The Guyana Defence Force basketball team struck from behind in the final quarter of their game against the Nets to seize a 49-40 points win when the teams met in the Pepsi Street Series on Wednesday evening at the Burnham Court.

The Division Three feature match-up between the GDF and Nets was witnessed by a sizable crowed as basketball lovers came out to observe the teams clash under floodlights at the recently-refurbished venue.

After trailing for the first three periods of the game with the biggest deficit of 11 points at the end of the third, the GDF came alive in the fourth quarter which began with the scores 22-33.

The GDF’s Royston James was on fire in the latter stages of the fourth quarter when his team was in dire need of points after the Nets traded baskets early in the fourth and maintained their third quarter advantage.

Following a number of Nets turnovers and missed baskets, the GDF made it a two-point game with the scores 38-40, led by James’ sharp shooting and the effortless rebounding from the GDF’s towering centre Hollis Mendonza, who in most cases seemingly tiptoed to snatch the boards.

Trailing by two, the GDF showed no signs of quelling their aggression as they limited the Nets to 40 points, while GDF’s James converted Mendonza’s boards, in the process racking up seven of his team’s last 11 points.
James accumulated 13 points, most of which were scored in the final quarter to pilot his team’s scoring, while his teammate Rondell Edwards assisted with 10 points.

Also in double figures for the GDF was Mendonza with 10 points to his name, along with a number of blocked shots as his lengthy reach thwarted many shot attempts  by the Nets on the inside and captured “ooohhhs” from the supporters after his rejections.

Nets’ Darrion Lewis was the only player on his team to acquire double figures as he, in a futile effort, scored a game high 17 points.

In Game One of Wednesday evening’s double-header, Ravens got the better of Melanie Patriots when their match-up ended with the scores 63-59 at the final buzzer.

Tyrone Hamid stacked a game high 29 points for the Ravens, with assistance from Marlon Haynes who added 12.

The Patriots’ Maxwell Thomas was three for three from outside the arc on his way to 13 points, while Ashton Adams and Curtley English netted 12 and 10 points respectively.

Meanwhile, in last Sunday’s game Colours Panthers defeated Bounty Colts 51-49.