Fatima loom large in schools b-ball

Fatima College loom large for the final of the Under-20 final of the NGC/Express North Zone Secondary Schools basketball tournament. They came from being two points behind with one second to go to force two periods of overtime and book their place in the final with a 70-66 win over Morvant/Laventille Secondary on Friday at the St Paul’s Street Gymnasium in Port-of-Spain. Fatima, the visitors on the night, led 27-23 at the half time and had a firm 12 lead at different points in the half before Morvant/Laventille found their range and picked up the pace to reduce the lead at the half in the semi-final encounter.

When the third period began Morvant/ Laventille looked the better team, quickly turning over their fortune with a playing style affected less by anxiety. They looked well on their way to the final until, on the urgings of their supporters, Fatima turned the game into their personal show. An equipment change saw Akinola Simon finding his speed and with superb handling helped his team close in on Morvant/Laventille. An attitude change introduced their opponents to Fatima’s most potent weapon, Jason Sharpe. A force to be reckoned with in the lane, Sharpe made his intentions known and stranded the Morvant/Laventille zone defence, which gave him the attention of two defenders, with his superior reach and solid technique. In the last minute it looked as if Morvant/Laventille could hold on to the finish but with one second remaining Sharpe drew a dramatic foul and hit both shots to resuscitate the hopes of his team.

Morvant/Laventille, never a team to be seen with their heads hanging, took a more assertive tone with the splintered Fatima defence and saw Dylaun Skeete, though injured, score a team-high 20 points. Anthony Husbands also pitched in after a shaky first half with Kyle Bourne giving 18 to his team’s effort, but the turning point did not come as a result of these players but despite them. In quick succession Skeete and Husbands picked up their fifth fouls and defence man Matthew Cupid followed them to the sidelines. With their bench at the mercy of the Fatima lineup still intact due to some good tactical play, Morvant/Laventille were forced to face the music but not before they forced a second period of overtime as the score stood at 61-61 on merit of some combative play from both outfits. Sharpe, who ended on a match-high 28 points brought up an eight-point lead and kept it intact through the best efforts of the lads from Morvant/Laventille.
 
Robert Sandiford had 14 points and Jerrold Forde ended on 10 for Fatima. Fouls also played a key role in the first of the three matches carded for the evening as defending champions Excel Composite lost key players and fell 95-76 to International School of Port-of-Spain (ISPOS) in an anti-climatic end to an Under-17 match that promised much more than it delivered. ISPOS had to keep their cool under the pressure of Excel’s defence and tensions often boiled over but in the end Daniel Temple kept his composure and ended on 32; Luther Wilson had 21, Chad Gregory up 17 and Marc McEachnie added a quiet 16 points to secure victory for ISPOS to earn them their first berth in the final of the competition.