Eagles and Mambas recorded easy wins when the inaugural edition of the ‘One Guyana’ Basketball Premier League commenced on Saturday evening at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue.
Eagles downed Colts 66-52. Travis Belgrave was the primary scorer with 26 points, while Kwesi Thompson was the next-best scorer with 10 points. Adding seven points apiece were Denzil Ross and Sherland Gillis.
For the loser, emerging star Dimitri Rankin top scored with 13 points, while the experienced trident of Errol Dryden, Oquacey Shortt, and Noetzikiel Yisrael netted eight points apiece.
Similarly, Mambas dismissed the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) 72-50. Samuel Thompson led the rout with 16 points, whilst Brandon Bento and Jonathan Pooran added 12 points each. Supporting with nine points was Shayne Joseph, while the duo of Coel Winter and Cosmo Evans added eight points each.
For the loser, Kevin Richards top scored with 10 points, whilst Jason Khan and Rondel Edwards added eight points respectively.
The tournament which is a collaboration between the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport (MCY&S) and G-Boats Incorporated, is administered by the Guyana Basketball Federation. It forms part of the National Sports Academy and features 14 teams divided into two zones, which are the Harpy Eagles and Jaguars Conferences respectively.
A minimum of 56 fixtures and a maximum of 63 matches is projected for the competition which concludes in March 2024. The winner of the tournament, which will be played every Saturday at the National Gymnasium, will pocket $1,000,000 whilst the loser will receive $500,000.
