The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE Government Secondary Schools Sports Association completed its basketball regular season on Wednesday and the playoffs are now all set to get started at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium on Monday.

GSSSA president Varel Davis said if the regular season was any indication, the postseason should be one of the most exciting to watch in all four divisions.

“The season went extremely well. If you look at the standings, you would notice that everything was close and very tight this year,” Davis said.

“This season, any team could win. That’s how the competition has been. The players have improved across the board, which showed that the coaches have been putting in the time with their players and they have been getting their teams prepared for the season.”

As the regular season closed out, the four pennant winners all emerged undefeated with a 7-0 win-loss record. The winners were TA Thompson (junior girls), DW Davis (junior boys), CI Gibson (senior girls) and Doris Johnson (senior boys).

Based on what transpired, Davis said the best team that comes to play will emerge as the winner, so the pennant winners should not rest on their laurels because their rivals are coming for them.

“Everything is zero-zero now. This is the playoffs. It’s a new season,” Davis said. “I’m expecting a couple of game threes in the series. That’s just how tight it has been and so may the best man win.”

The defending champions are HO Nash in the junior girls, DW Davis in the junior boys, Doris Johnson in the senior girls and Anatol Rodgers in the senior boys. The match-ups will feature the pennant winners versus the fourth place finishers on Monday and Wednesday and the second vs third place finishers on Tuesday and Friday with all third and deciding games on Saturday.

MONDAY & WEDNESDAY

Junior Girls

TA Thompson (7-0) vs

CH Reeves (4-3)

Junior Boys

DW Davis (7-0) vs

HO Nash (4-3)

Senior Girls

CI Gibson (7-0) vs

CR Walker (4-3)

Senior Boys

Doris Johnson (7-0) vs

Anatol Rodgers (4-3)

TUESDAY & FRIDAY

Junior Girls

HO Nash (6-1) vs

SC McPherson (5-2)

Junior Boys

CH Reeves (6-1) vs

AF Adderley (5-2)

Senior Girls

CV Bethel (5-2) vs

Anatol Rodgers (5-2)

Senior Boys

CI Gibson (5-2) vs

CC Sweeting (5-2)

The winners from all of the match-ups will advance to the best-of-three championships that will get started on Monday, February 4 at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

As the regular season came to close on Wednesday at both the AF Adderley and DW Davis Gymnasiums, the following results were posted:

Junior Girls

Sharks 36, Fighting Tigers 35

Brianna Hanna scored a game high 25 points to lead SC McPherson to victory at the DW Davis Gymnasium. Shakara Delancy had 11 points in a losing effort.

Lions 31, Raptors 23

Jonique Cunningham scored 12 points to pace HO Nash in their junior girls’ victory at the AF Adderley Gymnasium.

Junior Boys

Fighting Tigers def. Sharks

Jermaine Thompson came through with a game high 24 points to lead AF Adderley in the other game played at the DW Davis Gymnasium.

Raptors 32, Lions 30

Dondre Saunders scored nine points to lead CH Reeves to their junior boys’ victory at the AF Adderley Gymnasium. Jacob Williams had a game high 15 points in a losing effort.