Photo: Galen Eagles – ATLIB National Male Basketball Champs 2023
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Jan. 26, 2023
Both the male and female winners of the 2023 Association of Tertiary Institutions of Belize (ATLIB) national basketball championships were decided on Saturday, January 21, at the Sacred Heart Junior College auditorium in San Ignacio.
ATLIB Males
In the male finals, tournament MVP Joel Montejo pumped in 19pts, and Kerwin Palacio and Brandon Flowers added 10 each, to lead Galen Eagles to a 54 to 27 win over Wesley Junior College (WJC) and the title. Luwani Cayetano, 12pts, and Kerdell Tench, 8pts, were the standout scorers for the overpowered WJC.
The Wesley College boys reached the finals after nipping Northern regional champions, Muffles Junior College, 46 to 43. Luwani Cayetano led the way for WJC in that semi-final game with 16pts, while Kerdell Tench added 12. Rasheed Reneau scored 23 and Jamar Higinio 10 for the losers. In its semifinal match, Galen Eagles, behind 11 pts from Jaheim Ciego and 10pts from Brandon Flowers, crushed Southern regional champions, Ecumenical Junior College (EJC), 57-36. Donnell Arzu put up 22pts for the outgunned EJC.
ATLIB Females
For the females, there was no representative from the North, so the three regional champions from the West, Central and South played a single round robin format, and when the balls stopped bouncing in the final game, Wesley Junior College (WJC) girls were crowned champions.
In Game 1 of the tournament, Ecumenical Junior College (EJC) girls squeezed by the Galen University girls, 26-25. Rhea Gordon led EJC girls with 7 pts, Glenda Arana and Shamika Lambey added 6pts apiece, and Jahnell Nuñez netted 5pts. Briah Clarke led Galen with 17pts. In Game 2, tournament MVP, Taliyah Hyde, scored 11pts to lead WJC to a 25-18 win over EJC. Glenda Arana led EJC with 10pts. In Game 3, Galen rode Briah Clarke’s 14 pts and Tashira Gillett’s 8 pts to a 24-21 win over WJC.
(AMANDALA Sports Ed. Note: With a 1-1 record for all 3 female teams, the championship was decided on points differential: +4 for WJC, +2 for Galen, and -6 for EJC.)