25 February 2024
The top 16 met in the playoffs of the St John’s Basketball Tournament on Saturday, and while there were some tight games, the real fireworks occurred in a blowout result in the semi-finals, where Northwood blew Maritzburg College off the court.
There was no sign of what was to come when the Knights secured their quarterfinal place with a narrow 39-36 win over Pretoria Boys High, while College ousted the hosts, St John’s, 51-43.
Joining them in the last eight were, among others, St Charles College, after the defending champs comfortably handled St David’s Marist Inanda 57-45, and Michaelhouse, who held off Hilton College, winning 50-46.
The pick of the quarterfinal fixtures was, no doubt, the Northwood vs Maritzburg College showdown. Just over a week earlier, the Knights had outplayed College 79-67 in a pool clash in the Jenny Orchard Invitational. In the final, however, College staged a late comeback to force overtime, and they then won 87-84.
Northwood had a point to prove and they sure made it on Saturday in Johannesburg. They overwhelmed College, powering their way to an eye-opening 80-41 victory to stake their claim to being number one in KZN. Just before the Jenny Orchard Invitational, they had beaten St Charles 76-54, so that claim appears legitimate.
Northwood faces St Alban’s College in the semi-finals after the Pretoria school beat a tough St Benedict’s College outfit 52-46 in their quarterfinal. Saints, meanwhile, take on high-flying King Edward VII after taking down Michaelhouse in the last eight by a 64-49 scoreline.
The winners of the St John’s College Basketball Tournament are usually recognised as South Africa’s number one, so there is more than a trophy up for grabs.
In the 17-24 playoffs, Clifton College rose to the challenge to hand Jeppe High a 37-30 loss.
RESULTS
u19
Top 16
St Charles College 57-45 St David’s Marist Inanda
Michaelhouse 50-46 Hilton College
King Edward VII 63-29 Sacred Heart College
Kearsney College 34-49 ESCA Wanderers
Maritzburg College 51-43 St John’s College
St Alban’s College 56-41 Michael Mount
St Benedict’s College 28-26 St Stithians College
Northwood School 39-36 Pretoria Boys High
Quarterfinals
King Edward VII 57-40 ESCA Wanderers
St Charles College 64-49 Michaelhouse
St Benedict’s College 46-52 St Alban’s College
Northwood School 80-41 Maritzburg College
17-24
Clifton College 37-30 Jeppe High
Falcon College 22-25 Waterford Kamhlaba
Parktown Boys’ High 40-33 St Peter’s College
St George’s College 45-47 St Andrew’s College
u19 Semis
King Edward VII vs St Charles College
Northwood School vs St Alban’s College
Hilton College carries KZN’s u15 hopes
KZN has only one representative in the semi-finals of the u15 competition, and that honour belongs to Hilton College, who saw off Maritzburg College 71-59 in their last eight clash.
Kearsney College, undoubtedly one of the better teams, suffered an unfortunate 28-32 defeat to King Edward VII in the top 16, while St Charles bowed out to the talented hosts, 29-46.
Michaelhouse ousted Pretoria Boys High 40-25, while College pounded St Alban’s to set up the aforementioned clash with Hilton, who were 45-29 winners over the Mangaung Knights.
KES, after ending Kearsney’s challenge, did the same to Michaelhouse in the quarterfinals, while St John’s College and St Benedict’s secured the remaining semifinal spots.
Meanwhile, in the 17-24 playoffs, Clifton College was well beaten by St David’s Marist Inanda, who look strangely out of place in the lower strata of the playoffs.
u15
Top 16
St John’s College 46-29 St Charles College
St Stithians College 46-41 Sacred Heart College
St Benedict’s College 44-35 Northwood School
Michael Mount 42-29 Soweto Basketball Academy
Kearsney College 28-32 King Edward VII
Michaelhouse 40-25 Pretoria Boys High
Hilton College 45-29 Mangaung Knights
Maritzburg College 59-30 St Alban’s College
Quarterfinals
St John’s College 41-38 St Stithians College
St Benedict’s College 31-33 Michael Mount
King Edward VII 38-27 Michaelhouse
Hilton College 71-59 Maritzburg College
17-24
King’s Linbro 12-15 St Peter’s College
Redhill School 24-37 Jeppe High
St Andrew’s College 29-25 Saheti
Clifton College 20-40 St David’s Marist Inanda
Semis
St John’s College vs Michael Mount
King Edward VII vs Hilton College
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