Says Rawle Toney
Tonight on the Burnham Basketball Court two of Georgetown’s top clubs, Dyna’s Ravens and Courts Pacesetters, are scheduled to go head-to-head with the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) First Division League title at stake.
According to the words of the great Ernesto “Che” Guevara, “The fundamental principle is that no battle, combat, or skirmish is to be fought unless it will be won.”
I resorted to the words of Che Guevara because it is applicable to the history these two teams have and so the outcome of tonight’s game is far more than just someone winning a game or a title but a battle.
This is the third time the two sides are meeting over the past two years with Pacesetters having the upper hand. And with this being known, the Ravens are expected to come out hard to exact revenge.
But I can predict the tactics of Ravens coach Lugard Mohan who would also want to finish the GABA season with a perfect record and bragging rights while his friend and foe in this instance Bobby Codogan will want to hold on to the advantage his team has over the Ravens while also trying to walk away with the GABA league title.
I will attempt to place the two sides head to head and let you take your pick.
Let’s start with the back court. In this area, the Ravens to my knowledge have a distinct advantage with national point guards Darcell Harris and Ryan Stephaney and when flowing they can cause some trouble for any defence set up by the Pacesetters. They are quicker than the Courts guards, junior national player Travis Burnette and Hugh Arthur and can read the game better than their opponents.
In the front court, Pacesetters have an upper hand since their inside men, Royston Siland and Clement Brusche have shown that they can play under pressure and show more composure than that of their adversaries, Ryan Gullen and Damien Liverpool. However, should Liverpool and Gullen continue playing the way they have through the league, things can be interesting at the bottom.
And then, there is the match-up of the sharp shooters, Raven’s Kevin Lawrence and Pacesetter’s Stephan Gillis. Both Lawrence and Gillis have shown that they are capable of playing under pressure and can punch the lane just as well as they can shoot the ball. It will be through these two players that both teams will play most of the basketball. Also, both teams have good players and are evenly matched.
The two coaches will have their combat off the court since they are responsible for most of what happens on the court. The biggest question is who will win the league? Ravens are undefeated as compared to Pacesetters who have lost only one game. But it is still wide open and will go to whosoever win.
According to the rules of the world governing body, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) if they are two teams with equal points, the results of the game between the two teams involved will be use to determine the placing.
In this light, tonight’s game should be a scorcher and one that you wouldn’t want to miss.