Provident/Alliance take honours in hoop tourney
James Adderley
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and we certainly welcome you to this burst of Sports Monday. Week three of the R.F.G. Cup Tournament brought Wagiya of Dangriga Saturday night to the M.C.C. Grounds for the first face off with F.C. Belize this football season.
With a one and one record going in, the defending champion F.C. Belize should have scored in the opening moments when Dangriga’s keeper misplays what should have been a routine catch, but it’s Maynard Nunez, the defence, who comes up with a necessary clearance. Jeromy James centres across the goal mouth, but Paul Nunez simply can’t catch up with the pill. However, when Cristobal Gilharry finds Jeromy James with this floater the header gives F.C. Belize a 1- zip lead twenty-two minutes in. Talk about a driving rain people this downpour not only impairs the match, but also the visibility of the fans. At the half we have a 1-nil F.C. Belize lead.
Quickly into the second half Germaine Zuniga gets this shot at goal that’s close, but not good enough. Again, it’s F.C. Belize looking to extend the lead, but Jeromy James can’t catch up with this ball. Nevertheless, this ball somehow reaches the boots of Philip Lewis and Wagiya ties the ball game sixty minutes in. F.C. Belize and Wagiya settle for the 1-1 tie despite two red cards on the Dangriga Team. F.C. Belize goes on to show a record of one win, one draw, and a loss after three outings, while Wagiya remain undefeated with two wins and a draw.
In other news from around the league, Georgetown Ibayani and the San Pedro Dolphins battled to a 1-all draw down south. Hankook Verdes and the Belize Defence Force battled to a scoreless tie, and Santel’s burned Revolutionary Conquerors 2-1.
Week four’s schedule finds Georgetown Ibayani at Santel’s, that’s on Saturday October twentieth. On Sunday, San Pedro Dolphins play host to F.C. Belize. Wagiya gets a visit from Suga Boys Juventus, while the Belize Defence Force makes its stand at the M.C.C. Grounds against the Revolutionary Conquerors.
In other football news, Brown Bombers hurt Third World yesterday on a goal by Clinton Gill to grab the Sir George Brown Under-Fifteen Football Tournament as presented by the Lake Independence Community. We say congratulations to Programme Director Seagull Martinez and the sponsors who contributed to this event for our Belizean youths.
In cycling news, Gregg Lovell won the sixty miles Elite Class of the Orange Walk By-Pass Criterium in two hours twenty-five minutes three seconds, beating out Byron Pope and Danasetti Vasquez in that order. Rodrigo Leiva of Orange Walk took the forty-mile junior category, with Jiro Campus taking second and Daniel Choto of Cayo finishing third. On the female side, Marinette Flowers recorded one hour thirty-five minutes three seconds to win this class. Look out for the Dr. Miguel Rosado Memorial Classic this Sunday, October twenty-first, and the Garifuna Settlement Day Races which are expected to come on stream November seventeenth and eighteenth.
Turning to the basketball scene, The Sir Edney Cain Basketball Tournament reached money time Friday night at Big Birds Isle as the decisive game three in the championship series found the Provident/Alliance Bank and FirstCaribbean Diamonds with little room to manoeuvre in this particular confrontation.
And it’s Andrew Jew-boy Robateau giving the Provident/Alliance amalgamation the quick lead with the long deuce. At the other end, the aerobatic shot by Ryan “Benz” Bennett keeps First Bank within reach. But the hot hand of Jerome “Penny” Ellis delivers two here – Ellis would lead his team with twenty-two points. And at the end of first quarter, Provident/Alliance is up 15-6.
In the second quarter, FirstCaribbean comes out spanking. Kenrick Staine dials the bank for three. “Benz” Bennett then bombs from long range for three of his game high twenty-four points and Darwin Usher dances his way for this short runner. At the end of first half, the Diamonds sparkle to a five points lead people.
Penny Ellis comes back out still hot as he pulls Provident/Alliance closer. Ellis then turns provider as he finds Devon Defour, who would throw up twenty points. Ricardo Pariente knocks down his second three of the quarter, and Jew Boy Robateau exerts himself on the boards for two points. Provident/Alliance Bank outscores FristCaribbean 22 -9 to take a 47-39 lead.
In the forth quarter, FirstCaribbean gets back in this see-saw affair. Jacob Snake Miller strikes for two of his eleven game points. Darwin Usher then sinks the turn around shot range jumper. Folks nevertheless this is the shot that gives the W to the Provident/Alliance Bank team and it comes from Penny Ellis. They win 62 -57 and we say congratulations to the champions in the first ever Sir Edney Cain Basketball Tournament. Let’s do it again next year.
Finally folks, the C.L.B. Rogers Annual Memorial Softball Tournament was scratched from this weekend schedule because of the heavy rains and has now been re-schedule for the eighteenth November at Rogers Stadium. Hopefully we’ll see you there.
That’s it for now, we invite you back same time, same place next week. Jah Over all, I’m James Adderley.
