Tigersharks, Bulldogs win in weekend basketball action

Good evening I’m James Adderley and you’re locked into Sports Monday.

Week nine of the R.F.G. Insurance Cup Tournament brought the Belmopan Bandits to the M.C.C. Grounds yesterday to face undefeated FC Belize as the capital city gang tries to fight their way into the playoff picture.

Folks we’re just five minutes in when this long distance effort crashes into the Belmopan net but they’re rescued by an offside whistle this time.

Somehow people this game seems to be a one-sided affair today as F.C. Belize continues to display the superior brand of football.

In fact we’re only twenty-four minutes in when Dion Flowers begins his assault on the Belmopan goal. He controls this nice feed from James and the right foot punch makes it a 1-nil F.C. lead.

Five minutes later, sloppy defence allows Deon McCaully to run down this ball and beat the keeper with a deft touch as the Belize City team goes up 2-zip.

Talk about suspect defence people – watch Deon McCaully find Mark Leslie who sets table for Dion Flowers and the Bandits can only watch as Flowers gets his second goal of the match pushing F.C. to a 3-zip lead.

The lead balloons to 4-nil when Christopher Gilharry hammers this long distance bomb against the upright that Andrew Anderson can do very little about.

This causes Kenneth Budna to loose his cool and he further complicates things for the Bandits by getting sent off.

Well the rout is on for real now folks. This centre from Mark Leslie somehow find Dion Flowers and his header doesn’t miss to score is third goal as F.C. Belize takes a commanding 5-zip lead into intermission.

Second half brings more of the same people and goalkeeper Anderson has to dig out this push from Deon McCaully.

Then it’s Mark Leslie’s turn to fire at him – mercifully this time the pill inches wide.

In the meantime all one can say on this play is that the Bandits defence needs immediate help as Jeromy James has the easiest time getting on the scoreboard to make it a 6-nil F.C. lead.

At the seventy-ninth minute Anderson gets pulled out of his goal by Mark Leslie who dishes to Dion Flowers who score his fourth goal into an empty net for the 7-zip lead.

It may have been all F.C. Belize for eighty-nine minutes but at the ninetieth minute Belmopan gets its highlight as Edmund “the buzzard’ Pandy gets the consolation goal off this spot kick.

Nevertheless, F.C. Belize picks up the 7-1 big win.

In other action in Group A, Wagiya hurt Hankook Verdes United 4-1 and Tex Mar Boys doubled up Toledo United 2-1.

Over in Group B, Revolutionary Conquerors edged SP Costa Del Sol Nairi’s 2-1, Alpha blanked Pickstock Lake 2-nil and Suga Boys Juventus stopped Santel’s 2-1.

Over in Group A week ten’s schedule finds Belmopan Bandits hosting Tex Mar Boys 7:30 p.m. on Saturday while on Sunday F.C. Belize travels to Wagiya and Hankook Verdes heads to Toledo United.

Over in Group B Aplha of Orange Walk clashes with Revolutionary Conquerors 7:30 p.m. at Dangriga on Saturday while on Sunday San Pedro faces Suga Boys Juventus at Orange Walk and Pickstock Lake will battle Santel’s at the M.C.C. Grounds.

In other football news, Gentle Touch Strikers of Cayo handed Lake I of Belize City a 10-zip blast at the M.C.C. Grounds on Saturday in female play in the F.F.B.’s Knock-out Tournament.

Turning to the basketball scene, the Semi-pro season is here folks but it seems a lot of fans might not be aware of it happening.

Here’s the tip off Friday night inside the Civic Center as the Belize Bank Bulldogs hosted the Belmopan Oilers.

And it’s Tyrone Edwards hitting the first basket – he would finish with a double digit 12 pts.

Harris Patten replies for Belmopan with this three point shot – he would hit 10 pts for the match.

But the bank has their own long distance shooter as Ronald Rivers who would hit four of nine from beyond the arc strikes for three of his game high 16 pts. The bank leads 21-14 at the end of one.

In the second quarter the Oilers try to make a run – Jay Chavarria gets two in heavy traffic.

At the other end, Jodson Stubbs finds himself unattended and this slam dunk would add to his game total of 14 pts.

At the half the bank is up by ten points.

In the third quarter, the bank blows the game wide open – Ronald Rivers wants three, he gets three.

Darren Bovell strikes for two off the glass – he would finish with 14 pts.

The Bulldogs would outscore Belmopan 25 to 13 in the third quarter and would go on to post the 80 to 64 big win.

In the other match-up over the weekend San Pedro Tigersharks beat the Corozal Running Rebels 76 to 73.

In other basketball news, in action from the Shine Your Light Christian Basketball League Zoe Horizon beat Lake I Baptist 68 to 55 and M & M Promise Keepers ran Sand Hill 76 to 44.

Finally in cricket news, in action in the Belize Rural Cricket Competition over the weekend over in Zone 1 Excellence really did a number on western Eagle beating the set 351-75 and Surprise got past Sailors 116-80.

In Zone 2 Brilliant edged Wicked 11 112-111 while Campari Fever outlasted Burlan 80-74.

Hey Folks, that’s our show for today. We invite you back same time, same place, next week. Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.