GABF Inter-Sub Association Tournament: G/town successfully defends home turf

Jun 10, 2008 Sports

– Siland heroics provide win

By Rawle Welch
It was scrappy, temperamental and overrated, but sometimes these are the elements that combine to make the Georgetown versus Linden rivalry in any form of sport intriguing.
Last Sunday’s Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) Inter-Sub Association match-up was no different as it ended in heart-break for Linden, who fell to their old nemesis 48-49 after leading throughout the contest, at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
The hero of the night was power forward Royston Siland, who squirmed his way between two players to tip in a rebound from a three-point attempt by Steffon Gillis with three seconds remaining in the game.
He ended with a game high 14 points and received support from Steffon Gillis, who despite only contributing 10 points continues to have a good series, while Steve Neils Jr with 12 and Terrence James 10 were the main scorers for the visitors.
The Linden team failed to set up a play which could have given them an opportunity to get off a shot instead they barely took the ball over the halfway line before the final whistle sounded to end a ferocious battle that had to be temporarily halted by FIBA Accredited Referee Sherwin Henry after it was reported that someone had thrown a plastic cork on the floor aimed at Assistant Referee Oswald Benjamin whereby Henry requested the presence of security officials after which the game resumed without further incidence.
The other game saw Berbice Under-20 slump to an embarrassing 104-41 defeat at the hands of G/town who now has won both of their encounters so far.
The eagerly-anticipated feature contest played before a fair-sized audience lacked the panache and skills that are usually associated with these two teams as players failed to maintain possession of the ball, while making bad decisions and rushing the plays.
The visitors were off to a solid start and raced to a 6-0 lead through a three-pointer from Neils Jr, before Marvin Hartman extended that advantage to 10-0 with a lay-up off a fast break.
G/Town which started with national point guard Darcel Harris seemed to be struggling to score and a substitution which saw Ryan Stephaney replace Harris paid immediate dividends as he buried two free throws after being fouled.
Neils Jr then showed his touch with a delicate kiss off the glass as Linden stretched their lead to 12 (14-2) with 2:02 left in the opening period.
Gillis’ 3-pointer brought the host within 5, down 11-16, before Dwayne Roberts restored a seven-point advantage 18-11 with a fade away jumper over Stephaney.
A lacklustre first half ended with Linden leading 25-17 which was littered with erratic ball handling and silly fouls.
The third period was where the rusty G/town unit got into stride and by the time it had finished the visitors eight-point advantage which they started the period with had whittled away to one as G/town trailed 39-40, having outscored their opponents 22-15.
A tight defensive struggle ensued in the final stanza as both teams failed to lift their standard of play and when the temporarily interrupted Linden held a slight lead 45-41 with 4:37 left in the contest.

When play resumed, it was the same script as shots were missed with frequency, while ball handling was a nightmare for both teams.
G/town crawled within one, down 47-48 with 18 seconds to go, before Gillis launched his missile from beyond the arc which bounced off the rim, but an alert Siland known for his rebounding prowess rose above two players to tip in the ball and cause a raucous celebration among city fans.
They had trailed all game until that period. The first game was a one sided affair and even when Coach Bruce Haynes threw in his second string, the Berbicians had no answer.

Once again Travis Burnette was unstoppable as he led five players in double figures with 21 points, while Jermaine Slater 19, Marlon Chesney 14, Kevin Evans 12 and John Fraser 11 all supported admirably.
For Berbice, only Okern Stuart with 10 managed double digits. Meanwhile, the double header that was scheduled to play in Linden on Saturday evening will have to be re-scheduled according to Tournament Co-ordinator Robert Cadogan.

Cadogan told Kaieteur Sport late yesterday afternoon that he was locked in discussions with President of GABF Colonel Godwin McPherson Ret. and representatives of the two teams Linden and Berbice to arrive at a suitable date.
According to the fixtures, G/town and Linden female teams and Linden and East Bank Demerara are expected to collide at the Mackenzie Sports Club Hardcourt next Saturday.

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