Queen’s, Maritzburg College, Westville score season-opening wins
Over the weekend, the primary basketball focus was on the 20th annual St Peter’s College Sport and Cultural Festival, which featured many of Johannesburg’s basketball-playing schools and some visitors from further afield.
While the action came thick and fast at St Peter’s, there was a quieter start elsewhere. In Makhanda, Kingswood College hosted Queen’s College, while in KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Boys’ High welcomed Glenwood, and Kearsney College visited Maritzburg College.
Kingswood College vs Queen’s College
At Kingswood, the schools clashed across all age groups, with Kingswood’s u14A team edging out Queen’s 16-15. The visitors, though, won the u16B and u16C games on the Wyvern courts, by 25-15 and 32-12 respectively.
The u16A game in the High Performance Centre (HPC) went the way of the home team, though, who scored a hard-fought 15-11 victory.
In a low-scoring second team match, Kingswood claimed a comfortable 18-3 win, thus enhancing the home crowd’s confidence ahead of the showdown between the first sides.
Queen’s, however, began the game strongly, establishing a seven-point lead in the first five minutes, but Kingswood reduced the deficit as the first quarter drew to a close. It remained tight through the next two quarters, with the visitors maintaining a slight advantage.
Down by six at the start of the final quarter, Kingswood College mounted a comeback, capitalising on their offensive opportunities while defending tenaciously in the paint. Their plucky, never-say-die attitude brought the home side level at 24-24, but Queen’s had the final say, scoring a late basket to snatch a 26-24 victory.
Maritzburg College vs Kearsney College
In Pietermaritzburg, rain led to the cancellation of some matches scheduled to be played outdoors, but the action was hot in the Alan Paton Memorial Hall, where the home side, as always, was loudly cheered on.
College came out of the blocks on fire in the first team game and stormed into a 17-10 lead after the first quarter. Kearsney, however, made some defensive adjustments, which enabled them to stifle the Red, Black, and White‘s renowned high offensive tempo. By halftime, there was only one point in it, with the hosts 25-24 ahead.
Kearsney continued to build on their strong second quarter showing and edged in front, taking a 39-35 lead into the final quarter. They had a shot at sealing victory as time ticked down, but missed two free throws, which allowed Carl Fynn to secure a rebound. He sped down the floor and absorbed contact before sinking a lay-up for two points. That was the difference in the game, with Maritzburg College snatching a 54-52 victory.
Kearsney’s second team picked up a narrow 30-28 win, but College’s third team overran Kearsney 43-6. College’s fourths won 24-13.
In the clash of the u16A sides, after a tightly contested match, College came away with a 40-31 win. Kearsney’s u16B side reversed that result, winning 42-36.
Westville Boys’ High vs Glenwood High
Westville Boys’ High shot well against Glenwood to get their campaign off to a comfortable winning start, downing the Green Machine 98-55.
Westville’s thirds ran roughshod over Glenwood, winning 75-18, but the action between the u16 sides was closer, with the Westville A team winning 47-20 and the B side squeaking a 23-20 win.
The Westville u15B team won 26-8, but Glenwood’s u14A chalked up the only away win, sneaking by the home team’s u14B side 22-20.
RESULTS
1st Teams
KwaZulu-Natal
Westville Boys’ High 98-55 Glenwood High
Maritzburg College 55-53 Kearsney College
Eastern Cape
Queen’s College 26-22 Kingswood College
