January 20, 2019
by Karim Juan
NEBL Commissioner
The much anticipated National Elite Basketball League (NEBL) 2019 season surely lived up to the hype for its opening weekend as all three games witnessed packed auditoriums and raucous fans cheering on their favorite squads. All 3 games were decided by single digit points, with Cayo fans getting a treat to the first over time game this season.
Verdes upsets Defenders in San Ignacio Town
Sacred Heart College auditorium was the venue for the first overtime game in the young NEBL season as Belize City Defenders and Verdes needed an extra 5 minutes to decide the winner. Verdes jumped out early with a 27 – 14 leady that they kept going into the half, 47 – 41. However, Defenders threw a full court press that Verdes was unable to break, giving Defenders a 67 – 63 lead going into the fourth quarter. With the lead juggling from team to team, the game was decided in overtime as Verdes’ players sank some clutch free throws down the stretch to narrowly grab the 96 – 89 victory. For Verdes, American import Kris Frazier finished with 27 points and 14 rebounds while Richard Troyer chipped in 20 points and 9 boards and Elworth Itza chipped in 12 points with the game high 17 rebounds. Belizean American point guard, Tyrone Hall, was solid at the point, bring poise and confidence to break the excellent front court trap by the Defenders, finishing with 17 points and 4 assists while Andrew “Bynum” Ortiz tallied 11 points and 7 rebounds. Last year’s MVP, Nigel Jones came out the gates swinging, tallying 27 points and 9 rebounds for Belize City Defenders, while Gregory “Chippy” Rudon had 13 points, 4 steals and 2 assists. Captain Darwin “Puppy” Leslie was the only other player in double digit scoring for the visiting team with 11 points. Defenders scored 29 points off turnovers due to their full court trap, compared to Verdes’ 22 points while Verdes had a huge rebounding advantage, 75 – 47.
Tiger Sharks bites first up north
Orange Walk Running Rebels fans welcomed the start of the NEBL 2019 season with stunning numbers that came out at the Orange Walk Sporting Complex to watch their home team take on the powerful San Pedro Tiger Sharks. In the third quarter Orange Walk Running Rebels was able to take a 5 point lead but with 2 of their imports in foul trouble in the fourth, they did not have enough fire power to finish the game strong. San Pedro Tiger Sharks was lead by Ashton Edwards who had the game high with 25 points, hitting 6 shots from behind the arc, while American import, Martevious Adams was huge with 18 points and 9 rebounds while shooting 75% from the field. Winston Pratt tallied 15 points, 4 board and 2 assists in the win. Roger Reneau was the top scorer for Orange Walk Running Rebels with 20 points to go with 3 rebounds, 2 dimes and 2 steals. Marcus Lewis finished with 12 points and 5 rebounds while ten other players scored for the home team to give them a balanced offensive attack. With the addition of some big men to their roster, Orange Walk was able to neutralize Adams size and length, where both teams finished the game with 44 rebounds each. These two teams will have a quick turnaround this week, as they square off again on Saturday night at the Belize Civic Center.
Player statistic, team standings, schedule, news and all things NEBL can be found on our website at neblbelize.com and on our Facebook page at NEBL. The box scores and game stats can be followed live for every game by clicking on the game on our website. Basketball at its best.
Upcoming Schedule
Friday at 9:00 p.m. – Belize City Defenders vs. Belmopan Bandits at Belize Civic Center
Saturday at 8:30 p.m. – Griga Dream Ballers vs. Verdes at Russel Chiste Garcia Auditorium
Saturday at 8:30 p.m. – San Pedro Tiger Sharks vs. Orange Walk Running Rebels at Belize Civic Center