BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Nov. 9, 2017–The National Primary School Basketball Championships were held last Friday, November 3, at the SJC Gym in Belize City, where male (M) and female (F) primary school basketball champions from all six districts competed for the female and male National Championships.

The teams were divided into groups of 3, and played a simple round-robin in each group, with the top two teams from each group going on to the semifinals.

Representing the different districts were:

FEMALE:  Division A – St. Francis Xavier (Corozal); La Inmaculada RC (Orange Walk); St. Joseph RC (Belize); Division B – Santa Elena Primary (Cayo); Forest Home Methodist (Toledo); Holy Family RC (Stann CreeK).

MALE:  Division A – Corozal Methodist (Corozal); San Francisco RC (Orange Walk); St. Martin De Porres (Belize); Division B – Faith Nazarene (Cayo); Forest Home Methodist (Toledo); Holy Family RC (Stann Creek).

After 12 first round games, it was on to the semifinals, where (F) St. Joseph RC dropped Santa Elena Primary, 23-12; (M) San Francisco RC won, 16-10, over Faith Nazarene; (F) Holy Family RC edged La Inmaculada RC, 6-3; and (M) St. Martin De Porres were 39-20 winners over Holy Family RC.

In the third place matches, (F) Santa Elena Primary won, 9-8, over La Inmaculada RC; and (M) Faith Nazarene got the 13-8 win over Holy Family RC.

In the female final, (F) St. Joseph RC became back-to-back National Champions, as they crushed Holy Family RC, 23-8, behind 19 pts from Briah Clarke, while Shendra Casimiro scored all 8 pts for 2nd place Holy Family RC.

The male final saw (M) St. Martin De Porres convincingly beating San Francisco RC, 43-12, with Kentrell Marshall netting 18 pts for St. Martin’s, while Jamar Higinio had 4 pts for 2nd place San Francisco RC.

Female MVP was Briah Clarke of St. Joseph RC; and Male MVP was Kentrell Marshall of St. Martin De Porres.
(Information courtesy Ms. Barbara Cadle, Bze. Dist. Sports Coordinator, NSC).

All pictures courtesy William Ysaguirre.