KFC School Basketball: President’s College run riot on weekend of high drama

It was a weekend of high drama, standout individual performances, and clinical team displays as days two and three of the 19th KFC National School Basketball Festival delivered plenty of on-court action at the National Gymnasium.

Tutorial Academy laid down an early marker in the girls’ tournament with a commanding 18-7 victory over Queen’s College.

Jada Alexander and Venicia Myers did the heavy lifting for Tutorial, both netting six points while dominating the glass and causing havoc with a combined eight steals. Ricielle Fowler fought hard for Queen’s College with seven points and seven rebounds, but lacked the support to mount a comeback.

Meanwhile, JC Chandisingh proved too strong for Marian Academy, securing an 11-6 win. Jenniah Archer led the scoring with seven points, while Jada Minty put in a tireless shift, controlling the paint with five rebounds to guide her side home.

In the Under-16 section, St. Rose’s High produced the performance of Day Two, dismantling Marian Academy 43-12. Nathan Williams was in sensational form, racking up a game-high 18 points, while Daniel Cox chipped in with nine points and four steals in a thoroughly dominant display.

The game of the round, however, belonged to Kwakwani and Line Path, with the former holding their nerve to grind out a thrilling 27-25 victory.

Damian Budburg’s 10 points and four crucial steals just about tipped the balance, despite a valiant 11-point, seven-rebound effort from Line Path’s Joel Sukhram.

Elsewhere, St Stanislaus edged Queen’s College 24-22 in a tense encounter driven by Omarie White’s impressive 14-point, nine-rebound showing. Berbice High enjoyed a smoother outing, comfortable 34-18 winners over Hururu, thanks to a glittering 20-point masterclass from Avion Kesney.

Day three shifted the focus to the youngsters, and The Bishop’s High wasted no time making a statement in the Under-14 division. They brushed past North Georgetown Secondary 24-5, powered by a monstrous double-double from Ethan Henry, who dominated with 12 points and 14 rebounds.

Queen’s College were equally ruthless, dismissing President’s College 24-4. Yohan Langevine was the star of the show, mimicking Henry’s feat with his own double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Good Hope Secondary also enjoyed a comfortable day at the office, beating Marian Academy 28-12 behind 10-point outings from both Christopher Claxton and Jafer Matthews.

St Stanislaus College joined the winner’s circle too, defeating Christ Church 22-12 as Nathan Baptiste commanded the floor with 14 points and 13 rebounds.

The Under-18 category delivered the most explosive scoreline of the festival so far, as President’s College completely dismantled St Joseph High 48-6. Terron Mohabir (11 points) and Romarion Wolfe (10 points) spearheaded a relentless attack that left St Joseph with simply no answers.

St. Stanislaus College were also in no mood for compromises, cruising past Brickdam 35-9 courtesy of Hartley Price’s 13 points. The Bishops’ High followed suit, securing a relatively comfortable 33-21 win over Tutorial Academy, largely thanks to Kemol Pickering’s 13-point contribution.

The day closed with an absolute classic as New Amsterdam Multilateral (NAMS) narrowly squeaked past the Government Technical Institute (GTI) 34-31. Samuel Welcome was the hero for NAMS, pouring in 18 points and grabbing seven rebounds to just edge out GTI’s Sean Duncan, whose superb 17-point, six-rebound effort fell agonizingly short at the final buzzer.

The 19th KFC National School Basketball Festival is sponsored by KFC, Edward B. Beharry Ltd., G-Boats Inc, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, and the Ministry of Education.