The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WHEN it wasn’t Frantwion Newton, it was Adam Johnson or Sherman Johnson who helped the defending champions Jordan Prince William Falcons to slow down the St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine senior boys basketball train at Jordan Prince William on Friday.

Newton pumped in a game high 32 points and Johnson powered inside for 15, while Marshall chipped in with eight as they led the Falcons past the Big Red Machine 65-55 in a matchup of two undefeated teams in the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools’ regular season.

“A win is a win. I ain’t satisfied because defensively, we still have to put in a lot of work,” said Falcons’ head coach Ernest Saunders after they improved their win-loss record to 7-0. “We have a bigger picture and that is to win another title, but we have to take it step by step.

“We know that SAC will always come out and give us a good fight. They have a lot of pride and we expected that, but once we keep our head up, the sky is the limit for us.”

Although the game was more keenly contested than the final score indicated, Johnathan Johnson scored 26 points, Joel Johnson had 14, Cornelius Clyde seven and Eugene Higgs six in a losing effort.

“The effort was there, but the execution wasn’t there. We could have done a better job,” said SAC’s coach Jason Edwards as they dropped to 6-1. “They scored the majority of their points of the dribble and that was the main problem. We had a lot of unforced turnovers. We were worrying too much about the man in the middle.”

But Edwards said he has a resilient team and he expect that they will be back next week as they get ready to wind down the regular season and prepare for the playoffs and a possible rematch with Jordan Prince Williams in the championship.

Jordan Prince Williams delighted their home crowd as Newton hit a pair of three pointers as they opened a 12-0 spurt in the first quarter and held on for a 14-6 advantage at the initial break. 

SAC turned things around in the second quarter and trailing by six, Joel Johnson, Clyde and Xavier Dean hit three consecutive baskets to tie the score at 20-20. Newton, however, came up with back-to-back baskets to put the Falcons back up 24-20. Johnathan Johnson then connected on a jumper and hit one-of-two free throws to bring the Big Red Machine within one, 24-23, at the half.

To start the third, Jordan Prince Will went on a mini run that saw Ray Martin and Wilfred Ferguson both canned a three-pointer and Marshall’s lay-up pushed their lead to 36-27. SAC refused to roll over and play dead, cutting the deficit to one again, 36-35, thanks to two baskets a piece from Johnathan and Joel Johnson.

A pair of free throws from Johnathan Johnson tied the score 40-40.

But lay-ups from Adam Johnson and Newton extended the Falcons’ lead to 44-40 at the end of the final break.

Each time SAC attempted a comeback at the beginning of the fourth, Newton and Adam Johnson was able to keep Johnson Prince Williams out front. Then Adam Johnson went to work, scoring on a jumper, was fouled, missed the free throw on an attempted three-pointer, but grabbed a long rebound and went back inside for a two-handed dunk and a 58-61 lead.

Newton then completed a three-point play and scored on a lay-up for a Falcons’ 63-53 lead and they held on for the win.