In elementary school semifinal hoops action Tuesday, Jane E. Tuitt defeated Kirwan Terrace, 39-32, while Lockhart topped Peace Corps, 52-49.
The games were part of the Housing Parks and Recreation/Department of Education 9-12 Basketball League in the single-elimination semifinal action at the Alvin McBean Basketball Court.
Tuitt will face Lockhart in a best-of-three championship series on Wednesday.
Kirwan kept the game close and led 7-6 after the first quarter. However, Tuitt’s Karl Laudat scored seven of his team's 12 points in the second quarter. They held Kirwan to just four points to maintain an 18-11 halftime lead.
The teams matched each other point for point in the second half, scoring 11 and 10 points apiece in the third and fourth quarters, respectively.
Kirwan’s Corey Victoria scored 11 of his game-high 13 points in the second half but it was not enough to overcome Tuitt. Rashawn Parson scored 11 points and Joseph Lee, 6 points for Kirwan.
Laudat led Tuitt’s balanced attack, scoring a total of 11 points. Emmanuel Polano contributed 8 points, while Khalid Carr, Francisco Greene and Troy Gumbs each scored 6.
In the second semifinal game, Lockhart jumped out to an early 4-point advantage and led Peace Corps 9-5 after the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Lockhart’s Kareem Victorine slammed dunked a missed lay-up to give his team a 14-9 lead. Peace Corps scored four easy points off of turnovers, forcing Lockhart to call a time-out. However, after the break, Peace Corps’ Adois Petersen nailed a three pointer to give his team its first lead, 16-14.
The score seesawed, but Lockhart maintained its four-point lead, 24-20, at the half.
In the third quarter, Jan Carlos Felix hit a jumper to tie the score at 24. The score once again seesawed and was tied at 30 with Peace Corps’ Veron Smith shooting free throws. He missed four in a row.
Lockhart went ahead, 34-30, and led 39-35 after the quarter.
Lockhart came out of the half roaring, scoring four points in the first minute to extend the lead to 43-35.
Peace Corps tried to keep the game within reach and mounted a comeback after being down 50-39 with 95 seconds remaining in the game. Peace Corps used a full-court press to hold Lockhart to only two points for the next 75 seconds while scoring 10 points themselves.
With only 14 seconds remaining Lockhart’s Kareem Lindo blocked Simon Rawlins' three-point shot attempt as Lockhart’s defense kept Peace Corps from the basket.
Lockhart’s game plan was to "keep the ball from Devon Peltier," coach Alcede Edwards explained. "They (Lockhart) really surprised me with their aggressiveness," Peace Corps’ coach Alvin "Bello" Richards said, adding, "My team played timid."
Lockhart is the only team to defeat Peace Corps for the year, once in the regular season and again in this semifinal match.
The top scorers for the game were Larry Fitzpatrick with 19 and Felix with 14 for Lockhart. For Peace Corps it was Peltier with 25 and Rawlins with 8.
