Edwards-Caracciolo drops 36 as Elite rallies past Spartans in Game 1

Port of Spain, Sept. 2 — Coach KG Elite staged a thrilling comeback to edge Spartans TT 94–86 in Game 1 of the Kelvin Roberts North Zone Basketball Commission League U17 Division Finals at the Woodbrook Youth Center. The win puts Elite up 1–0 in the best-of-three series, leaving Spartans in a must-win situation on September 4.

Spartans came out hot, with Ivris Martin knocking down two early threes and William Francis adding six points to secure a 23–18 first-quarter lead. They tightened their grip in the second quarter as Zachary Julien erupted for 13 points, stretching the advantage to 54–36 at halftime. Elite’s lone bright spot in the half was Jervais Edwards-Caracciolo, who poured in 11 points to keep his team within reach.

The game turned after the break. Elite attacked relentlessly, capitalizing on Spartans’ foul trouble and launching a 30–14 run in the third quarter. Edwards-Caracciolo added 12 more points—including four from the stripe—while Martin tried to steady Spartans with 12 of his own. By the end of the period, Elite had trimmed the deficit to just two, trailing 68–66.

In the final quarter, Elite completed the rally. Edwards-Caracciolo scored eight of his game-high 36 points down the stretch, supported by key buckets from Taaleb Daniel (7pts) and Josiah Andrews (7pts). Crucially, Elite dominated at the free-throw line, sinking 23 shots compared to just four from Spartans. Daniel’s last free throw iced the game as Elite closed with a 28–18 run to seal the 94–86 victory.

Top Performers

Coach KG Elite: Jervais Edwards-Caracciolo 36 pts (1 three), Josiah Andrews 15 pts (1 three), Taaleb Daniel 14 pts, Alexie Alexis 11 pts, Nhyim Pierre 10 pts

Spartans TT: Ivris Martin 30 pts (3 threes), Zachary Julien 24 pts, William Francis 14 pts

Quarter Scores

Q1: Elite 18 – Spartans 23

Q2: Elite 18 – Spartans 31 (Halftime: Spartans 54–36)

Q3: Elite 30 – Spartans 14 (Spartans 68–66)

Q4: Elite 28 – Spartans 18 (Final: Elite 94–86)

Game 2 tips off September 4 at 7:30 p.m. at the Woodbrook Youth Center. Spartans must win to stay alive, while Coach KG Elite will aim to clinch the U17 Championship.