Defenders Defeat Hurricanes in Rematch Inside Civic

Goodnight and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday, I am Paul Lopez. How do you stop a category five hurricane from blowing you away? The Belize City Defenders found a way on Friday night inside the Belize City Civic Center. The Defenders took on the Hurricanes in a season rematch that brought out fans. The Belize City Defenders took down the Benny’s Belize Hurricanes, sixty to fifty-six points. Yes, it was a low-scoring game. The top scorers for the Defenders were Nigel Jones and John Kelly. Jones scored fourteen points, got ten rebounds, all ten of them were defensive rebounds. He also had six assists, though he made six turnovers as well. Kelly finished with twelve points and nine rebounds. He also shot with seventy-five percent accuracy from the field. But it really was a close game. It was tied at thirty points at the half.

 

The Defenders got away in the third quarter and went on a run that gave them an eight-point lead at the end of the third. The game came down to the last minute in the fourth quarter. Hurricanes down by three points with twenty seconds left on the clock, Victor “Vito” Evans is at the line shooting two free throws. He makes the first one and brings the score to fifty-five, fifty-seven. He makes the second shot and brings it to a one-point game. Defender’s Everald Tablada is fouled on the throw in. He misses his first free throw and counts the second one, stretching the lead to two points. Defended by Jones, Evans goes up for the jumper and it is no good. Jones gets the ball and finds Kelly all alone on the other side. And, that basket sealed the Defender’s win against the Hurricanes.

 

Nigel Jones, Belize City Defenders

“Well I feel like we needed this win. You know we played them the first time and they came out. We looked bad. We looked banged up the first time. But we just wanted to come back and show that when we have our full team we can compete with anybody in the league.”

 

John Kelly, Belize City Defenders

“We been the work hard for this whole ah this week, put in a good workout because this team mih hungry whole week. So, we know we mih wah come out fih fight.”

 

Paul Lopez

“What does do for your hopes of winning the championship this year?”

 

John Kelly

“This dah just motivation . We wah work harder and we wah play harder. This dah playoffs.”

 

The Benny’s Belize Hurricanes had several of its players out on Friday night, including Clency “Coope” Lopez and Jamal Harris. There is not much information on why Lopez sat out, but we understand that Harris is facing some internal disciplinary action. According to police reports, the Pro-American basketball player got into a physical altercation with his partner last week. Allegations are that he physically assaulted her. We understand that the matter is no longer with the police, as both individuals have agreed to resolve the conflict out of court. But Hurricane fans may likely see Harris sit out the next few games.

 

Let’s move into some football action. The Anthony Mahler Under Thirteen Mundialito Tournament is in full swing. It all goes down inside the Berger Field on Saturdays. Ebony Lake played Berger United in a match that ended eight goals to zero in favor of Berger United. The first goal of the match was scored by Zaylen Jones off a penalty kick at the fifteenth minute. Two minutes later a second penalty was awarded from a handball inside the box. Goalkeeper Rojaun Mahler scored that one. And again, two minutes later, Jones scored another goal. Three goals were scored in six minutes. Jones scored four of the eight goals his team entered.

 

In the female category, Alvian Strikers played against Phoenix F.C. After two ten-minute halves, both teams were unable to score a goal. And, in a third match of the day, Tutbay Yabra faced off against defending champions Belize United. Tutbay was able to hold off Belize United up until the eleventh minute when Shae Gordon found himself in front of the goalpost with the ball. Gordon did not hesitate to kick the ball and give his team the lead.  A beautiful team effort that led to a one nil ball game at the end of the first period. Twenty-three minutes in and Tutbay’s number six made a grave error at the goalpost by stopping the ball with his hand from going into the goal. Perhaps it was simply a reflex, but it cost a penalty shot. Christopher Gilharry took the shot and made it. Belize United won that match, two goals to zero.

 

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