Tunapuna dethrone Holy Cross for U-20 basketball title

TUNAPUNA Secondary, led by their influential forward Nickolai Mills, captured the East Zone Secondary Schools Basketball League Under-20 title, following a comfortable 51-36 victory over 2018 champs Holy Cross College yesterday.

At the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena, Mills had a team-high 16 points to help secure the victory in a one-sided final.

He was supported by captain Jadon Daniel and Aaron Patrick, with 14 and 13 points respectively.

The result made for a near perfect season for Tunapuna, after capturing the Under-17 crown on Thursday at the expense of runners-up Trinity College East. Mills and Daniel were also instrumental in their school’s 61-52 victory in that final, scoring 39 points combined. The pair was named joint MVPs in both finals.

In yesterday’s earlier third-place playoff, Trinity College East placed third following a hard-fought 64-62 victory over El Dorado East Secondary.

El Do’s Jelani Blackett and Stephan August both scored 20 points, the highest individual tally on the day, but were on the losing end.

Shoga Somorin, Trinity College East’s joint MVP, scored 18 points. Vharyon Watson, who has been crucial in El Dorado’s efforts this year, was the other MVP awardee.

Yesterday’s double header brought a close to the East Zone Secondary Schools Basketball League campaign, which included three divisions for boys and one open division for girls. While Tunapuna Secondary was named champion in both the U-20 and U-17 divisions, El Dorado West captured the championship title in the U-15 category on Wednesday.

The team got past Trinity College East, last year’s winner, 28-23 in the final.

Hezekyah Prescott was top-scorer and earned the MVP award for his 14-point tally.

El Dorado West made it look more impressive as they went through their campaign unbeaten, and won the final after overturning a considerable deficit. El Dorado East finished third in the U-15 division with a 50-22 hammering of Hillview College.

The awards ceremony is expected to take place in May.