BARBADOS’ final four bid is over.
And at the hands of an all too familiar foe.
Ivan Aska had 26 points, including the go-ahead score with a minute remaining, before teammate Georgio Milligan came up with the game-saving block to seal Barbados’ agonising 78-71 loss to long-time rivals United States Virgin Islands at the Caribbean Basketball Confederation Championships in Tortola.
It was yet another of those heart-breaking finishes to a painful loss for Barbados, who took an unlikely 69-68 lead on a Jeremy Gill step-back jumper after valiantly fighting back from down 14 points (66-51) in the fourth.
But the USVI came up with those clutch plays down the stretch, as Aska cut to the ring for the go-ahead score off an inbounds play and then Milligan denied Gill after being isolated on the Barbados captain.
Mark Bridgeman’s unfortunate unsportsmanlike foul on the very next play all but doomed the Bajans’ fate as their opponents held on to a two-possession lead.
The result secured the USVI’s (3-0) passage into the semi-finals and knocked Barbados (1-2) out of medal contention ahead of their final group game against Cayman Islands (0-3).
Akeem Marsh led Barbados with 17 points and 20 rebounds, Gill had 16 points while Keefe Birkett scored ten. For the USVI, Craig Williams had 18 points – on six treys – and ten rebounds. (JM)