HOLLAND, Trelawny — Defending champions Herbert Morrison will confirm a place in the final of the ISSA/Western Conference Under-19 boys’ basketball competition if they can beat a resurgent Holland High in a second-round game at Holland High today starting at 2:00 pm.

Herbert Morrison, who will be seeking an eighth straight title, beat York Castle High 96-15 on Monday and lead with 10 points from five games played while Holland High are coming off a 74-67 win over St James High to avenge their fist-round loss.

St James High are in second place on eight points and will play last-placed Cornwall College in Montego Bay today, followed by Holland High who are on six points and have revived their chances of playing in the final.

At Cornwall College on Monday, Holland High exacted revenge for their one point loss to St James High with another close seven points victory, trailing for only a brief period in the third quarter.

Holland High led 18-11 after the first quarter and were up by two points 32-30 at half-time before going into the fourth quarter at 48-43 as national Under-17 players Flawless Travers and Tyrees Williams, who had a triple-double, combined to score 62 of their 74 points.

Williams scored 26 points, grabbed 21 rebounds and had 10 blocked shots, Travers scored a game high 36 points, had nine rebounds and seven assists while Ray-Jay Dixon had 13 rebounds.

Three players scored in double digits for St James High led by Kemauny Welch’s 28 points and nine rebounds, Reiki Brown scored 20 points and had seven assists while T’Sean Crossman scored 13 points and had nine rebounds.

At York Castle, the visitors raced to a 19-0 lead after the first quarter and were up 39-2 at half-time and 70-9 at the end of the third quarter.

Darren McFarlane led all scorers with 22 points and had 13 rebounds for Herbert Morrison, Malique Reid scored 19 points and had nine rebounds and nine steals, Romario Senior scored 17 points and Joshua Ferguson scored 15 points in the lopsided win.

Lennon Richards with 13 points was the only York Castle player to get into double figures.

— Paul Reid