Ravens, Kwakwani to battle for ‘One Guyana Basketball’ conference title
Ravens and Kwakwani will contest the final of the Jaguars Conference, following semi-final sweeps of Pacesetters and Mambas, respectively, when the inaugural edition of the ‘One Guyana’ Basketball Premier League resumed on Saturday evening at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue.
The Ravens defeated the Pacesetters 62-52 to seal their place in the conference final. Jude Collette, Dominic Vicente, and Orin Walton scored 15, 14, and 13 points in the win, with Shamar Huntley adding nine points. For the loser, Troy David was the only scorer in double digits with 11 points. He was assisted by Tariq Cave, Zion Grey, and Michael Turner, who scored nine, seven, and six points each.
Meanwhile, Kwakwani dispatched Mambas 104-76 in the second semi-final of the division. Domair Gladstone led the rout with 23 points, while Shafeeq Thomas, Kadeem Dover, Royan Shortt, and Jamal Gilkes contributed 20, 17, 16, and 10 points apiece.
On the other side, Brandon Bento recorded 21 points, while Samuel Thompson and Jonathan Pooran contributed 14 and 10 points, respectively. Adding eight points was Judah Stephney.
The event continues on February 3rd at the same venue with the second playoff game in the Harpy Eagles Conference. The #2 seed Bounty Colts will match skills with the #3-positioned Kobras at 19:00hrs, while the #1 seed Eagles will face off against the #4-placed UG Trojans at 21:00hrs.
The tournament, which is a collaboration between the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport (MCY&S) and G-Boats Incorporated, forms part of the National Sports Academy. The regular season featured 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 will pocket $1,000,000, while the loser will receive $500,000.