By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WITH the playoffs set for this Friday, teams were jockeying for their positions as the Catholic Diocesan Primary Schools completed their basketball regular season on Friday at Loyola Hall on Gladstone Road.

Defending girls’ champion Xaviers Giants didn't skip a beat as they just missed winning their second straight game without allowing their opponents to score to outright win their division.

The boys’ division, however, was more keenly contested with St Thomas More Sparks taking the top spot over the defending champions St Francis/Joseph Shockers.

Giants 45, Strikers 2

D'Antia Rose was unstoppable as she exploded for a game high 26 points and her running mate J'Lynn Bain added 13 for Xavier's Lower School.

Rose had 12 of the Giants' 14 points in the first quarter and added 10 of their 14 as well in the second to post a 28-0 margin at the half.

Bain had the next two in the first and Elisha Dovandor, who finished with four points, got the other four in the second period.

Bain picked up the scoring slack in the third with seven of their nine points with Dovandor getting the other two. And in the fourth, Bain and Rose both had four to extend their lead to 45-0 before Jayla Stubbs got the only basket for St Cecilia's to avoid a shutout in the final minute.

Picking up where they left off with a 40-0 win over St Thomas More, coach Raygail Smith said her Xaver's team is clicking on all cylinders as they head into the playoffs. "It was an exciting game. Defence wins games and that is what we have been studying and executing," Smith said. "I feel pretty good going into the playoffs. We expect the same outcome."

Shockers 25, Sparks 1

Paris Johnson canned a game high 11 points and to pace St Francis/Joseph to victory. J'Kia Moxey was the next highest scorer with four points.

Johnson led the Shockers with three points as they opened a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. Kassidy Smith came through with her four total points in the second as they went to halftime up 13-0. Johnson again paced the Shockers with eight as they extended their lead to 23-0 at the end of the fourth. But with the game out of reach, they only got two points in the fourth from Kamora Dormeus.St Francis/Joseph's coach Erguantae Edgecombe said his St Francis/Joseph girls are now understanding what it is to play team basketball and it couldn't come at a more opportune time. "I try to let them understand that as coaches, we try to develop team basketball," Edgecombe said. "It was a good win for us. It gives us a spark going into the playoffs."

Sparks 14, Strikers 10

St Thomas More got four points from Macario McKenzie as they prevailed in a close boys' match-up. Michael Saunders, Brian Bullard and Jackson Thornly all had two with Aiden Knowles scoring one. Coach Renaldo Knowles said his Sparks' team is playing much better "right now" and he's confident that if they continue to "perform the way they are doing," he's confident that "we will be able to do very well" in the playoffs. 

Zion Paul had seven to lead St Cecila's. Ethan Knowles added two and Carter Coulibaly got the other point. The Sparks led 4-2 at the end of the first and extended it to 6-3 at the half. They doubled it up 10-5 at the end of the third and used a 4-3 spurt in the fourth to close it out.

Shockers 18, Giants 9

Colorado Mackey and Kamrin Lewis produced a 1-2 punch with seven and six points respectively to pace St Francis/Joseph to victory.

Lewis got the ball rolling for the Shockers with four points as they took a seven-point lead at the end of the first. After they didn't score in the second period, Mackey put on a show in the third with some flashy moves as he came up with all of their five points.

Mackey and Lewis, along with Davion Suckra, added a basket each in the fourth to seal the deal. "It was a great game. I love the energy from the boys, the crowd and our supporters" coach Edgecombe said.

"That is what it's all about. Now we can look ahead to the playoffs."

Going into the playoffs, Edgecombe said he wants his players to improve on their defence if they are going to be able to attain their goal of winning the title again.

Kyle Rolle scored all nine points in the loss for Xavier's Lower School, who trailed 7-2 after the first quarter and the score remained the same at the half as no one scored in the second. 

Rolle scored four in the third for their best quarter as they got back into the game, but he couldn't sustain it in the fourth quarter as the lead slipped away from them.

FINAL STANDINGS

- A look at the final standings going into playoffs:

Girls W L 

Xavier's 4 0 

St Fran/Jos 4 1 

St Cecilia's 1 4 

St T More 0 5

Boys W L

St T More 4 1 

St Fran/Jos 3 2 

Xavier's 3 2 

St Cecilia's 0 5 

Friday’s playoffs at 4pm

St Francis Joseph vs

St Cecilia's (girls).

Xavier's Lower School vs

St Thomas More (girls).

St Francis/Joseph vs

Xavier's Lower School

St Thomas More vs

St Cecilia's.