The penultimate day of preliminary action in the Schools Under-19 Boys Basketball Tournament produced unsurprising results, with Soufrière Comprehensive clinching a quarterfinal spot, and Castries Comprehensive also finishing up strong in Group B at the Beausejour Gymnasium on Thursday.
SCSSS recorded the most lopsided victory of the tournament to date, demolishing Micoud Secondary 114-3. Soufrière opened with a 34-3 first quarter and completely shut down Micoud the rest of the way, holding them scoreless over the final three periods (37-0, 23-0, 20-0).
Curdin Jones delivered an extraordinary performance, racking up a tournament-high 61 points, 36 rebounds (24 defensive), 13 steals, and eight assists. Aloysious William added 28 points, eight steals, six assists, and five rebounds, while Trenton Henry chipped in 11 points and six steals. Yohanie Joseph scored all three points for Micoud.
CCSS also took care of business, pulling away in the second half to defeat Sir Ira Simmons Secondary 51-28. CCSS raced out to a 17-4 lead after the first quarter, but SISSS fought back with a 10-4 second period to trim the margin to 21-14 at halftime. CCSS reasserted control with a decisive 20-2 third-quarter burst to put the game out of reach.
David Chandler dominated for CCSS with an efficient 26 points, 10 rebounds, four steals, four assists, and three blocks. Jeannarl Louis contributed eight points, five assists, and two blocks, while Kevante Garnier dished out nine assists. Jadyn Gabriel led SISSS with 18 points, four rebounds, and four steals, while Tyrese St. Rose had seven points and two blocks.
The win for SCSS moved them to 3-1 with 10 points and a plus-125 goal differential in Group B, guaranteeing them a top-three finish and a spot in the knockout phase. CCSS are now 4-1, with 13 points, level with group leaders St Mary’s College (4-1, 13 points). SMC retain the head-to-head edge and a superior plus-186 differential.
SISSS dropped to 1-3 (six points). In Group A, Leon Hess Comprehensive wrapped up their preliminary fixtures atop the standings on 10 points (3-1), one point ahead of defending champions Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (3-0, nine points), who hold a game in hand.
