Mani Maynard found himself directly in the spotlight — both on and off the court — as the 66th Annual Welland Tribune Basketball Tournament opened Wednesday.

The 17-year-old, Grade 12 guard for the A.N. Myer Marauders poured in a game high 32 points as the Marauders defeated the Centennial Cougars 78-45, but not without being the centre of attention of a packed gym full of rabid Cougar fans who taunted the talented guard at every turn.

Fans yelled everything from ‘Overrated’ to ‘You suck,’ but Maynard got the last laugh.

“I didn’t really hear them, but after every bucket it’s just fun,” Maynard said. “I love that. It makes me want to play harder. Overrated. You suck. I just love it.”

Maynard correctly surmised the taunts had more to do with the fact he led all scorers in points, including seven three-pointers, than anything personal.

“They want to win and I was scoring quite a bit so I think they thought to try and get in my head a little bit. It didn’t work, but I see what they were trying to do.”

Click here to read the full article on BP Sports Niagara.

By Bill Potrecz