The 2026 edition of the KFC National Basketball League’s postseason got underway Wednesday evening at Beausejour Gymnasium, kicking off the semifinal round with two action-packed opening matches. The top four squads emerging from the regular season are now competing in a best-of-three series, with the first two victories from any team securing a spot in the league’s final championship round.
In the first matchup, reigning title holders Soufriere Kings kicked off their championship defense with a hard-fought 67-60 win over challenger Morne Gladiators, grabbing a critical 1-0 series lead. The defending champions got off to a fast start, jumping out to a 21-17 advantage in the opening quarter. However, the Gladiators mounted a steady comeback to flip the scoreboard, taking a 36-32 lead into halftime — a feat made even more impressive by the fact that they suffered an early injury to starting guard Lanse Prospere.
The two sides remained neck-and-neck through the third quarter, heading into the final frame tied at 50 points apiece. In the closing minutes of regulation, the Soufriere Kings drew on their championship experience to pull away from the Gladiators, locking in a seven-point victory to open the series.
Leading the charge for the winning side was Sydney Didier, who put up a well-rounded stat line of 17 points, eight rebounds and four steals. Kimani Charles earned Player of the Game honors for his standout defensive performance, notching 15 points and a staggering nine steals. Frontcourt presence Jayzee Saltibus dominated the glass, recording a double-double of 13 points and 18 rebounds, helping the Kings win the rebounding battle 66-52 overall. On the free throw line, the Kings also held an edge, converting 12 attempts to the Gladiators’ seven. For the Morne Gladiators, forward Shamoir JnBaptiste put on an offensive showcase, scoring a game-high 29 points, but his efforts were not enough to overcome the Kings’ collective rebounding and late-game push.
In the second semifinal opening game, the Bonne Terre Blazers extended their undefeated streak against the Courts Jets with a dramatic one-point 71-70 win to claim their own 1-0 series advantage. Troy Louison led all Blazers scorers with an impressive 34 points on 12-for-24 shooting, adding 14 rebounds to secure a massive double-double. Andre Louison contributed 18 points and eight boards, while Kyanni Elwin rounded out the core scoring with 15 points and five rebounds. Long-range shooting proved to be the deciding factor for the Blazers, who knocked down 12 three-pointers compared to just seven made triples from the Jets.
For the Courts Jets, sharpshooter Tristan James matched the Blazers’ perimeter effort early, finishing with 20 points that included five three-pointers. Guard Ron Dumurville added 16 points and dished out eight assists to pace the Jets’ offense. The narrow one-point loss leaves the Jets trailing the series heading into Game 2, but still in contention to tie the series in the next matchup.
The semifinal round will continue this Friday, June 19, with the second game of both series tipping off at 7:00 p.m. local time at the same Beausejour Gymnasium venue.