26 February 2023
After a nail-biting final against Saint David’s Marist Inanda, a team that had defeated them in pool play, Saint Charles College rose to the occasion with the Saint John’s Basketball Tournament title on the line and downed Saint David’s 40-36 to lift the most prestigious title in South African schoolboys’ basketball on Sunday in Johannesburg.
Truth be told, it wasn’t that much of a shock that Saints delivered when it mattered, but they had shown some surprising signs of fallibility after a loss to Northwood on 28 January brought to an end a 26-game winning streak. Then, last weekend, Michaelhouse shocked Saints in the final of the Jenny Orchard Invitational Basketball Tournament.
Still, they would have been considered KZN’s best chance of hoisting the Saint John’s title, and they duly delivered on their promise in a tournament that brings together the cream of South Africa’s basketball talent.
Pool play
In pool play, Saints began their challenge with a routine 49-18 win over Saint Peter’s College. That was expected. And it was followed with another expected win, this time over Clifton, a team they had beaten 83-26 on 21 January. This time, however, Clifton pushed Saint Charles far more and it ended 47-35 in favour of the Pietermaritzburg school.
Next up, Saints took on Saint David’s Marist Inanda, and the boys from near Sandton gave Saint Charles a shocking wake-up call, rolling to a 34-23 win. In a low-scoring contest, that was a decisive victory. Upon reflection, that setback might have been a timely and valuable defeat for Saint Charles because from that point on they were dominant.
Playoffs
Saint Stithian’s were the first to feel the wrath of Saints, who out-gunned them 63-39. Not letting up, Saints then downed Sacred Heart College with equal decisiveness, winning 59-37 in the quarterfinals. That put them into the semis to face Kearsney College.
In a recent semi-final showdown, at the Jenny Orchard Invitational, Kearsney led in the last five minutes, but Saint Charles then put together an 11-0 run to wrest control and the win from their rivals. This time, though, it was not close, with Saints running out 53-39 victors.
Final
In the final, Saint David’s Marist Inanda awaited Saint Charles once again. The Maritzburgers and their coach, Darren Holcomb, had learnt the lessons they needed to learn from their loss to the same opponents earlier in the tournament. With the title on the line, they had the answers to all the questions Saint David’s posed.
It was tight, but Saint Charles College edged the contest by four points to be crowned the 2023 Saint John’s Basketball Tournament. It was just reward for a team that has been outstanding for a long time, and which played some outstanding basketball throughout the tournament.
Results
Saint Charles College 49-18 Saint Peter’s College
Saint Charles College 47-35 Clifton School
Saint Charles College 23-34 Saint David’s Marist Inanda
Saint Charles College 63-39 Saint Stithian’s College
Saint Charles College 59-37 Sacred Heart College
Saint Charles College 53-39 Kearsney College (semi)
Saint Charles College 40-36 Saint David’s Marist Inanda (champions)
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