by Glenn Tillett

Finally saw an exciting, well played, well officiated NEBL game tonight, one that wasn’t decided literally until the last seconds came off the clock.
It was my first look at Griga Dream Ballers, the team that had led the league for most of the tournament before being supplanted by Verdes, who I have yet to see. I was glad to see they are coached by Kenrick Fernandez who coached Aba Iseni for me almost 20 years ago. That team was Griga’s first semi-pro basketball team and it had a tough road to travel.
Back then the Kulture Kapital did not have a stadium so we literally played every game on the road, not exactly a formula for success, but my guys fought hard and won some games against the top City teams but …
Belize City Digi Defenders are just starting to play team ball within Matthew Smiling’s system but at this level, you are not going to outscore anyone if you don’t play defense 100% of the time. With the superb Nigel Jones chances are you can score at any time, and tonight the guards were dialed in. But defense …
Dream Ballers will pick and pop you to bits if you don’t stay awake, cause they have a lanky guy Delvon Henderson who has great range, and his man thinks it is a pick and roll. He passes well too.
In this league here, Daniel Conorque is more like a point forward. Sag and he will slice and dice and blow to the rim with an assortment of floaters that were dropping early and often.
I had seen a bit of Edgar Mitchell during the FIBA games. He is tough as nails and unafraid to play off the ball. He will guard bigger players too. Along with Henderson and Conorque, I swear sometimes they are playing a version of Tex Winter’s triangle.
Speaking of which, Jamal Kelly’s shot starts at his waist ala Lonzo Ball but when it is popping it is dropping.
The Ballers shot well, leading by 5 after the first quarter and same again at the half, and by 10 after 3. But after taking a 12-point lead in the first few minutes of the fourth, they went cold and not even the layups were dropping.
Meanwhile the Defenders got hot, closed and tied the game. It was 73-73 with less than 4 minutes to go.
Mykeil Tzul’s 3-pointer tied the game at 81 with half a minute to play but Conorque’s layup gave the Ballers the 2-point win when Auburn Rivero’s attempt refused to fall.
Both teams shot well, especially the Ballers early. But I saw the Defenders shoot over 80% from the line, something that is a rarity in Belize basketball. 
Tip of my hat to the officiating crew, even saw Teddy Andrewin go to the television replay. They weren’t perfect, cause the ball is round, the court square, the players big and fast and all that but I liked it, a lot.