The Guyana Basketball Federation Elite 16 KO Basketball Tournament saw the Stabroek Eagles and North Ruimveldt Ravens become the first two teams to secure semi-final positions, making the National Gymnasium appear to be a sanctuary of amazing basketball prowess on Saturday.
In the opening game of the evening, Zian Gray’s energetic play helped the Stabroek Eagles thrash the Bounty Colts. They controlled the tempo, demonstrated their counterattacking skills, and led 19-14 at the end of the first quarter.
The Eagles had their advantage cut to two points in the second quarter, scoring 24 points to reach 38 points overall.
As they held the Colts to 11 points, the Eagles continued to show that they could penetrate defensive lines. They scored 17 points in response, bringing the score to 51-55.
Nikkoloi Smith (black) as he went for the three-pointer for Ravens
A scoreline of 79-74 saw the Colts making their way to the exit as the Eagles ended their campaign.
Zian stood out in his debut season for the Stabroek Eagles, as he was able to conquer defences and swished the ball in for 33 points, receiving support from Travis Belgrave with 17 points and Michael Richmond with 14 points.
The North Ruimveldt Ravens advanced further in the tournament after defeating McDoom/Prospect Kobras by 35 points in the night’s last game. The Ravens dominated the whole contest and countered Kobras’ careless defence.
<<<Guyana Times Sport>>> caught up with winning Captain Dominic Vincente after the win as he divulged that the game plan worked for the team with all-round contributions throughout the game.
Vincente said: “Was a good team effort. We started from the tip ball, we came up with a game plan and we executed well. Everybody was in sync, even though we didn’t practise as much, we got contributions from our bench and our starters that made the difference.
“We can’t be overconfident. I mean, we’re confident, yes, but we still have a lot of work to do. And because of that, we got to come out as a team to execute.”
The team emerging victorious in the battle of the elites would earn a winner’s purse of $300,000. The team finishing in second place would earn $100,000, while the third-placed team would earn $50,000, and the tournament’s MVP would be awarded $25,000 for his standout performance.
