22 February 2024
In providing weekly results of KZN inter-schools competition, the Westville Boys’ High u16 basketball team has been mentioned often for its excellence. Over the past weekend, they showed that they match up well outside of the province, too, by capturing the St Stithians Basketball Tournament title.
In Johannesburg, they played six matches and went a perfect six for six, with their last victory in the title-decider proving to be a real nail-biter.
Westville opened their challenge with a 42-17 win over Botswana’s Maru-a-Pula School, from Gabarone, and followed that with a 39-27 defeat of a St John’s College team that had run roughshod over their opposition on their way to the American International School of Johannesburg Invitational Basketball Tournament title at the end of January.
Westville’s 1st team had finished third in that tournament after topping their pool before losing in the semi-finals, ironically to St John’s, whom they had beaten in the group stages.
The foe was far more familiar to Westville in their next outing. They faced Kearsney College and had few problems dealing with their neighbours as they cruised to a 47-23 win.
Next up, they handled St Peter’s College, winning 41-27, and then, impressively, they outplayed Michael Mount Waldorf 55-33.
That set up Westville for a showdown with the tournament hosts, St Stithians, for the title. Not even the home support could stop Westville’s march to the title, but it was as close as could be, with the Griffin sneaking a 36-35 victory to win the tournament.
SCORES
WBHS 42-17 Maru-a-Pula
WBHS 39-27 St John’s College
WBHS 47-23 Kearsney College
WBHS 41-27 St Peter’s College
WBHS 55-33 Michael Mount
WBHS 36-35 St Stithians College
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