ONE TEAM is looking to resume a dynasty while the other has hopes of starting one of its own.
Something will have to give in Queen’s College’s (QC) title clash with Barbados Community College (BCC).
The last squads to win a league cup are set to decide another as defending champs QC and six-time kings BCC advanced to the United Insurance Schools Division 1 title game following Thursday’s semi-final wins over Harrison College and Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic respectively.
Playing at the Cave Hill campus, swingman Kemar Jones scored 15 points and Antonio Sealy added 11 points, 17 rebounds and eight blocks in the reigning kings’ wire to wire 65-54 victory.
This coming before the Eyrie Eagles took advantage of an inexperienced ‘Kolij’ side that was without five key players, mercilessly thrashing Harrison College 83-20 in the lopsided second game.
It’s the second time in four seasons the two sides will meet in the title contest, following the Eagles’ stunning 20-point comeback in the 2006 championship game.
QC will have more than that dramatic collapse to avenge, though, having already ceded the regular season cup to BCC after finishing the year with only the league’s third best record.
But the Husbands lads weren’t ready to hand over the league title just yet, not at least to a SJPP squad that they haven’t dropped a game against since 2008.
And the streak never appeared under threat after the champs expanded an initial 14-9 advantage to a 36-26 by half-time. Polytechnic only briefly threatened thereafter, reducing the deficit to single digits on a couple occasions in both the third and fourth quarters.
However, starting point guard Justin Maloney fouled out with 7:34 remaining and SJPP went scoreless for a vital three-minute span, all but burying any hopes of a Polytechnic rally.
Shakeil Rock added 13 points in the win while Ashley Smith and Maloney scored 16 and 14 points respectively for SJPP.
Rather unlike their fellow defeated semi-finalists, ‘Kolij’ never looked like making a game of their contest after Kirk Gilkes, Kevin Puckerin, Hussani Withers, Jeremy Whittaker and Yara Griffith were benched for disciplinary reasons.
And the Eagles wasted no time in putting away Kolij’s undersized line-ups, scoring the game’s first seven points unanswered as part of an opening 22-3 run.
Harrison College managed just a further five points in the ensuing second quarter (43-8) before BCC sat their starters for most of the second half after building a comfortable 71-17 margin.
Prolific swingman Darren Hunte and Raheem Elliott led all scorers with 13 points apiece, Jason Gladstone added 12 while Kelan Phillips chipped in with ten.