Bosai Minerals Group Open Challenge Basketball – Raiders remain unbeaten with dramatic win over Jets … Kings keep hopes alive

RETRIEVE Raiders scored a tantalising 47-46 victory against previously unbeaten Amelia’s Ward Jets while the Jets suffered a controversial first loss, when the six-team Bosai Minerals Group (Guyana) Inc. Open Challenge-sponsored, Linden Amateur Basketball Association-organised basketball championship continued on Sunday night at the Mackenzie Sports Club Hard Court.

The Raiders, led by national forward Neil Marks who had a game-high 16 points including three from down town, nudged past their rivals Jets, in what was a tough win, as they showed much resolve to come from behind, after the Jets had led 16-10 at the end of the first quarter and 29-18 at halftime.
But the Jets refuelled and responded to the challenge placed on them as the second-ranked club, behind reigning Linden champions Kashif and Shanghai Kings, as they faced a strong adversary in the Raiders.
As the third quarter began, it was the Jets who took the game to the Raiders involving a furious exchange as the lead changed hands to the delight of the appreciative crowd on hand and in the closing stages of the game it was guard Kevin ‘Two-Feet’ Joseph who nailed back-to-back three-pointers that allowed his Jets team to trail at the end 32-33.
At that time, the match had become a close encounter as was predicted and with six minutes remaining on the clock, the Jets moved into the lead 34-33, before successive inside penetration by national centre Shane Webster carried them up to a 40-37 cushion.
The Jets were soaring high at this stage and got another three-pointer from Joseph, only to see Marks answer with one from outside, before Joseph drove the lane in the final two minutes of the game to put the Jets up 45-40.
Webster’s twin centre Allister Webster then executed a block against a shot attempt by the Raiders, but with 1:04 left Marks knocked in another from beyond the arc as the scores read 45-43 for the Jets.
The Raiders made a run for it but in the end prevailed for the win, after Marks was fouled on a penetration and made one of two shots from the stripe for a 47-45 score, following which Rodwell Pellew connected on one of two free throws awarded to him, after being fouled with just 2.9 secs left in the game.
Besides Marks’ 16 points Roberts had 8 and guard Sheldron Noel 6 for the winners with Shane Webster netting 12 points before his exit (after being fouled out with four fouls instead of five) with less than four minutes in the game and Joseph 11.
In the first game, the Kashif and Shanghai Kings kept their hopes alive of reaching the semifinals by scoring a 65-57 win over the winless Block 22 Flames.
National skipper Steve Neils (Jr) led them with 19 points, studded with three from ‘down-town’, former national player Marvin Hartman got 11 and national junior shooting guard Orin Rose 8.
For the Flames, Quacy Richmond was their top shoot with 12 points, Selwyn Noble and Devon Morrison each had 10 and Patrick Clarke 8.

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