The District A-1 Community Basketball Tournament was a HUGE success! Check out the pics! Read the play by play account below by BPDNews sports reporter and A-1 CSO Christine Vraibel!
On Wednesday, August 24, 2011, the District A-1 Community Service Office held its first annual Community Basketball Tournament. The event was held at The Sports Club/LA located at 4 Avery Street. The event was sponsored by Christine Dunn and John Ciolfi of the Millennium Place Primary Condominium Ritz-Carlton Hotel & Towers, Boston Common. They graciously provided the teams with jerseys, pizza, drinks and a beautiful cake baked by the hotel’s Pastry Chef. Chinatown and Charlestown and the North End put together teams which consisted of teenagers from each neighborhood. Each team was also given three District A-1 police officers who would play with the neighborhood teens.
The first game of the evening included the teens from North End against the teens from Chinatown. The winner of this match-up would play against Charlestown for the championship. This game see-sawed back and forth. Once a team took the lead, the other team would fight back to even up the score. With thirty-five seconds left in the game, Chinatown was clinging to a two point lead. Chinatown inbounded the ball to Officer Shaughnessy. Shaughnessy calmly drove to the basket, made the shot and was fouled. He made the one-shot free throw which put his team up by five points. The North End team then attempted a three point shot and missed. Chinatown grabbed the rebound and a foul was called. Chinatown went back to the line and made one of two free throws. The final score was 29 to 23. What a game!
The championship game featured Charlestown vs. Chinatown. Charlestown had been favored to win the tournament. They had been the only team that defeated the Boston Police District A-1 team. That game was exciting from the beginning to midway through the final half. Charlestown then took over the game and coasted with ease. In the championship game, Chinatown quickly shook off their underdog status and gave Charlestown a battle from the start. After a valiant effort, the fatigue factor took over and Charlestown pulled away. The final score was 57 to 46. Chinatown was lead by Officer Mark Loewen who scored 13 points. The Charlestown team was lead by Randy Gambaro who poured in a tournament high 16 points.
At the end of the championship game, Charlestown was presented the first place trophy. Trophies were also presented to Chinatown as the runner up and the North End for the third place finish.
BPD A-1 would like to thank the Ritz pastry chef for an awesome cake!
Here are the team photos: Charlestown, Chinatown and North End!
Boston Police would also like to extend a huge thank you to the organizers. Below see photos of Sgt.Lema, Mary Higgins from Emerson College, Christine Dunn Millennium Place, Frank Chin,Jane Leung from Asian Y.E.S, Karen Gately from YMCA and Captain Bernard O’Rourke.
