By Paul-Andre Walker, Staff ReporterJAMAICA COLLEGE made their way to the ISSA/KFC Schoolboys Basketball competition semi-final by getting past St. George's College 54-49 at the stadium courts yesterday.
In Under-16 action, St. Catherine squeezed by St. Jago 39-35 in the day's earlier game to give their team a coveted semi-final berth.
The boys in navy blue will battle Calabar in the senior semi-finals on January 28. Calabar had beaten them in an earlier clash and their rematch is already being described as the game of the season.
This scenario nearly didn't happen because Jamaica College, who had an excellent first half, never drove home the advantage and had to stave off a late run by the 'Light Blues' from the North Street contingent.
DREAM START
Omar Barnes got them off to a dream start and at the end of the first quarter JC already had a commanding 10 point lead, having scored 20 points in that period.
Their rate of scoring was checked in the second quarter, as they managed just nine baskets. This was not for want of trying, however, as it was St. George's, through Dwayne Wint, who began to dominate the inside. His efforts early in the game were to help thwart their attempted comeback later because he ended up fouling out in the third quarter, having acquired a double-double (13 points, 16 rebounds) before calling it a day.
Winning coach, Jason James, while happy to be in the semis, was concerned about his team's performance.
"The guys realised that George's weren't a very strong team and they relaxed towards the latter part of the game and let George's back in and this is a tendency with these players that needs to stop," he said. "We weren't really worried though," he added.
St. George's coach, Clifford Brown, was not surprised with the result.
"Success comes through preparation and hard work...too many of our key players were absent from training to make a team effort possible. Added to that we had two of the players that form our offensive triangle out with the flu," he said.
