Schools from outside Georgetown made an early statement when the 19th KFC National School Basketball Festival got underway on Sunday at the National Gymnasium.
Hururu Secondary of Aroaima, Skeldon Line Path Secondary and Berbice High were among the teams to record convincing wins on the opening day, as the tournament began its week-long schedule of matches across the various categories.
The finals are expected to be played at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, once ongoing works at the venue are completed.
Hururu Secondary had one of the best starts of the day, winning in both the Girls’ and Under-16 divisions. In the Girls’ category, Hururu defeated Queen’s College 33-4, with Kelcia Phillips and Nashanna Vaderburg scoring eight points each. Jenniah Archer added seven points and five rebounds, while Ricielle Fowler scored four points and grabbed five rebounds for Queen’s College.
Hururu later returned in the Under-16 division and secured a 30-5 win over Mackenzie High. Timothy Williams led the Aroaima side with 12 points and four rebounds, while Peter Roger added eight points.
President’s College also opened the Girls’ division with a 10-4 win over JC Chandisingh Secondary. Sarah Williams led President’s College with five points, three rebounds and four steals, while Gedia Hastings scored three points and Paulene Flatts had six rebounds. For JC Chandisingh, Mayan Wahab scored two points and collected three rebounds, while Jada Minty had two points, two rebounds and two steals.
In the Under-16 division, Skeldon Line Path Secondary defeated School of the Nations 36-17. Daniel Duke led the way with 13 points and five rebounds, while Chris Promes had six points and 12 rebounds. Aron Joseph also contributed six points and five rebounds. Hong Yong scored nine points for School of the Nations.
Berbice High also made a strong start with a 39-11 win over The Bishop’s High. Avion Kesney finished with 13 points, while Justin Benjamin added nine points and six steals. Cordes Mikal scored six points for The Bishop’s High.
Queen’s College got past JC Chandisingh Secondary 42-20 in another Under-16 fixture. Liam Bart led Queen’s College with 18 points, while Antoine Liverpool added 10 points and four steals. Demitri Singh had seven points and five rebounds. Denardo Henry led JC Chandisingh with eight points and three rebounds.
St. Stanislaus College defeated Plaisance Secondary 32-11, with Quasie Newton recording eight points, three rebounds and three steals. Marcus Fernandes added six points, five rebounds and four steals, while Nathaniel Archer scored six points. Prince Mars led Plaisance with six points and eight rebounds.
Marian Academy also started with a 38-19 win over President’s College. Nyle George had eight points, four rebounds and five steals, while Nehemiah Francois and Joshua John scored eight points each. Lorenzo Thornhill led President’s College with seven points.
St. Rose’s High also recorded a 24-9 win over Tutorial High. Nathan Williams led St. Rose’s with eight points and five rebounds, while Tuyen Paul added six points and four steals. Keion Lynch scored nine points for Tutorial.
With the opening day completed, attention now shifts to the remaining group matches at the National Gymnasium as teams look to build momentum and push for places in the later rounds.
The festival is sponsored by KFC, Edward B. Beharry Ltd., G-Boats Inc., the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, and the Ministry of Education.
A President’s College player lines up a free throw during their match against JC Chandisingh.
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