The Secondary Schools Under-16 Boys’ Basketball Tournament entered its final preliminary round stretch this week, with three teams already locking in their playoff positions after a series of lopsided matchups held at the Beausejour Gymnasium on Thursday, May 21.
Leading the pack is St Mary’s College (SMC), which closed out its preliminary group play without a single loss after delivering a dominant 49-6 victory over Choiseul Secondary. The win marked SMC’s most well-rounded offensive performance across its three Group A matches, with balanced contributions from across the roster. Ernel EJ Mason and Alexander Constantine tied for the team lead with 11 points each, while Jayden Monrose joined them in double figures by putting up 10 points. Constantine turned in an all-around stat line, adding six rebounds, six assists and four steals, and Jayden Issac matched Constantine’s rebound total with six boards of his own.
Though Daelan Magloire, SMC’s top scorer from the team’s first two preliminary matches, was held to fewer points than usual in this contest, he still made an impact on the defensive end, notching a team-high three blocked shots alongside three steals and two assists. For Choiseul Secondary, Christiano Nestor led the team with two points, seven rebounds and two steals, while Joseph Rennel and Serville Sharlom each recorded three steals to pace the defensive effort.
Joining SMC in the playoff bracket are Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary School (LHCSS) and Castries Comprehensive Secondary School (CCSS), both of which secured convincing wins of their own to clinch their spots. LHCSS cruised to a 40-5 blowout over Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary (VFCSS), powered by Tris Fredrick’s 14-point performance. Fredrick complemented his scoring with six rebounds, two assists and two steals, while Jahnai Florenville added 12 points to the winning effort. Darien Hollinseed anchored LHCSS’s interior play with 10 rebounds, and Dante Zepherine turned in a strong defensive outing with seven rebounds, two blocked shots and three steals. Images from the court show LHCSS’s neon green uniformed squad dominating interior play throughout the matchup.
In the final matchup of the day at Beausejour Gymnasium, CCSS delivered a standout offensive and defensive display to beat Beanefield Comprehensive Secondary School (BCSS) 40-12. CCSS took control of the game from the opening tip, building a comfortable advantage through the first two quarters before closing out the win with a 17-point surge in the fourth quarter. David Martiel led the charge for CCSS, nearly recording a triple-double with 31 points, eight rebounds and nine steals. Leshon Francis, a national-level table tennis athlete, matched Martiel’s steal total with nine of his own.
For BCSS, Malik Neptune and Lester Jn Baptiste led the scoring with six points apiece. Amphillio Dandas grabbed six rebounds and notched eight steals, while Jn Baptiste added four steals to his stat line.
The tournament will continue with the remaining preliminary round games scheduled for next Tuesday and Thursday at the Beausejour Gymnasium, where the final playoff seeding will be determined ahead of the knockout stage.