ISSA U19 Basketball: Old Harbour issue ‘psychological'

Drawn in Zone A of the Southern Conference, Old Harbour finished second in the group behind Camperdown who defeated them home and away.

The defeats were insignificant at the end of the preliminary round, as Edwards’ boys secured one of two automatic spots from the group to qualify for the quarter-finals.

Beating traditional top teams such as Calabar, Ardenne and St Catherine High in the group, Old Harbour are without doubt one of the top teams in the country, but they continue to flounder when it matters most.

In under-16 last season they were twice beaten by Campion College in the conference final as well as the national final. Many of those players have now moved up to the senior rank this season.

However, they continue to buckle under the weight of expectation, as they narrowly lost home and away to Camperdown.

It has become a recurring headache for the talented bunch from south west St Catherine and is massive conundrum that Edwards believe they must address if they are to kick the proverbial door down and lift the under-19 title for the first time in light of coming so close to doing so over the years.

“We really wanted to top our zone but it is what it is… basketball is a game and sometimes you don’t get what you want when you want it,” said Edwards.

“But we will regroup with the same determination and drive and just have to intensify some things and get over that psychological hurdle that sometimes keeps us in a ruck. But we are considered ‘a big side’ so we just have to perform and see where it takes us.”

Old Harbour have been the undisputed kings of the central and northern conferences in the last decade-and-a-half before being shifted the southern region, the strongest of all conferences historically, three years ago.

“Where we lost the games to Camperdown, is on the board (rebounds). They out-rebounded us. So that is something we’ll be doing a lot of work on during the Christmas break,” said Edwards.

The departure of team captain Rohan Hunter, who is now in training at the Police Academy, is a big blow for Edwards. But the overall strength of the team can compensate for the loss, the head coach contends.

The quarter-finals are scheduled to begin following the playing of four rescheduled preliminary games on January 13, 2020.