BARBADOS’ hopes hung in the balance last night.
One day after thumping hosts Guyana, the Bajan lasses needed the home team’s help to make the semi-finals after suffering their first loss of the Caribbean Basketball Confederation’s Under-16 Girls’ tournament yesterday.
Playing at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Barbados missed a chance to automatically qualify for the final four by losing to British Virgin Islands 49-39 in the day’s opening game.
The result handed the BVI the top seed in Group A and left the Bajans in a tenuous position with a 2-1 record as Antigua and Barbuda would finish with the same record with a victory over Guyana in the night cap.
It wasn’t their best offensive showing of the tournament as Barbados went 17 of 85 from the floor in the double-digit defeat.
Forward/centre Tower Lorde top scored for the ultramarine and gold with 16 points and 21 rebounds while Shauliqua Fahie led the BVI with 18 points, ten boards, seven steals and two blocks.
The defeat snapped a two-game winning streak for the ballyhooed Bajans, who started the competition with a hard fought 39-36 win over Antigua before handily beating Guyana 40-29. (JM)