MONTEGO BAY, St James – CRICKET Club Knights and Lady Elites were winners as the Western Basketball Association’s Invitational Leagues got underway on Sunday at the Montego Bay Cricket Club.

Cricket Club beat Boys Club Warriors 69-66 in the men’s league while Lady Elite beat Lady Thunder 51-22 as club basketball returned to western Jamaica for the first time since 2019.

Nine teams are taking part in the men’s league: Cricket Club Knights, Boys Club Warriors, Sav Elite Titans, Catherine Hall All-Stars, Granville Jaguars, Falmouth Saints, Muschett Falcons and Browns Town Eagles.

The four teams playing in the women’s league are Lady Elites, Lady Thunder, Lady Warriors and Muschett Golden Ravens.

The league will continue this weekend, with three games each day. On Saturday Lady Warriors will meet Muschett Golden Ravens starting at 3:30 pm, followed by Cricket Club Knights taking on Sav-Elite Titans starting at 4:30 pm, and Catherine Hall All-Stars meeting Granville Jaguars at 6:30 pm.

On Sunday, Muschett Golden Ravens play Lady Elite at 3:30 pm, followed by Muschett Falcons against Boys Club Warriors at 4:30 pm, and Falmouth Saints facing Browns Town at 6:30 pm.

Last weekend Cricket Club held off Warriors in a close game, led by Lemar Mitchell’s 18 points. Alwyn Newsome scored 13 points and had nine rebounds, player/Coach Jhuan Bryan scored 10 points and had eight rebounds, Rayon Gardender had eight points and 13 rebounds, while Andre Hill had 11 rebounds.

Levar Rose scored 20 points in a losing effort for Warriors, Ivon Thomas scored 11 points, while Ryheem Barrett had 20 rebounds, six points and nine blocked shots.

In the women’s game, Tahira Shaw had a double-double 14 points and 12 rebounds for Lady Elite, Taveena Clarke also had 14 points, and Dandreicka Whittingham had 11 points and eight rebounds.

Kaydeen Thompson scored 12 points for Lady Thunder while Alaine Walters scored eight points.