By Daniel Haynes

IN the rematch of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) Road to Mecca 3 Finals between the Georgetown Bounty Colts and Linden Retrieve Raiders, the GT side ran the mining town side out the building with a score of 75-55.This time there was no walk-off, no questioning of referees’ decision and finally a full basketball game.
This game had everything going into it, the controversy, the big names (in some of Guyana’s best), and the crowd appeal.
From the first whistle, the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall came alive, this game had drawn a bigger crowd than the last one and the fans were not disappointed.
In the first quarter, the three FIBA referees set the tone with impartial officiating, a standard to be expected from certified officials of the game’s governing body.
The score was close with Colts leading the Raiders by seven points with a score of 15-8. The Raiders however, soon found their rhythm and slowed down the tempo by utilising their big men.
Captain Dwayne “Brown Sugar” Roberts showed why he was called to the senior national team. By the end of the second quarter going into the half, the Raiders led the Colts side by three points with a score of 32-29.
“We knew they had come to play and we were slightly distracted,” said Colts captain Dave Causway in recapping the game. “Heading into the third quarter we knew we had to find our rhythm and pick up our socks,” he added.
That they did and in the third quarter, the GT side outscored, outwitted and in some areas outclassed the Linden side.
Stanton Rose –Kwakwani’s 16-year-old star- as well as Shelroy Thomas, another of Kwakwani’s talents- came up big, pushing the tempo and keeping the scoreboard ticking.
On the defensive end Colts forced turnovers and Curtly “Gypsy” Elias as well as Shane Webster came up big with huge blocks on the defensive side. It was this combined team effort that saw Colts holding Retrieve Raiders to five points in the third quarter, while adding 21 of their own to lead 50 – 37 heading into the final period.
In the final quarter it was as if the floodgates came down and the Colts added 25 more points to Raiders’ 18, pushing the final game tally to 75-55. It was a resounding victory for the boys in black, who had maintained their discipline in the first game. Fittingly, Dj Bravo’s “Champion” song resounded around the Sports Hall at the buzzer.
However, the game was not without drama, with police ranks being asked by GABF President Nigel Hinds to prevent Colts supporters from hitting the side panels separating the court from the stands behind Colts’ bench in an effort to rally them.
“The fans played a major part of our win” said Colts’ guard Dellon LaRose, while the rest of the victorious side echoed his sentiments. We couldn’t do it without them was the unanimous decision.
The Colts are now the national basketball champions, following up on the U-23 team’s recent win in the Guyana Amateur Basketball Association sponsored tournament.
“We played hard and got what we deserved,” said Michael Singh Colts’ manager, “I am proud to be associated with this team.”