Six teams battled for supremacy on the basketball court this weekend in Riverhead’s annual “Stop the Violence” tournament, which ended in a contest decided in overtime between a Riverhead team and a team whose players traveled from NYC and NJ to play. Riverhead came up short, 59-56.
The double-elimination tournament, an annual summer event since 2007, drew about half the number of teams as last year’s event, but also drew a larger crowd of spectators to the Osborn Avenue park just north of Middle Road, said organizer Dwayne Eleazer of Riverhead. Teams compete for a cash prize.
The two-day event helps people get to know one other and build friendships, Eleazer said.
The tournament is supported in part by the Riverhead Town recreation department, which provides bleachers, portable toilets and T-shirts for each team.
Riverhead Supervisor Sean Walter and Councilman James Wooten stopped in to watch some of the action Saturday. The supervisor read a few Bible verses from the book of Romans, which Eleazer said was “very inspiring.”
“We had beautiful weather this year and a wonderful tournament. We’re looking forward to next year,” Eleazer said.
RiverheadLOCAL photos by Emil Breitenbach Jr.
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