Debutants Melanie Patriots pulled off an upset victory over Maccabees beating the more seasoned club 56-51 while Dyna’s Ravens steamrolled Eagles by 56 points (99-43) as the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) Third Division and Open Knock-Out tournaments continued at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Saturday last.
Likes kids in new shoes, Melanie Patriots came out looking very excited; running the hardwood from corner to corner. Their players were smaller than those of the opposing team, who obviously took the newcomers for granted.
The East Coast team led 14-12 at the end of the first quarter and it was only then that Maccabees realised that the new kids on the block meant business and began to play the type of basketball which earned them the third seed placing in the 11-team tournament.
Led by junior national guard Yannick Dundas and Wainright Haynes, Maccabees began to pile on the pressure at both ends of the floor.
Floyd Arthur, however, ensured that his team remained in the game by leading a one-man fight-back which saw the eventual winners trailing 27-28 at the end of the first half.
The game remained close but Melanie Patriots stayed in control.
Maccabees tried everything in their power to clinch the ‘W’ but it was definitely the East Coast boys’ time to shine and they held on for the win.
For the Patriots, Arthur had a game-high 18 points. He received admirable support from Maxwell Thomas with 15.
Haynes and Dundas scored 17 and 16 points respectively for Maccabees who will have to sit out the rest of the tournament.
Meanwhile, in the Open tournament, it was a Sunday afternoon stroll, for Dyna’s Ravens as the Eagles’ failed to lift off.
While as a bird, the Eagle is considered superior to the Raven, on the court things were the other way around.
It was showdown of the two oldest basketball clubs in Guyana and Ravens gave Eagles, who are now making a return to competitive basketball after months of layoff, a spanking that they would never forget.
The Ravens offensive fire was led by the ‘little big man’ Rodwel Fortune and the tenacious Dwayne ‘Brown Sugar’ Roberts.
Fortune was literally all over the court and while he was a “pest” offensively, he certainly made his presence felt on the defensive end, as he sneakily made several steals which were converted into some easy baskets.
Things looked bleak for the Eagles with Mark Wills trying his best to keep the team afloat and looking as though they were in the game, but the smooth bench rotation made by Ravens player/ Coach Darcel Harris ensured that a blow out was inevitable.
Fortune had a game high 27 points while Roberts chipped in with 17 points and Ryan Gullen 13 for Ravens who had all off its players registering points on the scoresheet.
Wills was his team’s leading scorer with 13 points along with Linden Smith (11) and Brindsley Mc Curdy (10).
The tournament will continue tonight with a triple header with game one being a Third Division clash between Bounty Colts and Beepats Scorpions from 18:00 hours.
Pepsi Sonics and Maccabees will square off in the first of two Open fixtures with the second being Bounty Colts against Beepats Scorpions.
