JUNIOR National power forward Linden Fraser scored 30 points while hard-playing shooting guard Emanuel Archibald netted a tournament-high 37 points, as they helped the Linden Technical Institute and Christianburg Wismar Secondary School (Multi) to convincing wins in this year’s Victory Valley Royals School’s basketball Championships. Playing at the Mackenzie Sports Club Hard Court on Wednesday last, Fraser put on a devastating performance in the paint while propelling LTI to their second win in the tournament when they routed the New Silvercity Secondary School (NSSS) by 51 points (82–31).
Linden Foundation Secondary (LFS) were dealt a heavy blow by ‘Multi’ who defeated them 99–44; – one of the biggest margins of victory in the tournament’s eight-year history.
Playing in the opening game of the double-header, New Silvercity featured a line-up of mostly diminutive players while LTI had a team that seem destined to add another title to their long list of regional and national silverwares.
In the first half, their shooting was nothing to boast about, however, thanks to the rebounding expertise of Fraser, LTI raced to a 20–0 run in the opening minutes until coach Colin Barker had his team settled and not intimidated by the opposition, causing New Silvercity to finish the half trailing 41–8.
Through Fraser, Stanley McIntosh (16th), Jemmar Bethune (15th) and Ahkeel Primo (11th), LTI were able to exact their first half points en route to their commanding win.
Al Edwards was the only player for the losers in double digits with 12 points while Selwyn Noble contributed eight.
Meanwhile, after going down 56-51 to LTI in their previous match in the competition, ‘Multi’ regrouped and displayed a fine all-round performance, led by Emmanuel Archibald and Travin ‘Babylon’ Dryden.
Archibald, from a family with rich basketball history, being the nephew of former national coach James Brushe and national players James and Clifton Brushe, the guard was literally all over the court playing well at both ends of floor.
He marshalled the team’s defence in the backcourt while Dryden took care of the paint making it hard for the LFS players to get in.
Already having a victory in the tournament (36-30) over Wisburg), LFS came seeking their second win in as many matches but they didn’t cater to face a hungry ‘Multi’ team.
At half time the scoreboard read 40-21 in favour of Multi and, led by Archibald, Dryden (20) and Terron Welch (22), the school who won the inaugural competition went into full scoring mode adding 59 points in the second half while restricting LFS to only ten points.
Once again Denis Niles with 16 points and Paul Kellman who added 13 proved to be their school’s most efficient players.
The competition continues on April 11 with Mackenzie High School facing LFS in the first game of the double-header while the second game brings together Wisburg and ‘Multi’.