(Cancelled and possibly postponed): Fri. Jan 27: 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 13: Fri. May 5: Orange Walk Running Rebels vs Belize City Defenders (OW Multi-Purpose Complex). To be replayed as per protest upheld. Belmopan Red Taigaz 100, Punta Gorda Panthers 96 (UB Gym); Belize Hurricanes 76, Griga Dream Ballers 65 (Belize City Civic Centre).
Sat. May 6: San Pedro Tiger Sharks 88, Western Ballaz 66 (San Pedro High School).
Week 14: Fri. May 12: Belize City Defenders vs San Pedro Tiger Sharks (Belize City Civic Centre); Belmopan Red Taigaz vs Belize Hurricanes (UB Gym).
Sat. May 13: Western Ballaz vs Griga Dream Ballers (SHC Auditorium); Punta Gorda Panthers vs Orange Walk Running Rebels (Toledo Sporting Complex).
Playoffs: May 19 – June 2: Semi-finals (2 best of 3); June 2 – July 7: Finals (3 best of 5).
All-Star Game: Sat. May 20th, (Russell Chiste Garcia Auditorium).
Back matches: (Dates To Be Determined).
Previously scheduled and possibly postponed- Sat. Mar 25: San Pedro Tiger Sharks vs Benny’s Hurricanes (San Pedro High School); Fri. Jan 27: San Pedro Tiger Sharks vs Belmopan Red Taigaz; Fri. May 5: Orange Walk Running Rebels vs Belize City Defenders (OW Multi-Purpose Complex), to be replayed as per a protest upheld.
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. May 11, 2023
Late yesterday, the Belize Elite Basketball League (BEBL) announced via a press release that its “Disciplinary Committee,” which is apparently now acting as its “Protest Committee,” had examined a protest by the Orange Walk Running Rebels and decided that last Friday night’s game that they lost was to be replayed in its entirety.
The tribunal is chaired by former semi-pro commissioner Daniel Fabro, while BEBL Technical/Deputy commissioner Glen Gill and Marvin Garcia, a former President of the Referee College, are members.
In its decision letter to Commissioner Chris McGann, they wrote that, “There is no doubt in our minds that both teams wearing white playing uniforms affected the game for players, officials and fans. It is our opinion that this game should probably not have been played under these conditions.”
It stipulated that they “… are mandating that this game be replayed in its entirety at the earliest date set by the league in consultation with the teams involved. The teams are to equally share the proceeds of this game after deduction of reasonable game and team expenses, approved by this committee prior to the game.”
It concluded that the committee “… urges the league and, by extension, the teams to abide by Articles 6.1 and 6.2 of the BEBL By-Laws 2023 and Article 4.3.3 of the FIBA official basketball rules governing team uniforms,” but did not state what those were or what they stipulated.
Teams seem to agree that they were abiding by an agreement reached in 2018, and continued prior to the start of this tournament, that teams only had to have one uniform to ameliorate financial costs.
Reportedly, the committee heard from the Orange Walk Running Rebels, including a video compilation of calls in the game they thought went against their players because both teams wore the same color uniform.
The Belize City Defenders had played all 6 of their previous away games in white, and allege that they told Orange Walk that they would do so. It is reported that the Rebels chose to wear white because they told the game officials that one of their players did not have their blue color uniform.
The game referees, led by BABO President Dwight Cadle, assessed the Defenders a technical and awarded the Rebels 2 free throws. They made one and missed one. (It has been reported that the technical was changed to a “delay of game”.)
The Defenders won the disputed game 87-77 after jumping out to a 25-1 lead and held on for the wire-to-wire win, after the Rebels had converted one of the two free throws. On Friday, March 3, the Rebels had defeated the Defenders 91-85 in their first encounter at the Belize City Center.
After head-to-head results, the next tiebreaker is points differential in those games. Both teams are vying along with the Griga Dream Ballers for the second-place position entering the playoffs and the homecourt advantage.
The Defenders have not indicated if they will appeal the decision of the Disciplinary Committee, preferring to focus on their upcoming game with the San Pedro Tiger Sharks. For both teams it is a must-win game because the Sharks must win-out to have a shot at making the playoffs.
The practical result of this decision, if upheld, is that the tournament now has 3 back-matches and an All-Star Game still to be held.
The top seed in the standings, the Benny’s Hurricanes are scheduled to play the Belmopan Red Taigaz at the UB auditorium tomorrow night. The Red Taigaz was embarrassed by the ‘Canes 105 – 64 at the Belize Civic Centre on March 11 the first time they played, and will not make the playoffs.
Last Friday, in an entertaining game, they defeated an undermanned Punta Gorda Panthers, who only brought, suited up and played 6 players, 100-96. Jeremiah Toney of the Taigaz recorded the League and tournament’s first triple double (31 points, 12 assists, 11 rebounds), while Chaunce Leslie of the Panthers went 10-18 from 3-point range, also a tournament record, en route to scoring 40 points.
The Panthers are expected to host the Orange Walk Running Rebels on Saturday night, and the Western Ballaz, who are reportedly dealing with an alleged “sex scandal” involving 2 of their players, are to host the Griga Dream Ballers in their final game.
On March 11, the Western Ballaz were defeated by the Griga Dream Ballers, 74-64, at the Russell Chiste Garcia Auditorium. They [the Ballaz] will not make the playoffs.