St Charles impresses in DHS win, Kearsney stuns College
The weekend’s basketball action delivered some major surprises, led by Kearsney College, who stunned a Maritzburg College team that had appeared to be an offensive juggernaut by shutting them down.
St Charles College, also, got back to winning ways with an impressive win over a tough and physical Durban High School (DHS) side.
Unfortunately, in Gauteng, rain forced the cancellation of some matches.
Saints quickly found themselves nine points down at the start of their clash with DHS. The home side struggled to establish their rhythm and were punished by DHS when they made mistakes.
St Charles demonstrated resilience, however, working diligently on both their attacking and defensive strategies. For much of the game, they trailed, but slowly they reeled in School and, at last, pulled clear, opening up a 10-point lead in the final quarter.
As the clock wound down, DHS was compelled to take hurried shots and commit fouls to stop the game clock. Saints rose to the occasion, successfully converting crucial free throws to preserve their lead and they, ultimately, achieved a hard-fought 73-66 victory.
In another exciting clash, Kearsney College defeated a highly rated Maritzburg College outfit, scoring a decisive 51-34 win at The SportZone. It was a win not many saw coming against a team that had been flying. In wins over Glenwood, Michaelhouse and Clifton College, the Red, Black, and White had scored freely, racking up 119, 93, 78 points respectively, but Kearsney put a stop to that.
Playing on their home court, Kearsney upset the apple cart, led by Pabatso Sithole‘s 22 points. He was well supported by Mvelo Mkhize and Daniel Prinsloo, who dropped 10 points each. On a disappointing day for College, Mangalisa Zwake was their high scorer with nine.
After a tightly contested first quarter, College held a narrow 9-8 lead. In the second quarter, solid free throw shooting and good outside shooting lifted Kearsney into a 26-21 halftime lead as they restricted the visitors’ scoring opportunities.
College came out hard after the break and briefly opened up a three-point advantage at 34-31. Kearsney, though, executed a remarkable turnaround. Incredibly, College went scoreless in the final quarter while Kearsney delivered an effective offensive showing to pull away for an extraordinary 51-34 victory.
In other thrilling matches in KwaZulu-Natal, Northwood School added another win, beating Michaelhouse 64-50, while Westville Boys’ High School achieved a decisive 68-40 victory over Hilton College.
In Johannesburg, numerous matches were disrupted by rainfall, including the contest between St Alban’s College and St David’s Marist Inanda. When rain forced an early end to the game, St Alban’s held a 36-21 lead.
Unfortunately, after the completion of the second team match, the Pretoria Boys High and Jeppe first teams were unable to take to the court.
In the Eastern Cape, Kingswood College took on Makana Spears and came away with a 54-39 win. Queen’s College ruled the roost against their great rivals, Dale College, and recorded a convincing 42-27 win.
Earlier, in midweek, Redhill School defeated Pinnacle College Raslouw 37-11. St Stithians College triumphed 43-22 over the winners of the American International School of Johannesburg Basketball Tournament, St John’s College.
King Edward VII School (KES) edged out St Benedict’s College 47-44 in a closely contested meeting of leading sides.
RESULTS
Wednesday, 12 February
Redhill School 37-11 Pinnacle College Raslouw
St Stithians College 43-22 St John’s College
King Edward VII School (KES) 47-44 St Benedict’s College
Saturday, 15 February
Kearsney College 51-34 Maritzburg College
Queen’s College 42-27 Dale College
St Charles College 73-66 Durban High School
Westville Boys’ High School 68-40 Hilton College
Kingswood College 54-39 Makana Spears
Northwood School 64-50 Michaelhouse
St Alban’s College 36-21 St David’s Marist Inanda (Match stopped due to rain)
