It was one of those rare but classic moments where the head coach yells "no" but ends up screaming "yes" that lifted the St. George's Jaguars to The Bahamas National High School Basketball Championship, set for tonight at 8:30 p.m at the St. George's Gym.
Tied at 56 with the C.C. Sweeting Cobras and 19 seconds left to go in the fourth quarter on a chaotic Saturday night, Jaguars' center Sherman Robinson (14 points, 10 rebounds, one block) pulled up from deep three-point territory that literally made everyone under the St. George's Gym's roof gasp until the splash of the net carried the Jaguars, Grand Bahama supporters and even basketball enthusiasts into a frenzy.
The basket gave the Jaguars a 59-56 lead and the momentum to close out the Cobras 61-58.
Franklyn Petion poured in 11 points and had four assists in the win for the Jaguars. Mateo King chipped in with 10 points.
Corey Sands turned in a game-high 19 points in the loss for the Cobras, to go with five rebounds and two assists. Delmar Hamilton added 14 points, two rebounds and one block.
The Jaguars stand as the only undefeated team in the tournament.
While the Jaguars punched their ticket to the big dance with the win, the Cobras had one more shot to make it to the championship. They faced the winner of the Tabernacle Falcons and Jordan Prince Williams Falcons contest in the semi-finals on Sunday. The results of those games were not known up to press time. On day three, five teams were eliminated.
Earlier in the day, the Jordan Prince William Falcons routed the C.I. Gibson Rattlers 54-40 to send them home.
Behind ball-hawking defense, the Falcons were able to keep constant pressure on the Rattlers. As a result, the Falcons were able to build a 20-point lead in the second half, and dissolve any run the Rattlers attempted to make.
Next was a game where similar styles clashed, but in the end, the Doris Johnson Mystic Marlins outlasted the Sunland Stingers 38-29 to advance.
Trae Davis led the way for the Marlins with 16 points, two rebounds and two assists. Brandon Meadows had eight points for Stingers, with two blocks and one assist. Kaleel Solomon added six points and two rebounds in the loss.
The third victim came at the hands of the Jack Hayward Wildcats. They blasted Abaco Central High 71-36. Trae Smith poured in 18 points to lead the Wildcats on 8-for-15 shooting (53.3 percent). Kaynaan Longley added a double-double, 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Venson Ferguson turned in a game-high 19 points to go along with two rebounds and two assists for Abaco Central.
The other two eliminations came Saturday evening when the Tabernacle Falcons edged the Wildcats 43-32, and the Prince William Falcons bested the Marlins 52-43 to stay alive.
For the Tabby Falcons, Janeko Russell had 16 points and three rebounds while shooting 40 percent from three-point land. Franco Miller supplied 10 points, three rebounds and two assists. Longley totaled 10 points and eight boards and Smith was held to just seven points and three rebounds for the Wildcats.
For the Prince William Falcons, Adam Johnson had a 21-point, 11-rebound double-double outburst. Jefferson Oliver added 16 points and two rebounds while shooting at a 50 percent clip from three-point land.
The champions of the senior girls and family island divisions were determined Sunday evening at the St. George's Gym but the results were not known up to press time.

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