MONTEGO BAY, St James — Favourites Herbert Morrison High and Cornwall College can clinch their respective Under-19 and Under-16 titles in the ISSA/KFC Western Conference high schools basketball finals today when they take 1-0 leads into their second game of their best-of-three finals against Mannings and Herbert Morrison at the Montego Bay Cricket Club.

Herbert Morrison and Cornwall scored big wins in Friday’s first games. Herbert Morrison hammered Mannings School 104-53, while Cornwall beat Herbert Morrison 85-45.

It was the third straight win for either winner against the losers this season, and except for a major upset, should wrap up the titles today.

All four teams will advance to the national play-offs which begin later this month.

On Friday, Herbert Morrison, behind 42 points from Jervis Hamilton, went over the 100 points mark in back-to-back games and for the fourth time in their last five games.

In the Under-16 game, Cornwall College — led by quadruple doubles from Christopher-Ray Smith and Alex McFarlane — came from behind to win by 40 points, the closest margin in three games against their Montego Bay opponents.

In the Under-19 game, after upsetting last year’s champions Cornwall College in the semi-finals last Monday to return to the finals in successive years, Mannings were outplayed in every department by a rampant Herbert Morrison team.

Mannings were competitive in the first-quarter, clawing their way back from a 20-9 deficit, scoring seven of the final 10 points of the quarter to trail by just four points 23-17.

Herbert Morrison took over in the second quarter, however, and then outscored Mannings 48-16 over the next two quarters before cruising 33-20 in the final quarter.

Hamilton had a triple double, along with his 42 points, 23 rebounds and 13 steals.

Jamoi Richards scored 23 points and had 11 assists, Nico Campbell scored 17 points while Kedar Clarke scored 12 points and had 13 rebounds.

Troy Reid, who had three three-pointers in the first quarter, was the only Mannings player to score in double figures with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Andre Davids and Lenworth Pryce both scored eight points.

In the Under-16 finals, after losing both regular season games by a combined 173-30 score, Herbert Morrison were the more aggressive at the start and led 19-14 at the end of the first quarter before Cornwall, who had Smith in the line-up for the first time this season as he played in the Under-19 team, took over.

Cornwall went on a run early in the second half outscoring their Montego Bay neighbours 36-4 for a 50-23 half-time lead.