A standout 36-point performance from star forward Kyrone Alexander propelled Barbados to a dominant 23-point victory over Haiti on Thursday, marking their second consecutive win at the FIBA Americup 2029 Caribbean Pre-qualifiers being held in Guyana. The game, hosted at Georgetown’s Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, got off to a rocky start for the Barbadian side, as Haiti grabbed an early six-point advantage, closing out the first quarter 27-21.
Barbados’ coaching staff quickly adjusted their game plan to counter Haiti’s opening momentum, and the team executed the changes to perfection in the second quarter. By halftime, they had clawed their way back to take a slim two-point lead, 47-45, setting the stage for a dominant second half.
Maintaining consistent defensive pressure and clinical shooting, Barbados extended their lead to six points by the end of the third quarter, holding a 67-61 edge heading into the final frame. The game completely tipped in Barbados’ favor in the fourth quarter, as Haiti’s offense collapsed entirely – the Haitian side only managed to put seven points on the board in the final 10 minutes, allowing Barbados to expand their lead to a lopsided 23 points by the final buzzer.
Beyond Alexander’s career-best performance, which also included eight rebounds, Barbados received solid contributions from supporting players: Carl Thorpe chipped in 20 points, while Akeem Marsh added 11 points to round out the team’s double-digit scorers.
Thursday’s win over Haiti comes on the heels of an 89-54 blowout victory against the Cayman Islands just one day prior, putting Barbados at 2-0 to open their Group B campaign. After a scheduled rest day on Friday, Barbados will return to the court for two crucial remaining group stage matches: they face Grenada on Saturday, followed by a match against St Vincent and the Grenadines on Sunday.
Only the team that finishes atop Group B will earn a spot in the next round of qualifying, making Barbados’ back-to-back opening wins a major boost to their advancement hopes.