The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

The DW Davis Royals came from behind and blew out the Queen's College Comets to repeat as the junior boys' champions, while the CI Gibson Rattlers had to hold off a late surge by the Doris Johnson Mystic Marlins to earn the intermediate boys' title.

As the Royals' Pre-Season Basketball Tournament came to a close on Sunday night at the DW Davis Gymnasium, the Royals coasted to an impressive 73-44 triumph over the Comets as they retained their junior boys' title. And in the intermediate boys' final, the Rattlers claimed the title with a hard-fought 58-50 decision over the Mystic Marlins in a game that went right down to the wire.

Coordinator Mark Hanna said the tournament, held for the fourth time, was designed to give the teams an opportunity to view their players as they head into the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association and the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools' basketball seasons.

"I will give it an A-plus this year because the fans came out and supported it and the teams came out and played very hard," Hanna said.

"I'm proud of each team and I give God thanks that we didn't have any major injuries. So it was a great tournament."

• Here's a summary of the two championship games played:

Royals 73,

Comets 44

Frank Wallace, the tournament and final's most valuable player, lit up the nets for a game-high 20 points to lead a balanced scoring attack as DW Davis clinched their comeback victory.

Dievnel Joseph contributed 15 points, Prince Dawkins had 15, Stephon Johnson 11 points and both Keith Forbes and Joseph Henfield had four, while Prince Wheatley chipped in with three.

"We played earlier today and after sitting around for a while, we were kind of sluggish," said Hanna, who also coached his Royals team.

"But I know that with a stop time, our endurance and conditioning in the second half would pay off.

"So we kept chipping away at their lead and we ended up winning by almost 30 points."

DW Davis trailed 13-10 at the end of the first quarter, but they surged ahead 31-23 at the half and extended their margin to 52-27 at the end of the third on a 21-4 spurt.

Queen's College made an attempt to come back in the fourth but fell short as DW Davis ended the final period on another 21-13 span.

Ruben Mounts, coach of the Comets, felt they gave it their best, but they were short-handed at the end.

"The toll of the tournament worked against us because some of our guys were too fatigued and banged up to play in the final," Mounts said. "We basically had to work with a lot of our bench players. We made do with what we had," he added. Leonardo Burrows paced the Comets with 13 points. Joshua Ash added 10.

Mounts acknowledged that the tournament was a great one and it provided an opportunity for him to get in a couple of games with his Comets going into the BAISS season.

"A lot of guys who don't normally play a whole lot got a chance to play," Mounts said. "They got the jitters out of their stomach, so I felt good about our performance. We got to the final, but just fell short."

As he prepares for the GSSSA season where DW Davis are the defending champions, Hanna said they will have to play each team differently, but they are ready to mix it up and bang with whoever they face.

"With each game, as a coach, we have to scout the teams, but hopefully our guys are prepared for whatever comes their way," he said.

Rattlers 58,

Mystic Marlins 50

With an MVP performance, Emmanuel Alexander canned 15 points to lead a balanced scoring attack and help CI Gibson cart off the intermediate boys' title.

Jaden Strachan had 14 points, Frederick King 11, James Delta 10, Devintino Brown five and George Colebrooke four. "It feels good," said Rattlers' coach Kevin 'KJ' Johnson, who got the better of the matchup between the teacher and the student on the sidelines. "My guys have a lot to learn, understanding possessions and understanding when to make shots and when to pull it out.

"It's a work in progress. It's a very young team, but I'm looking forward to coaching them this year."

Johnson, who faced his former player Denycko Bowles, now the head coach of Doris Johnson, said the GSSSA season will be an interesting one and so he just wants to ensure that his players play the game the right way.

The Rattlers opened up a 12-8 first-quarter lead that they extended to 31-19 at the half. As they shot the ball from the outside, Doris Johnson used a 15-14 run in the third to cut the deficit to 45-34.

They outscored CI Gibson 16-13 in the fourth, but it wasn't quite enough to pull off the win.

Matthew Saunders, who was named the tournament's MVP, led the attack for Doris Johnson with a game-high 21 points. Janeiko Saunders had 13 and Don Stuart finished with 10.

"It was a well-played game on both sides. We just missed a lot of easy baskets and we made some crucial turnovers," Bowles said. "Hats off to my guys. They fought to the end. They didn't give up.

"CI Gibson made a run and we made a run. We just couldn't sustain it. So hats off to both teams on a job well done."

Having ended the season last year as the champions of the prestigious Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic, Bowles said Doris Johnson is looking good in their bid to repeat as the GSSSA champions as well.

"A lot of these guys will be a part of the senior programme, so it was a nice test for them," he stated. "A lot of them are new to this, so they know what they can do and can't do. So I think we will be in pretty good shape for this up and coming season."

Last year, the Mystic Marlins won the GSSSA title over the Rattlers. No doubt, the two teams will be looking forward to facing each other during the regular season and their run to another championship title.

Among the teams that participated were Jordan Prince Williams Falcons, Anatol Rodgers Timberwolves, St Augustine's College Big Red Machine and Teleos Academy Cherubims.