Michael Mount crowned Kearsney ISSBT champions
The SportZone at Kearsney College and the surrounding basketball courts were a hive of activity over the weekend, with 26 teams playing 104 matches over the three days of the annual Independent Schools’ Stayers Basketball Tournament (ISSBT).
It finished with Michael Mount Waldorf being crowned the A Division champions, while LIV Village won the B Division.
The event was divided into the 16-team A Division and 12-team B Division and included teams from across South Africa, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe.
Traditionally, the competition between the top schools from KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng has been even. On this occasion, however, quite clearly, Gauteng ruled the roost. Hilton College, in seventh, was the best of the KZN schools.
Michael Mount, meanwhile, held off the defending champions, St Benedict’s College, 57-52 to take the title. While the Bryanston school kept their record clean throughout the tournament, they were extended in a number of their matches.
In pool play, they edged out St Stithians by only two points and Elite Sports and Cultural Academy (ESCA) by a single point. It turned out that Pool C was the strongest of the four.
Third place went to ESCA, who had their way with St Alban’s College, winning 53-29. Then, in a clash of traditional rivals, St Stithians defeated St John’s College 52-30 to secure fifth-place.
Hilton College scored a narrow 31-27 win over King’s School Linbro Park to end seventh, and St Charles College and Clifton College completed the top 10, with Saints beating Clifton 52-31 in their playoff contest.
None of the B Division teams went unscathed, with LIV Village, the champions, going down to Curro Hillcrest and St Nicholas Diocesan School in Pool A action. They also edged out Kingswood College by a single point. However, when the chips were down, during the playoffs, LIV Village produced their best form.
They cruised to a 33-point win over Marist Brothers Linmeyer in the quarterfinals. Pool B’s winner, St Peter’s College, who won all of their pool games, comfortably dealt with Curro Hillcrest, winning by 21 points. They won by 11 over St Nicholas in the semi-finals, while LIV Village edged out SAHETI School 22-18.
With the title on the line, LIV Village handed St Peter’s their only defeat of the tournament, running out 37-30 winners.
A DIVISION RESULTS
Pool A
St Benedict’s College 70-13 The Clan
St Charles College 49-55 Hilton College
St Benedict’s College 53-40 St Charles College
The Clan 33-73 Hilton College
Hilton College 39-57 St Benedict’s College
St Charles College 53-30 The Clan
Pool B
Kearsney College 32-36 King’s School Linbro Park
St David’s Marist Inanda 56-25 Usuthu Forest School
Kearsney College 50-23 St David’s Marist Inanda
King’s School Linbro Park 56-13 Usuthu Forest
Usuthu Forest 14-18 Kearsney College
St David’s Marist 23-41 Inanda King’s School Linbro Park
Pool C
St Stithians 40-42 Michael Mount
Michaelhouse 24-42 ESCA
Michael Mount 58-38 Michaelhouse
ESCA 49-43 St Stithians
St Stithians 51-27 Michaelhouse
Michael Mount 47-46 ESCA
Pool D
St Alban’s College 58-21 Peace Players International
St John’s College 53-38 Peace Players International
St Alban’s College 27-29 St John’s College
Clifton College 63-52 Peace Players International
Clifton College 23-32 St Alban’s College
St John’s College 51-40 Clifton College
Round of 16
King’s School Linbro Park 38-32 Michaelhouse
Michael Mount 76-17 Usuthu Forest School
St Benedict’s College 55-42 Peace Players International
St John’s College 60-26 The Clan
Hilton College 48-37 Clifton College
St Alban’s College 52-47 St Charles College
Kearsney College 34-48 ESCA
St Stithians College 58-34 St David’s Marist Inanda
Cross-Pool Matches
Michaelhouse 28-36 St Charles College
Clifton College 63-24 Usuthu Forest School
Peace Players International 30-33 St David’s Marist Inanda
Kearsney College 55-33 The Clan
Playoff Games
Quarterfinals
St Benedict’s College 55-41 St Stithians College
ESCA 39-36 St John’s College
King’s School Linbro Park 23-34 St Alban’s College
Hilton College 25-57 Michael Mount
Cross-Pool Matches
St Stithians College 35-36 King’s School Linbro Park
St John’s College 47-34 Hilton College
Semi-finals
St Benedict’s College 45-32 St Alban’s College
ESCA 38-57 Michael Mount
Cross-Pool Matches
St David’s Marist Inanda 35-54 St Charles College
Clifton College 60-53 Kearsney College
Peace Players International 55-41 Michaelhouse
Usuthu Forest School 22-41 The Clan
Placement Games
15/16 – Michaelhouse 73-22 Usuthu Forest School
13/14 – Peace Players International 50-32 The Clan
11/12 – St David’s Marist Inanda 32-40 Kearsney College
9/10 – St Charles College 52-31 Clifton College
7/8 – King’s School Linbro Park 27-31 Hilton College
5/6 – St Stithians College 52-30 St John’s College
3/4 – St Alban’s College 29-53 ESCA
1/2 – St Benedict’s College 52-57 Michael Mount
B DIVISION RESULTS
Pool Games
Pool A
Curro Hillcrest 32-34 Kingswood College
St Nicholas Diocesan School 41-37 The Heritage School (Zim)
Thomas More College 34-49 LIV Village
Kingswood College 27-35 St Nicholas Diocesan School
The Heritage School (Zim) 39-20 Thomas More College
LIV Village 36-38 Curro Hillcrest
The Heritage School (Zim) 34-37 LIV Village
Thomas More College 27-51 Kingswood College
St Nicholas Diocesan School 47-25 Curro Hillcrest
Curro Hillcrest 51-11 Thomas More College
LIV Village 30-35 St Nicholas Diocesan School
Kingswood College 25-22 The Heritage School
The Heritage School 44-54 Curro Hillcrest
Kingswood College 30-31 LIV Village
Thomas More College 16-41 St Nicholas Diocesan School
Pool B
Enjabulweni 25-42 Marist Brothers Linmeyer
Saheti School 66-39 St Benedict School
St Peter’s College 40-18 Meridian Karino School
Marist Brothers Linmeyer 28-57 Saheti School
St Benedict School 14-52 St Peter’s College
Meridian Karino School 49-11 Enjabulweni
St Benedict School 40-29 Meridian Karino School
St Peter’s College 39-32 Marist Brothers Linmeyer
Saheti School 34-6 Enjabulweni
Enjabulweni 5-34 St Peter’s College
Meridian Karino School 28-57 Saheti School
Marist Brothers Linmeyer 26-21 St Benedict School
St Benedict’s School 41-32 Enjabulweni
Marist Brothers Linmeyer 47-45 Meridian Karino School
St Peter’s College 30-27 Saheti School
Playoff Games
Quarterfinals
St Nicholas Diocesan School 39-27 St Benedict School
LIV Village 59-26 Marist Brothers Linmeyer
Saheti School 48-12 Kingswood College
St Peter’s College 36-15 Curro Hillcrest
Cross-Pool Playoffs
The Heritage School 39-23 Enjabulweni
Meridian Karino School 19-25 Thomas More College
Semi-finals
St Nicholas Diocesan School 22-33 St Peter’s College
LIV Village 22-18 Saheti School
Cross-Pool Playoffs
St Benedict School 34-15 Curro Hillcrest
Marist Brothers Linmeyer 17-31 Kingswood College
Placement Games
11/12 – Enjabulweni 13-21 Meridan Karino School
9/10 – The Heritage School 37-17 Thomas More College
7/8 – Curro Hillcrest 34-11 Marist Brothers Linmeyer
5/6 – St Benedict School 29-26 Kingswood College
3/4 – St Nicholas Diocesan School 34-40 Saheti School
1/2 – St Peter’s College 30-37 LIV Village
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