Guyana back at the Central American Championship Level

Aug 07, 2016 Sports

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Statistician Charwayne Walker is extending congratulations to Mr. Nigel Hinds and members of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation for successfully hosting the recent CBC Under-16 Championships. He notes, the performance of our boys’ team was historical, it is the second time in our basketball history that a male team reached a regional finals.
The first time Guyana played in a regional basketball final was 1994 when the Auric Tappin led Caricom team lost to Barbados at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. The historic squad was:

Auric Tappin –Captain
Leon Christian
Lugard Mohan
Edgar Thomas
Don Fletcher
Sean Semple
Robert Codagan
Lorenzo Withrite
Steven Nurse
Willie Hodges
Rawlin Loncke
Lancelot Loncke
Erik Rashaad –Coach
Please note that Eion Leitch played the opening match against Suriname scoring 11 pts.
Twenty-two years later our under-16 boys proudly carried on a great legacy with an outstanding performance at the just concluded CBC tournament losing to a more experienced and superior Bahamas team in the finals.
By placing second, our boys qualify for the Central American Under-17 Championship in 2017; the last time a male national team played at the Central American Championship level was May 1975 when the Mike Brusche led team competed against the best from South and Central America in the Dominican Republic.
Today, Kaieteur Sports and Statistician Charwayne Walker pay tribute to the trailblazers, the men that carried the Golden Arrow Head at the (Mecca) of basketball in Central and South America.
The Central American Championships, Guyana Performance 1971. Venezuela (1973), Puerto Rico (1975), in the Dominican Republic:
1971 Caracas, Venezuela Central American Championship
Guyana vs Host Venezuela- Guyana lost 96 to 77
Guyana vs El Salvador – El Salvador won 75 to 68
Guyana vs the Mighty Cuba – The boys from Havana won 123 to 46
Guyana vs Puerto Rico- Puerto Rico won 72 to 51
Guyana vs Trinidad and Tobago- The Parade Ground Ballers won 72 to 51
1973 CAC Championship, San Juan Puerto Rico
Guyana vs Mexico – (Roberto Clemente Coliseum) The Giants of Mexico won 130 to 64 for the Mexicans. Roberto Lua scored a game high 30 pts, Raul Palma contributed 26 pts.
For Guyana: Abdulla Meusa top scored with 13 pts, skipper Mike Brusche 12 pts , Hewley Henry 10 pts, 7 rebounds, Gavin Kendall 9 pts, Harold Ceasar 7 pts, 10 rebounds.
Guyana vs Panama- (Panchin Vincent Coliseum) Ponce; Panama won 124 to 56. Guyana playing a team that beat Olympic Champions Russia, had no chance. Mario Peart top scored for Panama with 22 pts, A. Reid 18 pts, M. Warren 14 pts. For Guyana: Philip Daniels top scored with 13 pts, Hewley Henry 11 pts, Gavin Kendall 9 pts, Harold Ceasar 7 pts, Mike Brusche 6 pts.
Guyana vs Host Puerto Rico- (Roberto Clemente Coliseum) Puerto Rico won 129 to 62. For the victors, Joe Hatton scored 21 pts, Ray Dalman 19 pts, Charlie Bermudez 17 rebounds. For Guyana: skipper Mike Brusche had a game high 23 pts, Winston Joseph 11 pts, Harold Ceasar 10 pts, Melroy Fitzalbert 10 pts, Hewley Henry 6 pts.
Guyana vs Venezuela- (Roberto Clemente Coliseum) Venezuela won 75 to 67 for the Venoes:  Cruz and Larret scored 25 pts each. Mike Brusche top scored for Guyana with 20 pts, Melroy Fitzalbert 8 pts, Hewley Henry 8 pts, Harold Ceasar 8 pts.
Guyana vs Cuba – (Panchin Vincent Coliseum) Cuba won 88 to 32, skipper Ruperto Herrera top scored with 18 pts, Rafael Canzalez 12 pts Luis Calderon 12 pts. Skipper Mike Brusche, Melroy Fitzalbert and Phillip Daniels scored 8 pts each, while Harold Ceasar scored 5 pts.
Guyana vs US Virgin Islands (Roberto Clemente Coliseum) US Virgin Islands won 81 to 75. For the victors, Atmore Fredericks had a game high 23 pts, Rudy Milligan 20 pts. For the Parade Ground Ballers, Mike Brusche top scored with 16 pts, Harold Ceasar 16 pts,  Melroy Fitzalbert 11 pts, Winston Joseph 10 pts, Phillip Daniels 10 pts, Aubrey Chalmers  8 pts, Abdulla Mesusa  6 pts.
Guyana vs Dominican Republic (Roberto Clemente Coliseum) Dominican Republic won 84 to 61. For Guyana: Mike Brusche had 18 pts, Harold Ceasar 14 pts, Melroy Fitzalbert 13 pts, Winston Joseph 10 pts.
The 1973 National Team that Participated at the C.A.C Tournament
Mike Brusche- Captain
Melroy Fitzalbert
Ronald Pickering
Winston Joseph
Herman Sullivan
Phillip Daniels
Keith Hinds
Hewley Henry
Gavin Kendall
Abdulla Meusa
Harold Ceasar
Aubrey Chalmers
Raymond Goulding –Coach
Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira – Manager
1975 Central American Championship Dominican Republic
Guyana vs Venezuela- Venezuela won 87 to 68. Cruz Latret and Victor Mona scored 25 pts each. For Guyana: skipper Mike Brusche top scored with 20 pts, Winston Joseph 9 pts, Merton Fitzalbert  9 pts, Aubrey Chalmers 8 pts, James Devonish 7 pts.
Guyana vs Host Dominican Republic played at the Clacio Olympico in front of 3000 fans. Dominican Republic won 111 to 71. For Guyana: Ronald Pickering scored 15 pts, skipper Mike Brusche 12 pts, James Devonish 10 pts, Aubrey Chalmers 9 pts.
Guyana vs Puerto Rico played at the Palacio De Centro Olympico. Puerto Rico won 120 to 63. For Guyana: Melroy Fitzalbert top scored with 12 pts, Compton ‘Hofty’ Hinds 10 pts, skipper Mike Brusche 10 pts, Aubrey Chalmers 10 pts.
Guyana vs Haiti played at the Palacio De Centro Olympico.  Guyana won 89 to 78. Skipper Mike Brusche led all scorers with 22 pts, Melroy Fitzalbert 20 pts, Aubrey Chalmers 13 pts,  Ronald Pickering 8 pts, Merton Fitzalbert 8 pts, Clifton Brusche 7 pts, Compton ‘Hofty’ Hinds 6 pts.
Guyana vs El Salvador played at the Palacio De Centro Olympico. El Salvador won 88 to 65. For Guyana: Melroy Fitzalbert 13 pts, Merton Fitzalbert 10 pts, Mike Brusche 8 pts, Winston Joseph 7 pts, Clifton Brusche 6 pts..
Guyana vs Suriname played at the Palacio De Centro Olympico. Suriname won 91 to 61. For the victors, Van Vilken scored a game high 29 pts, John Chelius 23 pts. For Guyana; Mike Brusche 14 pts, Aubrey Chalmers 14 pts, Melroy Fitzalbert 13 pts, Merton Fitzalbert 9 pts.
Guyana vs Bahamas played at the Palacio De Centro Olympico. Bahamas won 106 to 64. Melroy Fitzalbert top scored for Guyana with 20 pts, Merton Fitzalbert 10 pts, Clifton Brusche 10 pts, Mike Brusche  8 pts, Ronald Pickering 6 pts, Phillip Daniels 6 pts.
The 1975 CAC Team
Mike Brusche – Captain
Melroy Fitzalbert
Merton Fitzalbert
Clifton Brusche
Aubrey Chalmers
Compton Hinds
Phillip Daniels
Ronald Pickering
Winston Joseph
Brian Gonsalves
Keith Hinds
James Devonish
Eldon Vaughn – Coach

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