Pacesetters, Guardians book spot In Lets Bet/GABA U-23 basketball tournament

By Timothy Jaikarran

It was a night of upsets as the Guyana Amateur Basketball Association (GABA)/Let’s Bet Sports 1st and 2nd division Knockout Tournament commenced under lights at the Burnham Hardcourt, with two matches being played in the Under-23 division.
In the first matchup of the night, UG Trojans went down to the Pacesetters 49-58, with the losers practically handing the game to their opponents. The Trojans dominated the first half of the matchup, winning the first quarter 16-10; then led at the half 31-20.
However, lady luck was not on their side in the second half, and the Pacesetters set a genuine pace which propelled them back into the game. At the end of the 3rd quarter, Pacesetters were trailing by three points, with the game poised at 37-34.
Then the Trojans scored just six points in the penultimate quarter, which was not a good finishing sign. The Pacesetters outscored the Trojans in the closing moments of the game by a whopping 24 points to their miserly 12.
In the second game, Plaisance Guardians were able to book their spot in the finals by fending off an Adrian Hooper-led Eagles side by five points, winning the match 86-81. The Guardians matched the Eagles’ intensity basket for basket in the first two periods of the game, as the score read 43-41 for the Guardians at the half.
The closely contested battle continued with the Guardians outscoring the Eagles 22-19 in the third period. The Guardians were able to keep the opposition at bay in the final period, with both teams putting up the same numbers.
On Sunday, the Pacesetters were scheduled to battle the Guardians in the final of the Under-23 division, while the Trojans and the Eagles had to compete for third place.