Cornwall College champs of U-19 schoolboy basketball league
MONTEGO BAY, St James — Cornwall College completed a perfect season on Tuesday by beating Spot Valley High, 56-34, for a 2-0 margin in the ISSA/KFC Western Conference high schools boys Under-19 best-of-three finals at the Montego Bay Cricket Club to regain their title.
Cornwall, who had won the first game 43-30 on Friday, dominated Tuesday’s game on the defensive end on, but had struggled early to overcome an energetic Spot Valley team.
The game saw dramatic swings for both teams in the second quarter as Spot Valley reeled off a 10-0 run to take the lead with just under four minutes to go before Cornwall responded with a double-digit run of their own to level the scores at 23-23 at half-time.
Meanwhile, the Under-16 title will be on the line today when Herbert Morrison Technical and Muschett High meet in Game Three at the Montego Bay Cricket Club with their series tied at one game apiece.
Herbert Morrison rebounded from their Game One loss on Friday to win Tuesday’s Game Two, 56-41, thanks to a devastating fourth-quarter run.
The Under-19 game started slowly with Cornwall leading 10-7 after the first quarter before the team battled to a 23-23 tied at half-time.
Spot Valley had their best period in the game with a 10-0 run to take over the lead with just under four minutes to go before Cornwall responded with a run of their own.
Christopher Ray Smith, who led all scorers with 25 points, scored eight points in quick time, snapping Spot Valley’s run with a three points play then made one of two free throws off a technical foul on Murray Moodie, following with four points in quick succession including a big dunk.
Cornwall took over the initiative in the third quarter and led by seven points (35-28) going into the fourth quarter, and despite interruption by rain, took over the contest to score their third win over Spot Valley this season.
In addition to his 25 points, Smith also scored 18 rebounds along with nine blocked shots and eight steals; Travis White scored 12 points and had 15 rebounds and eight steals; Josimar Stephenson scored six points but had 24 rebounds and five blocked shots; Simmoy Noble had 17 rebounds and six blocked shots, while Travis Brown scored seven points and had 11 assists.
Everton Steadman, who played with three fouls from early in the second quarter, scored 12 points for Spot Valley, while Moodie and Floyd Griffiths both scored seven points.
With the return of Daniel Henry to the line-up after missing the first game loss with a badly sprained ankle, Herbert Morrison rallied from a double-digit deficit and scored 22 straight points in the fourth quarter to run away with the win and snatch the psychological advantage going into today’s game.
Herbert Morrison trailed by as many as 13 points in the second quarter, but chipped away at Muschett’s lead going into the fourth quarter trailing by five points.
Despite creating several early scoring chances in the final quarter, Herbert Morrison wasted them before going on a run midway the period drawing level at 40-40 with just over five minutes to go then took over the lead, running away with the game.
Ralique Grant led all scorers with 20 points, Henry scored a triple-double with 14 points, 13 rebounds and 11 steals as well as nine assists and five blocked shots, while David Peck scored 12 points and had 13 rebounds.
Aston Billings, who had snapped Herbert Morrison’s run with a three-pointer as time ran out, was the top scorer for Spot Valley with 16 points and six rebounds, Karlington Barrett scored 12 points, while Michael Schloss had 11 points.