By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE 2024 Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) basketball championship matchups are all set. The number one seeds in each division advanced yesterday evening to punch their tickets to the best-of-three championship series. The final round is set to begin on Monday at the Kendal GL Isaacs Gymnasium.

The junior girls of St Augustine’s College (SAC) and St John’s College will battle for the crown a second straight year after the Big Red Machine eliminated the fourth seeded Charles W Saunders in a 39-25 win.

The Big Red Machine advanced 13-3 on the score-board in the first quarter and closed out the period in charge 17-3. SAC pushed ahead 30-6 with 1:56 left on the clock in the second quarter. The Cougars tried to climb back into the game, closing in 36-17 in the second half, but it was not enough.

Kailie Moss led her team in scoring with 11 points.

The Giants obliterated the SAC junior boys, making them the third basketball team from the school to advance to the finals. They knocked out the Big Red Machine 79-30 and will now prepare for the Queen’s College Comets. The Giants came out with poise, remaining on top 30-9 at the 3:46 mark of the first period. They were in the driver’s seat 30-17 at halftime and never gave SAC a chance at redemption. By the fourth quarter, they dictated the game on offence, changing the score to 67-26.

Leonard Rolle took over and stuffed the stat sheet with a team-high 19 points in the win. He scored 12 of his 19 points in the opening period.

The senior girls of Kingsway Academy took care of business in comfort- able fashion, defeating the Comets 46-16 in the BAISS sudden death playoffs. They will now look ahead to the Giants’ senior girls who are hungry after last year’s loss in the finals.

The Saints had all the momentum in the third quarter on top of the game 33-8. The game was a foregone conclusion after that juncture.

Andica Curtis and Michalya Joseph both had 12 apiece to lead the Saints on the stat sheet.

The Cougars’ senior boys have made their return to the championship game. They routed the Comets team 63-47.

The Comets had a slight edge in the first quarter, leading by only two (16-14). With the Comets in striking distance, the Cougars pounced and pulled out to a 59-38 fourth quarter advantage to derail any chances of a QC win.

Nakero Brown could not be stopped for the Cougars. Brown scored one bucket the entire first half but turned up the intensity in the fourth quarter and poured in an extra 14 points to propel the defending champions. He finished with 16 points.

Raymone Woods was also a force to be reckoned with, doing most of his damage in the first half. He carried the team in the first segment of the game, earning 11 of his 16 points.

The best-of-three championship series will get underway on Monday at the Kendal GL Isaacs Gymnasium.