The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IT will be the teacher against the student as the CI Gibson Rattlers face the Doris Johnson Mystic Marlins in the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association’s best-of-three senior boys basketball championship series that starts today at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

Coach Kevin ‘KJ’ Johnson and his Rattlers pulled away from the RM Bailey Pacers for an 85-66 triumph in their sudden death playoff on Tuesday at the DW Davis Gymnasium and will now face his former player, Denykco Bowles, now the head coach for the Mystic Marlins, who stunned the CC Sweeting Cobras 87-86 in their match-up.

“They have a very good programme. He’s doing an awesome job with that programme down at Doris Johnson,” said Johnson of his prot�g�. “What we need to do is bring the energy level because they bring the energy level every single night. They have some very good guards. Their small forwards and centre are excellent. We have to match their intensity and hopefully we can do that and get the win.”

Bowles, who finished his high school days at CI Gibson when he helped coach Johnson win both the GSSSA and the prestigious Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic titles in 2006, said he’s looking forward to facing his mentor on the other side of the court.

“I expect a battle. Coach Johnson is a very good coach. He has a very good programme down there,” he said. “As that is my alma mater and my former coach, I would feel very good if I can beat him. But we are going to go out there and we are going to play hard and at the end of the day, may the best man win.”

Also yesterday, the senior girls’ championship was also set at the CI Gibson Gymnasium as the CV Bethel Stingrays doubled up Doris Johnson 19-9 and the CR Walker Knights polished off the Anatol Rodgers Timberwolves 42-24 to set up the showdown between the CV Bethel and CR Walker for all the marbles.

Rattlers 85,

Pacers 66

After playing it close, tied at 10-10 at the end of the first, 28-21 at the half and 54-45 at the end of the third, both in favour of CI Gibson, the Rattlers turned it up a notch in the fourth. In fact, they had built a 77-57 margin with two minutes and 35 seconds left and coach Johnson went deep into his bench.

The Rattlers managed to withstand every spurt that the Pacers came up with and they were never in any real trouble.

“I don’t think we played the type of basketball that we are capable of playing, but thank God we got the win,” Johnson said. “RM Bailey came out and played some good basketball. We just turned the ball over too much. I’m happy that we got the win. Hopefully we will play better basketball in the championship.”

As he prepares for the showdown tonight, Johnson said as long as they can cut down on their turnovers, they should be okay.

Shakwon Lewis canned 13 points, Oatman Lightbourne had 11, Nigel Rolle and Lavardo Mesidor both had 10 and Johnley Noel contributed eight. For RM Bailey, Lamar Hanna pumped in a game high 22 points and S Stubbs finished with 17.

Mystic Marlins 87,

Cobras 86

Deangelo Jolly hit the biggest shot of the season for Doris Johnson when he sank one of two free throws with 1.8 seconds left on the clock to secure the win for the Mystic Marlins. CC Sweeting had tied the game on a jumper with 5.8 seconds, only to watch as the same player fouled Jolly for the game-winning shot.

In what was a keenly contested game, the Mystic Marlins actually led 23-20 at the end of the first quarter, but trailed the Cobras 37-31 at the half. The Mystic Marlins, however, went ahead 65-54 after the third and in the fourth, the two teams traded the lead with neither going up by more than three points.

The difference came at the foul line where CC Sweeting ended up losing five players to five fouls, but Doris Johnson had a lot of difficulties converting on all of their shots at the charity stripe. In the end, the Mystic Marlins only lost two players to foul trouble as they held on for the win.

“I’m very happy. CC Sweeting beat us twice during the regular season, once by one and the next time by five, so we knew we could play with them,” Bowles said. “I told the guys that in order for us to be successful, we have to minimise our turnovers and pay attention to the small details like boxing out, getting rebounds, driving on the floor for the loose balls and we would be successful.

“I’m very proud of the way they played tonight. They really kept their composure when CC Sweeting made their runs. We just stuck to our game plan and we did what we had to do to get the W.”

Brandon Stubbs led the attack for Doris Johnson with a game high 27 points. Shanton Pratt had 22 and Dwayne Dormus helped out with 20. CC Sweeting got 24 from Michael Bethel, 12 from Jamaal Simon and 10 from Adrian Thompson.

Stingrays 19, Mystic Marlins 9

Tonique Ingraham, Valerie Nesbitt, Jessica Baker and Tikara Collie all scored four points apiece to lead CV Bethel to victory. Shashla Bethune had three in a losing effort.

Knights 42, Timberwolves 24

Patisha Clarke had a game high 14, including nine in the first half as CR Walker jumped out to an impressive 29-2 first half lead. Tamalah Deveaux added eight, Tercel Rolle had six and Antonia Fertil chipped in with five. For Anatol Rodgers, Tahj’Nee Thurston scored 13 and twin sisters Alesh and Aliah Pennerman had four and three points respectively.