Opening defeat for Guyana in FIBA AmeriCup 2029 Caribbean Pre-Qualifiers

Host nation Guyana endured a tough start to the FIBA AmeriCup 2029 Caribbean Pre-Qualifiers, losing 55-68 to Turks and Caicos Islands in the final game of the opening day at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Wednesday.

The Guyanese will look to rebound when they face Antigua and Barbuda on Thursday evening from 20:00h at the same venue.

Guyana led after the opening quarter, but Turks and Caicos controlled the middle periods to build a double-digit cushion. Both teams scored 13 points in the final quarter, allowing Turks and Caicos to put this game to bed without drama.

The decisive moment arrived early in the second quarter with 9:44 remaining, when Ethan Taylor converted a layup in the paint to tie the score at 12-12 after Guyana had led 12-10. That basket erased the hosts’ advantage and marked the beginning of Turks and Caicos’ control.

From 1:28 left in the first quarter to 7:46 remaining in the second, Turks and Caicos outscored Guyana 6-2. Guyana failed to connect on a field goal during that stretch, missing all five of their attempts.

Dylan Morris anchored Turks and Caicos with nine points, nine rebounds and three assists in 27:48, posting an efficiency of 12 and a team-best +10. His work on the glass and steady facilitation helped settle the team after Guyana’s early edge.

Ethan Taylor led all scorers for Turks and Caicos with 16 points, adding three rebounds, two assists and two steals in 30:40. Travante Garland delivered the game’s sharpest burst, pouring in 11 points in a span of 2:07 from 3:55 to 1:48 of the second quarter, finishing with 13 points overall.

Jessy Maximin contributed four points, eight rebounds, three steals and three blocks, including the game’s only dunk with 4:24 left in the third quarter. Off the bench, Dwaine Simmons chipped in nine points and five rebounds in just 13:36.

On the other side, Kevin Mickle paced Guyana with 24 points, eight rebounds, two assists and three steals in 35:12, but it was not enough to keep the hosts in contention.

Turks and Caicos produced the game’s biggest run with 10 unanswered points from late in the second quarter into the early third, stretching a 26-23 lead into a 36-23 advantage. It was a collective surge, with no single player dominating the sequence.

Guyana’s best run came in the third quarter, when they scored six straight points in just over a minute to trim the deficit from 36-23 to 36-29.

In the earlier games on Wednesday, Barbados defeated the Cayman Islands 89-54, St Vincent and the Grenadines prevailed 85-66 against Grenada, and Antigua and Barbuda started their campaign with an 82-50 success over Bermuda.

Games on Thursday
• 12:30h- Cayman Islands vs Grenada
• 15:00h- Barbados vs Haiti
• 17:30h- Turks and Caicos Islands vs Dominica
• 20:00h- Guyana vs Antigua and Barbuda