© Berisford Codd Jr.

The freshly redesigned UB Gymnasium came alive on Friday night as the Bandits (1-0) hosted the Griga Dream Ballers (1-1) for their 2019 home opener. Energy has been high around the Bandits from training camp, with Daniel “Buddy” Nolberto’s week 1 game winner sending the hype to a fever pitch. As expected, the people of Belmopan came out in droves from early to cheer on their Bandits, who look night and day from the mess that was the 2018 iteration of the team. New Bandits Manager, Councillor Richie Galvez, has struck gold with his find of American import Jevonte Hughes, who is now averaging 19.5 points and 9.5 rebounds after two games and continues to electrify NEBL fans with his explosive aerial display.

It may have been the nerves of playing in front of a packed house or the slick finish on the court from the new paint job, but both teams were sluggish through the first three quarters of the game. Fans from both factions were noticeably frustrated with the slippery play, which noticeably affected the finishing ability of both Dream Ballers Edgar “Boogie” Mitchell and the Bandits Buddy Nolberto. Heading into the fourth quarter, the action picked up, with the coaches shortening their rotation and playing through their stars. Owning the night was Griga signee Jamal Kelly, whose calming influence on the Dream Ballers overshadowed his impressive stat line of 26 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. Kelly’s timely brilliance was needed, as the explosive Daniel Conorque forgot to pack his skate shoes before coming to the UB Gym and ended up shooting only 3-14.

American import Delvon Henderson was in free safety mode once again for the Dream Ballers, as he had three blocks and three steals for the second game in a row. If Henderson can maintain this level of defensive prowess throughout the season, Griga fans will not be worried with his love for the three point shot. Henderson had eleven field goal attempts in the game, of which ten were from behind the arc. He managed to convert 3 of 10, which will continue to force opposing bigs to guard him at the top of the key and open up bigger driving lanes for Kelly, Conorque and Mitchell. Mitchell has gotten off to an uncharacteristic shooting slump to start the season, which only continued after his 2-10 night from the field in Belmopan. I fully expect Boogie to work himself out of this cold start and get back to the level of efficiency that has been expected from him since NEBL career took off.

Two Takeaways

• Griga Dream Ballers – Jamal Kelly is having fun again!

Jamal Kelly is well known in basketball circles as a confident scorer and reliable ball handler from the shooting guard spot. Prior to this season, Kelly played with the San Pedro Tiger Sharks, where he alternated between being lead guard and often forgotten bench support behind the Edwards brothers and Tiger Sharks imports. This inconsistency in playing time and role led to his departure to Dangriga, where he is now the unquestioned first option at the shooting guard spot. Kelly has looked inspired since joining Griga, stating that “here in Griga you workout a lot and run so I’m in my best condition in years.” With a rejuvenated Kelly at the shooting guard, Griga has not missed a beat with the departure of Buddy Nolberto. After three games, Kelly is now averaging 16.33 points, 5 rebounds, 3.67 assists, 3.33 steals per game… Griga is a legitimate contender!  

• Belmopan Bandits – Point Guard Play

The young Belmopan Bandits boast a wide array of slashers, finishers and deadeye shooters both in the starting line-up and the bench. However, the noticeable weakness of the roster is the lack of a floor general to maximize those pieces. Through two games, Belmopan is only averaging 9.5 assists per game. Chris Enriquez looks the part of a starting point physically, but has not had sufficient reps as a lead guard. Jevaughn Mckenzie has not adjusted to the size of the NEBL in his fourth season, as he still isn’t trusting his quickness and shooting ability. To sure up the point guard responsibilities, Belmopan has brought back Jamie Carbajal, who played with Verdes last season. Carbajal has come in noticeably stockier in the 2019 season, which has figured into his regression as a scorer. It would be wise for the Bandits to play through Darnell Oden and Jevonte Hughes in the post, as Buddy Nolberto is and has always been a score first player. If Belmopan can figure out how to generate easy offense, they will be a tough out for every team in the remainder of this season!

Next Games:

• Griga travels to Orange Walk to take on the winless Running Rebels on Feb 9, 2019
• Bandits will be hosting the San Pedro Tiger Sharks on February 8, 2019