Schools basketball’s second division isn’t quite going according to script.
Neither tournament favourites Graydon Sealy nor defending champs St Leonard’s will be playing for this year’s United Insurance title following heartbreaking losses to Lester Vaughan and Ellerslie in Thursday’s semi-finals at Barbados Community College.
The stunning development puts Lester Vaughan into their very first title game against an Ellerslie side that last competed for a championship almost 20 years ago.
But while Ellerslie’s victory was somewhat expected, the 42-32 upset of Graydon Sealy was surely a shocker after the pre-season favourites entered the Final Four with the league’s best record and two routs of Lester Vaughan.
However, the top seeds were without the suspended pair of Andrew Ifill and Shaquon Newton, and then had to play the final three minutes with just four players after Ammuniki Wood fouled out and Jerad Grant was forced to the side with an injury.
Lester Vaughan inevitably closed the contest on a decisive 10-0, breaking open a back-and-forth affair that was locked at 32 with 3:30 left on the clock.
John Shane Howard led Lester Vaughan with ten points while Wood finished with a game-high 16 for Graydon Sealy.
Earlier, prolific forward Antoine Morris had a game-high 31 points to lead Ellerslie in a 59-57 cliffhanger over reigning kings St Leonard’s.
Point guard Antoine Lawrence scored 26 points for the fallen champs, including a pair of free throws with seconds left on the clock to make the contest a one-possession game. But there wasn’t enough time for St Leonard’s to get back the ball to force overtime or try for a late game-winner.
Kadeem Brathwaite scored 12 points for Ellerslie while St Leonard’s Bryan Neverson had ten.
The final is scheduled for Thursday at a venue yet to be decided. (JM)
