GABA Mackeson National Super Ward Championships…
PRE-tournament favourites North Ruimveldt and Charlestown/Albouystown were the first two teams to chalk up wins when the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) Mackeson Super Wards Basketball Championships got on the way on Saturday evening at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. Both teams however failed to provide that class that they are both known for with North overcoming a fighting East Coast team 65 – 51, while Charlestown/Albouystown downed East Bank 96 – 59.

Playing in the opening game, the East Bank team which only had seven players up until the second quarter, held tight a Charlestown line-up which had the likes of Guyana’s leading Junior Player Akeem ‘The Dream’ Kanhai, forward Dwayne ‘Brown Sugar’ Roberts and point Guard Kevin ‘Two Feet’ Joseph.

Joseph was able to pour in a game high 20 points, hitting five from beyond the arc while Kanhai was his usual self being the next highest scorer with 17 points, nine rebounds, taking six steals and dishing out six assist.

Roberts ended the night with a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) and also had two blocks for the victors. But the team chemistry was evident; and certainly the east Bank side that many spectators had a laugh of, silenced the crowd when the game started.

A blow-out from jump ball was predicted after the pundits matched the two sides up but after the first quarter which ended 23 – 11 in favour of Charlestown, the game took a swing.

The East Bank team began to apply the pressure on the already out of sync Charlestown team and would end the first half trailing by five points (27 – 32).

But after the locker room talks, Charlestown came out guns blazing with the offensive flow coming from Joseph, Kanhai and Roberts while point guard Trevor McLeod did a good job distributing the ball.

Joseph was lighting up from the three point range and what came off the glass fell in the hands of Roberts and Kerwin Blades.

Trevor Smith was his team’s highest scorer with 14 points and also picked up three steals and Horace Hodges had a good game inside with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

In the second game, the fireworks which were expected from North Ruimveldt did not go off but instead they were met by a hungry Stephon Gillis and his East Coast posse.

Gillis who ended game with a crafty 12 points, saw his team to a comfortable lead of 15 – 8 at the end of the first quarter and while many said “don’t worry, North will bounce back” they were proven wrong by the East Coast unit who held their composure to lead 38 – 31 at the end of the first half.

The crowd, many of which were the supporters of the North Ruimveldt team, by then begun to be more forceful for the side to step on the gas while East Coast had other ideas.

Drumson Macually added more flavour to the game when he slammed home a hard one handed dunk in the face of North centre Damion Liverpool which brought the crowd to its feet.

But team captain and Coach Darcel Harris piloted his ship well as they held their composer to outscore East Coast 18 – 6 in the fourth quarter to take the win.

All the North players chipped in on the scores with Rudy Games scoring 12 points and getting nine boards while Seriah Clarke and Jason Squires each netted eight points.

North will be in action again tomorrow evening when they face Kitty/Campbelville in the second game of a double- header while the curtain raiser will see East Bank heading on the road to redemption against South Ruimveldt.