A 61-point, 39-rebound performance from Curdin Jones has carried Soufrière Comprehensive into the quarterfinals of Saint Lucia's Under-19 Secondary School Basketball Championship, where the school will meet Beanefield Comprehensive on Thursday. The group stage closed on Tuesday at the Beausejour Gymnasium with two emphatic wins and one walkover.
As reported by St. Lucia Times, the preliminary round of the Department of Youth Development and Sports tournament ended with Soufrière Comprehensive, known as SCSS, thrashing Sir Ira Simmons Secondary 94-20 to take Group B. Defending champions Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, SALCC, kept their perfect record with a 60-23 defeat of Entrepôt Secondary in Group A.
Jones equalled his tournament-best haul of 61 points and added 10 steals and two assists to his 39 rebounds in a one-man demolition. His team-mates were scarcely less relentless: Aloysious William recorded 23 steals alongside 14 points, and Trenton Henry finished with 12 points, 12 steals and seven rebounds. Jaden Gabriel top-scored for Sir Ira Simmons with 12 points.
SALCC, based at the Morne, made shorter work of Entrepôt. Leading 22-6 after the first quarter, they held their opponents scoreless in the second to reach the interval 25-6 ahead. Nyel Joseph led all scorers with 26 points, six steals and four assists, supported by Nezan Lewis with 12 points and Shaynne Edgar with nine. Terrance Alcee managed six points for Entrepôt.
The day's third fixture never happened: Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary was awarded a walkover after Micoud Secondary failed to appear. That hands Vieux Fort a place in the knockout rounds and the first quarterfinal slot of the day against the champions.
Thursday's bracket at Beausejour is set. SALCC face Vieux Fort Comprehensive at 11:00 a.m., St Mary's College meet Entrepôt at noon, SCSS play Beanefield Comprehensive at 1:00 p.m., and Leon Hess Comprehensive clash with Castries Comprehensive at 2:00 p.m. in the fixture many will flag as the pick of the round.
The tournament is the showcase of the schools basketball calendar in Saint Lucia, and its stars often progress to senior national duty. For anyone following sport in Saint Lucia, the names to watch this week are Jones and Joseph, whose form has defined the group stage. Admission to school fixtures at the Beausejour Gymnasium, in the north of the island near Gros Islet, is typically open to the public.
Visitors on holidays to St Lucia this week who want a slice of island life beyond the resort gates could do worse than catch a quarterfinal, where the crowd is as much the story as the score. The gym sits close to the northern hotel belt, so reaching it from the main resort areas is straightforward.
Families staying in hotels in St Lucia around Gros Islet and Rodney Bay will find the midday fixtures easy to slot into a day that might otherwise be spent on the beach or a boat trip. School sport here draws genuine local passion, and Thursday's schedule runs conveniently from late morning.
The wider island offers plenty to fill the rest of a visit, from rainforest walks to the marine reserves of the west coast, and there is no shortage of things to do in St Lucia once the final buzzer sounds. November sits in the quieter shoulder season, often cited as a good value window, though the best time to visit St Lucia for basketball fans is arguably whenever the schools championship is running.
Whether the champions from the Morne or the new force from Soufrière lift the trophy, the quarterfinals promise one heavyweight clash and one headline act. Jones's next performance, against Beanefield, is the fixture most eyes will be on.
Questions and answers
When are the St Lucia schools basketball quarterfinals?
The quarterfinals take place on Thursday at the Beausejour Gymnasium, with the first game at 11:00 a.m. and four fixtures running through to 2:00 p.m.
Who is the standout player in the Saint Lucia schools championship?
Curdin Jones of Soufrière Comprehensive has been the standout, scoring 61 points with 39 rebounds and 10 steals in his team's 94-20 win over Sir Ira Simmons Secondary.
Which teams are the favourites in the St Lucia schools basketball tournament?
Defending champions Sir Arthur Lewis Community College and group winners Soufrière Comprehensive both go into the knockout rounds on dominant form. They cannot meet before the later rounds.
Where is the Beausejour Gymnasium in Saint Lucia?
It is in the north of the island, in the Beausejour area near Gros Islet, close to the main resort belt around Rodney Bay.
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