KC, STGC cop basketball titles
ST GEORGE’S College and Kingston College crowned themselves champions as they captured the 2013/2014 KFC/ISSA Southern Conference Under-16 and Under-19 High School titles, respectively, with 2-0 victories over their opponents at the Stadium Basketball Courts on Monday evening.
The St George’s aggregation from North Street defeated six-time champions Ardenne High in a closely fought affair 55-51 to clinch the best-of-three Under-16 finals 2-0, while neighbours Kingston College were too strong for Wolmer’s Boys, winning 59-51 for a 2-0 triumph in the Under-19 category.
In Game Two of the Under-16 clash, the losers through Martin Lee and Justin Rhoden applied pressure very early on their opponents to gain a 14-10 lead at the completion of the first quarter.
However, St George’s duo of Malik Jackson and Tafari Simms picked up their momentum in the second quarter and brought them level with Ardenne before gaining a six-point lead at the half time break.
The Basil Barrett-coached team from Ardenne Road did not allow St George’s to gain a wide lead as they traded basket in the third quarter. Ardenne outscored their opponents 14-12, but at the third quarter break, were still behind 34-38.
It was a ding-dong tussle in the fourth and final quarter as Ardenne stepped up the pace in an effort to level the series, but although putting the pressure on St George’s in the last three minutes, failed to overcome the winners.
Malik Jackson of St George’s who was named most valuable player in the final, had a game-high 27 points with eight assists, and Simms with 14 points, 11 rebounds and nine blocked shots for the winners, while the main scorers for Ardenne were Lee with 17 points and 12 rebounds, and Rhoden 17 points and 12 rebounds.
The senior final was comfortably won by the North Street team which raced into a 13-7 lead in the first quarter, and Malik Pusey and Clifton Jean pushed them to a 27-19 lead at half time.
The Wolmer’s pair of Akeem Parchment and Roger Smith kept them in contention in the third quarter, but although it went 14-13 to KC, the Howard Harvey-coached Wolmer’s still trailed 32-41 heading into the last period.
For KC, Pusey, who was chosen as the most valuable player in the match, scored 18 points, 13 rebounds and had three steals, five assists; Jean hit 18 points and 15 rebounds, while Parchment scored 10 points and Smith with nine points were the leading scorers for Wolmer’s.