Maritzburg College crowned AISJ champs, Kearsney and Northwood roll
Maritzburg College stole the spotlight at the annual American International School of Johannesburg (AISJ) Basketball Tournament over the weekend, while other schools clashed in their traditional fixtures.
Throughout the weekend, College was on fire, powering their way to the prestigious title with an emphatic victory over The King’s School Linbro Park in the final.
The Red, Black, and White put together a superb run, winning all their group matches before beating St Benedict’s College 36-31 in the quarterfinals. That was as close as any team got to the KZN powerhouse.
In the semi-finals, which delivered a traditional Pietermaritzburg rivalry, Maritzburg College downed St Charles College 41-32 to reach the title decider.
There, they faced The King’s School Linbro Park, a side they had beaten by 23 points in a group stage game. With the title on the line, the KZN side dominated once more, charging to the title with a conclusive 47-20 win.
In Pretoria, Pretoria Boys High School (PHBS) faced off in a derby against St Alban’s College. When the teams met earlier in the year, during the inaugural Pre-Season Basketball Festival at PHBS, Boys High beat St Alban’s on the opening day, but St Alban’s later avenged that defeat in the final game of the festival. On Saturday, PBHS won, running out 40-33 victors.
King Edward VII School (KES), maintaining the momentum they built up in 2025, also secured victory, holding off the Soweto Basketball Academy 60-52 in a closely contested match.
Jeppe High School for Boys faced Christian Brothers’ College Boksburg and asserted their dominance, rolling to a 71-38 win.
In KwaZulu-Natal, Kearsney College hosted their highway rivals, Westville Boys’ High, in a midweek match, in which the home team showcased their strength, winning the game 62-57.
Westville has struggled to find its rhythm in recent outings, but it started strongly against Kearsney, with the hosts sluggish and out of sync offensively in the opening quarter. They manufactured shots, but their shooting was cold. On the other side of the court, Westville scored with relative ease and led 21-12 after the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Kearsney’s defence tightened up, forcing The Griffins, under greater pressure, to rush their shots. Kearsney’s offence became more fluid, and the home team sliced into the visitors’ lead, which was reduced to only two points at halftime, at 34-32.
All credit to Westville, they continued to give as good as they got during the third quarter. The momentum appeared to be with Kearsney, but Westville responded by sinking several challenging shots to preserve their lead. Heading into the final quarter, they were 46-45 ahead.
At last, though, in the final quarter, Westville wilted, missing some opportunities, while Kearsney forced some turnovers. They snatched the lead and, by the final whistle, they were five points clear, winning 62-57.
Pabatso Sithole led the way for Kearsney, with 19 points, while Kabo Ramodibedi contributed 10 points, Daniel Prinsloo nine, Lubanzi Mseleku eight, and Markus Wise six.
Luseko Sikhulume was Westville’s leading scorer, with 16. Tristan van Heerden had 14 points, Lwazi Phungula nine, and Ryan Mansfield five.
On Saturday, Northwood added to its winning streak and solidified its position as the top dogs in South African schools’ basketball. They were given a tough challenge at Hilton College, but came away with an eight-point win in a high-scoring contest that produced 165 points.
Kearsney hosted LIV Village, the winner of the 2025 Tier Two Schools Basketball Tournament at St Benedict’s School. In the familiar confines of The SportZone, Kearsney raced into a decisive early lead and kept building on it until the end of the contest, with Kwakuhle Sibiya contributing 22 points to a big 76-30 victory.
Durban High School (DHS) won by a large margin against Clifton College, while Glenwood, in the absence of the St Charles College first team, picked up a win over the Saints‘ second team.
A couple of matches took place in midweek for teams travelling to the AISJ Basketball Tournament. Apart from Westville facing Kearsney, which was mentioned earlier, Maritzburg College visited Michaelhouse. They ensured they left for Gauteng in a confident frame of mind after outplaying ‘House 68-39.
In the Eastern Cape, Kingswood College secured a 31-22 victory over Queen’s College.
RESULTS
Gauteng
Pretoria Boys High 40-33 St Alban’s College
KES 60-52 Soweto Basketball Academy
Jeppe 71-38 CBC Boksburg
KwaZulu-Natal
Northwood 86-79 Hilton College
Kearsney College 62-57 Westville
Maritzburg College 68-39 Michaelhouse
Durban High School 78-24 Clifton College
Kearsney College 76-30 LIV Village
Glenwood 51-44 St Charles College 2nd
Eastern Cape
Kingswood College 31-22 Queen’s College
