IN their first game of the 2016 Centrobasket U-15 Championships, Guyana suffered a demoralising loss at the hands of Panama, yesterday.From the tip Panama controlled the tempo of the game, getting quick buckets and scoring in transition off Guyana’s turnovers.
The closest point in the game was in the first quarter when Guyana trailed by 5 points with a score of 7-2. From there it was nothing but offence, as Panama turned on the jets en route to a blowout with a first-quarter score of 37-9.
The second quarter saw the Guyanese hold Panama down to 16 points with better defence. However missed shots and turnovers were again the bane of the GT side. The second quarter finished 53-15 with Guyana scoring only 6 points, while Panama finished the first half leading by 38.
The second half was a track meet for Panama who ran in transition off the numerous Guyana turnovers. Guyana scored only 9 points in the second half, with 5 in the third quarter and 4 in the last quarter.
On the other end of the floor Panama scored 48 in the half, with 28 in the third and 20 in the fourth. The game finished 101-24 leaving the Guyana side with much to think about as they go forward.
With the youthfulness and mental toughness of the side, it is interesting to watch the way the unit will bounce back from the demoralising loss.