King at the losing end

Shawn King, playing for Oral Roberts University (ORU) in the USA, was at the losing end, when the NIT Basketball season tipped off last Tuesday night at the Reed Arrena Texas.{{more}} King, a six foot 10 inch centre, from the Grenadine island of Bequia, contributed ten points and had five rebounds, as ORU went under to 54-67 to Texas A&M.

ORU trailed 17-37 by the half, but rallied in the second to outscore A&M 14-3.They however faltered as A&M swelled the lead by nineteen, with just eight minutes to go.

A late starter to the sport of Basketball, King has made significant strides as a centre, both in his native Bequia and in his college years.

With shot blocking being his main strength, King played his first two seasons with the Carl Albert State College in Oklahoma. There, he twice earned first-team all-region honours and averaged 20.6 points, 12.6 rebounds and 7.1 blocks per game as a sophomore. He also shot 56.5 percent from the field and 53 percent from the free throw line,earning him a ranked second nationally in rebounding and 24th in scoring. He averaged 11.5 points, 9.6 rebounds and 5.4 blocks per game as a freshman.

Now a senior at ORU, King has been a fixture on the Bequia All Star team, but is yet to repesent St. Vincent and the Grenadines. He was one of the persons sought after last year, when St. Vincent and the Grenadines participated in the Caricom Basketball Championships in Jamaica.