The Tribune

ST Paul’s Baptist held off neighbourhood rivals Macedonia Baptist to win the Bethel Baptist Association’s Youth Department initial basketball tournament that was played at Remnant Tabernacle.

The tournament, featuring six churches out of the Bethel Baptist Association, got started in December, but was not completed and so it wrapped up on Friday night.

In the championship, St Paul’s, behind the most valuable player performance from Van Hutchinson Jr, held off Macedonia 20-19.

Macedonia was led by DeVontee Gibson.

St Paul’s advanced to the championship by eliminating Remnant Ministries 29-27 as Jason Cambridge led the attack with five points in one half of the playoffs.

The other half saw Macedonia rout New Covenant 19-7 as Delano Knowles had eight points in the win. 

In the round robin segment of the tournament, Remnant Tabernacle nipped Macedonia 26-25, New Covenant clobbered Bethel 29-7, St Paul’s held off New Mount Zion 15-14, Macedonia pounded Bethel 31-4, Remnant stunned New Mount Zion 30-6 and New Covenant held off St Paul’s 19-18.

Bethel Baptist Youth president Rev Lavado Duncanson thanked the six churches which participated in the tournament. He also extended his gratitude to Rev Melvin Grant and the officers and members of Remnant Tabernacle for allowing them to host the tournament in their gymnasium.

The tournament is the first for the association, which hopes to put on more sporting activities as the year progresses, leading into and after the Bethel Baptist Association’s Convocation in May in their effort to keep the young people in some wholesome sporting activities.W