Belair Academy's Neveij Walters (centre) and Karl Wright battle to snatch a rebound ahead of Kingston College's Seian Mellish (partially hidden), Omari Green (second left) and Ricardo Griffiths in action from the ISSA/KFC All-Island school basketball final at the UWI Bowl yesterday. Looking on are Belair's Justin Day (far left) and Seval Reid (far right). Belair won 47-39. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

CENTRAL CONFERENCE division champions Belair Academy captured the coveted schoolboy basketball double crown when they bashed Kingston College 48-37 in the ISSA/KFC All-Island Under 19 final at the UWI Bowl yesterday.

In the Under-16 final, Northern Conference runners-up Ardenne snatched the top spot this time around by getting past Old Harbour 47-39.

Ardenne big man Alex Lubsey had 11 points and six rebounds, while point guard Adam Fernandez had 11 points. Demar Fearon had 15 points and nine assists for Old Harbour in their losing effort.

In the Under-19 final, KC captain Omari Green led his team with 18 points and six rebounds, including a 12 point third quarter, but in the end he was forced to yield to big man Neveij Walters and Belair. Walters was truly dominant with 23 points, 20 rebounds and seven blocks, but he got lot of help from energetic point guard Jarek Lewis who poured in 19 points and snatched three steals.

Dug in defensively

KC had come storming out the gates with a 4-0 lead but after that it was all Belair as they dug in defensively to force the North Street boys into taking some bad shots, which eventually saw them down 21-13 at half-time.

However, Green's inspirational third quarter would see them get back into the game and finish that stanza tied 30-30. Walters then went to work on the boards and KC could find no answer for the big man in the paint as he snatched eight fourth quarter rebounds and put in nine points.

"Everybody is always saying the country team can't win and they can't play, well this one is for the country." said an excited Belair coach, Mike Stephenson.

"This is huge victory for us we have only about 100 boys at the school compared to probably about 2,000 in other schools. We have been able to accomplish this with hard work," he said.

Disappointed Kingston College coach Andrew Jackson commended his team for a courageous performance but believes a shift in venue could have been a problem for his side.

"We went to the stadium and then were told we would have to come here, so we had to wait on other transportation and such. We never even got to warm-up properly," he said.

"However, under the circumstances I have to commendthe team for their performance."