The Tribune

SOUTH Andros Barracuda’s coach Aaron Rolle said he gave his son Carmelo Rolle one instruction and that was to carry their senior boys’ basketball team on his back.

As the elimination process in the prestigious Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic began yesterday at the AF Adderley Gymnasium, Rolle responded as the Barracuda stunned the CV Bethel Stingrays with a 57-53 victory to stay alive.

Also among the teams that survived the double elimination format were the Charles W. Saunders Cougars, the CR Walker Knights and the Doris Johnson Mystic Marlins.

Barracuda 57, Stingrays 53

Carmelo Rolle scored six of the final seven points for South Andros High as they pulled away from a 54-54 tie in the final 25 seconds to pull off the huge upset over CV Bethel.

Rolle was fouled on a lay up, but missed the free three on the three-point attempt after he got the loose ball and scored on another lay-up to push South Andros ahead 55-52. 

After Drexel McIntosh converted one of two free throws for CV Bethel to cut the deficit to two, 55-53, Juvenson Jilles and Rolle each hit he or two charity shots with 11.8 and 8.5 seconds left in between a critical Stingrays’ turnover to wrap up the win.

“It was a hard fought game. We played these guys in the Danny Pratt Invitational. They beat us by two on our home court, so we came here and it came down to this game where you win or go home.

“I told my son, this is his last year, so he has to do it. This was a big Hugh Campbell game, so I told him he had to win the game and he did it.”

Rolle did it by finishing with 24 points, nine rebounds and six steals.

Jilles had 20 points with six rebounds and five steals, Andrae Turnquest had eight points, seven steals, four assists and three rebounds and Lavaren Forbes added five points with a pair of rebounds, assists and steals. For CV Bethel, coached by Danny Pratt, McIntosh ended up with 23 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals as they were ousted from the tournament. 

Sharvado Curtis had 11 points and 13 rebounds, Darius Pratt had eight points, six rebounds and a pair of assists and steals and Taeshawn Neely had six points, 20 rebounds and three steals and Jayden Rolle added five points.

Cougars 47, Dolphins 30

Although coach Dario Burrows said his Charles W Saunders team is not playing up to par, he’s grateful that they are still alive in the tournament.

In playing their best so far, Charles W Saunders rode the 1-2 combo of Bryson Rolle and Ladanian McKenzie to a hard fought victory over Abaco’s Sherlin C. Bootle, securing it in a second half spurt.

“My team ain’t playing good basketball and I know the competition is going to get stiffer,” Burrows said. “I’m trying to teach them discipline, but the young kids are still trying to get it.”

As the tournament moves on, Burrows said he’s hoping his Cougars can improve or it will be over for them.

Rolle led the Cougars with 17 points, five steals, three rebounds and two assists and McKenzie had 16 points and six rebounds. Daniel Munroe had seven points, eight rebounds, seven steals and three assists and Sheldon Nelson added six points and eight rebounds.

It was a good run for the Dolphins, who got 17 points with five steals and three rebounds from Creshanno Baillou. Amir Swain had five points, four rebounds and two steals and both Seranno Baillou and Jahreal Hepburn added four points. Hepburn and Baillou had nine and four rebounds respectively.

Knights 51, Comets 47

With the game on the line and a chance to avoid elimination, McKell Feaste canned a three-pointer to put CR Walker up 48-44 with 22.3 seconds left.

Tayshaun Taylor answered with a three-pointer to cut Queen’s College’s deficit to 49-47, but they didn’t have enough down the stretch and were eventually eliminated. “The guys came out and put up a hell of a fight. They were out ready to go home,” said Anfernee Walkes, who coached CR Walker. “They came out here and fought hard. They weren’t ready to go home.”

Walkes said he expected his Knights to continue to put up a fight because “we are not ready to go home.”

Fighting hard to stay alive, Feaste finished with a game high 24 points with eight rebounds, six steals and four assists to lead the Knights. 

Donald Smith had 13 points with three rebounds and both Kensworth Miller and Kervens Wilme had five. Wilme also  had a crowd pleasing two-handed slam dunk and pulled down 13 rebounds.

In making their exit Daniel Rolle had 17 points with five rebounds, Taylor ended up with 15 points and Talon Higgs had 13 points and seven rebounds.

Mystic Marlins 42, Dolphins 41

Bradley Williams and Stephen Robinson, with 13 and 12 points and eight rebounds each, enabled Doris Johnson to hold on for a slim win to stay alive in the tournament.

Shamal Saunders added nine points with seven rebounds and Ronald Woodside had eight points and five rebounds to help out. “It’s a great tournament so I’m happy that we were able to stay alive,” Davito McIntosh, coach of Doris Johnson.

McIntosh, who previously played in the tournament for the Anatol Rodgers Timberwolves, said he expects the intensity to pick up, but he expects his Mystic Marlins to be ready for the challenge. 

For Patrick J Bethel out of Abaco, Tavon Robinson had a game high 17 points with five rebounds, three assists and two steals as they made their tournament exit. Trevor Robinson and Daequan Joseph both had seven points. Robinson also had four rebounds and Joseph four assists.

Jaguars 38, Falcons 31 

Mikhai Nesbitt was the only player in double figures for St George’s with 11 points, six rebounds, four steals and two assists as they pulled away for the win in the fourth quarter.

Coach Darryl Sears’ Jaguars, coming from a 24-19 deficit at the end of the third, used a 19-7 rout in the fourth quarter to seal the deal. Following Russell were Isaiah Roker with nine points and Ian Gibson added seven. 

Edmond Ferguson (five rebounds) and Trevon Clarke led a 1-2 pump with 11 and 10 points respectively as they got eliminated. Aliyah Pierre chipped in with six.

Diplomats 42, Warriors 28

Michael Jean-Pierre produced a game high 15 points with six rebounds and Jahiem Armbrister chipped in with 14 points, eight rebounds, seven steals and four assists to pace Westminster, coached by Gary Kemp, to remain in the tournament.

Rasheed Brennen added eight points.

In a losing effort for Bishop Michael Eldon, twin brothers Lian and Liam Carroll scored 11 and 10 points respectively, but it wasn’t enough to keep them alive. Liam Carroll also pulled down 13 rebounds with three steals. Lavan Cooper helped out with four.

Cherubims 48, Gators 20

Luke Dorcely led a balanced scoring attack with nine points to stay alive. Desir Bien Jr, Kenny Blankfort and Kelsey Thurston all came through with seven points. Blankfort also had seven rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Akeem Storr scored five and both Irvin McPhee and Dmitri Moss both had four and both Shiloh Minns and Malik Whyms had three apiece for Greenville Academy as they were ousted.

Saints 47, Bluejays 39

Ethan Burrows came through with a game 15 points and nine rebounds as Kingsway Academy remained alive in the tournament.

Kenyon Johnson had nine points, Delexis Thompson II had seven, Duntrelle Gray six and both Joshua Ayen and O’Neil Cooper had four.

Elexio Pinder had a game high 10 points with three rebounds and two steals, Jermaine Hall nine, Joseph Hield eight, Talisean Jean added six points with 10 rebounds and two block shots in the loss for Eight Mile Rock as they were sent packing.

Today’s schedule 

10am - Gateway vs Teleos.

11am - St George’s vs Westminster.

Noon - South Andros vs CR Walker.

1pm - Charles W Saunders vs CV Bethel.

4pm - Winner game Gateway/Teleos vs Kingsway.

5pm - CI Gibson vs Agape Academy.

6pm - CC Sweeting vs Sunland Baptist Academy.

7pm - RM Bailey vs Tabernacle Baptist Academy.

Notes: The tournament will continue 10am Saturday with four elimination games before the crossover pool championship games at 4pm. 

And on Sunday, the two semifinal games will be contested at 4 and 5pm to determine who will advance to the championship game 8:30pm Monday at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.