23 February 2024
Michaelhouse, the winners of the St John’s Basketball Tournament in 2020, opened their 2024 challenge on Friday in Johannesburg with two convincing victories.
In their opener, against Michael Mount Waldorf, ‘House ran out 10-point winners, 54-44, and then, against Eswatini’s Waterford Kamhlaba, they doubled their points’ advantage winning by 20, 45-25.
Maritzburg College, crowned champions of the Jenny Orchard Basketball Invitational on Sunday, were given a rude welcome by St Alban’s College.
The team from Pretoria was up for the game while College might have carried some heavy legs into the contest after their exploits over the weekend. On the court, that resulted in an eyebrow-raising 21-point defeat for the Red, Black and White, who went down 45-66.
At the Jenny Orchard Invitational, they were well beaten by Northwood in their opener, but they turned that result around in the final. They’ll hope to repeat that recipe this weekend.
College had a second match on Thursday and turned on the style for that one, overrunning St David’s Marist Inanda 50-32.
Speaking of Northwood, they played only one game on Thursday, against familiar opposition, and they ran out comfortable 45-27 winners over Hilton College.
The defending champions, St Charles College, scored a narrow four-point win first time out against Pretoria Boys High, winning 33-29. They were more emphatic winners in their second game, taking down St John’s College 50-39.
In 2023, they suffered a loss to St David’s Marist Inanda in the pool stage but came back to beat the same opposition in the final. Maritzburg College will, no doubt, be aware of that feat, too.
Much improved Clifton College went one and one on the opening day. They put a tick in the win column, scoring a 44-31 win over Waterford Kamhlaba, but fell 26-34 to Michael Mount the next time out.
Kearsney College played only once, against highly rated St Benedict’s College and pushed Bennies hard before coming up just short, 35-39.
u15 Competition
Kearsney’s u15 side had no problems with Clifton in their opener, however, cruising to a 34-12 win. Hilton College was also convincing in their 37-22 defeat of King Edward VII, and their great rivals, Michaelhouse powered their way to a 49-30 win over Sacred Heart College. St Charles College also enjoyed a strong opener, handing the Mangaung Knights a 47-41 loss.
The only loss by a KZN team, besides the all-KZN clash between Kearsney and Clifton, was suffered by Maritzburg College, but it was in the game of the day in the u15 age group. College and Michael Mount went toe-to-toe and there was next to nothing in it. However, at the final whistle, Michael Mount were one point ahead and claimed a 48-47 victory.
Results
u19
Group A
St John’s College 51-30 Parktown Boys’ High
St Charles College 33-29 Pretoria Boys High
Pretoria Boys High 36-22 Parktown Boys’ High
St John’s College 39-50 St Charles College
Group B
Hilton College 27-45 Northwood School
St Stithians College 54-25 St Peter’s College
Group C
Maritzburg College 45-66 St Alban’s College
Jeppe High 25-34 St David’s Marist Inanda
St David’s Marist Inanda 32-50 Maritzburg College
Jeppe High 34-48 St Alban’s College
Group D
Michael Mount 44-54 Michaelhouse
Waterford 31-44 Clifton College
Michaelhouse 45-25 Waterford
Michael Mount 34-26 Clifton College
Group E
Kearsney College 35-39 St Benedict’s College
St George’s College 45-60 Sacred Heart College
Group F
ESCA Wanderers 44-39 Falcon College
St Andrew’s College 35-65 King Edward VII
u15
Group A
Saheti 27-49 St John’s College
Kearsney College 34-12 Clifton College
Group B
St Andrew’s College 51-35 King’s Linbro
Michael Mount 48-47 Maritzburg College
Group C
Pretoria Boys High 49-27 Northwood
St Stithians 56-29 St Peter’s
Group D
Soweto Academy 42-20 Jeppe High
King Edward VII 22-37 Hilton College
Group E
Michaelhouse 49-30 Sacred Heart
St David’s Marist Inanda 24-34 St Alban’s
Group F
St Charles 47-31 Mangaung Knights
Redhill 11-26 St Benedict’s
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