The rain might have caused a bit of a delay, but the U16 basketball tournament at St Stithians College is finally up and running.
Read more: Rain delays St Stithians U16 basketball tournament
Friday morning (February 13) started quite gloomy, with grey clouds hanging over the campus. The outdoor courts were simply too wet and slippery, so the organisers had to push back the 09:00 start to keep the players safe.
A Saints basketball player shoots for the hoop. Photo: Nkazimulo Ncube
Players, coaches, and fans all huddled under the shelter, waiting patiently for the weather to clear up.Once the rain stopped and the courts dried out, the games kicked off, and the home team wasted no time showing what they could do.
Family and supporters watch with nerves as the players during Saints vs KES take to the court. Photo: Nkazimulo Ncube
Playing on Court 3, St Stithians went straight up against their rivals, King Edward VII School (KES). The Saints took control right from the start. They scored quickly, kept the pressure high, and completely threw King Edward off their game with strong defending and fast-paced moves. In the end, they secured a brilliant 45–25 win.
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The St Stithians coach, Roland Aghen Andongndou, who everyone warmly calls Coach Vipes, was proud of how his boys played. Still, he reminded them that there is always room to grow and that they need to keep playing well in every single match.
Basketball players warm up on the court after heavy morning rains at the St Stithians U16 Basketball Tournament. Photo: Photo: Nkazimulo Ncube
He explained that basketball is a journey of learning and getting better together as a team. While he felt the boys played even better than he expected, he knew that to win the whole tournament, they had to stay focused and keep working together.
His advice to the team before the match was simple. He wanted them to apply pressure right away. He believes that the best way to defend is to attack, forcing the other team into difficult spots and making them uncomfortable.
Even though the Saints were winning comfortably, they got a bit too excited in the second half and started rushing their decisions. Coach Vipes had to call a few timeouts just to calm them down and remind them that a game lasts for four full quarters. As he rightly pointed out, a match is never truly finished until the final whistle blows.
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Now that the gloomy weather has passed, the tournament is happily back on schedule and moving into the second round of games.
Saints basketball player looks for the next throw-out. Photo: Nkazimulo Ncube
If you want to follow along with the action, you can use the Saints App to keep track of live updates, match times, and all the latest results.
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