Basketball, Cycling and Football in Sports Monday
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday.
The Interoffice Basketball League continues to roll inside Bird’s Isle here in Belize City and Friday night saw the long-awaited matchup between the highly touted Heritage Bank and Central Health as the mad dash to the playoffs remains in full effect. Heritage Bank opens with this slick left hand pass from Kevin Lorenzo to Steve Bonnell and you know Steve knows how to deliver. Central Health answers as Felix Martinez feeds the unattended Tevin Vernon who would record 8 pts 8 rebounds. Bonnell then offers this triple – he would go 2 for 8 from beyond the arc, but tally a double digit 14 pts. At the end of the 1st quarter, 2pts separate these teams. Winston Pratt of Heritage Bank gets fired up in the 2nd –he travels baseline for the reverse and it’s good for 2.
Pratt comes back and spots up for 3 and it’s sweet music going through the cords. Winston Pratt would emerge the big man of the showdown with the game high 24 pts, 7 rebounds and the highest efficiency rating of 30. Steven Wade gets busy for Central Health and goes glass for 2 of his 15 game pts. 
Nevertheless, when Lennox Samuels grabs his own missed shot and hits the put back, Heritage Bank show a 39 to 25 at the half. In the 3rd, Steven Wade puts Central Health on his back—under heavy pressure, he muscles up 2 pts. It’s Wade again working hard and ringing up dividends. And he makes it a 2 pt game at 45-43. At the end of 3rd quarters of play, Heritage Bank leads 51 to 48. However, in the 4th, Heritage Bank would outscore Central Health 16 to 10.
It’s Winston Pratt again weaving through heavy traffic to score 9 pts more than his nearest rival as Heritage Bank grabs the win over Central Health in a 67 to 58 score. Meanwhile, in the opener, Central Bank got the win over Belize Water and Sewage in a 56 to 44 decision. Farron Louriano goes to the left hand for the monster jam and would put up 11 pts. Still the big man in the Central bank big win was Jacob Leslie who struck for the game high 20 pts. Looking ahead to Friday general faces Infotel and BWS battles Bulldogs.
Turning to the cycling scene, the 2nd annual Anglican Diocese criterium was staged yesterday on the Albert and Regent Street Circuit. In the 12 years and under 2 laps, 3 B.T.L. riders swept the race with Chancey Broaster, James Lewis and Malcolm Mahler finishing 1, 2 and 3 in that order. In the High School Mountain bike event, Dylon Belisle took top honors, beating out Andy Faber by 13 seconds. The high school saw Patrick Williams take 1st place and then Daren Anderson edged out team Ernest Bradley in the Smart Sweep. Meanwhile, Santino Castillo won the B and C class weekend warriors 15 laps with Isaiah Willacey FT Williams 2nd and Alicia Thompson 3rd.
Folks, the weekend warriors, a 20-lap ride saw Vallan Symms of benny’s grab the win in a 6-man sprint, edging out Mark Gentle of FT Williams, Robert Mariano of Digicell 4G hangs on for 3rd; Kirk Sutherland pulls up 4th and Preston Martinez rounds out the top 5. Turning to the main event featuring the elite riders, it culminates in a Benny’s sweep. Tarique Flowers rolls in for 1st place accompanied by his teammate, Byron Pope, Phillip Leslie of Benny’s take 3rd, while Daren Anderson pulls up 4th.
In football news, the Adventures Sports Club female tournament over the weekend saw Rising Stars and Lucky Strikers in a battle for supremacy in a ballgame that saw a scoreless stalemate. Thus Rising Stars remains the leader with 11 pts, Real West Strikers show 10 pts; so does Lucky Strikers. UB Black Jaguars – 6; Infinites 4 while Bullet Tree is yet to earn a point. In other play over the weekend, UB Jaguars mauled Bullet Tree 6-zip and Real West Strikers pummeled Infinites 5-nil.
Finally folks, Saturday’s Father’s Day Canow Race saw the Intramural team Daniels Brothers beat Zip-rider by 2½ minutes; CGF Cayo Pitbulls took 3rd, Guydis Canoes paddled in 4th while Guydis Rebels finished 5th.
Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.
