Carrissa Ramdial scored 15 points and dished out four assists but her effort was not good enough to stop T&T from going down to Nicaragua 50-44 in its opening game of the Centrobasket Under-17 Women’s 2023 Qualifiers, in Managua Nicaragua on Wednesday.
T&T started well with a 10-5 lead and closed the first quarter 13-8 and looked in control of the match-up against a team playing in front of its home fans.
T&T through the likes of Amariah Clyne, Ty Warwick and Ramdial outscored the host 7-6 in the second quarter for a 20-15 lead at the halfway mark.
However, the third quarter proved critical with Clyne, Warwick, Pierre and Ramdial taking the game to the opposition, however, it was the host that closed the period with a 16-15 advantage but T&T closed the third quarter with a 35-30 advantage.
In the final stanza, both teams lifted their game intensity more so the host via their vocal fans who spurred them on to reduce their deficit by one point and take a 37 - 36 lead with less than five minutes to play. T&T regained control of the match when Ramdial and Maya Raymond both converted baskets from long-range shooting, followed by Mariah Charles fouling out for two points eight rebounds, and two blocks.
Nicaragua then scored six unanswered points to push ahead 43 - 42 with four minutes on the clock.
Following a quick time-out with the game on the line, Nicaragua made a bold move by implementing a man-to-man defence against Ramdial and that tamed the T&T offence as the home went on a 7-2 run to steal the victory by six points.
Ramdial was the only T&T player in double digits for her 35 minutes of play, while Clyne added 12 points, 11 rebounds six steals and seven turnovers, for her 29 minutes of play, Warwick scored five points, made two assists, eight rebounds, made four turnovers and she had one block for her 34 minutes of court time.
For the winners, Leisha Romero had 16 points and 10 rebounds and Grisell Gullen supported with 13 points and nine rebounds.
T&T is playing this tournament with only eight players.
