Jungle Rewind: OT Thriller in the Capital – Griga Escapes with gritty Win Over Kings 94–92

EZ Investments Dangriga Dream Ballers 94, Belmopan Capital City Kings 92 (OT)

Friday 13th June 2025, Belmopan City, Belize

In a BPBL showdown packed with fireworks and heart-stopping moments, the EZ Investments Dangriga Dream Ballers silenced the Belmopan crowd with a 94–92 overtime win at the UB Gymnasium. Rookie sensation and BPBL U21 standout Nisani Mendez lit up the jungle with a historic 40-point performance—the first ever 40-piece in league history by any player, of any category, and done in front of a home crowd that saw his perform in grade school and High School.  Mendez poured in 19 points in under 10 minutes in the first half and missed a potential game-winner at the end of regulation. Belmopan entered the contest without Daniel Estes (sore hamstring), and after waiving American big man Moore earlier in the week, were already short on size. Meanwhile, Griga was without Hammer Milton—who suffered a hand injury against San Pedro—and brought in American Jarius Shumpert to reinforce the frontline. Despite the heroic effort, Mendez’s record-setting night wasn’t enough.

First Quarter: Capital Strikes First

The Kings came out poised, with Brandon Flowers (21 pts, 13 reb) and Jayden Lopez (10 pts, 9 ast, 7 reb) setting the tone early. Flowers was aggressive in the midrange, while Lopez orchestrated with 3 early assists. Nisani Mendez hit a pair of long-range bombs as Belmopan jumped out to a 7–0 lead. Griga responded with the inside-out combo of Kevon Laurie (14 pts, 13 reb) and Edgar Mitchell (12 pts, 3 ast), but the visitors held a 25–24 edge after ten minutes.

In the closing minute of the quarter, Antonio Flowers (7 pts, 9 reb, 4 blk) gave the Griga crowd life with a rim-rattling dunk, but Mendez calmly answered on the other end. The Kings’ bench was already getting active, hinting at the depth that would become crucial down the stretch. Belmopan shot 47% from the field in the opening frame while forcing 4 turnovers. Griga countered by hitting 3-of-5 from long range, keeping things tight.

Second Quarter: Brackett Battles Back

The second quarter belonged to Deshawn Brackett. The dynamic guard finished the half with 14 points, 4 assists, and 5 rebounds, including back-to-back triples and a tough baseline drive that had the Griga fans chanting his name. The Dream Ballers built a nine-point cushion at one point thanks to fast break buckets by Raheem Thurton (15 pts on 60% shooting) and Daniel Conorque (15 pts, 5 reb).

But the Kings’ second unit, led by Mendez and Elvert Ariola (4 pts, 2 reb), trimmed the deficit. Mendez, who had erupted for 19 points in under 10 minutes of first-half play, was electric and unstoppable. Shane Pratt’s (8 pts, 11 reb, 2 stl) three-pointer late in the quarter brought Belmopan within five. At halftime, the Dream Ballers held a 52–46 lead. Belmopan’s bench contributed 24 of their 46 first-half points, keeping them within striking distance. Griga shot 41% from deep in the first half while committing only 7 turnovers.

Third Quarter: Mendez’s Mayhem

The third quarter saw Nisani Mendez take over the game like a man possessed. He scored 13 in the frame on pull-up jumpers, drives, and a two-handed fast-break dunk, pushing his total to 29 points. Brandon Flowers added a steady presence with offensive boards and second-chance points, eventually racking up 13 rebounds to go with his 21 points.

Griga, for their part, kept punching back. Laurie continued to crash the glass, and Conorque added two corner threes to keep the scoreboard ticking. Raheem Thurton added a buzzer-beater three that gave Griga a 68–66 lead heading into the fourth. Belmopan shot 44% in the third but struggled at the line, leaving points on the table. The Kings tallied 18 turnovers by the end of the third, many of which led directly to Griga fast-break opportunities.

Fourth Quarter: Drama at Every Turn

The fourth was chaos in its purest form. Both teams traded runs and daggers. Brackett tied it with a wing three, only to see Mendez respond with an acrobatic layup through traffic. Conorque’s triple tied it at 86 before a sequence of fouls, missed free throws, and defensive rebounds set up the overtime. In the final seconds of regulation, Mendez had a golden opportunity to seal the win but missed a putback attempt at the rim. Griga, despite the scare, held firm defensively and kept the game alive.

A massive block from Shane Pratt on a Laurie layup attempt with seconds left preserved the tie. With the score deadlocked at 86, we headed to OT with everyone out of breath. The quarter saw seven lead changes and five ties, as Belmopan hit three huge threes but went just 6-of-11 at the stripe. Meanwhile, Griga pounded the paint and shot 10-of-19 from inside the arc.

Overtime: Brackett & Laurie Deliver the Dagger

Overtime was a heavyweight slugfest. Conorque gave Griga the lead with a strong drive, and Brackett responded with a crafty reverse layup to bring his total to 20 points. Laurie came through with a tip-in that gave Griga a late lead. Then, following a huge defensive stop, Brackett missed a short jumper, but the rebound fell to Conorque who ran out the clock.

The Dream Ballers erupted. Mendez finished with a career-high 40 points, the highest single-game mark in the BPBL’s young history. But Griga got the win, surviving on resilience, rebounding, and just enough poise. Belmopan finished with 22 offensive rebounds and 58 total boards, but turnovers (17) proved costly in the clutch.

In the end, Griga’s speed and athleticism and experience proved to be the difference in the game. Belmopan, however, grew up last night as their all homegrown players showed what the future of Belize basketball can be if they stick to this development plan and program. The Kings have a young core of stars and a rookie coach, but the growth and development are evident in the team and the players. The have old problems of decision making down the stretch, especially on the last play to end the regulation time. The likely will have new problems as Nissani Mendez coming off the bench is becoming an increasingly louder question for them to answer. Perhaps the absence of the foreigners was necessary to sift the chaff from wheat among their young stars.  Tough decisions lie ahead when the foreigners return. Patience and harder work are necessary for this team to emerge as a contender in a now rapidly deepening Mayan Conference.

Top Performers

Team Trends

• Dangriga Dream Ballers: Dominated the boards with 49 rebounds and 10 made threes but shot just 52% from the free throw line.

• Capital City Kings: Scored 46 points off the bench, forced 18 turnovers, and got a historic performance from Mendez but dropped to 1–4 with another painful late-game loss.

Next up, the Kings will regroup and return home still searching for answers, now staring down a pivotal matchup against the 2–3 Thunderbolts—the only team they’ve managed to beat so far this season. With Cayo enjoying a two-game lead in the Mayan Conference, this clash could ultimately determine who snags home-court advantage for the opening round of the Mayan playoffs. A loss here would push the Kings further behind in the standings and raise the pressure on their remaining schedule.

Meanwhile, Griga turns around quickly to host the red-hot Punta Gorda Panthers this Sunday. The Panthers, fresh off an emotional sweep of the Corozal Cerros Suns, are charging into the south with swagger and intent, eager to prove their recent dominance is no fluke.