The Cayman Islands Hoop Fest concluded on 5 July, crowning its first ever champion for the inaugural event.
The three-day international tournament, held at the Camana Bay ARC and John Gray High School gymnasium on 3-5 July, showcased elite youth basketball talent from the Cayman Islands, Jamaica and the United States, delivering thrilling match-ups and fostering significant development opportunities for local athletes.
The final day of competition kicked off with an offensive explosion from the Texas Tigers, who dominated the Cayman Bulldogs, a very young team making their international tournament debut, with a staggering 115-46 victory.
Texas guard Cino Nagin delivered a tournament-high 53 points, shooting nearly 70% from the field and securing five 3-pointers.
He was supported by Jeremiah Thirdkill, who tallied 35 points and 18 rebounds, and EJ Allen, who contributed 21 points and 22 rebounds, as the Tigers controlled the boards and forced 17 turnovers.
Despite the lopsided score, the Bulldogs showed grit, with Drayson DaCosta scoring 12 points and Demarco Wood battling hard in the paint.
The tournament finale saw a commanding performance by the Cayman U17 Storm, who secured their undefeated 3-0 record with an 84-53 win over Jamaica’s Campion College.
Tournament MVP Daric Ebanks once again led the charge for the Storm, pouring in 28 points, including six 3-pointers.
He was complemented by Amari Latham, who had a strong all-around game with 17 points, 13 rebounds, and three blocks, and George Brooks, who contributed 10 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists.
For Campion College, Richard Leighton closed out his tournament with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Ryheem Martel added 14 points and 12 rebounds along with five steals in a physical contest.
All-Tournament Team awardees
Cino Nagin- point guard
Daric Ebanks- shooting guard
Ryheem Martel – small forward
Amari Latham – power forward
Jeremiah Thirdkill – centre
The final standings saw the Cayman U17 Storm atop the list, followed by the Texas Tigers (2-1), Campion College Crocs (1-2), and the Cayman Bulldogs (0-3).
The champion team, Cayman U17 Storm, consisted of Daric Ebanks, Amari Latham, Griff MacDonald, Obrien Wilson, Teran Timoll, Teroy Timoll, Liam Ramoon, Dimitri Seymour, Kaden Barboram, George Brooks and Naziah Webb.
Daric Ebanks of Storm was deservingly named the tournament MVP.
He was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Cino Nagin (Texas Tigers), Ryheem Martel (Campion College), Amari Latham (Cayman U17 Storm) and Jeremiah Thirdkill (Texas Tigers).
This inaugural Hoop Fest event was hailed as a resounding success, not only for its exciting international play, but also for providing invaluable basketball development opportunities for Cayman’s national athletes and demonstrating immense community support.
Collin Anglin, the Cayman Islands Basketball Association president, told the Compass that the event is scheduled to be an annual tournament moving forward with aims of adding a girls division next year.
