Gwen Liz boys, Wesley girls are champs
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and we welcome you to this delivery of Sports Monday. The National Secondary School Basketball tournament was staged at the City Centre over the weekend featuring eight teams, so let’s join the female finals as Wesley College of Belize City, goes up against Orange Walk’s Technical High.
Kelly Rivers comes up with the first bucket of the ballgame on a nice individual effort. And then Tracey Garnett misses the open look badly, but Kaydee Vaughn cleans up with the put-back.
O.W. Tech finally gets onto the scoreboard when Reina Mendoza hits off the glass. Ingrid Mejia then launches this three that banks in for her as O.W. finally gets going.
At the other end, Melonie Tasher gets the bucket, picks up the foul and converts the extra point. At the half Wesley boasts a 20-12 lead.
In second half play, Tracey Garnett gets the pill to Tasher, who start the ball rolling. Tasher then finds Kelly Rivers and the two becomes automatic. Tracey Garnett displays her skills with this mighty move that is finished by this crucial jumper.
Wesley College takes the 2002 female title with a 34-23 big W over O.W. and Tracey Garnett emerges M.V.P. We certainly say congratulations.
Now let’s check in on the male finals as the Belize City champion Gwen Liz goes to work against O.W. Tech. Andre Almendarez jumps against Francis Gillette and we’re underway.
Ty Bradley deals to Neil Nicholson and Gwen Liz gets the first bucket of the ballgame. This time down-court Bradley gets that feeling and it’s certainly not a fooling feeling. Make it an 11-1 start for Gwen Liz when Alex Kelly comes up with his first two of the ballgame.
Chalk up this three for Neil Nicholson as Gwen Liz begins to run away. But here comes Dale Turner with the reverse for Orange Walk Tech. On this O.W. press give Dale Turner the bucket and one, but he misses the free throw.
Ring up this three for Joslyn Valerio as O.W. cuts the lead to one. But this three from Neil Nicholson really hurts O.W., and at the half the city team is up by four.
However, second half belongs totally to Gwen Liz. Alex Kelly comes up with the loose ball, finds Ty Bradley, who strikes again. He would finish with twenty-eight points.
Nevertheless, Joslyn Valerio cuts the O.W. deficit to eight with this nice move, but it would be the closest they would get. Dave Apolonio gets the friendly bounce on this offering as it gets close to money time.
Andre Almendarez then pulls up in the paint for the short range jumper which is good. But it’s Dale Turner of O.W. who would post the game high of thirty-two points as he zooms in for two right here. He would also walk away with the Most Valuable Player trophy. When you’re big, you’re large.
Still, the W goes to Gwen Liz 69-57, and they are the 2002 National Male High School Champions. We say congratulations.
Turning to the cycling scene, we take you to Sugar City Orange Walk for yesterday’s start of the Miller Cycle Classic. And here are some fifty of the best in the business. And they’re off en route to Belize City.
We find one solitary rider in charge of this race, and it’s Ernest Meighan, two-time cross country winner taking the Santino Miller Classic in very easy fashion.
Big Mike Lewis then takes the chase bunch to school sprinting home for second place. Ariel Rosado settles for third, Mateo Cruz pulls up fourth, and Orson butler rounds out the top five.
In the junior ranks, Miguel Jones takes top honours, forcing Marlon Castillo into second, but Castillo’s second place win is right now in dispute for using illegal gear.
On the female side, it was Violet Morrison taking the win from Fiona Humes in a head on clash.
In the elite class, Roque Matus takes first place, Alfonso Martinez finishes second and Lindy Gillette pulls up third.
In football news, weekend action in the Belize Premier Football League saw Sagitun stop Real Verdes 1-zip, Builder’s Hardware Bandits bombed San Pedro 4-1, Corozal Victory shocked Kulture Yabra 2-1, while Griga United and Juventus battled to a 1-1 stalemate.
As a result, the four teams to make the post season have emerged even with one game to go on the schedule. Yabra leads with twenty-seven points, Sagitun shows twenty-three, Builder’s Hardware Bandits of Belmopan, twenty-one, and San Pedro twenty. These are the teams making the playoffs for sure. Checking the also ranks, Corozal shows sixteen points, Juventus needed to have picked up all three points against Griga, they didn’t and show fifteen. They are out of it, so is Verdes with fourteen and Griga United, who struggled the entire season, finishes with eleven points.
So next week the calendar closes the schedule will be concluded and then we’re gonna move on to the four team playoffs. And of course Channel 5 will be there.
That’s our show for today, we invite you back same time, same place next week. Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.
