The Tribune

THE ninth annual Gateway Invitational Basketball Tournament closed out in Porgy Bay, Bimini, at the Gateway Sporting Arena on Saturday night with complete dominance from the Grand Bahama clubs.

The entire endeavour was a very fine affair where fraternity, competition and friendship abound as the Gateway Outreach Ministry and Apostle Gilbert Rolle Sr hosted basketball clubs out of Andros, Grand Bahama and Bimini.

On the night, teams out of the second city demonstrated dominance over the very gracious home teams with United in Christ Thunder taking home the junior crown with a 56-49 coasting over Gateway Academy Eagles and the Blazer Elite Elite Explore overcame a stubborn Gateway Eagles 50-38 to procure the senior divisional title.

The story line of the tournament was the competitiveness and closeness of talent in the the senior division as the playoff picture had to be decided by points differential with the North Andros Seminoles, United in Christ Thunder and the Gateway Academy Eagles.

Blazer Elite Explore eventually emerged as pool winners going undefeated.

In the junior division, the United In Christ Thunder and the Gateway Academy Eagles ended with identical records at 3-1 and split in double round robin play with the Thunder going on to win on points.

Although going winless, the toast of the tournament was the home town favourite - spirited Bimini Youth Basketball. The tournament was coordinated by Gilbert Rolle Jr and Sharon “the General” Storr served as the tournament director.