MONTEGO BAY, St James — Mt Alvernia High completed a perfect season by beating Herbert Morrison 53-46 in a close and exciting ISSA Western Conference Girls’ Open basketball final at the Montego Bay Cricket Club on Thursday.

Tiana Wilson scored a game-high 27 points as Mt Alvernia High, who were in their third-consecutive final, also became the first school to win three titles, adding to those they won in 2014 and 2017.

It was the first time a team was going through the season unbeaten since 2013 when Spot Valley High won the title as Mt Alvernia beat Herbert Morrison Technical three times in the process, winning all nine games played.

In the first game, William Knibb Memorial beat Muschett High 50-17 in the third place play-off, led by Shania Wright’s 24 points and six steals, while Samara Spence and Shuwani Thompson both scored eight points.

The final was closer than expected as Mt Alvernia High, who had won the two previous games by margins of nine points and 25 points, respectively, came into the game as the red-hot favourites, but were pushed to the limit before winning by seven points.

Mt Alvernia High trailed by two points (7-9) after the first quarter and only took over the lead at 17-16 with four minutes to go in the first half and never trailed after that, despite Herbert Morrison closing double digits gaps on two occasions.

Mt Alvernia High led by a point (26-25) at half-time and were up by four points (40-36) at the end of the third quarter, but extended the advantage to nine points with just over three and half minutes to go in the game, despite ShannaKay Andrews fouling out followed by two other players soon after.

Wilson also had eight rebounds and four steals for the new champions, while Chrisania Thorpe scored eight points.

Kerry-Kay Stephenson scored 25 points and also almost singlehandedly kept Herbert Morrison in the game in the fourth quarter, while Danyce Murray scored seven points and had 15 rebounds, Nyame Frater scored four points, 16 rebounds, and seven steals and Leasa-Loy Leslie scored four points and had 11 rebounds.