The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

The CI Gibson Rattlers and CH Reeves Raptors have regained bragging rights as the senior boys and junior girls champions in the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association’s best-of-three basketball championship series.

While the two schools wrapped up their divisional titles with two game sweeps over their rivals Anatol Rodgers Timberwolves and HO Nash Lions yesterday at Kendal Isaacs Gym, the senior girls and junior boys will go down to the wire in the third and deciding games, scheduled for today.

Johnson will have a chance to go after his second title in the series as his Rattlers’ senior girls bounced back to hold off CR Walker 47-40 to even the series at 1-1. They will play after the 5pm junior boys’ matchup, also tied at 1-1, after the SC McPherson Sharks rallied to beat the DW Davis Royals 46-41.

Senior boys

Rattlers 78, Timberwolves 61: Head coach Kevin ‘KJ’ Johnson said it was time for him to finally avenge two losses he suffered to his former student and player Denycko Bowles, who moved from Doris Johnson to Anatol Rodgers this year.

“At the end of the day, I’m happy that we won,” said Johnson, whose Rattlers last won the title in 2016. “I’ve lost two times to my former student and so it was time for me to get one. These young guys were just hungry for it and they played for it.”

Johnson got a balanced scoring attack from his Rattlers as most valuable player James Delia and Tashon Butler provided a 1-2 punch with 25 and 21 points respectively. Dieunel Joseph had 20, Stevahko Jacques had eight and Brian Cezalien chipped in with six. Gerrad Rolle and Jude Vil both had four.

Jefferson Bethel scored 14, Xavier Thompson and Kirkwood Rolle had 13 apiece and Lavardo Saunders chipped in with seven in the loss for Anatol Rodgers.

The Rattlers went up 23-10 at the end of the first quarter, thanks to 10 with two three-pointers from Butler and six from Delia. But they fell behind 36-34 at the half, sparked by Thompson’s seven points, including five-of-six free throws. Coming out of the locker room, CI Gibson turned it up a notch for a 50-39 lead at the end of the third, highlighted by Butler’s six. They continued to push the button, out-scoring Anatol Rodgers 28-22 in the fourth to clinch the victory as Delia connected on 12 and Joseph had 10.

Junior girls

Raptors 40, Lions 12: Riccara Beadle exploded for a game high 22 points, scoring for HO Nash by herself to earn the MVP honours as CH Reeves completed a two-game sweep to clinch the title. Tajhanique Morley scored 11 and Durya Poitier had five.

“It feels great. Hats off to Patty Johnson and her HO Lions. They are always a team to reckon with,” said CH Reeves’ coach Varel Davis. “All season, we knew that we had the team to do it and so it really feels good that we won again. It’s been quite a while since we had this feeling. It’s so sweet to get it again.”

The Raptors led off with a 10-7 lead behind six from Beadle and four from Morley as they took control. They went up 20-9 at the half. By the third, they were out front 22-9 as the Lions failed to score.

Shanovia Moxey had six and Shaniyah Munroe added five in a losing effort.

Senior girls

Rattlers 47, Knights 40: Jada Francis and Phillippa Ferguson canned 20 and 17 points respectively to pace CI Gibson to a comeback win to even the senior girls’ series at 1-1 and force the decider today. Traineia Green helped out with eight. Shenell Stewart led CR Walker with 16 points. Shamaraja Cummings had seven, Kaiesa Johnson had six and Raynia Russell had four.

The Rattlers polished off the Knights with a 16-6 advantage in the first quarter. At halftime, they built a 30-13 lead. The Knights, however, responded in the third to cut the deficit to 37-27. And they used a 13-10 spurt to make it close, but it was a little too late.

“We came out and played excellent ball today,” coach Kevin Johnson said. “This is supposed to be over, but we came back after losing the first game. We played better defensively and we continued their two best players. Now all roads lead down here tomorrow (today). So we will see what happens.”

Junior boys

Sharks 46, Royals 41: LaQuare Collins and Kami Davis both scored 12 points to lead a balanced scoring attack as SC McPherson staved off elimination and forced a deciding game three today.

“It feels good. We just one more game to go,” said the highly spirited coach La'Cricia Swain. “We expect the same intensity.”

Emmitt Smith and Malachi Cadeam both added eight and Aljah Pierre added four points.

The Sharks took a 12-5 lead at the end of the first quarter and went up 27-17 at the half. They stayed on top 39-29 after the third and held on as the Royals outscored them 12-7 in the fourth. Darius Hanna had a game high 18, Charles Delva and Wimdishy Paul both had seven and Khamani Davis had four.