One Guyana Basketball League

VICTORY Valley Royals and defending champions North Ruimveldt Ravens on Thursday evening began their battle for a slot in the finals of the ongoing One Guyana Basketball League.
The League entered the semifinal round at the Cliff Anderson’s Sports Hall.
The final four battle pits the champions Ravens against Worthmanville Pacesetters and Linden’s top side Victory Valley Royals against the Bounty Colts.
In the opening game of their three-match series on Thursday, Ravens showed hunger and poise as they narrowly clinched a one-point win 62-61 over the Pacesetters.
The clash started evenly with the scores tied after the first quarter 8-8.
However, going into the break, Ravens started to pull away as Alroy Nurse and Nikkoloi Smith put in a great shooting performance.
They led 23-19 at the half but Pacesetters were not out of the contest as yet as they put in a swashbuckling performance to tie the scores up 43-43 at the end of the third.
Smith would put his foot on the gas to finish with 14 points with 13 for Nurse as they battled hard.
Pacesetters keep pressing their case with Jahleel Duke 13, Troy David 13 and Randy Richardson 11 showing their value but in the end, Ravens would close it out narrowly.
In the other clash Linden’s Victory Valley Royals overcame former storied club champion Bounty Colts.
It was another close contest as they scores were leveled at the end of the first quarter 16-16 and at the half 32-32.
It was in the third quarter that Royals started to impose their will on the clash.
Yonnick Tappin showed his shooting prowess once again as he registered 25 points.
Veteran national player and back bone of Royals Horald Adams also played well to record 22 points as they led 56-45 going into the final quarter.
Colt’s Sheldon Thomas and Dimitre Rankin tried to hold back the tide, with their 13 points each but it was to no avail as Royals skipper Orlan Glasgow, another national player, proved the difference maker with his 16 points.
Royals closed out the win by 13 points in an explosive fourth quarter run to win it 78-65.
The league is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport, and National Sports Commission.
The League’s regular season featured 22 teams evenly split in the Jaguars and Harpy Eagles conference drawn from all across the country.
They are battling for bragging rights, a million dollars and the coveted national club league trophy.