By Rawle Toney in Suriname
Defending male Inter Guiana Games (IGG) basketball champions Guyana, thanks to a game-high 28 points from captain Akeem ‘The Dream’ Kanhai defeated French Guiana 95-90 when the basketball competition bounced off at the Anthony Nesty stadium in Suriname Friday evening.
Backed by a highly vocal Guyanese crowd at Suriname’s premier indoor facility, the Guyanese came out guns blazing with Orin ‘Six heads’ Rose drawing a foul from a Kanhai no look pass and registering Guyana’s first point of the game by hitting one out of his two free shots.
After then it was plain sailing for the locals who executed well the systems set out by National coach Robert ‘Bobby’ Cadogan.
Early on it was Berbician Richard Mohandatt and point guard Shelroy Thomas who dominated the French men with Kanhai `feeling out’ the opposition.
The first quarter ended 25-20 in Guyana’s favour and at this point Cadogan and his assistant decided that it was time for ‘The Dream’ to come through.
Kanhai literally took the French on one-on-one and though he was fouled most of the times, he made the infringements count.
As the team continue to feed off the exploits of the captain Yannick Dundas got into the mix and scored some crucial points.
At half- time the scoreboard read 52-42 in favour of the Guyanese who became a little complacent in the third quarter which allowed the French to come back in the game.
But Cadogan, upon realizing that the opposition had no answer to Kanhai, had the players feed the 18 year-old the ball in the post and he answered by outscoring his man ‘down low’ which forced the French Guiana players to double team him.
Kanhai, who hit 18 of his 22 free shots, ended with a double-double (28 points) 11 rebounds, four assists, and four steals while Shelroy Thomas scored 23 points and pulled down seven rebounds.
Rose chipped in with 12 points and had three rebounds and two assists while Mohandatt supported with 12 points.
After the game Cadogan told Stabroek Sports: “We turned the ball over too much in the game and that allowed them (French Guiana) to come back in the game. Also we were not disciplined in our game but I think Kanhai was himself and he came up big for us with all the free shots and so on. But we will go back to drawing board for Suriname.”
Guyana played Suriname last night and a win would see them retaining the championships. Meanwhile, French Guiana upset Suriname 43-42 in the lone female game.
With the French women down by one in the game, Guyanese FIBA referee Aubrey Young called a foul against the host and it was Patitia Renazard who was sent to the line with the game time already expired to shoot two shots.
She hit both of the shots and it was jubilation for the visitors.