The three matchups in the National Under-19 Schools Basketball Championship at the Beausejour Indoor Facility, on Tuesday, showcased the skills and determination of young athletes leading their teams to victory.
In the first match, Soufriere Comprehensive Secondary School (SCSS) defeated St Mary’s College, 47-31. The victorious West Coast team benefitted from all-around performances by several players. Rayquan Francis delivered a double-double, scoring 14 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. His defensive prowess was also on display with 4 blocks and 2 steals. Nathaniel Daniel matched Francis in scoring and added an impressive 6 steals. Shayne Edgar contributed significantly, finishing with 11 points, 7 rebounds, 6 steals, and 4 assists.
Reflecting on the SCSS performance, head coach Mark Antoine said it was a “mixed bag”.
“I found that we missed a lot of easy baskets today, but the guys did what they had to do. We played reasonably okay, so they ended up with the ‘W’, but there’s a lot of work to be done still,” he said.
In the second game, Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC) dominated Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School, winning by an astounding 50 points with a final score of 71-21. Points came from all directions for SALCC, with Joel Desrivieres leading the charge, finishing with 19 points, 4 steals, and 8 rebounds, 7 of which were offensive. Jazaniah Blanchard followed with 17 points, while Malik Denis contributed 10 points to cap off a commanding performance. For Vieux Fort, Josan Henry led all scorers with 6 points.
Despite the lopsided victory, SALCC head coach Andy Simons identified areas for improvement.
“We need to improve defensively because we commit too many fouls,” he said. “Instead of simply going at the player to prevent them from reaching the basket, we need to be more disciplined and strategic. Our defensive approach feels rushed, so we should focus on maintaining control, boxing out effectively, and taking better care of the ball. Basketball is all about possession—when you have the ball, you create more opportunities to score. By taking our time and looking for easy options, we can make the game much easier for ourselves.”
Patricia D. James Secondary School (PDJSS) defeated Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary School in the final game of the day. The first quarter was fiercely competitive, with both teams trading baskets. However, a dominant second-quarter surge by Patricia James saw them enter halftime with a commanding 38-13 lead. Consistent scoring throughout the game resulted in an impressive blowout victory, 61-35.
Patricia James’ victory was spearheaded by a phenomenal performance from Junior Dupre, who recorded an outstanding stat line of 40 points, 16 rebounds, 6 steals, 5 assists, and 4 blocks. Malliq Mitchell also contributed significantly with 10 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 assists. For Leon Hess, Sage Lewis led the scoring with 17 points.
Joseph Yarde, Head Coach for PDJS, credited a motivational bus ride for the team’s triumph.
“They were actually confident that they would have won this match,” he said. “After encouraging them, they gained a level of confidence and we decided we were going to come in today and we were just going to take this win. All throughout, on the way on the bus, I’m telling them, ‘Guys, we have no choice but to just take this win today, and if we don’t get this win, we are not returning home today.’ So I guess that was a bit of, you know, encouragement for them, and then they took that, and we brought home the victory.”
