High school hoops season to start with Kean tourney
Published: January 25, 2012
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ST. THOMAS - Final exams have delayed the start of the Interscholastic Athletic Association basketball regular season, but boys and girls varsity teams from St. John, St. Croix and St. Thomas will gather this weekend at a new facility for another competitive tournament.
The Ivanna Eudora Kean High School Basketball Invitational will start Thursday and wrap up Sunday with championship games starting at 10 a.m. Five girls teams and seven boys teams are expected to be in action for the double-elimination tournament.
It will be the first basketball tournament held at the newly-renovated Kean High gymnasium, which debuted last May for the school's graduation ceremony.
"We're extremely excited to bring back our annual tournament," Kean High Physical Education Department chairman Peter Seipel said Tuesday. "We've been on a hiatus for about four years because we had issues with our gym. Now we have a spectacular facility and we want to showcase it to the whole community."
The $4 million project addressed the roof's leaking problems and exterior issues. At the same time, the gym's hardwood playing surface, bleachers and locker rooms were improved.
Gifft Hill School, out of St. John, will send its boys and girls teams, while Educational Complex and Central High out of St. Croix will send both their teams as well. The Country Day School boys team will be included to round out the St. Croix field.
Charlotte Amalie High will send both teams, while the Antilles School boys team will be in attendance along with the host Kean High squads.
"This may be the largest field for any tournament this season," Seipel said. "We wanted to include everyone and get a wide variety of talent on the floor. I think we accomplished that."
A doubleheader involving both Gifft Hill squads will tip off the tourney at 4 p.m. Thursday. Six games are scheduled for Friday starting at 4 p.m. with a 10-game slate on Saturday starting at 9:30 a.m.
St. Thomas-St. John IAA basketball commissioner Kenny Todman announced this week the IAA varsity regular season will start Monday, so the Kean High tourney will serve as a final warm-up.
"Junior varsity started up Monday, and both leagues will be good by this Monday," Todman said.
A running clock will be used for every game except for the championship tilts as the tournament will be governed by IAA regulations, Seipel said.
The CAHS varsity boys and girls teams hosted and swept the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Invitational on Jan. 15, which was the first tournament of the season for local teams. In the finals, the Chickenhawks pushed past Central High, 44-34, while the Lady Chickenhawks ran away from Kean High, 65-26.
- Contact sports writer Aaron Gray at 714-9102 or email agray@dailynews.vi.
Kean High Basketball Invitational schedule
Games start five minutes after previous game
Thursday's Games
Girls Gift Hill vs. IEKHS, 4 p.m.
Boys Gift Hill vs. Antilles
Friday's Games
Boys Country Day vs. Central, 4 p.m.
Girls CAHS vs. Central
Boys Complex vs. CAHS
Girls Complex vs. Winner G1
Girls Loser G1 vs. Loser G2
Boys IEKHS vs. Winner G1
Saturday's Games
Boys Winner G2 vs. Winner G3, 9:30 a.m.
Girls Winner G2 vs. Winner G3
Boys Loser G2 vs. Loser G3
Girls Loser G4 vs. Loser G3
Boys Loser G1 vs. Loser G5
Girls Loser G5 vs. Loser G6
Boys Loser G4 vs. Loser G6
Boys Winner G4 vs. Winner G5
Boys Winner G7 vs. Winner G8
Boys Loser G9 vs. Winner G10
Sunday's Games
Girls championship, teams TBD, 10 a.m.
Boys championship, teams TBD
- Source: IEKHS Physical Education Department chairman Peter Seipel
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