squad of Ayo Oremule and brothers Joshua and Micah O’Garro defeated Showtime Ballers in overtime to win the trophies.

In the 10-12 division, Dream Team took the honours after beating Jaguars in the final. Both teams were comprised of players from the CI Hoopsters basketball club. The champions of Dream Team were D’Andre Rankin, Josh Gardener, Amar Christian, and Nathaniel Anderson.

Both Skinny Squad and Dream Team were undefeated in their run through the tournament.

: Skinny Squad: (L-R) Ayo Oremule, Micah O’Garro, Joshua O’Garro

: Dream Team: (L-R) D’Andre Rankin, Josh Gardener, Amar Christian, Nathaniel Anderson

Rockets won the 7-9 group, defeating Spinners 3-0 in the series to determine the winner. The Rockets team was Abraham Joven, Nathan Myles and Ayo Ogunybi.

Watler explained why his station was so keen on bringing back the Shooting Stars tournament, as well as focusing on younger players for this edition.

“We realised that people aren’t putting on a lot of events geared towards the children. We feel that exercise and sport are the best ways to keep children out of trouble, motivate them to be better, and use up some of the energy that they have.

Joshua O’Garro drives into the paint.

The National Council of Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) was selected as the beneficiary charity for the event.

“We are also very thankful to the Star 92.7 team for choosing the NCVO as the beneficiary of this year’s event,” said NCVO Coordinator Mona Meade.

“The tournament aligns perfectly with the NCVO’s work in supporting children and families within the community and by providing this event with free registration it encourages future basketball stars to hone their skills in a tournament setting,” she added.

: Rockets: Abraham Joven, Nathan Myles, Ayo Ogunybi.

: David Swan and Kobe Meade won autographed basketballs.

Two of the players in the tournament – David Swan and Kobe Meade – won autographed basketballs signed by Cody Zeller of the Charlotte Hornets from a raffle to benefit the NCVO.

Star 92.7FM expressed thanks NCVO, Camana Bay, Watler & Hislop Services Limited, Rubis Cayman Islands Limited, Saxon Insurance, CUC, Cayman National Bank and the Cayman Islands Basketball Association for their dedication to the care, education and well–being of children and families in need of support in the Cayman Islands by staging the highly anticipated tournament.