The Guyana Amateur Basketball Association’s Under-23 Club Championships continued on Wednesday night at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue with Bounty Colts and Kwakwani Untouchables emerging victorious.
With their ability to counter play to the basket, Kwakwani Untouchables handed Prospect Kobras their first loss of the tournament. Starting the game on a high, the Untouchables led the first quarter with the scoreline reading 16-12.
In the second quarter, Kwakwani held on to their lead and continued to score baskets, resulting in the scoreline reading 38 points in their favour against 28 points for Prospect Kobras.
There was no letup in the display of class, as Kwakwani netted 30 points for a total of 68, while the Kobras were restricted to scoring 24 points for a total of 53 points, with the scoreline reading 68-53 after the third quarter.
The Untouchables secured the win in the final quarter with a scoreline of 88-73.
Kadeem Dover was pivotal in the offensive attack, as he top-scored with 21 points. Rayon Short supported the effort with a phenomenal 14 points, and Kimmol Grimmond added 13 points.
The Bounty Colts
Prospect Kobras Captain Elijah David produced phenomenal play in netting 21 points, while Ronnel Campbell added 14 points and Lorenzo Benn added 13 points.
In an interview with media operatives, Kwakwani Untouchables Captain Demarcus Adams spoke about the key areas of improvement that spurred the win. “Well, it was a lovely game. We came out to play tonight (and) played sound defence. I might have been fouled out, but we stuck with the plan (which we) came out and executed,” he said.
“Well, we are highly confident that we will do well in the next game. We just have to stick to our training, stick to what our coach taught us, and yes, we are very confident that we will come through in this tournament,” Adams shared.
Bounty Colts upset powerhouse team Ravens in the second match of the evening, handing Ravens their first taste of defeat in the tournament. Using the jump ball to grab an early 26-13 lead, the Colts set the tempo for the game.
The second quarter of the game saw Ravens showing their ability from the three-point line in decimating the Colts’ lead to one point, while they scored 15 points to elevate their score to 28 points. The Colts scored 14 points for a total of 40 at the end of that quarter.
In the third quarter of the game, the Colts kept their composure and kept control of the game, as they managed to score 19 points to elevate their score to 59 points, while the Ravens struggled offensively to score 17 points for a total of 45.
With seconds to go, the Colts pounced on the Ravens and sealed the deal, breaking through their defence to have the ultimate scoreline reading 79-69 in their favour.
In a post-match interview with media operatives, Bounty Colts Head Coach Willon Cameron expounded on the style of basketball that impacted the win. Cameron explained, “Ravens were playing very good basketball. They started the game playing very well, but I love the fact that my team, you know, could have played mature basketball and understood that they can punch and we can punch back. And nobody over panicked too much, and it feels really good to come out with the win.”
The Guyana Amateur Basketball Association’s Under-23 Club Championships continue at the same venue this Saturday.
