Pastors top Politicians in ‘Peace on da Street’ Basketball Classic

By Jonathan Burrows

IN a spirited battle of faith and governance, the annual “Peace on da Streets” Basketball Classic Pastors vs Politicians game lit up the Kendal G.L. Isaacs Gymnasium yesterday evening, drawing a lively crowd and showcasing a blend of competition, camaraderie and community unity.

From the tip-off, the energy of the game was unmatched but, by halftime, the Pastors had stormed to an eight-point lead with a score of 21-13, utilising their speed and unselfish ball movement. 

“Well, the reality is that we wanted to see what their game plan was in the first half. We know that they are bigger than us, so we really were just feeling them out in the first half and using our speed to our advantage and ensuring that we get the right passes,” said Pastor Delvone Duncombe on their lead at the half. 

The Politician team seemed to be out of place and out of rhythm as they fell behind at halftime. 

“We are playing their game right now, and that is not how we play. Those guys are in better shape than we are, and we are trying to keep up with them. We are not playing smart and to our strengths right now, we need more ball movement and to stop putting our heads down and driving to the basket,” said Member of Senate Bacchus Rolle. 

The Politicians, however, were not about to go down without a fight. 

Spearheaded by Bacchus Rolle and Leandro Lightbourne, the team chipped away at the deficit in the second half with an aggressive zone defence and timely buckets. 

In the final minutes, the Politicians had clawed their way into a lead by a single point, flipping the narrative on what looked like a blowout in the first half. 

The Pastors responded with poise. A clutch and-one basket and the free throw by Pastor Don Clarke put the Pastors back on top. 

With the score at 40-39 and time ticking away, MP Clay Sweeting had a chance to tie or put the Politicians up one point but missed a pair of crucial free throws, sealing the win for the Pastors with an ending score of 42-39. 

“It was a hard-fought battle,” said Pastor Dave Burrows, head coach of the Pastors’ team. 

“Our guys stayed composed in the final minutes, and they handled it well and closed it out,” Burrows said.

Despite the loss, the message rang loud. “This game was very important just to show the Bahamians that there is unity among politicians, as we’re not all PLPs on this team, and of course, it’s always good to show the public the camaraderie between the church and the state. But as a whole, this tournament is so important for young Bahamian men in general, to give them an opportunity to be seen and acknowledged for doing something positive,” said Bacchus Rolle on the importance of the Politicians vs Pastors game. 

In the end, the Pastors may have taken the win, but the real victory belonged to the community- a reminder that when leaders of faith and leaders of government come together, they can inspire a nation to rise above division. 


 



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