Fatima claim U-17 basketball knockout title

FATIMA College clinched the inaugural Trinidad and Tobago Schools Basketball Association's (TTSBA) boys' under-17 national knockout crown on Thursday, as they defeated Holy Cross College by a 25-14 margin in an exciting finale at the Maloney Indoor Sport Complex in a one-day tournament.

Fatima brushed aside neighbours East Mucurapo Secondary by a 20-2 margin in the semi-final, and a team-high seven points from Zachary Junior led them to victory in the final. Hillview College brushed off a narrow loss in their semi-final against Holy Cross to grab the third spot ahead of Mucurapo.

The knockout games were 16 minutes long, consisting of two eight-minute halves. Fatima's William Francis walked away with the MVP honours in the six-team tournament.

Aside from the knockout competition, the day's activities also included the TTSBA's opening ceremony ahead of the 2024 season, a three-point shooting contest and a team skills challenge.

San Juan South Secondary's Tyrese Singh proved to be the sharpest shooter as he splashed his way to victory in the three-point contest, with Bishop's High School (Tobago) emerging victorious in the skills challenge – beating 15 other teams to the crown.

Zonal league action across the country commences on Wednesday, with the national championships set to be contested from March 21 to 23.