Jungle Rewind: OT Showdown at the Sacred Heart – Land Sharks Survive Cayo in Jungle Classic

San Pedro Tiger Sharks 80, Cayo Western Ballers 75 (OT)

This one had everything. Momentum swings, late-game heroics, and a taste of playoff intensity. It was the first major clash of the season between two teams atop their conferences—the Cayo Western Ballers and the San Pedro Tiger Sharks—in what many are calling an early Jaguar Cup preview. Cayo had the lineup, talent, and home ambiance to challenge the undefeated Sharks, who came in shorthanded without Jehad Wright. Meanwhile, the Ballers unveiled their newest weapon, 6’8″ 240-pound Ohio big man Nick Everett, whose physical presence immediately made an impact.

The Cayo Western Ballers, fueled by a monster double-double from Dennis Flowers III (15 pts, 14 reb, 4 ast) and the relentless paint work of Darnell Oden (20 pts, 11 reb), took the San Pedro Tiger Sharks to the wire at home. But in the end, it was the veteran poise of Francis Arana (10 pts, 15 reb, 3 ast) and Malik Hunt (18 pts, 13 reb) that helped the Sharks escape with an 80–75 overtime win on the road.

First Quarter: Ciego Sparks the Ballers

Cayo opened with fire thanks to Jahiem Ciego, who poured in 8 of his 13 points in the first quarter. Flowers hit a triple on the opening possession, but it was Ciego’s midrange mastery and second-chance efforts that steadied the Ballers early. San Pedro, led by Tyrell Griffith (12 pts, 10 reb, 3 stl), responded with transition buckets and quick ball movement. Arik Nicholas (14 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast) and Aaron Allison’s three-pointer gave Cayo a brief edge, but Keon Rowland (19 pts, 3 ast) snatched it back with a coast-to-coast layup to end the quarter 18–17 in favor of the Sharks.

Second Quarter: Flowers and Oden Take Over

The second was a scoring clinic by the Cayo wings. Dennis Flowers III nailed a corner three and followed with a crafty pull-up, while Oden came alive off the bench, dropping 10 of his 20 points in the period. Arik Nicholas, who led the Ballers with 10 points in the first half, was a steadying force—his midrange game and slashing layups kept the Sharks from collapsing the paint. Oden would finish the night shooting 9-of-23 from the field with a game-high 5 offensive boards.

Jamie Carbajal and Allison added timely triples to stretch the lead to 38–25 before Brian White (12 pts, 15 reb) stopped the bleeding for the Sharks with back-to-back layups. Arik Nicholas, who had 10 points in the first half, was instrumental in dictating the early tempo—slashing to the rim and hitting key pull-ups to keep Cayo in rhythm. Despite a late push from Arana and Hunt, the Ballers ended the half with a commanding 40–32 lead, thanks to 36% shooting, 12 offensive boards, and a plus-8 edge in fast break points.

Third Quarter: Sharks Close the Gap

Francis Arana turned up the heat, grabbing key boards and hitting a pull-up three to cut the lead. Cayo’s Kerwin Palacio and Oden kept the scoreboard ticking, but Rowland’s relentless energy tied the game at 44. Daly added a 2-and-1 floater to give San Pedro their first lead since the opening minutes.

Cayo opened the third quarter ice cold—managing only 2 points in the first six minutes of play. The Sharks pounced on the opportunity, with Francis Arana orchestrating the break and Hunt finishing strong in transition. Griffith and Hunt chipped in with fast break finishes, and Malik would add 6 more in the period. The 14–2 run flipped the game on its head before Oden and Nicholas fought back with back-to-back inside buckets to end the third down just 52–50. The Ballers’ transition defense slipped late in the frame, allowing San Pedro to rack up 14 fast break points by the quarter’s end.

Fourth Quarter: Regulation Madness

Darnell Oden opened the quarter with an and-one to tie it at 52. Francis Arana, who finished with 10 points and 15 boards, buried a clutch three, and Rowland’s coast-to-coast layup gave the Sharks a 59–52 edge.

The Ballers, however, weren’t done. Ciego, Nicholas, and Flowers each had buckets in a 7–0 run. Down 65–61 with under a minute to go, Arik Nicholas (14 pts, 6-17 FG) drove for a layup to keep the Ballers within striking distance. Then, after Dennis Flowers III (15 pts, 14 reb) missed two chances near the rim, Darnell Oden (20 pts, 11 reb) fought through traffic to clean up the glass and tie it with 13 seconds remaining. On the ensuing Sharks possession, Cayo forced a shot clock violation with just 2.7 seconds left. Out of the timeout, the Ballers drew up a last play—Oden launched a contested three that missed, but Everett couldn’t finish the point-blank putback that would’ve won it. The Sharks exhaled and forced overtime.

Overtime: Sharks Seal It

Malik Hunt and Arana delivered in the extra frame. Hunt scored on a pair of tough finishes while Arana dropped a step-back three to stretch the lead to 76–71. Flowers and Oden tried to rally again—Oden finishing a tip-in with under 20 seconds to go—but missed threes and turnovers down the stretch let San Pedro ice it at the line. Devin Daly (7 pts, 3 stl) hit clutch free throws and Brian White grabbed his 15th board to kill any remaining hope.

This one was a statement road win for the top-ranked Sharks. For Cayo, it was a gut-punch loss that showed they can hang with the best, but also revealed their inconsistency in the clutch.

Top Performers

Team Trends

• Cayo Western Ballers: Dominated the glass 55–41 but shot just 38% from the field and 16% from three.
• San Pedro Tiger Sharks: Scored 13 second-chance points and won the turnover battle 16–11, converting key steals into momentum buckets.

This was one for the books—and a possible playoff preview if these two meet again in the Jaguar Cup in August, the only place they can clash again since they hail from different conferences. The Western Ballers treated this one like a playoff game, with Coach Tarr going deep only twice and essentially relying on a 7-man rotation. It was a clear sign of urgency, but also a concern—Cayo will need to uncover at least one more trusted contributor off the bench to match the 8–9 man depth most contenders bring into the postseason. Meanwhile, the Sharks have solidified themselves as the apex predator in the jungle. The PG Panthers, currently surging with confidence, host Griga in a matchup that could determine whether San Pedro should be on alert—or continue prowling the jungle freely until the Cup rolls around.