BELIZE CITY, Mon. Sept. 24, 2018– After sharing the first two games of a best-of-3 games championship series, Belize City Council (BCC) Dragons and Rico Black’s Tuff E Nuff squared off this past Saturday night at the Swift Hall basketball court for the decisive game 3, and it was the Dragons coming away with an 87-73 victory for the Firms Basketball League 2018 championship.
Game 1 was an 88-83 win for the Dragons on Thursday night, September 13; but Tuff E Nuff rebounded the following night with a 70-69 win, to even the series at 1 game apiece.
Originally scheduled for the next day, Saturday, September 15, “Carnival Day,” the championship game was wisely postponed until this past Saturday night, September 22, when a handsome crowd turned out for the finale.
It started out like another close encounter, first quarter ending deadlocked at 18-18; but thereafter it was all Dragons, jumping to a halftime 49-40 lead, holding at 67-58 to end the third, and cruising to a decisive 87-73 final score to claim the championship. Eyan Rene was a monster for the Dragons, leading all scorers with 29 pts along with 15 rebs 3 assts 3 stls, and he was ably supported by Auburn Rivero 18 pts 8 rebs 4 assts 5 stls, Sydney “Buck-it” Bradley 16 pts 8 rebs 6 assts 2 stls, and Kevin Hamilton 10 pts 5 rebs; while Tuff E Nuff was led by Elvis Olivera 20 pts 15 rebs 3 assts 2 stls, Densmore Edwards 12 pts 3 rebs, Douglas Valley 10 pts 18 rebs 2 assts, Tyrone Edwards 10 pts 6 rebs 11 assts, and Raheem Baptist 8 pts 4 rebs 3 assts 2 stls.
Aside from the team championship trophies handed out following the game, individual awards were given to Kurt “Chengo” Burgess of the Infotel Vipers as the Regular Season MVP, and Eyan Rene of the Dragons who was the Finals MVP.
(Photo: William Ysaguirre)