ESCA Wanderers win second basketball title in less than a month

Some of South Africa’s most prominent basketball-playing schools offered a glimpse of the future at the recent Westville Boys’ High Invitational Schools Stayers’ Basketball Tournament (ISSBT).

The lineup included many schools with big titles in their pasts and the present, including, among others, Northwood, Maritzburg College, Kearsney College, and the Elite Sporting and Cultural Academy (ESCA) Wanderers, who ultimately claimed victory in the tournament.

It came down to a showdown between ESCA and Maritzburg College in the final, and there was little to separate the sides. In the end, there were only three points in it, with ESCS claiming a 54-51 victory after fiercely contested title game.

It was a second title in quick succession for ESCS, who lifted The King’s School Linbro Park Basketball Tournament title in mid-September.

Their title-winning run at Westville was led by Siyabonga Mashaba, who is, undoubtedly, one of the most promising young talents in the game. He and his teammate Alex Price were included in the All-Star Team at Westville, with Mashaba also receiving the Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award. The duo also shone in the final, making key contributions to their side’s victory.

Mashaba was also honoured as the MVP of The King’s School Linbro Park Basketball Tournament. Before that, he had represented South Africa at the Giants of Africa Festival in Rwanda in July, which was followed with his selection for the Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa Camp, in August.

Mpho Ntlakana helped to drive Maritzburg College to the final and his efforts were recognised when he, too, was included in the All-Star Team.

The bronze playoff featured Northwood, a team that has dominated the South African schools’ basketball scene for two consecutive years, which included finishing the 2024/25 season unbeaten and winning the prestigious St John’s College Basketball Tournament in both 2024 and 2025.

Coach Kent VanderYacht’s squad went down 53-59 to Maritzburg College in the semi-finals, which left them to take on Kearsney College, who recently won the Kearsney College Independent Schools Stayers’ Basketball Tournament (ISSBT) last week.

Kearsney’s attempt at winning a second title in quick succession came up short against ESCA in the semi-finals, with the Gauteng side scoring a comfortable 55-37 win.

Victory in the bronze playoff went Northwood’s way. They rebounded from their loss to College with a 61-51 victory over Kearsney after an entertaining contest.

Awande Chiliza, from Northwood, was named to the All-Star Team, while Pabatso Sithole, from Kearsney, who regularly tops the scoring charts, was also included.

When Kearsney won the ISSBT on their home court, he dropped 26 points on St John’s College in the final to lead his side to a narrow one-point victory.