Those were the words of Finals MVP Dennis Dugbenu better known as Mantse when Citi FM caught up with him after Saint Augustine’s College sealed their place in the finals of the 2016 Sprite Ball Championships against Pope John High School.
The Game
Overcoming an 8-0 run in the first 5 mins of the game the 6’4 Power Forward in his final year kept his word and steered Augusco to a convincing 37 – 22 win over bitter rivals and 4 time champions Mfantsipim School.
One would think he was possessed as he guarded every position and made big play after big play en-route to an eye popping 26 points 16 rebounds and 3 steals game which would ensure that in his final year in school he carved his name into the folklore of one of Ghana’s renowned academic institutions.
The turn around
Mfantsipim’s hopes of sealing a 5th consecutive National Championship rested on how well their star Small Forward junior fared and just as he had done all tournament, Aboagye Kofi Acheampong, got off to a hot start putting up 3 points 3 assists and 1 rebound to set things off.
His confidence was soaring after knocking down a pressure game winning 3 pointer to see Kwabotwe through Over Time against Opoku Ware.
An upsurge in energy and relentless half court pressing from Saint Augustine’s led to a series of turnovers which would begin a 14-0 slide that proved pivotal.
By the 13th minute of the first half Centre Elorm Dzissah had already picked up 4 fouls and had to sit,Augusco didn’t need a second invitation as “Mantse” as calm as ever slowly worked his way to the free throw line while dominating on the offensive glass.
With just 3 minutes into the second half with Mfantsipim trailing by 11 points he fouled out and then desperation set in for the defending champions and the ball became like a hot potato; no one wanted it.
One man wrecking crew best describes Mantse’s effort on the day, looking unusually calm through it all, only missing piece in his game was the long ball.
Such was his dominance that Mfantsipim never pulled within 5 points when they surrendered the lead.
Eventually Aboagye threw caution to the wind and went after the game, leading to more turn overs. He finished the match however with 12 points 5 assists and 3 rebounds even when it was clear he wasn’t having the best of games.
The Ambience
The court was completely surrounded by an expectant crown largely dominated by former students of Saint Augustine’s College and Mfanstipim as well as some high profile personalities including the President of the Ghana Basketball Association David Agbo Ashong and boxing legend Azumah Nelson.
For the players, the magnitude of the occasion contributed to the tension and excitement while the fans chanted song after song.
Attendance indicates that the 2016 Sprite Ball competition had benefited a lot from Social Media hype and promised to be even bigger next year.
For Saint Augustine’s College this victory is special because they missed out on last year’s competition,plus it was their first title and came against none other than regional rivals Mfantsipim.
For Mfantsipim that hallowed 5th crown will be worth another shot in 2017 as key players like Aboagye and Selwyn will be returning while for Elorm Dzissah it was his last game in a red and black jersey.
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