Posted: Tuesday, July 22, 2025. 1:30 pm CST.
BPBL expected to issue sanctions for off-court incident
Western Ballaz Arik Nicholas – Photo Credit: Western Ballaz Basketball Club
By Rubén Morales Iglesias: Cayo Western Ballaz flipped the script at home, defeating the Belize City Thunderbolts 79–66 at the Sacred Heart College Auditorium in San Ignacio on Saturday, July 19, 2025, in a gritty Belize Premier Basketball League (BPBL) matchup that served up redemption. Just a week prior, on July 12, the Ballaz had suffered a narrow 87–81 defeat to the Thunderbolts in Belize City. This time, they made no mistake.
Led by a dominant showing from forward Arik Nicholas, who tallied 21 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, the Ballaz brought physicality and defensive poise. Nicholas added 3 assists and 3 steals in 33 minutes of action, anchoring a team effort that outrebounded the Thunderbolts 49–47 and held them to just 37.3% shooting from the field.
Veteran scorer Dennis Flowers III backed him with 19 points, converting 3 of 7 attempts from beyond the arc and adding 3 assists. Darnell Oden contributed 15 points on an efficient 7-of-10 shooting clip, while D’von Campbell provided 14 points and steady midrange play.
Though Ballaz shot just 22.6% from three-point range, they won the rebounding battle 49–47, forced 14 turnovers, and outpaced the visitors in bench hustle. Their overall shooting was a respectable 44%, with 33 field goals on 75 attempts.
The Thunderbolts, led by guard Victor Evans’ 22 points and 5 rebounds, struggled with consistency. Despite solid individual efforts—Matthew Young notched a double-double of 14 points and 17 rebounds, while Charles Garcia added 12 points, 10 boards, and 4 assists—Belize City shot just 37.3% from the field and faltered from the line, hitting only 11 of 28 free throws (39.3%).
Their perimeter shooting woes continued, connecting on just 5 of 22 three-point attempts (22.7%), which proved costly as Ballaz pulled away in the final quarter.
Thunderbolts’ Charles Garcia, 36, aggressing fan at Sacred Heart College Auditorium in San Ignacio on Saturday, July 19, 2025. Photo Credit: Screenshot TNC 10
Off-court incident under review
The BPBL is expected to issue sanctions against Thunderbolts forward Charles Garcia following an incident near the end of Saturday’s game. Garcia, a Belizean-American, reportedly approached a fan in the seats around the court, removed the individual’s cap, slapped the fan with it, then threw it back. The act drew a visibly irate response from the fan and caused a brief disruption at courtside.
BPBL Standings – Updated After July 19
| Pos | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | STRK | ± |
| 1 | San Pedro Tiger Sharks | 9 | 0 | 1.000 | — | 6–0 | 3–0 | W9 | +10 |
| 2 | EZ Investments Dangriga Ballaz | 6 | 3 | 0.667 | 3.0 | 4–1 | 2–2 | W1 | +5 |
| 3 | Belize City Thunderbolts | 5 | 4 | 0.556 | 4.0 | 4–1 | 1–3 | L1 | +10 |
| 4 | Cayo Western Ballaz | 4 | 4 | 0.500 | 4.5 | 2–2 | 2–2 | W1 | +14 |
| 5 | Corozal Cerros Suns | 2 | 5 | 0.286 | 6.0 | 2–1 | 0–4 | W1 | –8 |
| 6 | Belmopan Capital City Kings | 2 | 6 | 0.250 | 6.5 | 2–2 | 0–4 | L1 | –8 |
| 7 | Punta Gorda Panthers | 2 | 7 | 0.222 | 7.0 | 2–1 | 0–6 | L6 | –12 |
With the win, Western Ballaz not only claimed revenge for the road loss on July 12, but vaulted ahead of the Thunderbolts in the standings, tightening the playoff race with half the season still to play.
With the standings tightening behind unbeaten San Pedro, Ballaz’s bounce-back puts them squarely in the playoff conversation. Thunderbolts, now winless away from home, will look to regroup ahead of their next outing.
Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Belize ~ We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages. Your content is delivered instantly to thousands of users in Belize and abroad! Contact us at mаrkеtіng@brеаkіngbеlіzеnеwѕ.соm or call us at 501-612-0315.
© 2025, BreakingBelizeNews.com. Content is copyrighted and requires written permission for reprinting in online or print media. Theft of content without permission/payment is punishable by law.
The post Belize Premier Basketball League: Western Ballaz avenge earlier loss, beat Thunderbolts 79–66 in San Ignacio appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
Posted: Tuesday, July 22, 2025. 1:30 pm CST. BPBL expected to issue sanctions for off-court incident Western Ballaz Arik Nicholas – Photo Credit: Western Ballaz Basketball
The post Belize Premier Basketball League: Western Ballaz avenge earlier loss, beat Thunderbolts 79–66 in San Ignacio appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
