B-ball semi-finals on today
……Saints Vs Plaisance and Marian Academy Vs PC
THE battle for a place in the final of the United Insurance Schools Invitational Basketball Tournament will take centre stage this afternoon, weather permitting, at the St Stanislaus Court.
The 12-team competition which tipped-off last Monday has been organized by St Stanislaus College who will open today’s semi final action against Plaisance Secondary while Marian Academy will confront President’s College in the other game.
The hosts’ challenge to lift the Championship Trophy tomorrow night will be placed in the hands, skills and brains of their gifted trio – Neil Gordon, Kevin Higgins and Darroll Williams – who came up big in their Quarter-final game against School of Nations (SON) last Saturday.
This afternoon ‘Three the hard way’ need to come out, from the very first whistle, with the kind of intensity or more that they displayed in overcoming SON to reach the last four.
Against Plaisance they will have to contend with the Tournament’s leading scorer Nikoli Smith who shot a Tournament high 40 points against Queens College in their Quarter- final encounter last Saturday. The 16 year-old national U-19 two-guard player has been consistently outstanding throughout the competition and containing him will be Saints’ biggest worry.
According to Coach Chris Bowman who is also the Coach of Marian, “The Plaisance Boys have two distinct advantages over the other competing schools.
One, they enjoy more practice time together and, two, they possess more cohesiveness than the other sides. They will get past Saints because they are more coordinated and superior in positions. They are going to bring a lot of intensity to the game and I don’t see any team matching their intensity,” boasted Bowman.
The other match-up should also be closely contested and can also go either way, though the large support that President’s College enjoy could prove to be a crucial factor against  Marian Academy whose main weapon is Tequain Veira.
The College will be pinning their hopes in Power forward Nyamebekyere Bacchus and Point Guard Devon Warren.
Jump ball time in the first game is set for 15:30hrs.