Kobras overcame the University of Guyana (UG) Trojans, while Eagles and Ravens secured lopsided wins over Leonora and Caimans when the inaugural edition of the “One Guyana” Basketball Premier League continued Saturday night at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue.
The Kobras edged the UG Trojans by a 72-70 score in the feature contest of the evening. Carlos Edwards led the way with a game-high 29 points while the combination of Elijah David and Trevor Smith chipped in with 18 and 12 points respectively. Adding six points to the score was Drexel Aaron.
For UG, Kadeem Peterkin top scored with 24 points while Jether Harris and Daniel Benjamin added 15 and 10 points respectively. Chipping in with nine points was Jabari Joseph.
Meanwhile, Eagles whipped Leonora Stars 88-41. Travis Belgrave led the rout with 32 points. He was supported by Denzil Ross, who was the next-best scorer with 17 points. Adding nine points each were Courtney Taylor and Michael Richards while Sharlan Gillis netted eight points.
For Leonora Stars, Jamal Booker tallied 10 points, while Deron Murray and Shaquan Archer netted eight and six points, respectively. Similarly, Ravens clawed their way past Caimans 95-30. Dominic Vicente scored 25 points while Shamar Huntley added 21 points and Jude Corlette scored 18 points. For the Caimans, Chris Tucker scored 20 points.
The tournament, which is a collaboration between the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport (MCY&S) and G-Boats Incorporated, will be 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 are 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 while the runners-up will receive $500,000.
