By LeVaughn Flynn, Staff ReporterPAUL Brown and Andre Harris led Dunoon to their second straight victory in the ISSA/KFC schoolboys basketball Under-19 competition with a 66-59 win over St Jago at the stadium courts yesterday.
Brown (22 points and 16 rebounds) and Harris (17 pts., 8 steals and 6 rebs.) got Dunoon off to a good start to take a 19-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. St Jago responded, outscoring Dunoon 23-13 in the second quarter to end the half with a one point lead (33-32).
Things began going downhill for Dunoon with chaos on and off the court, and their inability to stop St Jago's' point guard and high scorer (17 pts., 5 assts.) Brian Suckie. Turnovers plagued Dunoon throughout the third quarter, but some how they were able to hold a slim 47-45 lead at the end of the quarter.
POSSESSION
Every possession began to count for both teams as the clock wound down. Harris made a crucial three-pointer with three minutes remaining to take a 57-55 lead. A few free throws later, St Jago's Andre Walters responded with a three of his own to cut his team's deficit to two (59-61).
What followed after Walters' three were irrational exchanges of turnovers but St Jago paid a higher price as Walters' three were their last points.
St Jago's best offensive weapon, Suckie, was forced to watch the last and most important minutes of the game from the bench as he fouled out with two minutes to go. Omaz Cowen, who hit four three pointers, had a good chance to give his team the lead but failed to find the bottom of the net.
Dunoon's coach Kevin 'Cappo' Herbert said his team did just enough to get a victory.
"The team's performance wasn't bad but we could have done much better. The forwards need to learn how to post-up better and the overall defence is really poor but hopefully we can use these preliminary matches to prepare us for the second round matches and start playing like the champions I know we are," he said.
In other Under-19 Southern Conference games, Excelsior whipped Campion 108-29 and Calabar got by St Catherine 67-54. In the Under-16 games, St Catherine had a one point win over Calabar 38-37, Excelsior defeated Campion 48-34 and Dunoon beat St Jago 48-36.
In the Central Conference, Holmwood hammered Alston 130-14 and St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) plundered BB Coke 90-20 in the Under-19 category.
Out west, both teams for Cornwall shone with the Under-16 team beating Muschette 34-28 and the Under-19 team slamming Anchovy 87-9.
