Guyana suffered a disappointing start to its FIBA AmeriCup Caribbean Men’s Pre-Qualifiers campaign after going down 68-55 to Turks and Caicos on Wednesday evening at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
Despite playing on home court, Guyana struggled offensively throughout the contest, with Kevin Mickle carrying the scoring load. Mickle poured in a game-high 24 points, grabbed eight rebounds and came away with three steals while shooting an impressive 52.6 per cent from the field. He was, however, only 4-of-11 from the free-throw line and was the lone Guyanese player to finish in double figures.
Kevon Wiggins added nine points but endured a difficult shooting night, connecting on just four of his 14 attempts from the field.
Turks and Caicos produced a balanced offensive effort, led by Ethan Taylor’s 16 points, while Travante Garland chipped in with 11 as the visitors secured the opening victory.
Guyana will now turn its attention to a crucial second fixture when it faces Antigua and Barbuda tonight from 20:00hrs, looking to rebound and keep its qualification hopes alive.
