Cancún, Mexico – It’s official.
Well not really.
Belize will take on Mexico for the CoCaBa championship tonight, Friday, August 14.
Belize walks into the finals amidst controversy over the nationality of their players and they await FIBA’s decision before any of their results are finalized. So even at the end of the championships tonight, we won’t really know how everything will turn out.
Minutes before their first game, Team Belize were told that seven of their players were not FIBA-sanctioned players and that they would not be able to use all seven players. Belize played the game anyways, filing a protest of the decision after the match.
The appeal now sits with FIBA International, and FIBA’s ruling will determine whether Belize gets to keep their medal, and their spot in the 2010 Centrobasket tournament.
CoCaBa hosts Mexico, like Belize, are also undefeated in their four games, led by Rommel Beck’s scoring, Horacio Llama’s interior presence, and Omar Quitero’s floor game. Beck scored 40 points against Costa Rica, which included hiting ten three-pointers in that game. Panama and Costa Rica will play in the third place game; the winner will get the final berth to Centrobasket.
Mexico has locked up a spot in Centrobasket, and will participate in the FIBA Americas Championship, where they will be joined by star player Eduardo Najera.
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