A missed layup in the final seconds relegated Colts to a 79-77 loss to fierce rival Pacesetters when the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) 2015 League Championship continued on Wednesday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
With only seven seconds remaining, Shelroy Thomas upon stealing the ball following an inbound pass, missed a clear layup in the left side of the paint, injuring himself in the process while falling as Pacesetters held on to claim the win in the rollercoaster matchup.
Top scoring for Pacesetters was Travis Burnette with 23 points while Stephon Gillis and Randy Richards scored 17 and 12 points respectively. Chipping in with seven, seven, six and five points were Shawn Gillis, Jermaine Hamilton, Travis Williams and Keith Tute respectively.
For the loser, Dave Causway recorded a game high 25 points while Shane Webster, Shelroy Thomas, Kurt English and Dexter Walcott netted 16, 14, 12 and six points correspondingly.
The opening period was a cagey affair as both teams struggled to create any sustainable offence, with the period eventually ending 10-7 in the favour of Pacesetters. Richardson top scored in the period with four points while Thomas netted three points from beyond the arc.
The matchup eventually came to life in the second stanza as Pacesetters began to assert their dominance. They would net 26 points in the period to Colts 18 points to take a 36-25 lead into the half time interval.
It was a shooting gallery as Stephon Gillis engineered the second quarter blitz, netting 12 points compliments of four three-pointers. Supporting with six and four points were Burnette and Tute respectively.
The fixture then became a game of two halves as Colts blasted into the lead, outscoring their foe 29-14 to go into the final stanza ahead 54-50. It all started with a 21-7 run in the first six minutes of the period as Colts took the lead at 46-43. They eventually closed out the period with an 8-7 run.
Causway led the assault in the period with nine points while Thomas, Webster and English supported with seven, six and five points each. For Pacesetters, Richardson and Burnette netted five and four points each.
The momentum then changed in the final stanza as Pacesetters took the lead at 68-67 following an 18-13 run, with less than three minutes remaining.
Hamilton and Shawn Gillis were instrumental in the surge as they netted seven points each while Burnette scored four of his eventual nine points in the period during that blitz.
Pacesetters then extended their lead to four points as they outscored Colts 5-2 to go ahead 73-69 with 1:17 remaining on the clock.
Colts then pulled within two points at 79-77 with less than eight seconds remaining as Causway netted five points to bring his tally for the period to nine. Nonetheless, Pacesetters held onto claim the win as Thomas failed to score a layup in the dying seconds.
In the other matchup, the University of Guyana (UG) Trojans downed Pepsi Sonics by a 61-41 margin in their u-23 fixture. Selvaughn Mosley and Jabar Joseph top scored in the win with 12 points each while Joshua Lee and Abevia Perry netted 13 and nine points respectively in the loss.
Action in the tournament is slated to continue today at the same venue with a tripleheader commencing from 18:00hrs.
