Colts romp from behind to reach GABF Forbes Burnham Memorial Final

Aug 28, 2015 Sports

Colts’ Centre, Shane Webster goes up for an uncontested floater in the paint Wednesday night in the first semi-final of the GABF Forbes Burnham Memorial Basketball Championships at the
Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

– Pacesetters play Half Mile Bulls in other semi-final tomorrow night

By Edison Jefford

Colts romped from behind to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat Wednesday night at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall to advance to Sunday’s final of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation Forbes Burnham Memorial Basketball Championships.
Colts neutralised Linden’s Victory Valley Royals, which controlled most of the game, in the last three minutes when Rayon Cummings finished a baseline layup to eventually win 64-57, moving one step closer to their second title in three weeks.
Guards, Shelroy Thomas led with 22 points while Cummings ended with 12 points to lead Colts charge. Meanwhile, Errol Dryden had eight points while national centre, Shane Webster added seven points in the game.
For Royals, Orlan Glasgow almost led his team into the final with an excellent performance that landed him 22 points. Forward, Lawrence DeCosta added 10 points with both Harold Adams and Chris Williams supporting with seven points apiece.
The teams were engaged in a fierce back-and-forth offensive game before Glasgow and Williams nailed big three-point jumpers to put Royals up 37-31 at halftime. Royals’ offensive run continued when DeCosta nailed a jumper off the glass to give them their biggest lead, a 10-point 41-31 advantage.
Royals maintained their double-digit lead with five minutes to play in the penultimate period that ended 52-45 with guard, Alwyn Rodney continuing the high percentage of field goal shooting for Royals with another three-point jumper.
However, in the first five minutes of the final period, Colts upped their defensive pressure and as a result, Royals managed just three points while Webster ran riot in the paint; he converted on an attempted ‘And1’ play to haul his team to within two points, 53-55 midway through the deciding quarter.
The two teams battled defensively until Cummings came up with a baseline layup that left Royals stunted. His finish tied the game at 57 with three minutes to play. Royals never scored again as Colts romped to seven points in that time.
The statistics would show that Royals, which had controlled the game, comfortably winning each quarter, was kept to merely five points in the final period, easily forfeiting a chance of playing for the $100,000 first place purse on Sunday. Royals had beaten Ravens to advance to the semis, making them a favourite to reach the final. Georgetown’s Pacesetters will play Linden’s Half Mile Bulls in the other semi-final tomorrow night at the same venue. Colts will play the winner of that game Sunday in the grand final set for the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall Sunday at 7pm.