{"id":90243,"date":"2026-02-11T13:09:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T11:09:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ssschoolsplus.co.za\/?p=90243"},"modified":"2026-02-11T13:09:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T11:09:15","slug":"st-davids-and-dhs-break-long-win-streaks-in-impressive-victories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/?p=90243","title":{"rendered":"St David’s and DHS break long win streaks in impressive victories"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A satisfying celebration followed St David’s victory over St Benedict’s, which was their first against Benniesmarking their first win since 2023. Photo: St David’s Marist Inanda on Facebook.<\/strong><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The unpredictability and thrill of schoolboys’ basketball was to the fore on the weekend, with St David’s Marist Inanda<\/strong> and Durban High School (DHS)<\/strong> pulling off notable victories over their highly-regarded opponents.<\/p>\n

St<\/strong> David’s<\/strong> got the better of St Benedict’s College<\/strong> for the first time since 2023, while DHS ended Northwood<\/strong>‘s long unbeaten streak at home, handing the Knights<\/strong> <\/em>their first loss on their home court since 2020.<\/p>\n

In Sandton,\u00a0St David’s made their home court advantage count by beating Bennies <\/strong><\/em>for the first time since they came out on top in the semi-finals of the St John’s College Basketball Tournament<\/strong> in 2023.<\/p>\n

That year, they also beat St Charles College<\/strong> in a pool stage game, but went down 36-40 to the Pietermaritzburg school’s powerhouse team, which was powered by the dominating play of 6’10” Storm Gilchrist<\/strong>, in the final.<\/p>\n

Saturday’s win was secured in front of an electrifying crowd, with the Inanda spirit palpable, as St David’s delivered a determined and disciplined performance to secure a hard-fought victory.<\/p>\n

The win brought to an end a five-game losing streak against St Benedict’s. Following the victory, the Director of Basketball<\/strong> at St David’s, Elvis Ukpong<\/strong>, said: “It’s not just that we won the game, it’s that we did it by playing our brand of basketball.”<\/p>\n

He also lauded his team’s fighting spirit and courage, saying they were the keys to a deserved victory.<\/p>\n

Daniel Rautenbanch<\/strong> and Nathan Hwindiwy<\/strong> guided the St David’s team with poise and determination, and they set the standard for their teammates. Thendu<\/strong> Munyai<\/strong>, though, was the player who drove the home side to victory.<\/p>\n

Next weekend, St David’s faces another stiff challenge. They’ll be at home against St Alban’s College <\/strong>– \u00a0a contest that Ukpong characterised as a fierce confrontation.<\/p>\n

St Alban’s took on St John’s College<\/strong> on Saturday and suffered a 46-60 defeat. It’s a result that would have disappointed them, but it will serve as fuel to inspire the Pretoria school against a confident St David’s side. St Alban’s, season after season, remains a top unit, and they’ll be a tough challenge for St David’s<\/p>\n

King Edward VII (KES)<\/strong>, meanwhile, continued its dominant season with an emphatic 56-35 win over Pretoria Boys High<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Matters were far tighter in the clash between The King’s School Linbro Park <\/strong>and Jeppe High School for Boys.<\/strong> It went down to the wire, with King’s Linbro claiming a narrow 48-47 win.<\/p>\n

In KwaZulu-Natal, Durban High School (DHS)<\/strong> ended the long unbeaten home run of the back-to-back St John’s Basketball Tournament champion, Northwood, which had begun way back in 2020.<\/p>\n

School<\/strong><\/em> started strongly and quickly grabbed a narrow lead. Despite the Knights’ best efforts, they were never able to haul in the visitors, who happily celebrated a win that surely made the rest of KZN’s top teams sit up and take notice.<\/p>\n