Delight at competitive nature of the leagues
LE MONT SAINT’S triumph in Men’s Division One has completed a changeover of champions at the top of domestic basketball.
LMS defeated Skipton 56-52 on Monday night to prevent them winning a fifth straight title, backing up Praxis Pumas’ earlier upset of six-time champions Ravenscroft in the Women’s Division.
LMS captain Pete Beausire is, of course, pleased to see his team come out top.
‘I am happy to win the league at last – now I need to try and organise an “Upton”,’ he said.
With his Guernsey Basketball Association president hat on, he also credited the success of Division One’s draft system and suggested that ‘other sports could follow suit’.
But equally he welcomed the crowning of new champions for both men and women, plus LMS Used’s Division Two victory going to the wire.
‘It shows that there’s not one team that’s dominating,’ he added.
‘To have Division One and Division Two go to the final couple of games has been amazing.
‘It’s fantastic for Praxis to win the league for the first time and I am so happy for Robin [Smith, who has coached them for 14 years].’
This, together with the success of their Future Stars and development league programmes, leaves him feeling that Guernsey basketball is in a ‘good place’ currently.
That is not a bad position to be in as a big home Island Games year looms.
More in Wednesday's Guernsey Press.
