The Jungle Rewind

Milton’s Masterpiece: Dream Ballers Drop 88 on Cayo in Griga Home Opener

By Paul Flowers | May 25, 2025

DANGRIGA – If there was any doubt about who the league’s most dominant big man is, James Milton put that question to bed with a bulldozing performance under the Friday night lights in the culture capital. The EZ Investments Dangriga Dream Ballers rode a monster 32-point, 13-rebound explosion from their star forward to power past the Cayo Western Ballers 88–76 in a wild Toucan Conference clash.

This was a high-octane, momentum-swinging affair—loaded with crowd eruptions, fast break flurries, and one-man heroics. By halftime, the stadium was rocking with a standing-room-only crowd, a true reflection of the hometown energy fueling the Dream Ballers. The full Dangriga experience was in effect—including the Griga-patented drums of their fathers, a rhythmic pulse that served as the background to every highlight and heated possession. And while Cayo came with firepower of their own, it was Milton’s relentlessness, paired with Deshawn Brackett’s 15 points and 7 assists, that anchored Dangriga through every storm.

The Dream Ballers opened up with pace and purpose. Brackett drilled an early triple, and Kevon Laurie showed flashes of finesse inside. Milton was already on the glass from the opening tip, cleaning up misses and punishing switches. Still, Arik Nicholas kept Cayo in it, throwing down a two-handed slam and adding a pair of tough finishes.

By the end of the first quarter, Dangriga held a slender 22–20 lead. The pace was up, the fouls were frequent, and both squads knew this was going to be a war of attrition.

In the second, Antonio Flowers made his presence felt off the bench—slamming home a dunk and grabbing six boards in just 11 minutes of work. Meanwhile, Daniel Conorque found his groove slashing to the rim and hitting a key floater in traffic.

Cayo countered with a crisp stretch from Anthony Howell, who was surgical from mid-range and a perfect 7-of-7 from the floor. But turnovers began to bite them, and the Dream Ballers capitalized. Edgar Mitchell and Brackett ran the floor like veterans, and Milton continued to feast—bringing the Dangriga crowd to its feet with a coast-to-coast euro-step finish.

By halftime, the Dream Ballers were up 50–38 and looked to be in full control.

But the third quarter brought chaos. Arik Nicholas unleashed a barrage—rattling off 10 quick points including a highlight dunk and back-to-back buckets in transition. Jahiem Ciego added his own punch, slashing for 10 of his 12 points in the second half alone. Suddenly, Cayo had pulled within two at 59–57, silencing the Dangriga crowd.

Just when it looked like the Western Ballers might flip the game on its head, Daniel Conorque hit a deep triple, and Milton answered the bell again with back-to-back buckets inside. Brackett added a driving floater, and just like that, the Dream Ballers restored breathing room to close the third up 67–57.

The fourth quarter belonged to the hometown team. Antonio Flowers opened the frame with an offensive putback and a dunk that brought the gym back to life. Then came the knockout blow: a four-minute stretch where Dangriga outscored Cayo 14–4, capped by a Brackett-to-Milton alley-oop and a transition layup by Quinton Bowen.

Cayo tried to respond with late triples from Dennis Flowers III, but it was too late. Turnovers piled up, and Milton’s final two baskets—including a baseline fade and a buzzer-beating three—were pure icing.

Top Performers

Team Trends

• Dangriga shot 42.4% from the field, but earned 20 free throw attempts and dominated the paint with 54 points inside.
• Cayo actually had a better FG% at 46%, but their 19 turnovers and just 6 offensive rebounds limited their second-chance chances.
• The Dream Ballers’ bench contributed 17 points, while Cayo’s bench was outscored and outrebounded throughout.
• Transition play was a difference-maker: Dangriga scored 20 fast break points and converted 14 Cayo turnovers into baskets.

Final Word

This wasn’t just a win—it was a warning shot. Dangriga is not a team to be taken lightly, especially with James Milton, who basically came off the plane and stepped onto the court to deliver what may already be the best individual performance of the season. In his first game in Belize since 2017, Milton didn’t just return—he erupted. This is a different Hammer that just landed in the culture capital, and somewhere, Thur is wondering where his hammer went… we think we found it in Griga.

Brackett, meanwhile, continues to evolve into the league’s premier floor general. If they keep getting that kind of inside-out dominance, energy off the bench, and pressure-powered transition buckets, the Dream Ballers could very well dance deep into September.

Cayo, for all their talent, will have to figure out how to manage the ball better under pressure and get more out of their bench if they want to challenge for the top spot in the Toucan Conference.

“We weathered the storm and then we put our foot down,” said Coach Byron Flowers. “That’s a statement win.”