MONTEGO BAY, St James — DEFENDING champions Cornwall College and Holland High got off to contrasting starts as the 2011/12 ISSA/KFC Western Conference boys high school basketball league tipped off at the Montego Bay Cricket Club on Tuesday.

Under-19 champions Cornwall College beat Rhodes Hall 51-28 in their opening game, while Holland High, the Under-16 champions were steam rolled 79-14 by Herbert Morrison Technical.

In two other games played Cornwall College crushed new-comers Frome Technical 108-4 in the Under-16 while Holland High were 46-37 winners over debutants Green Pond High in an Under-19 game.

Today Green Pond will continue their search for their first win when they take on Spot Valley in an Under-19 game, while tomorrow Frome will face St James High while Knockalva Technical and Maldon will meet.

Both games are to be played at Mannings School in Savanna- la- Mar, Westmoreland.

On Tuesday, Christopher-Ray Smith scored 15 points to lead Cornwall to what turned out to be an easy win, as Rhodes Hall failed to score in double digits in any of the four quarters.

Cornwall started slowly and led 15-9 after the first quarter but settled in the second quarter and led by 13 points 27-14 at half time and were up by 18 points 38-20 at the end of the third quarter. Ojay Haye scored 13 points for Rhodes Hall.

Holland High who were third place in the national play-offs last year, got off to a slow start as Herbert Morrison who had three players scoring in double digits led by Daniel Henry’s 28 points ran rough shod over the Trelawny school.

Herbert Morrison were up 12-2 after the first quarter and 24-9 at half-time before opening the flood gates in the second half where they outscored Holland 55-5. Ralique Grant scoffed 22 points while David Peck got 10 points for Herbert Morrison.

In the opening Under-16 game, Rashid Davis scored 46 points for Cornwall College along with seven steals and five assists, Kyle Schloss had a triple double, scoring 26 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and 15 assists while Hakeen Grant scored 14 points, had seven rebounds and 6 blocks.

In the other game played, Holland got the better of Green Pond who improved as the game progressed, almost matching Holland on points in the second half. Kenrick Lindo scored 14 points and had 24 rebounds for Holland, while Clifton Shettleworth scored 12 points and had nine assists.

Former Herbert Morrison player Kemario Doyley led Green Pond with 13 points, while Dale Ellis scored eight points and had 14 rebounds and four steals.