SAMUEL JACKMAN PRESCOD POLYTECHNIC (SJPP) are still in the United Insurance Division 1 Schools' basketball title hunt.

But only just.

The pre-season favourites kept within striking distance of league leaders Queen's College after adding to the anguish of the now dethroned six-time league champs Barbados Community College (BCC) in a 77-66 victory at The Eyrie on Thursday evening.

Even with the win, Polytechnic (5-2) still lie two-and-a-half games back of the undefeated lads from Husbands (8-0) with just three regular season games remaining.

Over the last six seasons Polytechnic had enjoyed very little success at The Eyrie but they put that behind them in the same manner that reigning MVP Tremaine Shaw dismissed each clueless defender in transition as he led the visitors to an early ten-point lead (14-4).

The Eagles switched to a 1-2-2 defence but that did not slow the rampaging SJPP attack any, as Justin Maloney and Remar Smith got in on the scoring act.

However, BCC did manage to pull things back in the second quarter while Shaw rested for most of the period, preventing Polytechnic from stretching the advantage past ten points.

It also helped that Romaine Lovell got some much-needed assistance at the offensive end from key reserve Lorenzo Thorpe when point guard Raheem Elliot was forced to the bench with foul trouble.

But what was once a manageable seven-point half-time deficit (36-29) soon became a daunting 15-point hole (52-37), as the hosts opened the third quarter with three turnovers before finally scoring two minutes into the period.

Shaw led the way with 24 points, well supported by Maloney, who got 22, and Smith, 19. For BCC, Lovell had a game-high 25 points but he was the lone Eagles player in double digits.

In the day's other game, Queen's College kept their perfect record intact after edging Combermere 57-51 at Waterford. Czario Bourne top-scored with 14 points, while Darren Hunte and Antonio Sealy added 13 apiece. (JM)