Latest update April 18th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 17, 2016 Sports
By Edison Jefford
Plaisance Guardians tamed Bounty Colts with a crunch-time lasso that was drawn tight to choke Kurt English
on the free-throw line where he was blessed with an opportunity to win the game at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall Friday night.
However, English missed both shots with just about five seconds left in the grueling encounter to hand Guardians an unlikely 77-76 victory in the first of the best-of-three Division I Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) League finals.
Veteran guard, Enoch Matthews scored a game high 26 points for Guardians, while point guard, Nikkoloi Smith scored 20 points to help his team to their first major Division I win against a top ranked team in the Georgetown sub-association.
National guard, Dave Causway had 22 points for Colts while centre, Shane Webster and English supported with 21 and 16 points respectively. Colts is the higher ranked team in the GABA final after winning two major titles last year.
After English missed both free-throws that would have literally gift-wrapped the game for Colts, Causway got the offensive rebound and attempted a jumper, but Trenton Woolford emphatically rejected the shot, winning the game for Guardians on a defensive play.
After trailing 74-76 with about six seconds left in the game, Smith nailed a huge three-point shot to push Guardians ahead. However, English was fouled after Colts took possession, but made no use of the opportunity to become the hero for his team.
Colts commanded the final quarter of the game, beginning with a 4-0 run to take the twelve-point 64-52 lead. But the East Coast of Demerara-based Guardians would not disappear; the team went on an 18-6 run to tie game at 70 apiece with 1:13 to play.
Matthews was the leader of the band with 13 points within the time that included two huge three- pointers. The humdinger got out of hand with referees being forced to separate Matthews and his veteran Colts counter-part, ‘big man’ Kurt Elias following an altercation.
Colts rampaged to a 74-71 lead when the game resumed with 21 seconds left. Smith then nailed the first of his two crunch-time three-pointers to level the score 74-74 with 14 seconds remaining in the game. Causway pushed Colts ahead with two free-throws.
Customarily those three-throws would have sealed Guardians fate, but Smith would have none of it, nailing his second clutch jumper from downtown to give his side the lead. Colts were given life from the line, but English could not convert the golden opportunity.
The first quarter of the game failed to separate the teams, ending 17-17. The second quarter went to Guardians 40-29 at the halftime break before Colts assumed a 58-52 lead in the penultimate period ahead of the mammoth showdown in the final quarter.
Meanwhile, in the Division II best-of-three final, Nets defeated rivals, Pepsi Sonics 64-58 with forward, Mortimer Williams scoring 16 points for Nets and guard Darian Lewis adding 12 points in the game. For the Sonics, Jason Squires ended with 17 points while Kerwin Jackson and Earl O’Neil scored 14 points each.
Game two action in three categories is slated for tonight. In the opening game at 6:30pm, Eagles will faceoff with Pacesetters in game two, with Eagles looking for a clean sweep in their Under-23 final. The second encounter at 8:30pm will see Nets vs. Pepsi Sonics in Division II, before Guardians take on Colts in the Division I playoff.
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