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UB JAGUARS OUTSCORES BNE ENERGY 30-21 IN FOURTH QUARTER TO POST 71-69 WIN

SportsUB JAGUARS OUTSCORES BNE ENERGY 30-21 IN FOURTH QUARTER TO POST 71-69 WIN
Quoting from last week’s Hoops News article, “BNE Energy’s weakness, I guess, will be conditioning; their backcourt, while potent, has been around for some time now, and could show signs in the waning moments of a close game.”
 
Apparently Hoops News was right on the money last week in our analysis of BNE Energy’s weakness, and this was no more evident than in the fourth quarter of last week’s season opener in the 2008 Belmopan Basketball Senior Championship.
 
Belize’s top young basketball prospect Winston “Air Jun” Pratt had an impressive debut with the UB “Black Jaguars,” as he shot an outstanding 9 for 14 from the field, while hitting 6 for 14 from the charity stripe on his way to a game high 25 pts, to lead his team to the 71-69 win over BNE Energy. BNE, who jumped out to an early 16 to 9 first quarter lead, were unable to sustain the necessary energy level needed to close out the game, and as a result were outscored 30-21 in the fourth quarter by the “Jaguars,” who uncharacteristically had been playing “catch-up” ball the entire night, after they had dug themselves into an early first quarter hole. The Jaguars were unable to dig into the BNE lead in either the second or the third quarter, as both teams scored 32 points apiece. However, in the fourth quarter, the Jaguars’ younger legs of Travis Lennon (13 pts 4 rebs), Lennox Bowman (10 pts), and Farron Louriano (8 pts 12 rebs) outdueled the older legs of Aubrey Lopez (17 pts 7 rebs 6 asst), Jason Daly (9 pts 2 asst), and Christian Rodriguez (6 pts 1 reb).
 
Game statistics provided by the Association revealed that the Jaguars shot a meager 33% from the field in the win, including a lethargic 2 for 7 from three-point land, and, despite their obvious superior size, found themselves being outrebounded 38-36 on the glass. They, however, made up at the charity stripe, as they shot a respectable 57 % from the free throw line in the win. Meanwhile, for BNE, their post mortem requires no scientific computation; the 30 three-point shots attempted was compounded even further by their inability to hit no more than eight of them. In basketball, whenever a team resorts to heaving up countless outside shots, rather than attack the rim, this is normally perceived as an indicator of exhaustion, which on this night was confirmed in the fourth quarter when they gave up the lead.
 
Games scheduled to be played last night between the Belize Bank Bulldogs and Perk Up Hawks, and UB Jaguars and Belmopan Eagles were postponed due to inclement weather. Games for Sunday, if weather permits, will have Belmopan Eagles facing Perk Up Hawks, and Belmopan Energy going up against the Belize Bank Bulldogs.
 
 
ALBERT’S WILL BEGIN QUEST FOR ITS THIRD STRAIGHT OVER-35 CHAMPIONSHIP
 
Albert’s Hawks Over-35 basketball team, come this Saturday, will begin their quest to three-peat as champions in the annual Maxi-Basket Over-35 Championship, set to tip off tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. at Bird’s Isle. The team, which won the inaugural season in 2006, going undefeated, followed that up last year with another perfect season, on their way to back-to-back championships. To put it all in perspective, this team has not lost a game since they entered the league in 2006. They are considered a perennial powerhouse in the league, led by Vince “Post’ Estrada, Mark Espat, Angus Cherrington and Charlie “Dunk” Armstrong. Eight teams, including the defending champs, are expected to participate in this year’s tournament. They are Belmopan, Classic Purex, Old Cemetery, Old Technical Rebels, Orange Walk Eagles, Maria Chang, and Bulls. Belmopan will play in the season opener against Classic Purex, followed by Old Cemetery opposing Old Technical Rebels in game two; while in game three it will be Albert’s Hawks taking to the court against Orange Walk Eagles, and in the nightcap game the Bulls will play host to Maria Chang.
 
 
NEWLY ELECTED BASKETBALL EXECUTIVE MEETS WITH STAKEHOLDERS
 
Last week Thursday, the newly elected Executive body of the Belize Basketball Federation (BBF), President Paul Thompson and Secretary General Julian Murillo concluded a series of introductory meetings with individuals and various organized bodies whom they considered as key stakeholders in their mission to renew the entire basketball machinery in Belize. These bodies included the National Secondary School Sporting Association (NSSSA); the Association of Tertiary Level Institutions of Belize (ATLIB); the Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Associations; and the National Sports Council (NSC) Director, Vandley Jenkins; and Minister of Sports, Youth and Culture Hon. Marcel Cardona. According to the BBF press release, the meetings focused on re-emphasizing the importance that the impact of sport has on the social and cultural development of one’s country. The release went on to state that the Minister of Sports and those organized bodies, including the NSC, conveyed unwavering support and commitment to the executive, and promised to work closely with them to ensure that the objectives and plans of the BBF may be realized. 
 
Ironically, on that same day, through a press release issued by the Ministry of Sports, Youth and Culture, the sporting community, basketball players and athletes in general were stunned to hear the heartbreaking news of Cabinet’s decision to defer construction plans for the Belize Sports Center at the Marion Jones Sporting Complex; the reason given being shortfall in funding for the project. So much for the NSC’s and the Ministry of Sports’ support and commitment. First it was semipro basketball, now it is the Belize Sports Center. I guess the BBF was hoodwinked.
 
 
BBF AND BVA CONDEMN CABINET DECISION TO SCRAP BELIZE SPORTS CENTER
 
In a joint press release issued on Wednesday, October 22, the Belize Basketball Federation (BBF) and the Belize Volleyball Association (BVA) condemned Government’s decision to defer the construction of the Belize Sports Center, which was to be constructed at the Marion Jones Sport Complex. The release made mention of the excitement that was being felt by athletes and sporting enthusiast in general prior to the announcement, in anticipation of the many benefits that would have been derived from the construction of such a facility. It also made mention of the positive influence such a facility would have generated psychologically for the many youths at risk, and the significant role it would have played in the social development of the country. It went further to state that Belize remains the only independent country in the region without a bona fide international caliber sporting facility. The two organizations, however, welcome Government’s commitment to redirect the funds to the refurbishing and renovations of existing facilities, and have committed to submitting recommendations to the Ministry of Sports with regards to improvements of basketball and volleyball facilities across the country.

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