Dominica Edge Out Bermuda in Pre-Qualifiers Group Final
IslandStats.com
Dominica won the battle of the tournament's undefeated sides, grinding out a hard-fought 72-65 victory over Bermuda in the final match of the FIBA AmeriCup 2029 Caribbean Pre-Qualifiers group phase.
In a highly anticipated showdown in Georgetown, Guyana, it was a bruising third-quarter chokehold by Dominica that ultimately fractured a razor-thin contest.
There was nothing to separate the two teams during an intense, high-tempo opening quarter, with both sides trading heavy blows to finish locked at 14-14.
Bermuda found their offensive rhythm in the second period. Spearheaded by dynamic guard play, the Gombey Warriors outscored their rivals 20-19 in the frame, allowing them to retreat to the locker rooms at half-time clutching a slender 34-33 lead.
The game turned irrevocably on its head immediately after the restart. Dominica emerged from the interval with a ferocious defensive press, completely disrupting Bermuda's ball movement and restricting them to a meager 10 points in the third quarter.
Pounding the rock inside, Dominica plundered 19 points of their own to seize a commanding advantage heading into the final stretch.
Despite a valiant final-quarter fightback where Bermuda outscored Dominica 21-20, the mountain proved too steep to climb.
Bermuda's resistance was anchored by a magnificent individual display from Adam McDonald, who weaponized his perimeter shooting to lead all island scorers with 23 points. Cameron Basden offered formidable support, chipping in with a crucial 16 points of his own.
Under the glass, Denash Davis and Malachi Scott put in a grueling shift, each hauling down a team-high 10 rebounds, while Leigh-Jaelen Williams narrowly missed out on double figures with nine boards. Facilitator Caelin Peters pull the strings from the backcourt, dishing out five assists on a night where Bermuda simply ran out of track.
