BARBADOS DIDN’T get the start they hoped for.
Not to the tournament or the game.
The ultramarine and gold staged one valiant comeback, erasing all but one of an 18-point deficit before ultimately falling 70-63 in their Caribbean Basketball Confederation Championships opener to St Vincent at the Multi-Purpose Sports Complex in Tortola.
Struggling at both ends of the floor, the Bajans quickly fell behind 27-9 in the opening period but rallied behind a 17-4 run in the third quarter to pull within one (44-43).
However, Quincy Jackson hit back-to-back treys towards the end of the period as St Vincent re-opened a 60-47 advantage early in the fourth.
Barbados did rally again though, reducing the deficit to just five (66-61) on baskets from Jeremy Gill that sandwiched an Akeem Marsh jumper.
But they never got any closer the rest of the way once Nyika Williams ended the surge with a short jumper.
Marsh led Barbados with 14 points and 11 rebounds while Baptiste top-scored for St Vincent with 21. Barbados are slated to face hosts British Virgin Islands on Wednesday night before playing long-time rivals United States Virgin Islands the following night.
