A game-high 29 points from Sharmion Selman failed to save T&T from a five-point 81-76 defeat against Guatemala, in double overtime in the women's 5th-8th classification match at the CAC Games at the Arquelio Torres Ramirez Coliseum, Puerto Rico, yesterday. Despite taking command of the boards on both ends of the court, it was yet another poor shooting performance from the team, which was the difference in the end. T&T shot 26/80, 33 per cent from the field, compared to Guatemala 31/74, 42 per cent.
T&T, which only had two substitutes, fell behind 25-14 at the end of the first quarter. The team had a better second period scoring 19 to its opponents 22, however the advantage increased to 14 at the half. The third quarter belonged to T&T as it restricted Guatemala to just five points and scored 15, which included a 10-0 run to reduce the deficit to three (48-45), before it went to four at the end of the period.
T&T came out in the fourth period with the same intensity and levelled the score at 64 to send the game into overtime as it outscored Guatemala 16-12 in the period. The teams however could not be separated after scoring eight points each and it went to a second overtime. It was here that the short-handed T&T team ran out of gas and was outscored 9-4, as the game ended 81-76. Selman received support from Tiffani Williams 13, Leslie Bacquain 11 and Fanta Patterson 10. Blanc Amado, with 20, led the winners, while Ligia Del Valle had 16. T&T will take on St Vincent and the Grenadines for the 7th spot today.
