Rain had the final say as the second and third matches in the ‘One Guyana’ Basketball Championship were cancelled on Saturday evening at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue.
The downpour, which failed to subside, made the playing surface unsafe for players. As such, the officials opted to cancel the remaining two matches.
Meanwhile, the Rising Stars defeated the Nets 70-65 before the torrential downpour transpired. Lorenzo George top scored for the victor with 15 points, while Ruel McKinnon and Darnel Anthony recorded 14 points apiece. Adding 13 points was Jamaine Booker.
For the loser, Shaquille Hescott tallied 21 points, while Montell Sadina tallied 18 points. Nial Marks was the next-best scorer with nine points. The Rising Stars seized the early lead as the first period ended 13–12. However, the Nets tallied 17 points in the second stanza while reducing the Rising Stars to a meagre nine points to seize a 29-22 halftime lead. Nevertheless, a second-half offensive blitz led to a come-from-behind win for the Region #3 outfit. This commenced in the pivotal third quarter, as the Rising Stars outscored the Nets 25-22 to reduce the deficit to 47-51. The win was then realised in the fourth period, as the Rising Stars recorded 23 points while restricting their opponent to 14. The tournament, which is a collaboration between the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport (MCY&S) and G-Boats Incorporated, is being run 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 same venue, will pocket $1,000,000, while the loser will receive $500,000.
