The San Pedro Tiger Sharks defeated the Orange Walk Running Rebels 89-83 in their first game of the 2019 National Elite Basketball League (NEBL) tournament. On Saturday, January 19th, the island team traveled to Orange Walk Town, obtaining their first points in the opening of the NEBL 2019 basketball season. The anticipated tournament officially opened on Friday, January 18th with the 2018 NEBL champions Belize Hurricanes edging out sub-champions Dangriga Dream Ballers in Belize City. The following day, Verdes put up an action-packed match against Belize City Defenders in San Ignacio Town, Cayo District, but fell short during the game’s overtime period.
Following a short opening ceremony by NEBL organizers at the Civic Centre in Belize City, the first game of the season began at 9PM, with current champions Belize Hurricanes facing sub-champion Dangriga Dream Ballers. It was a tight match that tested the champions’ strength in defending their title against a determined Dream Ballers team. With an initial lead of 21-13 in the first half of the game, the Dangriga team pressed on the champions. However, strong Hurricane winds paid off, and after an intense second-half, they fended off their rivals, winning 69-62.
On Saturday, January 19th, the San Pedro Tiger Sharks traveled north to Orange Walk Town to face the Running Rebels. The game tipped off at 8:30PM, inside a packed Orange Walk Sporting Complex. The first half of the game saw seemed favorable for the visiting squad, but somehow, in the third quarter, the Running Rebels stole a five-point lead. They could not keep up that momentum, however, and the Tiger Sharks made a nice comeback, led by Ashton Edwards. With the help of Winston Pratt and American Martevious Adams, the island team grabbed its first win.
While the Tiger Sharks were sinking their teeth in the opening of the NEBL, Cayo’s Verdes and Belize City Defenders were facing each other at the Sacred Heart College Auditorium in San Ignacio Town. The match was the toughest of the weekend, ending in a draw at the end of the four quarters. The game went into an additional five minutes of overtime. Verdes quickly jumped out to an early lead keeping it until almost the end of overtime. However, in the last minutes of the match, the Defenders threw a full-court press too strong for Verdes to break through. When the time clocked out, Defenders walked away with a tight 67-63 victory.
The next round of the 2019 NEBL season continues this weekend with the following games:
Friday, January 25th, Belize City Defenders vs. Belmopan Bandits at the Belize City Civic Center
Saturday, January 26th, Dangriga Dream Ballers vs. Verdes at the Russel Chiste Garcia Auditorium
Saturday, January 26th, San Pedro Tiger Sharks vs. Orange Walk Running Rebels at the Belize Civic Center.
Friday games begin at 9PM and Saturday’s start at 8:30PM.
Island Fans interested to travel to Belize City for the San Pedro Tiger Sharks game, are advised that there will be a boat departing at 6PM from Amigos del Mar dock. The roundtrip boat tickets go for $25 and can be obtained by calling Coach Rico Black at 632-1011. Black will also have tickets available to attend the Civic Center where the match will take place. Regular seats are $10, while VIP go for $25 and Courtside seats for $35.
For more information on the teams, their standings and the statistic of their players visit www.neblbelize.com.
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