Fight during BTL/Raiders game to bring sanctions
Good evening I’m James Adderley and this is another fresh dish of Sports Monday. Things have heated up immensely in the Capital Life Basketball Tournament, so we took our cameras Friday night to the City Centre for the prime-time rematch between five time champions Raiders and archrival B.T.L. Nets, who prevailed in game one. The Raiders go in with 3 wins, 2 loses, while the Nets show 3 and 1.
At the tip off, its Claude “Too Tall” Jones against Thomas Gillespie of Guatemala and we were told his name was (pronounced) Gills-pie and not Gillespie.
Anyway the Raider centre has brought his A game to the City Centre tonight and he starts the scoring with this put in. Another player the Nets should be concerned with is Darwin Carter, who opens with a 3.
At the other end, Keith Acosta misses the lay up, but A.C. Augustine steps up and cleans off. Like we said, the Nets should be very concerned with Carter as he strikes for yet another 3.
It’s a 21-8 Raider lead when A.C. Augustine penetrates for 2. He would miss the subsequent free throws. Downfield David Laqua finds Claude “Too Tall” Jones in his office and Too Tall operates successfully. “Too Tall” then deals to Roscoe Rhys and he connects for the big 3 point shot.
Frank Lord goes high to “Too Tall”, who comes up with the conversion. He would finish with 14 points, 10 rebounds and at the half the Raiders lead is 49-33.
So we go to second half and when Bart Sanchez converts off this Branden Titus pass, the Raiders go up by 22.
But here comes the phone company. Paul Fisher in traffic; he raises for 3. Meanwhile, we must say Keith Acosta played sub-par in this one, but he drains this jumper and would lead his team with 24 points, 11 rebounds.
However, this turnover by David Laqua kills the B.T.L. momentum allowing Bart Sanchez to score easily at the other end; he would finish with 10 points.
On this press Bart goes to Dwight Myvette who strikes for 2 of his 17 points as the Raiders remain in control.
Now keep your eyes on this head to head match up between Gillespie and “Too Tall” Jones. Too Tall hits the deck but he stays downcourt and get the easy slam to pull the Nets within 12.
Now people here’s the disturbing flare up with 3:10 to go in the ballgame. It starts with a battle for this rebound between “Too Tall” and Gillespie. There’s a slight tussle and then Gillespie approaches “Too Tall” who pushes him and “Too Tall” pays with a left cross to the jaw.
Frank Lord intervenes and Gillespie falls to the court. Claude Jones then goes to the aerial attack, but Bart Sanchez arrives in the nick of time to save Gillespie from the full impact. It’s pandemonium now, the police steps in and soon or later calm returns. These are the officials entrusted with making the call on the spot and I guess you have an idea how this chair reached the court area.
We don’t know why this had to happen because the Raiders was comfortably ahead by some twelve points at this point. Meanwhile, we were informed that both ballclubs had received letters of suspension, four players from the Nets and four from the Raiders. But in this interview this morning, Commissioner Troy Gabb denied that to be the case when in fact we actually saw a copy of the letter to the Raiders last night at the City Centre. Here’s our conversation with Troy Gabb…
Voice of: Troy Gabb, Basketball Commissioner
“We have to deal with the facts and the facts are going to be what we’re going to be looking at. We’ve looked preliminarily at the tapes, but we have to look at it further and a little bit deeper. This evening we’re going to have our final deciding meeting and then we’ll certainly be able to issue sanctions as per the infractions as they occurred. We can definitely say that there are going to be some sanctions but I don’t want to speculate on them until we’re finalised on what it is that we’re going to do.”
James Adderley
“In effect you are saying no decision has been reached as a result of Friday night’s incident?”
Troy Gabb
“Yes. We have not reached a final position yet. There has been a lot of speculations and I want to say that’s all they have been, speculations. But I think our position very firmly is that we need to do a final review and then we’ll make our position known. “
James Adderley
“Troy, last night at the City Centre I was privy to a letter singed by the B.B.A. meting out sanctions; some fourteen personnel were touted. I have a list from Mr. Philip Waight also with four players who are definitely suspended from Wednesday’s ballgame. But I saw a signed letter last night at the City Centre concerning the decisions made by your organisation. Are you intimating sir that you are not aware of this letter?”
Troy Gabb
“Well I don’t know about the information that you received from Mr. Philip Waight. Basically, no official position has been made by the league to the media. So I think that the bottom line is that I’m unaware of any such letter that has reached the media in reference to that. If there is any such situation there is no such final position that we have made yet.”
To make a long story short, the Raiders finished the match with only four players and here is Darwin Carter adding insult to injury to the B.T.L. Nets with this 3 pointer as the Raiders post the 83-69 big W. We’ll keep you posted.
In Sunday’s Capital life match at the Civic Centre, Orange Walk’s Music Centre rolled over winless Dangriga’s Aba Iseni 80-74.
Turning to the Tony Leslie Amateur Basketball Competition, we join the decisive game 3 for the female title between B.E.L. Sparks and Brodies Advance late in the second half with Advance down by 14 when Sylvia Castillo knocks down this 3. But Enid Dakers would not let the opposition back in as she goes glass for two for a game high 20 points.
And this is the shot that puts Brodies Advance always as B.E.L. Sparks wins the 2002 female title with the 42-30 big W and we say congratulations.
The three stars that have emerged from this particular league: Enid Dakers, Sylvia Castillo and Denise Street. Hey make it four, we could never forget the player, Shelmadine Cacho.
That’s it for now, we invite you back same time, same place next week. Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.
