by JUSTIN MARVILLE

in Tortola

BARBADOS are finally off the mark at the 20th Caribbean Basketball Championships.

Led by a tournament-high 29 points from prolific shooting guard Jeremy Gill, the previously winless Bajans whipped Antigua and Barbuda 79-67 in the consolation round at the Multipurpose Complex in Road Town yesterday.

Gill scored all his points through the game's first three quarters before leaving the game with a hamstring injury as Barbados built an unassailable 66-51 lead in the third.

Despite his explosion, the difference from Barbados' first three woeful performances came at the defensive end, where the Antiguans were held to just 37 percent from the field against some stifling man defence.

And on this occasion, the Bajans actually created scoring opportunities in transition, forcing several turnovers that they duly converted at the other end.

Forward/centre Kelvin Patterson, who added 18 points, did most of the heavy lifting in Gill's absence while Andre Lockhart sealed the deal at the line in scoring ten points.

Mario Davis and Wayne Walker topscored for Antigua, who play Bermuda for seventh place today, with 18 points apiece.

The win puts the Bajans in a position to play the Bahamas for fifth place today at 4:30 p.m.