The Hurricanes are Heading to the B.E.B.L. Finals

Goodnight and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday. I am Paul Lopez. The Benny’s Belize Hurricanes are back in the B.E.B.L. Finals. On Friday night, the Hurricanes travelled down to the Culture Capital for game two of their best-of-three playoff series against the Griga Dream Ballers. The Hurricanes were up one win, and the Ballers were facing elimination going into this one.

 

The Russel “Chiste” Garcia auditorium was electric, as Dangriga basketball fans filled the venue with drumming and celebration. Edgar Mitchell, wide open with an early three in the first quarter. Glency Lopez drives in hard and he is rejected. Mitchell capitalizes on the steal down at the other end. Outstanding ball handling skills on display by Deshawn Brackett, as he gets inside for the bucket.

 

 

 

 

The first quarter ended with Dangriga up by two with sixteen points. Both teams exploded in the second quarter, which was the highest scoring quarter of the game. Bracket creating space against Lopez, pulls back, shoots the three, gets it and draws the foul. Kyron Molina with a corner three to extend their lead by six points early in the second. Victor Evans fakes the pass and puts up the jump shot. Molina again from three, gets it in. Evans responded on the other end also with a three to cut down the lead. Molina, again from that same corner three position, makes the bucket, ballooning their lead to ten. Molina, catching fire from that three-point position with his fourth, made three in the quarter. Evans, from the corner, keeps the Ballers in reach. Evans, still not done, puts up another three. Molina, back where he made that first three in the quarter, gets his fifth. A little later, Lopez with the three-pointer.

 

The Dangriga Dream Ballers led by as many as fifteen in the second quarter. But the Hurricanes crept back up and cut their lead back down to two points. Hurricanes up by two with a minute on the clock in the fourth quarter, the ball gets into the hands of Brandon Flowers who extends the lead to four. Down by seven points with thirty seconds on the clock, Guzman makes a basket from beyond the three-point line. Unfortunately, it was not enough to keep their hopes of a game three alive. The Hurricanes won ninety points to eighty-three.

 

 

 

Evans was engaged in a verbal exchange with some Ballers fans right after scoring a free throw to tie the game at seventy-four in the fourth quarter. He finished with twenty-four points.

 

Victor “Vito’ Evans, Benny’s Belize Hurricanes

“Whenever I come to Griga they try to attack me from start to finish. So, I decided to get engaged back. I am from L.A., that is what we do, trash talk. I love Griga, I tell people all the time this is the best environment to play in. I love Civic, btu this small environment, this pit, it is amazing, feels like you are at war.”

 

 

 

 

Jamil Wagner, Coach, Benny’s Belize Hurricanes 

“Well going into the finals we can’t expect anything but hard work. To win a championship is never easy, regardless of the talent on your team. We got to go in there and take it.”

 

 

 

 

 

Last week, we told you that Port Loyola Football Club won the Premier League of Belize Closing Season Championship. Well, Port F.C. is still in celebration mode. On Saturday, the championship team paraded through the streets of Belize City in celebration. Port F.C. is the first Belize City team in a long time to bring a football championship to the Old Capital. They flaunted that twenty-thousand dollar check during the victory parade for the city to see. Again, they will be representing Belize in CONCACAF. That honor comes with their championship.

 

 

 

And finally for tonight, we must recognize Santiago “Chief” Castillo for putting on yet another successful International Masters Tour De Santinos. Day one of the race was all about the time trial prologue. Each of the sixty-three riders had a mile and a quarter to cover in this leg of the race. Stage two was all about the race along the Coastal Highway. For the third and final stage, riders raced along the Philip Goldson Highway, into Ladyville, through the Burrell Room Road, into Hattieville and back to the city. After all three stages, the first-place prize went to Mario Arroyave. Bob Gabourel secured second, while Gabriel Cardosa secured the third position. And here is a look at the top ten riders for the tour.

 

 

Well folks that is all we have for you in tonight’s coverage of Sports Monday. Catch you in the next one.