GABA U23 Championships: Unbeaten Bounty Colts and Kwakwani Untouchables to contest final

…as Grimmond and Rankin shine in semis

Unbeaten sides Bounty Colts and Kwakwani Untouchables booked themselves a spot in the 2024 Guyana Amateur Basketball Association U-23 Championship Finals after riveting semi-finals at the National Gymnasium, with contrasting wins on Saturday, June 22.
The Kwakwani Untouchables overwhelmed powerhouse North Ruimveldt Ravens in the first semi-final as they enter the final with a phenomenal unbeaten record with their unique ability to counterplay to the basket. Starting the game on a high, the Untouchables led the first quarter with the scoreline reading 23-15.
The Untouchables retained their lead in the second quarter by scoring 16 baskets and restricting the Ravens to only 15 points, ending that session with a score of 39 points compared to Raven’s 30 points.
Their class was on full display during the third session when the Untouchables netted another 30 points for an accumulated 69 points while restricting the Ravens to a mere 11 points for a total of 41 points.
With the scoreline reading 69-41 at the beginning of the fourth session, the Kwakwani Untouchables went on to secure the win, with the scoreline reading 102-60.

Kimol Grimmond was once again pivotal in the attack for the Kwakwani Untouchables, netting 15 points, and was supported by Kadeem Dover with 20 points and Royon Short with 15 points.
Demarcus Adams, the Captain of the Kwakwani Untouchables, spoke exclusively with Guyana Times Sport about the important work that led to the triumph.
Adams shared, “Is a very lovely feeling after a very commanding win. I am very happy that all our work is paying off. The defence, we put our best foot forward; came together as one, played as a team, trusted everybody and we did it, we overcame all the teams.”
On the other hand, Bounty Colts managed to continue their winning ways as they annihilated Prospect Kobras in the second semi-final of the evening. The Colts used the jump ball to grab an early 24-17 lead, setting the tempo of the game.
The second quarter saw the Colts showing their ability to penetrate their opponent’s defence as they scored 12 points in that session to elevate their score to 36 points, while the Kobras scored 9 points in that session to take their total to 26 at the end of that quarter.
Third-quarter action saw the Kobras keeping both their composure and control of the game, as both teams managed to tie on points scored with 11 points.
With seconds to go in the game, the Colts pounced on the Kobras to seal the deal by breaking through their defence.
Domitre Rankin was pivotal in the attack for the Bounty Colts , top-scoring with 12 points.
Also giving an exclusive comment to this publication was Bounty Colts’ Ronoko Vaughn as he expounded on the key areas that contributed towards the win.
Vaughn explained, “It feels great, we still have a lot of work to do, but it feels great going to the finals. I think we still have to push and practice and put more into it. Defence, for sure, we played well and also we weren’t excluding a lot, but we were able to play defence and close down the team.”
The Guyana Amateur Basketball Association’s Under-23 Club Championships will conclude at the same venue on Saturday with the final.