GABA League Roundup…
As the preliminary stages of the 2018 Rainforest Water/Malta Supreme/Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) League concluded, many fans are awaiting the results to see if their favourite teams have qualified for the First, Second and Under-23 divisions respectively.
Part of the action in the preliminary stages
The tournament has definitely been an improvement from the last time it was held as many have seen outstanding performances in winning and losing efforts. It was a tournament that had excitement and disappointment as underdog teams proved their worth by defeating some of the tougher teams, while teams ranked at the bottom of the table managed to pip table toppers in do or die games.
One such team would be the Pepsi Sonics, although they are at the bottom of the table and will not be qualifying for the semi-final stage. Throughout the competition, the Sonics lost many games and it trickled from the First Division to the Under-23, but they managed to defeat top teams such as the Eagles and the Vikings proving that they were not a weak team but were going through a dry season. While there were particular teams that stood out in the competition such as the Plaisance Guardians who came into the tournament on a hot streak and maintained it throughout their preliminary games, one would only hope they are able to maintain this form if they want to advance to the finals.
The UG Trojans, on the other hand, were different as everyone assumed they wouldn’t make it far. The Trojans entered a First Division team who lost every single match and many assumed that it would be the same with the Trojans as it was for the Sonics. But they proved everyone wrong as the Under-23 side brushed aside teams effortlessly; therefore, they are definitely contenders for the finals.
The Eagles have proven from ball one of the competition that they are a force to be reckoned with, as they have a wealth of experience starting from the Coaches such as Courtenay Taylor straight down to the players and while they may not seem as favourite contenders for the title, they should not be underestimated.
A lot will depend on players such as Terrence Daniels, Shamaar Huntley, Sherland Gillis and Jabari Joseph as they will need to be in top form as they will most likely have to face off against each other – only the best player will come out on top. (Timothy Jaikarran)
