So much for that epic season finale.
Whatever doubts surrounding Garrison’s supremacy of girls’ basketball have been squashed yet again, as Vanessa Reid-Cox had a game-high 15 points
to lead the seven-time Shirley Schools’ Basketball Competition queens to the regular season title via Friday’s 48-29 thumping of rivals Springer at Dayrells Road.
It was the champs’ eighth win in as many games, wrapping up another perfect regular season for Garrison while guaranteeing them the top seed ahead of next month’s play-offs.
And they couldn’t have asked for a more fitting finish, drawing their age-old adversaries in a match-up of two undefeated teams for what was being billed as the clash of the titans.
But the battle of the unbeatens turned into the silence of the lambs within minutes of the tip as Springer managed just three points in the first quarter, and a total of ten for the entire opening half.
This was after both sides got out to an extremely sloppy start and combined for a mere six points inside the contest’s first six minutes while struggling with the physical nature of the game.
Springer’s woes lasted just a bit longer, though, with the Government Hill lasses going scoreless for the rest of the period and the first 2:35 of the ensuing second amidst a decisive 11-0 Garrison run.
Winmalecia Bowen’s drought-ending basket didn’t help matters any either, as the hosts continued to force turnovers while converting the extra possessions into fast-break points behind Vanessa Reid Cox and Shonica Wharton.
Nikita President added a free-throw line jumper to beat the half-time buzzer (24-10) before Latoya Burke rattled off six straight points in the open floor on the other side of the break to open a 33-12 lead.
Garrison actually led by as many as 22 (43-21) in the fourth quarter, more than doubling Springer’s score after Makaela Rudder consistently beat her markers down the floor for uncontested baskets.
Tracey Lewis gave the visitors a brief spark in that period, trying to make the final deficit more respectable, but that rally proved short-lived behind President and Reid-Cox’s efforts.
President finished with 11 points while Bowen scored a team-high 10 points for Springer (6-1), who will finish as the second seeds regardless of what happens in their finale against Alexandra (1-5) tomorrow.
Combermere (5-3) are also guaranteed of a spot in the Final Four despite dropping Friday’s encounter at Husbands to Queen’s College 37-30. Queen’s College (3-2) can also reach the postseason once they win two of their last three games – which include contests against Alexandra, St Lucy (3-4), and Lester Vaughan (2-5).
