San Pedro Tiger Sharks fall short in the first match of BEBL finals: Altercation incident addressed

The first game in the best of five matches for the Belize Elite Basketball League (BEBL) final series was played on Thursday, June 15th, ending with the Benny’s Belize Hurricanes defeating the San Pedro Tiger Sharks 86-64. The match played at the Civic Center in Belize City also saw frustration in some island players resulting in an altercation among themselves on the court. The San Pedro Tiger Sharks have since apologized for the incident.
The island team addressed the situation in a note posted on their social media page on Friday, June 16th. “We want to apologize,” the team management posted. “It is unacceptable to have players fighting on the court against opponents or themselves as was the case last night,” the note explained. The San Pedro Tiger Sharks management further stated that they expect their players to always be professional. The team also apologized to the children present at the game. “To all the kids that had to experience that negative behavior, that is an example of what you cannot become,” they said. “Always fight to the end.” The team continued by encouraging the youth to keep working hard towards becoming a better player, teammate, and person. The team’s management added that the player responsible for such an incident was removed.
The first out of five scheduled matches to elect a BEBL champion saw the two long-time rivals go at each other at 8:30PM. There was friction among San Pedro players from the beginning as the home team, Hurricanes, dominated the game. The Belize City team attacked, with Tyrie Orosco and Jamell Harris scoring 22 points each. The score sheet shows Orosco contributing six rebounds and two assists, while Harris landed two rebounds and four blocks. Other Hurricanes’ players like Victor Evans helped with nine points, collected three rebounds, and contributed three assists. The Hurricanes continued taking advantage of their lead, and Alex Carcamo added to their score by tallying nine points, 13 rebounds, three assists, and delivering three blocks.
Benny’s Belize Hurricanes were in the game with a 42-31 score. During the second half, the Tiger Sharks could not close the gap. San Pedro’s Jamal Clifton and Jihad Wright scored the most points, 18 points each, but the Hurricanes’ crushing victory prompted Tiger Sharks fans to encourage their team to remain positive. Some fans shared that if the island squad wants to bring home the championship, they must stick together and play as a team.
The BEBL final series continues this weekend with game 2. A venue is yet to be decided as the Angel Nuñez Auditorium in San Pedro Town is unavailable. The San Pedro Tiger Sharks say they have regrouped and are determined to tie the series with a solid victory.