National Under-18 B’Ball coordinator Hercules confident of success in regional c/ships

Jan 06, 2018 Sports, https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...in-regional-c-ships/

Supreme Dub Ballers will represent Guyana at the 2018 International Basketball Foundation (FIBA) Antilles 3X3 under-18 Championships in St Marteen which is slated for May.
Ballers, a team which comprised this year’s South American Youth Games 3X3, took down Royals 15-11 in the final of the qualifying tournament organised by the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation last Saturday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
All of their players contributed to the victory with Nigel Bowen dropping seven points, while Akeem Crandon scored four. Akeem Bowen and Shamar France added two points each.
On the other side, Kobe Tappin dropped eight of Royals 11 points in the final, while Immanuel LaRose scored the remainder. Crandon, who was the team’s captain, won Most Valuable Player (MVP) honours.
Local coordinator of the 3×3 basketball programme, Junior Hercules, stated that, “This is the most experienced team that Guyana could’ve sent to the championships in St. Marteen although, Kobe Tappin of Royals is undeniably the best forward of the competition.”
Hercules explained that if the tournament was an invitational event, Tappin would’ve been a definite fixture but the FIBA rules are that the team representing must qualify. In fact, only an injury or special instance can see Tappin making the final cut but nevertheless, “I believe that this squad has what it takes to go one step further than our performance last year and cop the title,” Hercules further posited.
Meanwhile, the female team of Annalisa Barclay, Lydia Roberts, Roschelle Campbell and Soffiya Greene won on the female side with Barclay dropping in six points.
The trials that were competed on December 30th which catered for players born January 1, 2000 or after, saw a total of fifteen teams from which 52 players competed which shows a high level of interest for the shortened form of the game.
At the 2016 championships held in St Lucia, Jamal Gilkes, Jonathan Mangra, Stanton Rose and Timothy Thompson made history by reaching the final against Martinique only to suffer their only loss, 9-8.