7 News Belize

Under 17 b-Ballers Return Home With Silver
posted (May 30, 2011)
At the end of the news on Friday we gave you the exciting news that Belize's under 17 basketball team had crushed Panama in the semifinals of the COCABA Championship in Costa Rica. That meant Belize would play for the gold the following night against Mexico - who had beat our team by two points in overtime on Thursday.

But in the final game - the undersized Belize team - playing its fifth game in as many nights - could not keep up and lost by 19 points.

So - like their senior counterparts did 21 months earlier - the Belize boys returned home on Sunday with Silver. It's the best an under 17 team has done and they still qualify for the next round to be played in august on Puerto Rico against the region's powerhouses.

We greeted them at the airport where they were triumphant and eager for what's next:

Fred Garcia, Coach
"There is a lot of upside and there is a lot of joy and a lot of friendship that was built during this week, so I think that we will be fine."

Tariq Middleton, Captain
"We did our best, we beat everybody except Mexico, they beat us two times; the first time by two points and the second time by 19 points and it was hard but we fight it through. We were the smallest team, we use it as an advantage, we kept running - fast break and we ended up coming in 2nd place."

Brian White, Forward
"Mexico was much more bigger than us, that's why lost to them, but if we go to Puerto Rico we can get a better chance there."

Devin Daly, center/forward
"In that gold medal game - we just grew fatigue and the Mexicans just out ran us and they ended up beating us."

Jules Vasquez
"In the tournament is two weeks' time, will you be able to do a better job with fresh legs?"

Devin Daly, center/forward
"Definitely, the heart of a lion, we will eat them up."

Fred Garcia, Coach
"We ran out of legs. Our kids are a little bit too small. You have to understand that most of these kids are the U-15 kids. There are only four kids on there that are 16 going on 17. We just ran out of legs. The Mexicans are big; these guys are as big as I am. So we were definitely out man, however on a good day we would have been the better team by far."

The reception at the airport was followed by an impromptu motorcade. Next up for much of the team is the under 16 regional tournament in Mexico City.

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