LA FRATERNELLE kept the Division One title chase alive at least for a few more weeks when they beat favourites Collins Stewart in the game of the week at Beau Sejour. The big two served up an intriguing encounter in their third head-to-head contest of the season.

Collins Stewart had won the first two and another win would have virtually sealed the title, but a determined effort from La Fraternelle ensured that interest in the season is extended for a while yet.

For once La Fraternelle did not start slowly, but after an equal first quarter Collins Stewart opened up a 10-point lead in the second.

It looked ominous for La Fraternelle.

But by the end of the half they had cut the deficit to just two and a tense second half threatened.

Once again Collins Stewart set off strongly through Nick Jennings and Simon Le Blancq to widen the gap to seven points, but Kerry Smyth and Glenn Milnes replied to put La Fraternelle in the lead only to surrender it again at 53-54 with a quarter remaining.

Within three minutes Martin Yabsley had fired Collins Stewart into a four-point advantage, but La Fraternelle quickly responded with three baskets to seize the initiative back and as they entered the last two minutes had crucially taken a seven-point lead.

La Fraternelle never came near to the basket after that but were given 14 free-throws as Collins Stewart tried to retrieve the situation.

The final score of 77 to 73 was a disappointment to Collins Stewart but for basketball aficionados it was good news.

Yabsley importantly scored 25 points for Collins Stewart but he had plenty of help from Jennings, Le Blancq and Andy Stephens who all reached double figure scores.

La Fraternelle’s success was down to an all-round team performance with Kerry Smyth scoring 16, Mark Barnett and Pierre Jehan 13 and Liam Smyth 12.

Archenoul became the first team in the top division to score 100 points when they saw off the Island Juniors by 107 to 61.

How the Juniors capitulated was something of a mystery as previous games had shown them to have anything but a leaky defence.

Although bottom of the league the worst score against them so far had been 74, but on this occasion they were unable to deal with the forceful driving of Antoine Safari and the determination of James Tracey.

There was always going to be only one winner and Archenoul took full advantage through Safari with 27 points, Tracey 26 and Argus Bruvelis 25.

The Juniors looked to Richard Davey and Michael Beausire to score the bulk of their points, but a total of 22 from Davey and just 12 from Beausire was insufficient to stay in touch especially when only 27 points came from the rest of the team.

In the second division La Fraternelle Rovers All Stars had a profitable week with two wins out of two to set them on course for the title.

Their first game against Cable & Wireless was over by the third quarter when the greens led by 43.

Without Stuart Dunne Cable & Wireless were shorn of one of their inspirational players and against the All Stars they needed a strong bench. The height of Neil Chester was telling as he claimed most of his 18 points from rebounds and 15 from Richard Davey and 13 from Dominic Duquemin were enough to see off the opposition.

Luckily for Cable & Wireless Neil Bewey was on court in the first half and he scored all but two of their 15 points and finished with 17.

When the game was lost Wendy Van Katwyk rolled back the years to show her scoring prowess with 14 in just four minutes as they succumbed by 83 points to 38.

The All Stars took on their club colleagues in their second game which was just as productive and no less comfortable.

Chester dominated the boards as La Fraternelle 2 had no one to counteract his height and he could easily have doubled his 30-point tally.

Neil Davey scored 14 with his trademark left-handed lay-up, Ross Despres tucked away 13 and Paul Battle used his jump shot to add 12 more.

Adam Grogan kept the second string going and Adam Goodall covered every square centimetre of the court, but the All Stars had too much strength, speed and shooting ability to allow anyone to spoil their party as they coasted to an 85-37 win.