No team is favored and no lead is safe! It's been that kind of year in Catholic Primary Schools basketball as, once again, a pair of games went down to the wire before the winners emerged. The Xavier's Giants got their first win of the year as they held off the charging Sts. Francis/Joseph Shockers, 25-23, and in the feature contest yesterday evening at Loyola Hall on Gladstone Road, the defending champions St. Cecilia's Strikers defeated the St. Thomas More Sparks, 24-22.

In both games double-digit deficits were erased. The Giants almost blew theirs but held on to beat the Shockers, and the Strikers proved that their impressive comeback wasn't in vain as they stunned the Sparks. In the latter, the Strikers turned to sixth grade center Michael Cartwright to get the job done. Cartwright scored six of his game-high nine points down the stretch to help the resilient defending champs complete the comeback.

"I think that we just needed to play Strikers basketball. Once we started doing that, we were fine, said Cartwright. "They had us down by a lot of points but we always believed that we would come back. We just kept playing defense. If we keep playing good defense like that, I'm confident that we could win the championship again."
Khobe Mackey, who is the leading scorer for the Strikers this season, added six points to their total yesterday. He was just a role player when the Strikers swept the Our Lady's Blue Flames to win their first Catholic Primary Schools title last year. With a greater focus on his ability to drive through the lane and break down defenses this year, he knows that he has to play strong every night for his team to have a chance to repeat as champions.

"We feel like we could be just as good as last year," said Mackey. "I think that we were playing around in the first quarter today and that almost caused us. We weren't focussing. This was a good win for us, because we were down by a lot and then came back and won. Once we started playing together we were alright," he added.
Keanu Ramsey paced the winless Sparks with seven points yesterday. They fell to 0-3 on the season, while the Strikes improved to a 2-1 win/loss record.

"That was a tough one because we feel like we really should have won that one," said Sparks' Head Coach Nkomo Ferguson. "Simple mistakes caused us in the end but we'll keep fighting and hopefully pick up a win soon. I think that fatigue caused us a bit in the fourth quarter, but that's behind us now. We just have to go out there and focus on the next game. At this point, we're 0-3 but I feel like we're getting better. Once we keep improving, we'll be alright. It will be tough but the league is pretty balanced this year so I think that we still have a good shot to make the playoffs. I know we'll make it," he assured.

The Strikers actually took a 4-2 lead in the first quarter yesterday before being shut down for the final seven minutes of the opening quarter. The Sparks led 11-4 after the first quarter, and 12-7 at the break. The Strikers closed to within 16-13 entering the fourth quarter, before coming all the way back to stun the Sparks. Cartwright tied the game at 22 with a put back lay-up in the lane with 48 seconds remaining in the game, and with just 12 seconds left, he hit an uncontested short jumper to give the Strikers the win.

"We feel like we're very quick and that no one could stop us once we keep playing good defense and keep pushing the ball," said point guard Mackey. "Our big man Michael carried us in the fourth quarter. We always believed that we could come back in the game and win it. Once we keep playing good defense, we feel that we could win the championship again," he added.

In the other game yesterday, Jamal Davis scored 12 points for the Giants, and John Nixon dropped in 12 for the Shockers.

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