B.T.L. Nets avenge last year’s loss
Good evening I’m James Adderley and you’re locked into this fresh dish of Sports Monday. The Belize Basketball Association proudly opened its annual semi-pro season Friday night at the City Centre and we join B.B.A. Commissioner Troy Gabb as he thanks his sponsors in his remarks.
Troy Gabb, Commissioner, B.B.A.
“I would like to thank those who have heard that call by sponsoring teams or the league for this year’s 2002 championship. A big thank you goes out to the Capital Life Insurance Ltd., Intelco, Courts Belize, James Brodie and Company, Brothers Habet, the Government of Belize, Novelo’s Bus service, the Bank of Nova Scotia and to those who sponsored teams.”
With official ceremonies concluded, which included a moment of silence for the departed sportscaster Alex King who worked for both Channel 5 and 7, the rivalry between the two best teams in the B.B.A. resumed. The defending champion San Cas U.B. sends American Jesse Potter to the tip off against Claude “Too Tall” Jones of the sub-champ B.T.L. Nets, who gets the ball to Keith Acosta and quick passing gives the phone company the opening bucket.
Then Mr. MVP Keith Acosta takes Jessie Potter to the glass as B.T.L. opens with a 6-zip run. It would be an 8-zip run before Leroy Holmes connects on the short baseline jumper to get U.B. on the scoreboard.
If you like defensive plays, watch A.C. Augustine chase Darren Bovell with a wicked rejection. A.C. would grab 12 boards, but struggled offensively, putting up only 7 points.
With the lead looking to balloon, San Cas sends for its top guns, so Alex Carcamo grabs the rebound and heads down the full length of the court for 2. And of course Darwin Carter displays his shooting range striking for a big 3 cutting the deficit to 10 points.
Alex Carcamo gets comfortable and hits this jumper. He would finish with 18 points, 8 rebounds. And at the half it’s a 34-31 score in favour of the Nets.
So we go to the second half, and Junior Westby fires a 3 to tie to ballgame in the opening minute. From then on it would be nip and tuck. It’s Junior Westby again with another 3, he would go for 3 from 7 beyond the R.
In the meantime, this looks like a young Darren Bovell as he goes glass with left hand. He would post a two doubles at 10 points, 20 rebounds.
But this is the player who led all scorers, Darwin Carter, as he pulls U.B. within 3 with this 3. The answer comes from Keith Acosta with this monster put-back that gets a roar from the crowd.
Now watch Acosta turn it over to Darren Bovell who deals to Alex Carcamo and the finish at the other end is emphatic as U.B. gets its first lead of the showdown.
In moneytime, B.T.L. finds itself down by 8, so it mounts a frantic comeback. Rupert Brown penetrates through the forest and somehow gets this big bucket to fall.
Hey Alex, you might want to rethink the dunk under these circumstances because the two points were extremely important here.
At the other end, Keith Acosta deals to Rupert Brown on the run and Lord Ashcroft’s team cuts the deficit to 2 points.
Now watch Gregg Bent. He’s a player in the paint as he splits the defence to tie the ballgame and if he gets in shape he could take the semi-pro league by storm.
Hey Alex, forget the slam, give us the two points. Instead, he allows Claude “Too Tall” Jones to stop him in his tracks.
With a 1-point lead, Paul Fisher gets fouled. He hits the first, but by missing the second he gets fouled again and he sinks both as B.T.L. Nets grabs the 79-75 big W.
James Adderley
“This team has been able to consistently defeat B.T.L. Nets. Is there something new within B.T.L. Nets this season?”
Keith Acosta, B.T.L. Nets
“Definitely. I think what we plan to do this year is a little bit more hard work than last year. That’s what gonna keep us through this season and hard work is all that you can give out.”
James Adderley
“It’s only the first win of the season, there are many more battles to come, what’s your early feeling about B.T.L. Nets.”
Keith Acosta
“The first thing, we have to work ourselves into a consistent group that can rely on each other. We have a couple of guys that are not familiar with each other, but hopefully as the season progress we get to know each other better and put out a better performance.”
Looking ahead to this Friday, it’s the Raiders against Dangriga’s Abe Isani.
Of course folks, on the cycling scene, we can tell you that the Mother’s Day Classic on May twelfth promises to be a real monster. Lookout for Anamarie Bennett, she is the favourite going in. Her biggest challenger will prove to be Fiona Humes Gonzales, but of course, Marinette Flowers, the defending champion, might just have something to say about that.
That’s it for now, we thank our cameramen for their great work over the weekend. Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.
