by Bernard Wagner

Pepsi NEBL In The Paint

 

GAME NIGHT MATCH-UP STATS

Western Ballaz	75.2PPG	40.5RPG	13.1APG
Hurricanes	78.1PPG	41.3RPG	12.0APG

 

KEY PLAYERS

	Richard Troyer	Ballaz	14.0PPG	7.0RPG	2.0APG	35.0 F/G%
	Leroy Louriano	Hurricanes	12.3PPG	3.0RPG	3.8APG	44.0F/G%

 

With just 2 wins in their first 6 games, Head Coach Darren Bovell and the defending champs Hurricanes are obviously looking at tonight’s game as a ‘must win’. The question that then raises is, ‘or what?’ If tonight’s game is a must win, what does it mean if they don’t win? Will they have no chance of making post-season play? Of course not. Will the season be considered a disappointment? More than likely. However, what makes this game important is not the consequences of a loss, but the implications. The results of this game will tell us a great deal about what this team really is made off and what we should expect as we enter the second half of the season. With a win tonight, on the road, in a difficult place for visitors with the noisiest and supportive home team fans base the defending champs should stay relevant in post-season dialogue. With a loss however, they sink deeper into an unfamiliar abyss. But as they say in sports you should never underestimate the heart of a champion, and I expect to see the defending champs rise to the occasion. The Hurricanes young core of Watters, Ortiz, Lopez, and White, enters tonight’s game with an obvious chip on their shoulders as they grapple to dispel first half frustrations mixed in with their fans high expectations and the responsibility thrown at them to replace arguably Belize’s best player in Darwin Leslie.

According to Hurricanes, Head Coach Darren Bovell, he will tinker with the starting line-up somewhat so as to ensure that he has a cohesive unit on the floor that is able to bring intense man to man defense for the entire game. He explained that his team had faced some early season challenges, but he emphasized, “That it’s always better to face those challenges earlier rather than later”.

The Ballaz on the other hand are riding high after their impressive showing last week on the road winning by the score of 97-83 over the Rebels. They will be looking for more of the same from Richard Troyer, Darwin Leslie, and Daniel Nolberto. In the Paint called this one in favor of the visiting Hurricanes.