GARRISON HAVE LOST MORE title games than anyone in girls’ school basketball history. But it’s easier to cope with since everyone else has won six titles fewer than they have.
Put another WIBISCO Shirley Schools’ Baskertball Competition title in the books for Dayrells Road’s dames after the defending champs capped a tenth successive appearance in the final by winning their sixth crown following Tuesday’s 71-59 defeat of St Lucy at the Barbados Community College.
This is the second time in as many years that Garrison bested their northern rivals for the Wanda Maynard Trophy after contesting every title game since the tournament’s inception in 2000.
But rather unlike last season’s overtime thriller, this one was over early in the fourth quarter when Garrison led by as many as 18 points twice following a 13-2 game-changing run.
Prolific forward Shannon Hackett had ten of her game-high 27 points during the surge but it was her side’s stifling full court defence that turned the tide as St Lucy managed just two points inside the first four minutes of the fourth.
That proved to be the difference between a narrow seven-point margin to start the period and a 60-42 blowout just before centre Leah Bannister fouled out of the contest.
Even with Hackett sitting out for five minutes, Garrison maintained a 65-47 cushion before a brief St Lucy surge made the final margin a respectable one.
It wasn’t the first rally to do so though.
The champs endured some worrying moments after high-scoring forward Jeneice Clarke erupted for 11 third-quarter points to seemingly turn what was a lopsided final on its head.
This was after Garrison threatened to blow the game wide open after opening up a 12-point (33-21) half-time advantage on the heels of another dominant Hackett effort.
However, memories of Anna Austin’s near late-game heroics in 2010 must’ve come rushing back when Clarke capped a 9-2 run by scoring on a reverse lay-up while being fouled that put St Lucy ahead 38-37.
But it was the last time Clarke enjoyed any success by going up – literally.
The tournament MVP left the game temporarily after landing awkwardly on an already injured ankle while Garrison was in the middle of their own 9-3 push to close the third quarter (47-40).
And by the time Clarke returned early in the fourth her opponents had already extended that advantage to 13 (53-40) after scoring six unanswered points to open the period.
Vanessa Reid-Cox then added a couple of lay-ups before Hackett put the final touches on the rout.
Garrison’s eventual 18-point lead would’ve come as somewhat of a surprise early in the contest when Hackett and Nikita President traded baskets back and forth with Clarke and Bannister during a 15-all first-quarter stalemate.
The champs’ superior length in the frontcourt finally came to bear, though, and St Lucy’s subsequent turnover woes only made matters worse as Garrison got out in transition for easy scores.
St Lucy’s decision to sub point guard Iesha Moses put the side in a further hole, with Clarke’s increased ball-handling duties taking away from her scoring, resulting in the Trents squad falling behind by double digits.
“This one is the best out of the six,” commented victorious coach Orland Roach. “It’s the first time we are playing without any of the Husbands clan and a lot of players have stepped up this year. Next year we will be going for the three-peat.”
President and Reid Cox assisted Hackett with 16 and 15 points, respectively, while Clarke topscored for St Lucy with 27 and Markayla Yearwood added 12.