ROAD TOWN, Tortola (CMC) – Defending champions Jamaica will clash with the Bahamas in the final of the women’s Caribbean Basketball Championship after securing contrasting victories in their respective semifinals here Thursday night.While Jamaica held off a late surge from the US Virgin Islands to come away with a 61-52 verdict, the Bahamas were forced to overturn a nine-point, half-time lead before turning back Barbados 57-53 in a close affair at the Multisports Complex.
In the other playoff encounters, Antigua and Barbuda beat Guyana 68-57 while St Vincent and the Grenadines defeated British Virgin Islands 71-67.
Jamaica secured their chance to defend their title through the efforts of Yanique Gordon who led with 19 points and Tarita Gordon who finished with 18 points.
Jennifer George was also good for a double-double, putting up ten points and dominating the boards for 14 rebounds.
For the USVI, Britney Matthew chipped in with 13 points.
Jamaica went on a 7-0 run to open the game and led 16-4 at the end of the first quarter. The USVI slowly whittled away at the lead, however, but only got within six points with 7:06 minutes remaining in the contest.
Barbados, meanwhile, were left with only themselves to blame after they squandered a healthy 27-18 lead at halftime, to be out of gold medal contention in the end.
The Bahamas’ resurgence was led by Sha-Londa Neely who scored 13 points and pulled down 15 boards, with support from Philicia Kelly who scored ten points and collected four rebounds and four assists.
For the losers, Jamila Studer, Toni Atherley and Dale-Marie Cumberbatch all had 12 points.
Late in the final quarter with everything to play for, the Bahamians made several crucial free throws which got them over the line.