The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Basketball Federation has commended the Men’s Senior National Basketball Team for their performance at the FIBA AmeriCup 2029 Caribbean Pre-Qualifiers. Held from July 8 to July 12, 2026, at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall in Georgetown, Guyana, the tournament saw the national team finish third in Group B.
The Vincentian squad opened their campaign with two strong wins, defeating Grenada 85-66 and the Cayman Islands 96-63. However, the team was unable to maintain the momentum, dropping their final two games to Haiti (100-66) and Barbados (96-84). The final Group B standings concluded with Barbados in first place, followed by Haiti, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the Cayman Islands, and Grenada.
Rookie Shad Thomas was a standout for the team, finishing as the leading scorer in three games during the tournament. In the final match against Barbados, Thomas recorded 16 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. His performance comes ahead of his first professional season with Bisbal Bàsquet in Spain for the 2026-2027 season.
The tournament also marked the end of international play for three veteran players. Team Captain Chrisford Telesford, Phillip Lawrence-Ricks, and Sean Baptiste have officially retired from the national team. Baptiste had been with the program since 2011, while Telesford and Lawrence-Ricks joined in 2018. The Federation plans to utilize their experience in future player development and coaching programs.
The team was led by Head Coach Justin Scott and Assistant Coach Randolph Williams. The delegation was further supported by SVGBF President Suzette Jackson and Team Manager Sabrina Mitchell. National support for the team included contributions from the local government, corporate sponsors C.K. Greaves and the Teachers Credit Union, and former NBA player Adonal Foyle, whose Kerosene Lamp Foundation provided the team’s uniforms.
While the qualification journey has concluded, the SVGBF expressed pride in the resilience shown by the players. The federation remains committed to its mission to revive and elevate basketball across the country under its #REBOUND banner.
