DEFENDING champions Calabar High held off a late surge from Camperdown High to win a close and exciting Game Three 64-61 and retain their ISSA Southern Conference High Schoolboys Under-19 basketball league title at the GC Foster College last Wednesday.

Calabar won the best-of-three series finals 2-1. They won Game One 61-50 and Camperdown took Game Two 69-50.

Meanwhile, their Under-16 team defeated Jamaica College 2-0 in the best-of-three game, to capture the double. Calabar again took Game One 61-44 and sealed victory with 61-50 scoreline over their opponents.

Winning coach Ludlow Barker lauded his charges for a stellar performance.

“I had expected this with the series tied at 1-1 coming into the third and final game. However, I was very confident of winning as the adjustments I made after losing Game Two to Camperdown. The plan was also to take them on very early and try securing a six-point lead by the half-time break, and it worked out nicely,” Barker noted.

Meanwhile, his opposite number, Oneil Brown blamed officials for his team’s lost.

“The officiating was very poor and that also is one of the factors that cost the game. The referees at crucial point interfered with the game and should have left both teams to fight it out,” Brown argued.

Calabar dominated the first quarter, taking a 14-8 lead. Both teams traded baskets in the second quarter, however Calabar held a comfortable 31-24 lead at the half.

Another evenly contested duel ensued in the third quarter, and again Calabar increased their lead at 57-47 going into the final quarter.

Camperdown had the better of play in the final quarter, as Calabar came under some late pressure, but the Red Hills Road boys managed to hold on for victory.

Jevaughn Taylor led the scoring for Calabar with a game-high 27 points, backed by Shyeim Powell with 15 points, while Dasean Boyd led the way for Camperdown with 20 points, supported by Jadaja McCormack had 17 points and Matthew McGowan with 14 points.