March 24, 2019
by Karim Juan
Commissioner
San Ignacio
Five games were played over the weekend in the National Elite Basketball League (NEBL) as teams have activated playoff mode to give a final push to get in.
Verdes continues to roll; Bandits continues to struggle
On Thursday night Verdes took a 4 game winning streak into the UB gym as they continue to pace the #1 seed, Griga Dream Ballers. Bandits were mentally prepared for the fight with their district rivals, trailing by only 1 point going into the final quarter of the game, behind great three point shooting and scoring from Daniel Nolberto and Jevonte Hughes. After three very close quarters, Verdes outscored Belmopan 29 – 10 to blow the game open and take a 96 – 76 victory, extending their winning streak to 5 games. With the loss Belmopan falls to 2 – 5 and remains in the bottom bracket of the standings. Richard Troyer had the game high with 24 points and 7 rebounds while Kris Frazier finished with 21 points and 9 rebounds and Tyrone Hall chipped in 13 points. Elsworth Itza dominated the glass with 13 rebounds. For the Bandits, Jevonte Hughes was their top scorer with 21 points and 8 rebounds while Daniel Nolberto tallied 16 points and 6 dimes and Brandon Flowers and Darnel Oden netted 13 and 10 points respectively. With the win Verdes keep pace with Griga for the #1 seed while Belmopan Bandits is slowly drifting from playoff contention.
Nigel Jones and Belize City Defenders needed over time to squeak past Orange Walk Running Rebels
The excitement was at its highest in Orange Walk Town as Belize City Defenders travelled up north to take on the Running Rebels in a crucial game with significant playoff implications for Defenders. Orange Walk had a great game, keeping the game in reach throughout the four quarters as Defenders opened up a lead in the last two minutes of the game, slowly pulling away from the home squad. However, two huge three pointers from Roger Reneau narrowed the gap and sent the game to overtime. Overtime continued with the intensity, as key free throws and shots down the stretch gave the visiting team the 93 – 91 victory. Last year’s MVP led all scorers with 36 points, which is this year’s season high, to go with 9 boards, while Mykiel Tzul and Farron Louriano scored 21 and 13 points respectively. Roger Reneau was the top scorer for Orange Walk Running Rebels with 22 points and 5 rebounds, while Isaiah Thomas finished with 20 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Shemar White had one of the best games in his NEBL career, tallying 19 points and 9 rebounds and Julien Travis finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Jihad, San Pedro Tiger Sharks got crucial win against Hurricanes
San Pedro Tiger Sharks entered the Civic Center to face off the defending champions, Mirage/Smart Belize Hurricanes on Friday night with their backs against the wall and in desperate need of a win. San Pedro Tiger Sharks jumped out to an early 23 – 18 lead at the end of the first quarter, which they were able to extend to 42 – 35 at the half. They sustained a 61 – 54 lead entering the fourth quarter but Hurricanes gave a run to cut the lead to 3 points with a few minutes remaining in the game. However, Jihad Wright and big man, Martevious Adams proved to be too much as San Pedro Tiger Sharks grabbed a much needed 80 – 75 win. Jihad Wright finished the game with 32 points, 8 boards and 4 steals while Martevious Adams tallied 16 points and 7 rebounds. Devin Daly came off the bench to lead the Hurricanes with 20 points while Glency Lopez tallied 16 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals and Shanon Fowler knotted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. With the win, San Pedro Tiger Sharks remain in the playoff hunt, while Mirage/Smart Belize Hurricanes is nursing a 1 game lead over the Tiger Sharks and Defenders, as they travel out west to take on Verdes on Saturday night.
Verdes claims #1 seed with win while Hurricanes loses back-to-back games
On Saturday night Verdes hosted Mirage/Smart Belize Hurricanes at the Sacred Heart College auditorium in San Ignacio Town, where Verdes is trying to keep pace with Griga Dream Ballers for the top spot in the standings and Hurricanes is hoping to bounce back from a loss last night. Verdes was able to jump out to an early 34 – 21 half time lead which they were able to sustain to grab the 76 – 64 victory. With the win, Verdes has ballooned to the # 1 spot in the standings with a date with Griga Dream Ballers this coming Friday. Verdes is riding a 6-game winning streak and has lost only 1 game this season against Griga Dream Ballers in Dangriga. The winner of this game will have sole possession of first place with only 3 weeks remaining in the regular season. With the loss Mirage/Smart Belize Hurricanes suffered back-to-back losses on Friday and Saturday night, falling into a 3-way tie with San Pedro Tiger Sharks and Belize City Defenders with a 4 – 4 record, where only 2 of these 3 teams can make the playoffs.
Belmopan Bandits stuns Griga Dream Ballers to keep slim playoff hope alive
Griga Dream Ballers hosted Belmopan Bandits at the Russel Chiste Garcia auditorium on Saturday night in an attempt to extend their winning streak to 7 games and to remain atop the standings. Griga Dream Ballers jumped out to an early 18 – 1 lead with a blow out in sight as they prepare for the big showdown with Verdes this coming Friday. However, Belmopan Bandits knew their season was on the line and decided to play with greater urgency. They slowly closed the gap to trail by only 9 at intermission after which they went on an offensive run to take the lead. Belmopan Bandits was able to steal the 79 – 78 victory in the culture capital to stun the Griga Dream Ballers squad, giving them their first loss at home this season. Jevonte Hughes tallied 30 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists while Jevaughn McKenzie had 14 huge points and Daniel “Buddy” Nolberto finished with 13 points, 7 rebounds and 4 dimes. In a losing effort Delvon Henderson finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds, Daniel Conorque netted 20 points and Edgar Mitchell almost posted a triple double with 15 points, 10 boards and 9 dishes. With the win Belmopan Bandits has kept their playoff hopes alive, while Griga Dream Ballers can reclaim the #1 spot this coming Friday if they can defeat Verdes in San Ignacio Town.
Below are the standings where teams are ranked based on the points they have accumulated so far. The variation in standings is due to the fact that all teams have not played the same number of games.
| Rank | Team | Games Played | Wins | Losses | Points |
| 1 | Verdes | 8 | 7 | 1 | 15 |
| 2 | Griga Dream Ballers | 8 | 6 | 2 | 14 |
| 3 | Belize City Defenders | 8 | 4 | 4 | 12 |
| 4 | Mirage/Smart Belize Hurricanes | 8 | 4 | 4 | 12 |
| 5 | San Pedro Tiger Sharks | 8 | 4 | 4 | 12 |
| 6 | Belmopan Bandits | 9 | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| 7 | Orange Walk Running Rebels | 9 | 1 | 8 | 10 |
All scores, standings, player statistic and team statistic can be found on our webpage at neblbelize.com Upcoming games are below. On Thursday night Belmopan Bandits will be hosting Mirage/Smart Belize Hurricanes and they must win to keep their playoff hopes alive as Mirage/Smart Belize Hurricanes will try to snap their 2 game losing streak and keep their eyes on a playoff spot. On Friday night Belize City Defenders will be hosting San Pedro Tiger Sharks where the winner will be locked into the third seed and the losing squad will drop to the 5th seed. This game will also determine the tie-breaker between both teams which might be the deciding factor for a playoff seed. In the nightcap, Griga Dream Ballers will travel out west to take on Verdes at the Sacred Heart College auditorium where the winner will have sole claim of the #1 seed going into the All Star Break. This weekend promises to offer three great game as teams begin to joggle for playoff spots. The weekend finishes with our annual All Star Night at the Civic Center.
Thursday Night at 8:30 p.m.: Belmopan Bandits vs. Smart/Mirage Belize Hurricanes at UB gym in
Belmopan
Friday Night at 9 p.m.: Belize City Defenders vs. San Pedro
Tiger Sharks at Belize Civic Center in Belize
City
Friday Night at 9 p.m.: Verdes vs. Griga Dream Ballers at the Sacred Heart College Auditorium in San
Ignacio Town
Saturday Night at 7 p.m.: All Star Night at the Civic Center starting with the 3-point contest, followed by
the slam dunk contest then the All Star Game