Latest News
Herbert Morrison, Manchester in do-or-die clash - ISSA Under-16 basketball title on the line Manchester set to lift Under-19 title
March 10, 2026
It's do-or-die in the ISSA boys' rural basketball Under-16 finals as defending champions Manchester High School and Herbert Morrison Technical High School (HMTHS) collide in a decisive Game 3 today to determine this year's champions.
The best-of-three series is locked at 1-1 after Manchester High evened things up on Friday with a hard-fought win over a competitive HMTHS on their home court in Mandeville.
Now, with the title on the line, Manchester will once again try to make the best out of home court advantage in front of an expected energetic support from their fans to push them to a successful defence of their crown.
Herbert Morrison, meanwhile, suffered their first loss of the season in Game 2, but will be eager to rebound.
With both teams having lost just once all season, today's clash promises to be a thrilling showdown as two evenly matched sides battle for supremacy.
Manchester edged HMTHS 56-45 through Wasim Windett to tie the series. Windett scored 21 points, and grabbed three rebounds, five steals and three assists.
Levar Rose, coach of HMTHS, said the team needs to remain disciplined and focused for a chance to win it all.
"This is a big moment for us and every player out there has to play their role and execute. All the team has to do is be consistent. We really wanted to end the season undefeated, but now we have to ensure we are on our A game today," said Rose.
At 2:45 p.m., Manchester's U19s will face first-time finalists Holmwood Technical in a rescheduled Game 2 matchup. The game was postponed owing to heavy rainfall at Manchester High.
In Game 1, Manchester defeated Holmwood 102-61 to lead the series 1-0.
Damon Sullivan, coach of Manchester, said the game should bring excitement, especially against a team that bears much familiarity.
"It should be very similar to a NBA playoff game. We have played them three times already so both teams know each other. I know Holmwood is putting in their work and hungry for the silverware," said Sullivan.
"For us, most of it is on the mental side and keeping them motivated. We just need to turn up and execute and close it out today," added Sullivan.
Andre Brown, the coach of Holmwood, said the team uses Manchester as motivation, as they aim to win today's game.
"Most of the practices, we use Manchester as a motivation. We have to stay locked in and get the title, so we're going to take it day by day, game by game," said Brown.
"I think we're really motivated right now."
