Hururu make strong start as KFC National School Basketball Festival tips off

The 19th KFC National School Basketball Festival tipped off on Sunday at the National Gymnasium, with Hururu Secondary of Aroaima producing strong wins in both the girls’ and Under-16 divisions on the opening day.
The tournament will continue throughout the week with matches in the various categories at the National Gymnasium, while the finals are expected to be staged at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH), pending the completion of ongoing works at the venue.
In the girls’ division, President’s College opened their campaign with a 10-4 win over JC Chandisingh Secondary. Sarah Williams led President’s College with five points, three rebounds, and four steals while Gedia Hastings added three points and Paulene Flatts pulled down six rebounds.

For JC Chandisingh, Mayan Wahab had two points and three rebounds while Jada Minty finished with two points, two rebounds, and two steals.
Hururu Secondary also made a strong statement in the girls’ category, defeating Queen’s College 33-4. Kelcia Phillips and Nashanna Vaderburg scored eight points each for Hururu while Jenniah Archer added seven points and five rebounds. Ricielle Fowler scored all four points for Queen’s College and also collected five rebounds.
In the Under-16 division, Skeldon Line Path Secondary recorded a 36-17 win over School of the Nations. Daniel Duke led the winners with 13 points and five rebounds while Chris Promes added six points and 12 rebounds. Aron Joseph also contributed six points and five rebounds. Hong Yong scored nine points for School of the Nations.
Queen’s College also got off to a winning start in the Under-16 category, beating JC Chandisingh 42-20. Liam Bart led Queen’s College with 18 points while Antoine Liverpool added 10 points and four steals. Demitri Singh finished with seven points and five rebounds. Denardo Henry was the main contributor for JC Chandisingh with eight points and three rebounds.
Berbice High secured a comfortable 39-11 win over The Bishops’ High. Avion Kesney scored 13 points for Berbice High while Justin Benjamin added nine points and six steals. Cordes Mikal scored six points for Bishops’.
Hururu continued their impressive opening day with a 30-5 win over Mackenzie High in the Under-16 division. Timothy Williams led the way with 12 points and four rebounds while Peter Roger added eight points.
St Stanislaus College also started positively, defeating Plaisance Secondary 32-11. Quasie Newton had eight points, three rebounds, and three steals for Saints while Marcus Fernandes added six points, five rebounds, and four steals. Nathaniel Archer also scored six points. Prince Mars led Plaisance with six points and eight rebounds.
Marian Academy defeated President’s College 38-19, with Nyle George recording eight points, four rebounds, and five steals. Nehemiah Francois and Joshua John also scored eight points each for Marian Academy. Lorenzo Thornhill led President’s College with seven points.
In another Under-16 fixture, St Rose’s High defeated Tutorial High 24-9. Nathan Williams led St Rose’s with eight points and five rebounds while Tuyen Paul added six points and four steals. Keion Lynch scored all nine points for Tutorial.
The Festival is sponsored by KFC; Edward B Beharry Ltd; G-Boats Inc; the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport; and the Ministry of Education.