Belize Wins Its First Match in U-18 AmeriCup in Argentina

Just before news time, Belize’s National Under-Eighteen Basketball team defeated Brazil in their first AmeriCup match in Argentina. Team Belize went into the tournament unranked while Brazil is ranked at eleventh. Coached by Matthew Smiling, the match saw Josiah Moseley finishing with thirty-one points, Douglas Langford with twenty-eight points and Ian Parham with fourteen points. News Five’s Paul Lopez brings us the highlights.

Paul Lopez reporting

The Belize National Under- Eighteen Basketball team won its first match in FIBA’s Americup. A team that entered the tournament unranked, brought down Brazil’s Under-Eighteen National Team. Douglas Langford puts Belize on the scoreboard with an open three-point shot. Langford again with the rebound, drives all the way down the court, draws the foul and gets the bucket. That’s an and-one for Langford. He is on fire early in the first quarter, as he puts up a second three-point shot to extend Belize’s lead. Josiah Moseley, big under the rim, gets the basket and breaks the tie.

Down by two points, Elijah Favela drives, makes the basket and gets the foul. Ian Parham makes it look easy, as he gives team Belize the lead at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, Langford to Devin Moody, Moody back to Langford. He spins and puts up a beautiful jump shot. Moody, there to clean up after his own missed layup, showing determination on the court.  Brazil trailing with thirty-four points, Moody sets up at the three-point line and puts it in. The half closed with an open three by Langford, extending Belize’s lead to fifty-three points over Brazil’s forty-seven.

 In the third quarter, Moseley with the sidestep from the three-point line. Ball to Parham who wasted no time getting it up for a three-pointer. And the fifth three-point shot in the quarter for team Belize had the announcer referring to the team as Golden State Belize. Brazil went on a run late in the fourth quarter. With eighteen seconds left in the game and up by one point, Moseley is at the free throw line. He makes one shot and misses the second. Belize is awarded a turnover with a couple seconds left on the clock. Favela at the line, banks two free throws to extend Belize’s lead to four points. And that is how this one ended, one hundred and six points to one hundred and two points.

Announcer

Douglas, congratulations, you did a great job tonight. What was the key to the win?

Douglas Langford

Its mainly just competing. A running game,. We know they were bigger and stronger but we are little and faster. So our speed is mainly what we emphasized.