Charlotte Amalie High School (CAHS) Boys and Girls Varsity Basketball Teams lived up to their school’s motto, ‘Excel Always,’ as they took home first place in the male and female divisions of the Antilles School Varsity Basketball Tournament this past weekend at the Mark C Marin Center on the campus of Antilles School. CAHS boys’ and girls’ teams avenged losses suffered in the championship games of the St. Thomas/St. John Interscholastic Athletic Association-McDonalds Martin Luther King Jr. Varsity Basketball Tournament, held earlier this year.
The championship game in the male division was a repeat of the championship game in the MLK tournament as CAHS took on Ivanna Eudora Kean High School (IEKHS). CAHS earned their way into the title game by cruising to a 42-27 victory over St. Croix’s Central High School. Caijonte Andrews and Kirabo Stephens led the Hawks’ offensive attack with 12 and 11 points, respectively. The Caribs were led by Jalen Greenidge’s 11 points. In the other semifinal game, IEKHS survived a Category 5 storm as they escaped with a 70 – 64 overtime win. Antilles thought they had this one all sewn up, leading by 2 points with under 5 seconds to go in the game. The Hurricanes missed two crucial free throws and then gave up a length-of-the-court pass to Vern Frett. The KEAN point guard caught the ball in stride but proceeded to miss the layup. Thankfully, for the Rays, Jayden Dixie was trailing the play and collected the rebound, and put the ball in the basket as time expired in regulation. That grounded the Hurricanes as they only scored 7 in the extra period while allowing 12 points. Dixie led all scorers with 23 points and Frett added 16 points for the Rays. Lorenz Penn poured in 17 points for Antilles School.
The championship game started out great for the Rays as they took a 34-21 lead into halftime. CAHS’ Coach Carey’s halftime speech must have been one for the ages as the Hawks came out in the third quarter and scored 26 points while allowing just 8 for the Ivanna Eudora Kean. The Rays fought hard in the fourth quarter but CAHS held on for the three-point victory. Elijah Peltier paced the Hawks with 17 points. Shanai Francis contributed 16 points for the winning team. Melvin Burgos registered a game-high 20 points for the Rays, while teammate Jordan Fleming dropped 17 points. CAHS’ Kirabo Stevens was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. All Saints Cathedral School, Good Hope Country Day, and Gifft Hill also entered teams in the male division.
The girls’ division consisted of five teams, Central High School, Good Hope Country Day School, Central High School, and Ivanna Eudora Kean High School. They played a round-robin format with the team with the best overall record, declared the champion. Central and host Antilles School opened the girl’s division on Thursday evening. Central, the winners of the MLK tournament, just got by the winless Lady Canes 21-19. A’Nesha Deterville scored 15 of Central’s 21 points. Eliana Walters and C’Orna Greene led the Hurricanes with 6 points each. The next game in the girl’s division turned out to be the championship match as the Lady Hawks tamed the Lady Rays 29-23. Seniors Jahnesha Gomez and Yemelie Santana paced the Hawks with 15 and 8 points, respectively. The Lady Rays were led by Krystal Eddy’s 10 points and Jada Isaac’s 9. The Lady Rays went on to win their remaining three games in the tournament. The Lady Hawks won their games over Good Hope Country Day and Antilles but lost their final game to the Lady Caribs 36-22. The Lady Caribs fell out of contention for the title when they lost a nail bitter to the Lady Panthers of Good Hope Country Day 28-27 and then again to the Lady Rays 24-20.
Tournament MVP and the youngest player at this event, seventh grader La’Kaisha Graham of Good Hope Country Day, put on a show all weekend long. In her four games played, Graham scored 62 total points and showcased her exceptional ball-handling skills. CAHS captured the title in the female division. IEKHS claimed second and Good Hope Country Day finished third in the round-robin tournament.
Central High School is hosting its annual varsity basketball tournament, Feb. 16-19, in St. Croix.
