St Catherine High School captured the 2006 KFC/Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) National Schools Basketball title Thursday when they defeated St Jago High 62-53 at the National Stadium Courts.

Ricardo Sutherland scored a game-high 18 points for the St John's Road-based winners. He was well supported by the competition's Most Valuable Player Javon Bailey who had 16 points, eight rebounds and 12 steals and Noel Wright, 15 points and eight rebounds.

Michael Blake was St Jago's top scorer with 16 points. Adrian Forbes posted 13 points and 10 rebounds and Kemar Hyatt, 10 points and seven rebounds.

St Catherine's and the competition's coach of the year, Lennox Lindo, said their opponents had come to play aggressively, but in the second half his team's focus "was to limit their scoring .and from there it was a lot easier", he added.

St Jago's Kevin Vassell attributed the school's loss to disorganisation. "Once again indiscipline crept in," he said.
"Each time we start good, but then indiscipline creeps in and we start making a lot of turnovers. But St Catherine wanted it more," he added.

St Catherine were always in control and came out deserved winners.

Earlier, in the junior final, last season's senior champions Calabar had to settle for the minor crown this year after they stopped Old Harbour 53-24.

The tournament's most valuable player, Omarie Williams led the winners with a game-high 21 points and 26 rebounds, Kevon Karty assisted with 12 points and Anthony Lugg with 10 points and 17 rebounds. Romaine McKenzie also posted 10 points.

For Old Harbour, Earl Mowatt was the topscorer with 10 points, followed by Demar Fearon and Adrian Salmon with seven points each. Bradley Bogues had six points and 18 rebounds.

Winning coach and junior league's coach of the year, Ludlow Barker, said he expected to win this trophy from the beginning of the season.

"Last season when we came up short, I said all we wanted was a point-guard. And once we got that we knew we would be all right.. and that was what made the total difference this season," he said.

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