… Colts trample Jets 71-48 for third place

AN All-Star performance from Akeem ‘The Dream’ Kanhai and sharp shooting from Dominic Vincente helped Georgetown’s Dyna’s Ravens to not only whip Retrieve Raiders of Linden 85-57, but also to have the National Champions title etched to their names, as the curtain came down on the GABF ‘Road To Mecca’ basketball tournament last Sunday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. 

In fact, both clubs were seeded fourth by their respective associations coming into the tournament but for Ravens, the win now puts to rest the argument of who is the best Division One Basketball Club in Guyana.
It was long coming for the Ravens who in 2011 had also reached the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) National Club championship final against Trinity Grid Holdings Pacesetters, but that final was never played.
This time Ravens made the best of their chances in securing the ‘top club’ billing locally behind not only Kanhai’s known brilliance but also the excellent contributions from guards Rodwell ‘Kobe’ Fortune, Dominic Vincente and Ryan Stephney as well as centre/forward Jermaine Slater.
The final began well for the Raiders who asserted themselves with a 13-9 lead after the first quarter ended and then continued their good showing to end the first half leading 26-23.
It was obvious that both teams were searching for their best form but Ravens gained the advantage from the start of the third quarter and, with Raiders failing to adequately find replacements for their strong players led by Dwayne ‘Brown Sugar’ Roberts and captain Neil Marks in the front court, it took its toll later on their mining town opponents.
Ravens accelerated in the pivotal third quarter and one wondered how much longer will be the feeling out process. It took longer than many expected for Ravens to find their niche. But they did.
Raiders maintained their grip with a basket from Roberts to make it a 32-25 lead with four minutes to go but the Linden club had an unforced turnover which allowed Ravens to trail by one point 31-32 before Jermaine Slater with back-to-back baskets broke a deadlock at 32 to a 36-32 advantage with 3:14 to go.
This paved the way for a scoring blitz on transition baskets as the Raiders defence crumbled under pressure, triggering a 14-03 run as Ravens ended the third quarter 50-35 ahead.
On the way Fortune, Kanhai and Dominic Vincente displayed their abilities to its fullest as Roberts and Marks tried valiantly to respond and get their team back on track.
With the die seemingly cast going into the final period, Marks’ 3-point shot and a follow-up lay-in gave the Raiders hope, as they were adrift 42-55. However, the Raiders were caught looking on defence for the entry pass thus giving Kanhai who was on the arc a chance to motor in for a ‘Tomahawk’ dunk and a 57-47 lead.
With 5:39 remaining Vincente landed a three-pointer to give the Ravens a 64-47 cushion and Slater to toss out a rebound for Vincent to nail one from beyond the arc. Then Kanhai buried another for a 20-point lead by Ravens, 69-49 with 3:52 left. Kanhai then with a two-handed jam and Vincente hit a ‘trey’.
Kanhai then iced the dominance with another from 3-point territory as Ravens held a 30-point cushion 81-51 with 1:10 left before the end finally came with Ravens romping home 85-57.
In fact Ravens employed a good strategy with a 35-22 scoring in the final period which effectively squandered any chances of a Raiders recovery as Kanhai and company never really eased their press of the accelerator.
It ended with Kanhai scoring 21 points, eight rebounds, three assists and five steals, Fortune 18 points, four assists and one steal, Slater 17 points and 16 big rebounds and a pair of steals and assists while Dominic Vincent who nailed in five three-pointers getting 16 points and three steals.
Raiders best players were Roberts who had 14 points and 14 rebounds while Marks got 14 poiints and 15 rebounds with Dwight McKinnon adding 12 points.
In the third place playoff game Colts handed Amelia’s Ward Jets a 71-48 loss as Shelroy Thomas led their rout with 20 points, six steals and four rebounds, Nikkoli Smith got 15 points and four steals and three rebounds as Dave Causway netted 11 points, six steals, five assists and four rebounds while for the losers Allister Webster had 12 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks, Shane Webster 12 points and 11 rebounds and Joel Webster 10 points and two rebounds.
In the other game the Diplomatic Corps got a 78-59 win against the Media as Sheon Young netted 19 points, Marvin Durant 16 and Devon Cameron 14 while for the Media side Yannick December had a game-high 29 points and Yannick Charles 13.

(By Joe Chapman)