GABF U-23 Championships: “Teams to work on defensive tactics”— Captains

…as Wortmanville Pacesetters and Stabroek Eagles secure wins

The Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation’s Under-23 Club Championships continued on Saturday, May 25, 2024, at the National Gymnasium and despite the victories of Wortmanville Pacesetters and Stabroek Eagles, the Captains emphasised strengthening their defence in future.
Stabroek Eagles, with their ability to counter to the basket, secured their inaugural victory against a winless Leonora D-up, with the Eagles starting the game on a high to lead the first quarter with the scoreline reading 16-9.
In the second quarter, the Eagles continued to convert shots and held on to their lead as their score amounted to 38 points at the end of the quarter, scoring 22 points while Leonora D-up scored 12 points for a total of 21 points.
The Eagles continued to keep their composure and showed their class, as they continued to hold on to their lead, netting 18 points while Leonora’s D-up was restricted to 10 points, with the scoreline reading 64-34 after the third quarter.

Stabroek Eagles went on to secure the win in the final quarter with a scoreline of 78-49.
Omarion Ganeshdin showcased his ability to penetrate defences as he led the Eagles’ offensive attack, scoring 17 points, followed by Derron Venture, who contributed 15 points and Brandon Mckoy and Daniel Bayley who contributed 9 points each.
On the losing side, Captain Shaquan Archer continues to be persistent with his scoring as he managed to put the ball through the net for 16 points, with Chikosi Katiki contributing 12 points.
In a post-match interview with media operatives, Stabroek Eagles’ Alafin Joseph expounded on the emphasis the team needed to place on defence ahead of their next game.
“Our rebounding, defensive though we did a lot of fouls sometimes, but we got some steals, and that’s importance. We will come out playing hard… just pay more focus on the offence and try to get some stops in,” Joseph shared.
The Wortmanville Pacesetters defeated the Bartica Wranglers in the second game of the evening, solidifying their position as the tournament’s powerhouse. Using the jump ball to grab an early 11-10 lead, the Pacesetters set the tempo for the game.
In the second quarter of the game, the Wranglers showed their composure turning the game around as they drew level after scoring 15 points, while the Pacesetters were restricted to 14 points for 25 points apiece to each team.
The third quarter of the game saw Wranglers showing their ability from the three-point line as they established a lead, scoring 12 points to elevate their score to 27 points while the Pacesetters scored nine points for a total of 27 at the end of the quarter.
In the final quarter, the Pacesetters pounced on the Wrangler’s ability to regulate minutes around teammates in the game as they sealed the deal, breaking through their opponents’ defence with the scoreline reading 75-53 in their favour.
Kenkhai King led the offensive attack for Pacesetters as he top-scored with 18 points, with Leon Dover making 13 points and Captain Kwesi Roberts, Khayeel King, and Josiah Roberts contributing nine points each.
In a post-match interview with media operatives, Captain Roberts discussed their areas of need, which includes defensive improvement.
Roberts divulged: “Definitely defence is all-round, I mean rebound boxing out before we attempt to jump for the ball and of course picking up our men early; we have been thinking about defence. We were playing a man-to-man tonight so working on defence, but the defence all-round, and we have already got the talent as well points on the team.”