Louisville sophomore Samardo Samuels had 17 points and former Providence wing Weyinmi Efejuku scored 16 to lead Jamaica to a 65-61 victory over the British Virgin Islands in the gold medal game of the CBC Championship in Tortola.
Samuels, out of St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, had 7 points in the first quarter when Jamaica took a 20-10 lead. Efejuku, who played at Rice, added 6.
“It’s an honor to represent your country or to have countries want you to represent
them in competition,” Efejuku, whose parents are both Jamaican, told me before the tournament. “Even though now is a busy time for me, I still want to represent Jamaica in this competition and play and just learn and get better.”
Rutgers guard Mike Coburn added 3 rebounds and 2 points for the winners.
“We are very proud of Mike,” Rutgers head coach Fred Hill said before the event. “He definitely earned this opportunity. Mike is a very gifted player who does things the right way. I’m confident that he will grow from his experiences this summer and will return to provide us great leadership.”
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(Photo courtesy FIBA Americas)
