(Cancelled and possibly postponed): Fri. Jan 27, 2023: San Pedro Tiger Sharks vs Belmopan Red Taigaz; Sat. Mar 25: San Pedro Tiger Sharks vs Benny’s Hurricanes (San Pedro High School)
Results and Schedule
Week 10: Fri. Apr. 14: Belize Hurricanes vs Orange Walk Running Rebels (Belize City Civic Centre); Western Ballaz vs Belize City Defenders (SHC Auditorium).
Sat. Apr. 15: Griga Dream Ballers vs Belmopan Red Taigaz (Russell Chiste Garcia Auditorium); San Pedro Tiger Sharks vs Punta Gorda Panthers (San Pedro High School).
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Apr. 13, 2023
The 2023 Belize Elite Basketball League (BEBL) Tournament resumes this weekend with 2 of the co-leaders clashing at the Belize Civic Centre on Friday night, and the 2 cellar dwellers, the San Pedro Tiger Sharks hosting the Punta Gorda Panthers at the San Pedro High School auditorium on Saturday.
The Tiger Sharks won their first encounter 98-77 and know that they need a win and to keep winning to keep their opportunity of making the tournament’s 4-team playoffs alive.
They have 7 games remaining, 6 of which would be home games because 2 of their home games were cancelled and possibly postponed due to the non-availability of the auditorium, and they had swapped with the Orange Walk Running Rebels.
The Panthers are all but mathematically eliminated as they are now the victims of a 6-game losing streak, and would have to improbably win all their remaining 5 games and also see the 3 teams above them in the standings somehow lose all 5 or more of theirs.
The Orange Walk Running Rebels are currently the owners of a remarkable 6-game winning streak after losing their first 3 games. The Benny’s Belize Hurricanes were and remain the pre-season favourite though they have stumbled against Griga and their Belize City rivals the Defenders. They also have a cancelled game to play against San Pedro, but reports are that they are at full strength and finally have a complete and healthy roster available.
Although the teams are tied in the win column and the ‘Canes have a game to play, under the BEBL’s point system (2 for a win, 1 for a loss), the Rebels are the tournament’s leader. Both teams are very aware that the result of their head-to-head matchup is the first tiebreaker and that the ‘Canes won the first encounter 85-77 on the Rebels’ home court.
The Griga Dream Ballers will have more than revenge on their minds when they host the Belmopan Red Taigaz Saturday night at the friendly confines of the Russell Chiste Garcia Auditorium. While their 91-79 loss to the young Belmopan team in Belmopan still stings, the fact is that their remaining schedule dictates that 3 of their remaining 5 games will be on the road where they have only won once.
The young Taigaz are perhaps the “smartest” team in the league with a high percentage of college graduates, but they have been inconsistently consistent, dropping one then winning one before losing another, then winning 2 before losing 2. They know the only formula for success is winning.
Friday night the Western Ballaz will host the Belize City Defenders on their home court at the Sacred Heart Auditorium in San Ignacio, and it may be the most important game of the weekend schedule. A home team victory would leave both teams tied with 5-5 records. The Defenders have yet to win away from the Civic Centre, losing to the BEBL’s cellar dwellers and Griga and are trying to continue recovering from a 3-game losing streak. They beat the Western Ballaz 84-69 in the fourth game of the tournament.
These two teams have been most affected by serious injury to two of their star players. If the Ballaz are going to make a stretch run it must start with this game, because a loss and a 4-6 record is a deeper hole to climb out than may be at first surmised because the Taigaz and Tiger Sharks are hot on their heels in the fight for the last playoff spot.