Guyana roar back to beat Dominica in FIBA AmeriCup pre-qualifiers

Guyana recovered from a sluggish start to secure a dominant 68-53 victory over Dominica in the FIBA AmeriCup 2029 CBC Pre-Qualifiers in Georgetown on Friday evening.

Stanton Rose Jr. stole the show for the hosts, putting on a masterclass in front of a raucous home crowd to finish with a game-high 20 points and a staggering efficiency rating of 23.

But it was a dramatic second-quarter swing that completely altered the trajectory of this Group Phase encounter.

Dominica started the brighter of the two sides, twice establishing a six-point cushion in the first half as the home crowd grew restless. With just under two and a half minutes remaining in the second quarter, the visitors held a slender 24-22 lead and looked good value for it.

The game’s defining moment arrived courtesy of Brandon Andrew Bento, whose driving layup on a fast break levelled the scores at 24-24 and ignited the arena.

That basket triggered a punishing 7-2 run for Guyana stretching into the third quarter. Dominica simply froze under the pressure, suffocated by Guyana’s defence, as they converted just one of their next seven field-goal attempts.

Once the hosts grabbed a 29-24 lead, they never looked back, and Rose ensured there would be no late twist. The guard was relentless, drawing fouls at will to sink 11-of-14 from the free-throw line, while adding eight rebounds, five assists, and four steals to his night’s work.

He was ably supported by Kevin Mickle, who clocked a crucial 11-point, 11-rebound double-double, and Umar Rashid, who flirted with a double-double of his own with 10 points and nine boards. Kevon Wiggins also chipped in with a vital 16 points.

Any hopes of a revival in Dominica were brutally extinguished in the final period. Leading by a precarious three points at 50-47, Guyana unleashed a devastating 13-0 run to put the game completely out of reach.

Wiggins was the architect of the blitz, scoring seven points during the stretch to stretch the lead to 63-47.

The margin eventually widened to 19 points before settling at 15 by the final buzzer.

Ethan Boland offered the sturdiest resistance for Dominica with 13 points, but his efforts were ultimately in vain against a Guyana team that spent over 21 minutes of the contest in the driver’s seat.

The result gives Guyana a massive injection of momentum in the Group Phase, while Dominica are left to pick up the pieces ahead of their next outing. (Modified FIBA Press Release)