In their second face-off on Saturday March 28th, the Corozal Heats succumbed to the basketball powerhouse the San Pedro Tigersharks. Week eight of the National Elite Basketball League (NEBL) saw action at the Andres Campus Civic Center in Corozal Town before a packed venue. However, the home team suffered a disappointed loss of 68 -86. The uninterrupted win by the San Pedro Tigersharks places the island’s team ahead, taking the overall lead in the NEBL.
Opening the scoreboard was Tigershark’s Tyron Edwards with a beautiful three-pointer that set precedents for the game. A foul on Jason Grant awarded the Heats two free throws, but Grant was only able to capture one of the shots. Darwin Leslie of the visitors had the same fate as Grant when he was fouled a few seconds after. The Heats took a lead five minutes into the game when Marcel Richard’s combined three and two-point shots found their target. Teammate Alton Herrera also made a spectacular three pointer, and the Tighersharks were shaken out of their comfort zone as they trailed by six points. A determined Edwards responded by capturing another three-pointer narrowing the gap. At the end of the first quarter, the score was 19 to 17, in favor of the Heats.
But that was the only time the Heats would lead, as the San Pedro Tigersharks came back into the second quarter reenergized. Tigersharks’ Jamal Kelly and Ashton Edwards led the charge, and capturing the first two shots including a three-pointer. By the time Rico Black entered the game San Pedro began to unleash basket after basket, taking the lead and not looking back. At the end of the first half, San Pedro Tigersharks had a comfortable 10-point lead ending the second quarter in 42 to 32 score.
The third quarter saw a reinforced defense for the Heats, whose lineup included top players such as Marcel Richards, Jason Grant and Alton Herrera. Herrera made some impressive moves as he blocked a couple of shots from the visiting team, while sinking a couple three-point shots himself. Equally impressive were Grant and Richards, who both took advantage of the Tigersharks’ mistakes, but their efforts were short-lived. Seasoned veteran Rico Black took command of the game with Louise Pitterson and Edwards holding on to their turf, slamming a few baskets and keeping the visitors at a comfortable lead to end the third quarter at 63 to 50.
This momentum continued for the Tigersharks throughout the fourth quarter. Despite the positive efforts of the Heats, they were obviously fatigued and had lost concentration in the game, committing several errors. The San Pedro Tigersharks capitalized on the home team’s mistakes, bombarding the young and upcoming Corozal Heats with several baskets end the game with a final 86 to 68. Ashton Edwards of the Tigersharks was the star of the night, capturing 26 solid points for the visiting team.
Results from the other games played are as follows:
Friday, March 28th
Belize City (Smart) No Limit 76 Vs Orange Walk Running Rebels 75
Saturday, March 29th
Cayo Western Ballaz 61 Vs Dangriga Warriors 48
Belmopan Bandits 86 Vs Toledo Diplomats 41
The Tigersharks, who are now the overall leaders in the NEBL, has unfinished business to deal with when they meet the Toledo Diplomats on Saturday April 5th in San Pedro Town. That game is expected to be interesting since the Diplomats are the only team to have beaten the Tigersharks in a contested and controversial match. Game time is 8PM at the Angel Nuñez Auditorium. Tighersharks fans are encouraged to come in black T-shirts to show support for the local team!
