St Leonard's found Darren Hunte unstoppable as he poured in a game-high 25 points. (Picture by Charles Pitt-Grant.)

by JUSTIN MARVILLE

BEHIND A STOUT DEFENSIVE EFFORT that limited the visiting team to four second-half points, defending United Insurance Under-19 Division Two Basketball champions The St Michael School mauled St Leonard's 84-19 on Friday to keep their perfect home record intact.

The Richmond Gap lads were missing several key players from last year's title-contending side and the home team started the contest as clear favourites. But the less experienced St Leonard's squad showed some mettle by keeping pace early in the first quarter behind the perimeter shooting of
off-guard Darren Adams.

The St Michael benefited from easy baskets in transition from forwards Darren Hunte and Nicholai White when they switched to full court pressure on defence later in the quarter.

However, their teammates provided no help offensively and the defending champions held a mere three-point lead heading into the second.

However, the home team opened the ensuing period by scoring 11 unanswered points leading to a subsequent 17-2 run as the visitors' inexperience came to bare. They committed numerous turnovers against a well executed full court press that resulted in Hunte and company converting their opposition's misgivings into points at the other end.

Starting guards Shakeir Bayne and Raheem Elliot got in on the scoring act, while Hunte added a further ten points in the second quarter, giving the defending champs a 21 point cushion, 36-15, at the half-time break.

White took advantage of the younger, opposing front court in the paint on the offensive end to begin the third quarter.

Bayne provided the perfect compliment from the perimeter, and the homeside scored the first ten points of the second half before St Leonard's could respond with a field goal of their own, to further extend the visitors' deficit.

Ironically, the basket which briefly put an end to The St Michael's opening 10-0 run ended up being the lone score for St Leonard's in that third quarter as they crumbled under the opposition's full court pressure.

Hunte went on a personal run of his own, scoring six consecutive points to lead a strong finish to the quarter for the home team in front of their
jubilant supporters.

Leading 54-17 with the starters on the bench to start the fourth quarter, reserve guards Orion Seale and Jamie Carmichael made the most of the playing time they were given. They tallied 19 fourth-quarter points between them by getting out in the open court against some poor transition defence from St Leonard's, who added only a further two points in the game.

Hunte led the way with 25 points, White added a further 13, while Bayne and Seale each chipped in with 11 points apiece. Adams top-scored for
St Leonard's with six points.