Four Sweeps at BAISS Championships

by 10th Year Seniors

 

Senior Boys

JPW Falcons def. SAC Big Red Machine, 2-0

 

The Jordan Prince William Falcons Senior Boys basketball team continues to soar high yet again above the remainder of the field in the BAISS with their second consecutive league title.

 

In a thrilling 57-54 finish, the Falcons outlasted the SAC Big Red Machine Wednesday night at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

 

The final minute featured three lead changes before the Falcons were able to pull ahead for good. SAC’s Johnathan Johnson made a three pointer from the left wing to give his team a 54-53 lead with 48 seconds left to play. The Falcons would reclaim the lead on the ensuing possession when Marshall tipped in a missed three pointer with 30 seconds left to play. After the Big Red Machine failed to score, Darius Lewis corralled a rebound and found Frantwion Newton wide open on the opposite end of the floor for a fastbreak layup to seal the win.

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Adam Johnson weaves through the Big Red Machine defence

 

The Falcons were led by Adam Johnson and Newton who both finished with 16 points and Marshall added eight.

 

Johnson, the team’s leading rebounder said he was surprised to have his point guard sneak into a paint and grab the rebound to put home what turned out to be the game winner.

 

“He surprised me, I thought I had it, but I’m happy he was there for that score and to make that play,” Johnson said, “It feels good to win back to back. This team is always willing to fight, no matter the situation and we just want to keep this going. This championship is great, but we know we still have more work to do.”

 

Justin Burrows led a balanced Big Red Machine scoring attack with 17 points, Johnathan Johnson scored 11, Joel Johnson scored nine and Cornelius Clyde added eight.

 

Like they did in game one, the Big Red Machine were in control for nearly the entirety of the first half.

 

They opened the game on an early 10-4 run and forced the Falcons into early foul trouble. After a 32-point performance in game one, Newton was forced to the sideline early with two quick fouls and Falcons head coach Ernest Saunders was forced to go to his bench early and often. SAC was able to take a 12-7 lead at the end of the first.

 

The Falcons went on a 10-6 run in the second quarter to pull within one, 18-17, with just over two minutes left to play in the half. SAC would eventually take a 23-19 lead into the half.

 

The Big Red Machine would have a response for every run the Falcons would make in the third. Leading 27-24, A Higgs three pointer from the wing sparked an 13-3 run as they took control. SAC took a 40-27 lead, their biggest of the game, with under two minutes left to play in the quarter. That vaunted Falcons defence came alive and completely changed the complexion of the game in the final minute of the third and set the tone for the comeback finish in the fourth. The Big Red Machine led 41-31 with 55 seconds left but a series of turnovers allowed the Falcons back into the game. Lewis stole the inbounds pass to score and the Falcons closed on an incredible 9-2 run. SAC would take just a 43-40 lead into the fourth.

 

The fourth quarter would eventually play out as a scoring duel between Johnathan Johnson and Newton before the late game heroics saw the Falcons pull ahead.

 

In the last two years the Falcons have captured two senior boys, one junior boys and one senior girls title.

 

 

Junior Boys

TC Suns def. QC Comets, 2-0

The Temple Christian Suns junior boys basketball team capped an undefeated season with a championship title.

 

The Suns closed out the two game series with a 39-35 clinching win over the QC Comets Wednesday night at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

 

 

Leading 37-35,  with less than one minute left to play, the Suns suffered three consecutive turnovers but the Comets failed to capitalize each trip down the court.

 

On the next possession, Suns guard Dayton Albury was double teamed and found Cruz Johnson under the basket for his only score, which turned out to be the game winner.

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Joshua Burrows directs the Suns’ offence

 

Suns head coach Keith Rolle said the dedication of his team has paid dividends over the years.

 

“This is a wonderful group of young men. From our first game up to this point I’ve seen a tremendous improvement. Yes, we were undefeated, but from the first game they were committed and you can see they really wanted it,” he said, “I don’t think there was a team that deserved it more than them and hats off to the young men.”

 

 

Kirkwood Smith led the Suns with 12 points, Christian Sturrup had eight, while Joshua Burrows and Albury each finished with four.

 

Dionysius Rolle led the Comets with 10 points, both Nathan Allen and Nathan Moss scored six apiece.

 

The game was played to a slow pace in the first quarter. After a high scoring effort in game one, Albury was the catalyst for the offence in game two as a facilitator. He dished back to back assists to give the Suns a four point lead.

 

The Comets kept pace, but the Suns still clung to a 19-18 lead at the half.

 

Smith opened the scoring in the third quarter with a three point play, followed by a long range two pointer from Burrows, Sturrup completed a three point play to cap an 8-0 run.

 

The Comets stormed back, three pointer from Rolle and Moss layup made it 32-31 headed into the fourth quarter.

 

 

With their first junior boys title in school history, Rolle credited the support of the parents and the school’s staff for the team’s success this year.

 

“This wouldn’t have been possible without the parents who were supportive. There were practices, they were out to the games, they were a major part of this process and they were a huge part of the success we had tonight,” he said, “Most of these guys were on the junior team for the last two years. I’ve seen them grow and develop. We were favoured to have an elite guard in Dayton Albury come over also, but this was not a one man team. We pretty much won all of our games on the defensive end and we got our offence from our defence. They believed in working hard, I’m proud of them and they deserved it.”

 

 

Senior Girls 

JPW Falcons def. Kingsway Saints, 2-0

The Falcons came up short in last year’s semifinals, but Terrence McSweeney and his squad dominated the divison all season long en route to capturing the Championship title.

 

The Falcons completed the two game sweep with a 42-15 win over the Kingsway Saints last night at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

 

The Falcons had an average margin of victory of 22 points per game in the series after a 39-22 win in game one.

 

McSweeney said the programme has had a stellar three year run, but it was fitting to claim the championship title after his team’s recommitment in the offseason.

 

“This is my third season and in those three years this team has lost one game in the regular season, we have been there knocking on the door for the past two seasons and this offseason they decided to dig down and really work so we can make this a historic occasion,” he said, “We want to give God thanks for this opportunity to play here. I need to thank Mr. Eugene Bonaby for giving me this opportunity but most of all Hattie Moxey, who is an icon in this nation but has given me the green light to go ahead and to work and do what I needed to do to get this team at this level.”

 

Shemique Thompson finished with a game high 12 points, Robyn Porter was again a force in the interior with eight points while Terell Cox and Amir Thompson each scored six.

 

Chyna Curry led the Saints with six points.

 

The Falcons then went on a key run early for the remainder of the second to put the game away for good.

 

The lead reached as much as 26 in the fourth quarter on Thompson jumper.

The Kingsway Saints finished as runners-up for the second consecutive year.

 

McSweeney said the win validated the tradition the Falcons have continued to build.

 

Success is not all in winning, but what you are looking at achieving,” he said. “I think we have achieved a lot so far..

“Our future looks bright and we’re looking forward to coming back and we have some juniors who are moving up, so we are looking forward to doing some more offseason work on our ball handling and some of shooting skills. If we can get those things done, we can look forward to bringing home the ship home in both divisions.”

Junior Girls

SAC Big Red Machine def. QC Comets, 2-0

The St. Augustine’s College Big Red Machine returned Juinor Girls basketball programme returned to the top spot of the division after a two-year hiatus.

 

The Big Red Machine closed out a two game sweep of the defending champions Queen’s College Comets with a 37-26 win yesterday at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

 

 

Following the experience of a heartbreaking loss in last year’s semifinals, Big Red Machine head coach Anastacia Sands-Moultrie said the team was determined to correct the mistakes of last year.

 

“Last year, we should not have lost in the playoffs. We were up and rejoicing before the whistle went off and we had a girl come right there and make a last second shot to beat us by one point,” she said, “This year I all season long we preached that the whistle ends the game and we play until the whistle blows. They had a few lulls there but they corrected it before the end of the game and it was the difference down the stretch for us.”

 

 

Karolyn Baptiste scored a game high 13 points while Makayla White scored eight.

 

Baptiste scored the first six points for SAC all at the line and the first nine points of the game from both teams all came at the line as SAC took a 6-3 lead. QC made the first fg of the game to pull within one, 6-5 at the end one the first.

 

Baptiste scored the first SAC field goal, and converted a three point play to make the score 9-5. G. Murphy was the first player from SAC other than Baptiste to score and her rebound and put back sparked a 7-0 run.

 

The Big Red Machine held the Comets scoreless in the quarter until the 33 sec mark when D Lightbourn made a baseline jumper for two of her team high 12 points. SAC led 13-7 at the half.

 

After being held scorless in the first half, Whyte got into the act scoring with a putback and a runner to push the lead to 10, 17-7 with 4:15 left in the third quarter.

 

 

The Comets responded with a 7-0 run to pull within three but Baptiste stopped the run with a fastbreak layup to regain a two-possession advantage.

 

Tied at 21 with 5:35 left to play, SAC would outscore QC 16-5 the rest of the way.

 

 

After a Lightbourn layup gave the Comets a brief, 23-22 lead SAC went ahead with scores from Whyte, Baptiste and Albury to go ahead for good.

 

With the 2017 title in hand, Sands-Moultrie said she is looking ahead to building players for the senior level and beyond.

 

“It’s been an up and down battle. We were fighting hard to get the girls to the skill level I wanted them at. They are almost there, but I’m not only conditioning them for the junior level, I’m also getting them ready for the senior level,” she said, “Most of them want to go off to college. So I tell them you have to be working hard. Some of them when they get to the senior level they slack off, but at least they will have the foundation from the junior level. Females are so much different than males and it’s harder to coach them. You have to get them while you can.”

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