Guardians battle Eagles for 2nd Division title

– Guardians, Sonics advance in 1st Division

It was a weekend of action as the Guyana Amateur Basketball Association (GABA)/Let’s Bet Sports 1st and 2nd Division Knockout Tournament continued under lights at the Burnham Hardcourt on Carmichael Street, where several matches were played in both categories.

The Pepsi Sonics defeated the Ravens to advance in the 1st Division category

In the first 2nd Division semifinal, Vikings battled the in-form Plaisance Guardians and lost 47-53. The Vikings led 15-13 at the end of the first period, but Guardians kept on their heels, and eventually made good ground as they led at the half by one possession, 28-27.
The Vikings were having none of it, and regained the lead in the see-saw encounter 39-38 going into the final quarter.
The coaches maximised their timeouts to determine the strategy and gain the upper hand, but it was the Guardians who were able to defend their territory and comprehensively take the lead.
Guardians outscored the opposition 15-8 to take the victory and book their spot in the final. Top scoring for eventual victors was Terrence Daniels with 24, while Jared Sears turned in the same count for the Vikings.
In the second semifinal, the Eagles needled the Pacesetters 52-51 to book their spot in the finals. The Eagles were down by 9 points at the start of the second period, with Pacesetters setting a sturdy pace to lead 20-11.
Eagles clawed their way back into the matchup after shutting down the opposition’s offence, and led 27-24 at the half.
Pacesetters soon acclimatised and kept on the tail of the Eagles. They trailed 42-40 going into the final quarter, which saw Eagles — the team with fewer mistakes — once against outscoring Pacesetters to claim their spot in the finale.
Eagles will now battle Guardians for the 2nd Division title.
Meanwhile, in the First Division matchups, Plaisance Guardians defeated the Colts 72-69 and Pepsi Sonics bested the Ravens 50-48 to advance to the next round of the league.
On game nights, matches commence at 18:30 hrs and 20:30 hrs.