Guyana Basketball Teams Stumble in IGG Openers Against Regional Rivals

According to Kaieteur News, Guyana's boys' and girls' basketball squads had a challenging start to the 2026 Inter Guiana Games (IGG) held in Suriname, with both teams losing to their regional competitors at the Anthony Nesty Stadium.

The girls' team was defeated 67-25 by the host nation, Suriname, in the opening game of the double-header. Meanwhile, the boys' team suffered a 92-67 loss to French Guiana. The boys' defeat occurred after a promising surge in the third quarter was unable to overcome a decisive offensive push by French Guiana in the final period.

For the boys, the loss was particularly disheartening because they demonstrated the capacity to compete for extended stretches before errors in ball handling and defensive lapses during the last quarter allowed French Guiana to pull ahead.

In the girls' game, French Guiana established an early lead, holding a 33-20 advantage at the close of the first quarter, with Chouino BeDout leading the scoring effort. BeDout concluded the game with a high of 24 points, consistently challenging the Guyanese defense. French Guiana continued their offensive momentum into the second quarter, increasing their lead to 56-35 at halftime, even as Guyana showed better defensive commitment.

Coaching adjustments made by head coach Warren Wilson and assistant Kwesi Thompson during the halftime break seemed to have an immediate effect, as Guyana returned with increased energy and urgency on both ends of the court. Avion Kesney led the Guyanese effort with 15 points, while Josiah Cumberbatch added 14 points and Tyreek Sampson contributed 13 points, marking Guyana's strongest period in the match.

Guyana managed to outscore French Guiana 23-13 in the third quarter, achieving this through more deliberate offensive execution and improved defensive pressure, which narrowed the gap to 11 points, making the score 69-58 entering the final period. Stephan Duke contributed nine points, and Leon Simon (four points) and teammates were instrumental in tightening the defense, limiting the previously high-scoring French Guiana unit to only 13 points in that quarter.

However, the final quarter proved detrimental for Guyana. French Guiana took advantage of Guyana's unforced errors in ball handling, creating scoring chances from those mistakes. Guyana managed only nine points in the last period, while French Guiana scored 23 points to secure the 92-67 victory.

Regarding the girls' team, they encountered a significantly more difficult contest against Suriname, which controlled a large portion of the game to achieve a commanding 67-25 win. Guyana started the game respectably, trailing 16-10 at the end of the first quarter, with Junelly Paddy leading the offense. Paddy finished with 10 points, and Breanna Benjamin added six points to help keep Guyana within striking distance early on.

Nevertheless, Suriname gradually asserted control over the game, utilizing a decisive 20-point scoring run to create distance, leaving head coach Osafa Johnson and assistant coach Ann Gordon without clear answers from the sidelines. The sustained offensive pressure from the hosts proved too much for Guyana, as their scoring output could not keep pace with the widening deficit.

Despite the disappointing outcome, the opening game offers the Guyanese girls an opportunity to pinpoint areas needing improvement before their subsequent assignment. Both teams are scheduled to play again today; the boys will face defending champions Suriname, while the girls are set to play French Guiana.