Tola Crowned 2026 King of the Court
Tola (Tortola) captured the 2026 King of the Court Caribbean Championship at a packed Multi-Purpose Sports Complex on Sunday, June 7, defeating St Thomas in the final. The victory followed dramatic semifinal wins on June 6, including Tola’s 92-91 thriller over the Dominican Republic, and caps a weekend that underlined the growing profile of basketball in the territory (sources: VINO).
Tola (Tortola) were crowned 2026 King of the Court Caribbean champions at a packed Multi-Purpose Sports Complex on Sunday, June 7, after a hard-fought championship game against St Thomas, organisers confirmed via VINO. The final saw Kalu Ezikpe step up with a game-high 26 points and 11 rebounds, while Deon J.
Eral Penn supported the frontcourt with 14 points and 8 rebounds as Tola defended home turf before a vocal local crowd (VINO). St Thomas fought bravely but came up short. Khamani Olivacce led their scorers with 14 points and K’Nard Callendar added 12 in the losing effort, according to VINO’s game report.
The title game capped off a dramatic weekend that began on Saturday, June 6, when Tola scraped into the final by edging the Dominican Republic 92-91 in a game that was decided in the final possession. Edwin sank two crucial free throws with 14.6 seconds left to put Tola ahead 92-91, and the visitors appeared to have a last-second winner on a second-chance attempt that initially caused wild celebration.
Young waved the basket off after a review, and organisers later confirmed the shot clock had expired on the Dominican Republic’s second attempt. The stoppage, which included a brief crowd invasion and more than 10 minutes of delay, ended with Tola declared the victors (VINO). Edwin poured in a game-high 33 points in that semifinal, with Eral Penn adding 29 and Kalu Ezikpe 12.
Juan de los Santos led the Dominican Republic with a valiant 44 points in defeat (VINO). Earlier on Saturday, St Thomas booked their place in the final with a convincing 107-71 win over St Eustatius. K’Nard Callendar paced St Thomas with 23 points and Khaleed Heywood contributed 20, while Mike Miller scored a game-high 25 for St Eustatius (VINO).
Basketball action at the venue had begun Sunday evening with the Sports Vision Academy League Junior Division championship between the Celtics and the Nets at 6:00 PM, followed by the Senior Division final between the Suns and the Thunder at 7:00 PM, before the King of the Court final tipped off at 9:00 PM (VINO).
Defending champions VG Bayside Blazers were eliminated earlier in the tournament, exiting at the group stage, organisers said (VINO). For BVI fans, the weekend was a showcase of local and regional talent and a reminder of the sport’s rising profile in the territory. Organisers are again urging spectators to arrive early and heed venue instructions, particularly in light of the crowd disruption that followed the Tola–Dominican Republic semifinal.
Tola’s triumph brings regional bragging rights back to Tortola and provides a celebratory moment for home supporters after a tense and emotional run to the crown (VINO).
Primary source: VINO