BELIZE CITY, Mon. June 5, 2023
The Belize Elite Basketball League 2003 tournament playoffs saw the #4 seed eliminate the #1 seed last Saturday night, whilst the other two teams put off a defensive show Friday night at the Belize City Civic Centre.
The San Pedro Tiger Sharks, who had slipped into the playoffs literally after the regular season games had been concluded, continued their fairy-tale-like tournament run by beating the #1 seeded Orange Walk Running Rebels Saturday night. It was their second victory in the two-best-of-three series, and they now await the winner of the other playoff series between the Benny’s Belize Hurricanes and the Griga Dream Ballers.
The Tiger Sharks spring-boarded off an 8-point scoring run in the third quarter to seize the lead and hold on for an 80-72 victory on their homecourt at the Angel Nunez Stadium on Ambergris Caye. They had won the first game in Orange Walk Town the previous weekend, and are hoping for their fourth semi-pro championship in their 6th appearance over the last decade.
Jamal Kelly (10), Kyle Steward (14), Jihad Wright (13), and Jamaal Clifton (12) all scored in double figures, while team captain and point guard Francis “Ninety” Arana’s 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 7 points were instrumental in the victory.
Orange Walk was eliminated from further competition with the loss. Tyrone Hall (15) matched their leading scorer James Stanback’s 15 points, but despite Kurt Burgess’ 10 and Bryan Hudson’s 14 points, it was not enough.
On Friday night the Hurricanes hosted Griga and a very defensive, fairly even, tense match was broken open as the home team sprinted away from an early 4th quarter 58-58 tie to win 85-67.
The game featured 7 lead changes and 5 ties, with the Hurricanes mostly nursing narrow leads of less than 3 points until that point in the climactic fourth.
Starters Glency “Coope” Lopez (10), Kris Frazier (17), Jamell Harris (9), and Victor Evans (18) got a game-defining boost from super sub Tyrie “The Harlem Kid” Orosco, whose 19 points, game-high 9 boards, 2 assists and a blocked shot were the decisive difference.
Griga was led by their big fella, center Dominic Woodson’s double double (11 points and 10 rebounds), and the other starters Delvon Henderson (16), Edgar Mitchell (12), D’von Campbell (11), and Daniel Conorque (10), but only got 9 points from their bench. It was not enough when the Hurricanes blew up a slim 5-point lead to 15 with a 10-point run midway through the 4th.
The teams square off again next Friday night at the Russell Chiste Garcia Auditorium in Dangriga. Neither team has won on the other’s homecourt so far in this tournament, and the Griga Dream Ballers have been a perfect 6-0 at home all season.