By Joe Chapman

THE Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA)/Malta Supreme Open basketball semifinals were played last Saturday night with top-ranked Victory Valley Royals eliminating Amelia’s Ward Jets 60-47 and the Half Mile Bulls knocking out Retrieve Raiders 68- 50, to secure a place in the final.

The Royals should be confident with their buildup to this final as they have continued to show their versatility. Harold Adams remains their best player with former junior national Marlon Pollydore showing glimpses of his past outstanding role for this club.

Yannick Tappin is a promising player and an emerging force and, with the experienced Dwight Cooper and Trevor Profitt back, they will be key to Royals carting off another title.
The Bulls, however, will be hoping to turn back their opponents. They remain dependent on Terron Welch, who is now a national player and who has blossomed from the junior ranks.
But, if power forward Travin Dryden an outstanding former youth national is absent from the Bulls lineup, forwards Vibert Benjamin and Kevin Easton and guard Jamar Bethune will be hard-pressed to turn back the town’s top club Royals.

When the semifinals were played last Saturday at the Mackenzie Sports Club hard court, the Bulls were led by Vibert Benjamin and Terron Welch both netting 13 points and Jamar Bethune 10.

In their losing cause the Raiders’ best scorers were Omally Sampson with 16 game-high points and Deron Montrose with 11.
In the second semifinal Royals overwhelmed Jets 60-47, as Harold Adams and Marlon Pollydore each registered 17 points.

For the losers, Joel Webster had a game-high 25 points and his brother Allister 11.
The championship final tomorrow night will be played after the first game featuring the losing semi-finalists Raiders and Jets at 18:30hrs while the final is set for 20:30hrs featuring Royals and Bulls.