The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

IT WAS an opportunity to showcase their skills and a homecoming for two Bahamian high school student athletes who have helped transform their Canadian programme to a  basketball powerhouse.

Shamar Burrows and Livingston Bromwell, of the Ridley College Tigers out of St Catharines in Ontario, Canada competed in an exhibition against their former school - Noble Preparatory Academy Spartans - at the DW Davis Gymnasium on Tuesday.

The Tigers edged the Spartans by a single point (53-52) in a tune-up just before their travel from Canada continues on to the Catholic High School Holiday Classic in Grand Bahama. For the duo, the game was significant because of an opportunity to play at home in meaningful competition.

Burrows, a senior and co-captain for the Tigers, was recently named the MVP of the Standard High School Tournament, a mid season event in Canada.

“It was great being back home. Not just to be here but to have the chance to play in front of my friends and family and to have my teammates experience the Bahamas. I haven’t been back home in a year so this was great,” he said. “We just wanted to come out and continue doing what we have been doing all season. We are in a really good place right now as a team and it helps to play some new competition and keep that going. Coach Bullard has a really great programme, those guys gave us a push tonight. The gym was hot and it took us a while to get adjusted to the heat and humidity, we don’t deal with that in Canada so it took some getting used to right away, but eventually we were able to execute some things that we’ve been accustomed to doing.”

Burrows, also a prefect at the school, has already fielded scholarship offers and said his tenure at Ridley has made a positive impact both on and off the court.

“Ridley has changed me so much, it’s difficult to really sum it up into one short answer. It has changed everything about me from the way I play on the court to my complete development as a person. On the court I’ve really learned how to be a leader,” he said. “My game is more under control now and I’m more accustomed now to running an offence. My jumpshot has really improved but I just want to keep that improvement going, to continue to get my teammates involved, to continue to work on my areas that aren’t as strong and to just be whatever my team needs me to be on the floor. Ridley has made me a better student, and a better person. The development you get socially in adapting to new environments is almost as important as the work you do in the classroom. So I’m just thankful for the opportunity and I just hope to continue to make the best of it.”

Bromwell welcomed both the weather and playing in a familiar environment.

“It’s great to be back home from the cold weather in Canada. I missed my family and all that so it’s great to be back here and it’s great  to be in an environment where everyone is showing you love and support,” he said.

Bromwell also said as the season progresses and the Tigers continue to make school history, he prepares himself by adding new elements to his game.

“The season is great so far, we are pretty much a veteran team so we know what it is we set out to do. We are playing together as a unit and it’s great, it’s looking up. We’re 16-0 right now with a few championships under our belt, but we’re still getting it together and things like this help us to bond so it’s a great experience,” he said. “My main goal coming into this season was to take more three pointers. Last year I wasn’t really a threat beyond the arch and guys wouldn’t really play me out there so I added to my arsenal a three-point game so that now when I pick and roll and pick and pop I’m a threat to shoot it. Most post players nowadays can shoot the three so to make myself more attractive to programmes at the next level, I had to develop.”

Both former students at Noble Prep helped to lead the Tigers to their first provincial title in school history when they won the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations Class A boys basketball championship. They are also both beneficiaries of the exchange programme between NPA and Ridley College.

The team’s historic season last year not only included the OFSAA ‘A’ title, but an appearance in the Conference of Independent Schools Athletic Association (CISAA) title game.

Noble Prep director and head coach Geno Bullard said his Spartans team wanted to give Ridley College a scrimmage so that they can get an idea of what the competition will be like when they play in the tournament this week. It was also just the second game of the season for his team as they continue to gel, led by sharp-shoopting guard Aaron Lloyd and high flying centre Kevin Cooper.

“It was good to have this welcome home scrimmage,” Bullard said. “These guys have been away for a couple of months, so it was good for them to come home and compete with each other. This has really validated what we are doing with our programme, so I’m really happy for the guys.”