Month: December 2020

‘Mr Consistent’ Maycock A National Golf Champion

SASHA and Christine Wallace-Whitfield present the championship trophy to veteran golfer Greg Maycock. Chris Lewis, president of the Bahamas Professional Golfers Association, at far right, looks on.
Photos courtesy of David Knowles

SASHA and Christine Wallace-Whitfield present the championship trophy to veteran golfer Greg Maycock. Chris Lewis, president of the Bahamas Professional Golfers Association, at far right, looks on. Photos courtesy of David Knowles

Friday, December 4, 2020

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#As consistent as he was from day one, Greg Maycock maintained his lead and held on to win the Bahamas Professional Golfers Association’s Leroy ‘Roy’ Bowe Founder BPGA 2020 National Championship title.

#At the end of the four days of competition at the Ocean Club on Paradise Island yesterday, Maycock accumulated rounds of 74-74-75-73 for a total score of 296 to cart the prestigious title off to Grand Bahama.

#Maycock received it from Bowe’s daughter Christine Bowe Wallace-Whitfield, which could have still gone to Grand Bahama as fellow natives Keathen Stuart was runner-up with 76-76-79- 79 for 303 and Chris Lewis completed the top of the chart in third with 82-80- 77-77 for 316.

#The three Grand Bahamians were matched against each other in the last of the two threesomes between the six professional golfers who participated.

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BPGA treasurer Keno Turnquest presents Keathen Stuart with his second place prize.

#Rounding out the field in the other threesome were Marcus Pratt (80- 78-85-80-323); Glenn Pratt (89-82-83-82- 336) and Matthew Cox (97-88-88-87-360).

#Maycock, one of the two veteran players in the tournament that started on Monday, said the performance was just what he needed, considering the fact that he finished fourth in the last BPGA tournament he played here in July. “For today, I could say it was pretty nifty because somewhere in that round, I did some funny stuff,” Maycock said. “I had two double bogeys and so overall for four days, I will take it and just work with that. I’m happy about winning.”

#As one of the younger players coming on the scene when the late Bowe was making his exit, Maycock said it was an honour to win the title for the legend of the game in the Bahamas.

#“For what he did for the game, I am proud to take this trophy and appreciate it,” he said.

#“It was good to win the title in his honour.”

#It was a year ago when Maycock last won a tournament that was staged by Ricardo Davis. But he said this one is much sweeter because it comes with the national professional title of the Bahamas.

#Stuart, who is now based here at Albany where he is employed, said he was coming for Maycock. But not even the day’s lowest score of even-par-72 yesterday was enough.

#“Today, I played much better. I hit the ball more solid. I made a few putts, but it wasn’t as consistent as I wanted it to be,” he said.

#“I made a run at it in the first nine, but Greg Maycock held his own and it was a fight to the end. I’m happy with the way I played today.”

#Although he had a lot riding on his performance as the president of the BPGA, Lewis said he was just a little too inconsistent with some mental mistakes.

#“That happens when you are rusty as far as tournament play is concerned,” he said. “But all in all, I am very encouraged about the event and getting things back as far as the association is concerned.”

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KENO Turnquest presents Chris Lewis with his prize for third place.

#Marcus Pratt, who fell short of getting into the top stream of the competition, said his performance was not up to par, but it was a great improvement for him in a professional forum as he gave himself a C average.

#“This is the first tournament that I played in for a year and so believe it or not, the rust is knocked off,” he said. “I’m ready for the next one.”

#“My preparation now, since the Bahamas Professional Golf Association is in play, we are going to be doing some more stuff. My preparation is mental and my playing capacity is now going to be enhanced because I now know we have more things to do in the association.”

#Glenn Pratt, the executive director of the BPGA, said under normal circumstances, he would not have participated because he wasn’t ready to play. “But because of what we are trying to do in the association, I would suffer the humiliation and the pain and the agony,” said Pratt, who has been working behind the scenes trying to get the BPGA re-established.

#“It’s not every day you can get up and play with the type of numbers that people say in the newspaper because they don’t reflect the type of golfer that I am or any of us because we don’t play enough. We don’t have any places to play.”

#For Cox, it’s the first time playing in and completing a four-day tournament, so he has something to base his future on.

#“I hit some good shots out there,” he said. “It just took some adjustments playing in the wind and adjusting to the greens. Hopefully when I play in some more tournaments, I will get some better results.”

#Cox, however, commended Maycock for setting the pace and maintaining his position as he putted and improved his game each day.

#Lewis said the whole idea was for the BPGA to honour Bowe because he was a “true gentleman” of the sport whom they considered to be their golf hero as Arnold Palmer is to the United States of America.

#“Everybody needs to know Mr Bowe as the true hero of professional golf in the Bahamas,” Lewis said. “This is our king of golf.”

#One year after he became the Bahamas’ first professional golfer in 1967, Bowe founded the BPGA in 1968. Bowe, who was also an outstanding sloop sailor, died on November 1, 2012 at the age of 78.

#Bowe Wallace- Whitfield, who was accompanied by her husband Joey and their daughter Sasha Wallace- Whitfield, said they are elated that the BPGA is honouring her father and that was why they sponsored the trophy.

#“It’s wonderful. It’s long overdue. I’m just happy and thankful to Glenn Pratt, who has really put this together,” said Bowe Wallace-Whitfield, a former national swimmer.

#“He’s always been there through the golfing days with my dad, so it’s a passion of his, so we love that. We want to see this continue every year.”

#Pratt said in addition to hosting the championship this year, they will build a Roy Bowe Hall of Fame for professional golfers and they will lobby for his portrait to be displayed on the Wall of Fame in the Lynden Pindling International Airport along with all of the other national heroes.

#Lewis expressed his gratitude, on behalf of the BPGA, to the Ocean Club, for allowing them to stage the tournament there this week.

#But he said the BPGA will now put its emphasis on trying to get more of its members employed with the more than 10 golf properties in the Bahamas, as outlined in the constitution that Bowe established when he formed the organisation.

St Fort Signs With 3rd Team This Season In Japan B-League

Friday, December 4, 2020

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#MARK St Fort is on the move once again in the Japanese B-League and signed with his third team this season.

#St Fort signed with the Hiroshima Dragonflies for the remainder of the 2020- 21 season. Through 14 games this season, St Fort is averaging 10.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game on 70 percent shooting from the field and 43 percent shooting from three-point range. “Hiroshima Dragnflies has given me this opportunity and I thank them very much for their support. I am going to do my best to contribute to this team for as long as possible and help them be successful,” St Fort said in an official release issued by the team.

#Hiroshima is 4-12 on the season. “I am looking forward to playing in front of Dragonflies fans.”

#St Fort began the season with SeaHorses Mikawa but was released after just two games with the club. He went on to sign with the Niigata Albirex where he had his most productive stretch of the season where he was the team’s leading scorer in four games. He spent last season in Japan’s third division, the B3-League with the Saitama Broncos where he averaged 17.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. The B3-League has 11 teams made up of de facto semi-professional teams.

Chavez Young And Cavalry Two Weeks From Opening Day

Friday, December 4, 2020

photo

CHAVEZ YOUNG

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#CHAVEZ Young and his Canberra Cavalry are two weeks away from opening day and will have a busy two months of gameplay after the Australian Baseball League released its revised schedule.

#The Toronto Blue Jays minor league prospect and his club will open the season December 18 for a four-game series on the road against Perth. They follow with a two-game series at home against Melbourne and conclude in December with a three-game series against Sydney.

#The ABL will see games played on 26 out of 31 days in January. Each team will play 24 regular-season games.

#Young is ranked No. 30 on the Blue Jays’ prospect list, and joins a Cavalry club that has advanced to one championship series and three semifinal appearances in the last four seasons.

#Baseball Australia chief executive Cam Vale said the schedule set the stage for an exciting season and thanked fans for their patience.

#“The six teams and their key stakeholders have in the past week, despite the challenges thrown at us, shown why we are putting in the work to play – for the fans and for the future of the ABL, capitalising on the opportunities in front of us,” Vale said.

#“The ABL teams have worked hard with us over the past week to ensure as minimal impact as possible on the previously released schedule and we appreciate the patience and understanding of both our teams and fans during the process. We’ve faced some hurdles along the way but we now have an exciting schedule which will deliver an action-packed January and thrilling race to the playoffs.”

#The ABL is one of baseball’s recognised winter leagues where minor league prospects are assigned as an English-speaking alternative to the primary Spanish-speaking Latin America-based winter leagues. This season for the ABL features two conferences (Australian and International) with the traditional 40 games condensed to a 24 game regular season.

#Seven former Cavalry players were members of MLB 60-person Taxi-squads last season. The club has active strategic partnerships with two MLB teams, the San Diego Padres and the Houston Astros. Partner teams have also included the Blue Jays, Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves.

Jones, Coleman And No.17 Texas Beat No.14 Unc 69-67 For Title At The Maui Invitational

TEXAS forward Kai Jones (22), of The Bahamas, grabs a rebound over North Carolina forward Day’Ron Sharpe (11) in the first half of their NCAA college basketball game for the championship of the Maui Invitational yesterday in Asheville, N.C. 
(AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)

TEXAS forward Kai Jones (22), of The Bahamas, grabs a rebound over North Carolina forward Day’Ron Sharpe (11) in the first half of their NCAA college basketball game for the championship of the Maui Invitational yesterday in Asheville, N.C. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)

As of Thursday, December 3, 2020

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TEXAS celebrates and holds the trophy for the NCAA college championship game of the Maui Invitational after they beat North Carolina 69-67 yesterday in Asheville, N.C (AP Photos/Kathy Kmonicek)

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#Kai Jones’ perfect shooting streak from the field came to an end, but the sophomore forward scored four of Texas’ final six points to lead them to a Camping World Maui Invitational Championship.

#Jones finished with 12 points on 4-5 shooting from the field and tied a career high with eight rebounds for the second time this season in the No.14 Longhorns’ 69-67 win over the Tar Heels in the tournament finale last night at Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Asheville, North Carolina.

#Matt Coleman hit a stepback jumper for the game winner with 0.1 seconds left to play, but Jones also made several critical plays down the stretch.

#The Longhorns trailed 65-63 when Jones made a jumper to tie the game at the 2:29 mark. He followed with a transition dunk two possessions later to give Texas the lead (67-65) with 38 seconds left to play.

#The Tar Heels evened the score with a pair of free throws from Leaky Black, setting the stage for Coleman’s heroics.

#Texas improved to 4-0 and won their first Maui title in their fifth appearance in the tournament while the Tar Heels suffered their first loss of the season.

#With his third double digit scoring effort this season, Jones has already surpassed his total from his freshman season when he reached that mark just twice.

#Jones opened the Maui Invitational with 13 points on 4-4 shooting from the field, 2-2 from three-point range, in a 78-76 win over Davidson. He followed with just four points (2-2 field goals) and five rebounds in 13 foul-plagued minutes of a 66-44 win over the Indiana Hoosiers.

#In the Atlantic Sun Conference, Franco Miller Jr continues to see his production in his new role with the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles. Miller scored a career high 10 points and shot 3-7 from three-point range but his Eagles lost 76-57 to the South Florida Bulls.

‘Buddy’ Hield And Kings ‘Are All On The Same Page’

Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield.

Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield.

Thursday, December 3, 2020

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#THE growing speculation continues to mount about Chavano “Buddy” Hield’s future with the Sacramento Kings organisation after different messages emerged from the franchise’s head coach and top ranking executive.

#New Kings General Manager Monte McNair expressed his excitement to see Hield “let free” in the team’s system, but head coach Luke Walton would not commit to Hield as a full time starter despite the departure of Bogdan Bogdanovic in free agency.

#Hield was the team’s leading scorer in 2018-19 and its second leading scorer in 2019-20, but started just 44 of 72 games before he was relegated to a reserve role off the bench in favour of Bogdanovic.

#“I think I’ve said in the past Buddy’s such an incredible talent, and especially his shooting at an elite level is something that we saw this offseason was at a premium. I think we’re really excited to see him in this system,” McNair said in his pre-training camp media availability. “I think Buddy is going to look really good in [the offence], excited to see him in training camp and how he can progress there. I have the utmost confidence Buddy will continue to play hard every night, like he always has.”

#While reports have emerged this offseason that Hield has not spoken with Walton, McNair said the organisation and the fifth year shooting guard are on “the same page” with each other.

#“I’ve talked with Buddy as well as his agent, I think we’re all on the same page,” McNair said. “I think we’re really excited to see Buddy kind of let free in this system. I think he’s going to be fantastic.”

#Despite coming off the bench for 28 games, Hield was second on the team in scoring at 19.2 points per game. Hield was removed from the starting lineup in favour of Bogdanovic in January and continued to see inconsistent minutes for the duration of the season, culminating in season low minutes when the NBA resumed play at the “bubble” in Orlando, Florida. Bogdanovic signed with the Atlanta Hawks this offseason and most NBA pundits interpreted that as a sign the organisation would move forward with Hield as the team’s starting shooting guard.

#Walton addressed Hield’s role during a Zoom conference call in his media availability ahead of training camp.

#“We’ve got a lot of new faces here, so we have to continue to look at what’s going to be best for our team. Even last season, Buddy started more than half of the season, and when he didn’t start, he played a huge role for us coming in off the bench and being a dynamic 20-point-a-night scorer,” Walton said.

#“Every decision is always based on what I feel is best for the group and best for the team, and with this training camp, this is part of what we have to see: what do we have? What groups are playing well together? Who complements who? And at the end of the day, every decision that gets made will come down to what I feel as the head coach is best for this team and giving us the best chance of winning.”

#Hield enters the first year of his new four-year $86 million extension that could reach as much as $106 million.

#“Buddy is a very talented player, I’ve always had a good relationship with him and we’re excited that he’s part of the group.”

#Following the Kings’ regular season finale, Hield spoke with reporters on several topics, most noteworthy was his reply when asked whether he would be content to continue his role off the bench next season.

#“Y’all know me, y’all know how I talk, y’all know how I feel with a lot of stuff, yall can read me well, so I’ll let y’all answer that for yourselves,” Hield said.

#McNair singled out Hield at his introductory press conference to the franchise and called him an “elite shooter” whose spacing is important for the team.

Bowleg: ‘I Still Want To Commend The Players Who Were Available. They Went Out There And Played Their Hearts Out’

MEN’s national basketball team members in the bubble at the FIBA AmeriCup 2022 Qualifiers in Indianapolis, Indiana.

MEN’s national basketball team members in the bubble at the FIBA AmeriCup 2022 Qualifiers in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Wednesday, December 2, 2020

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#BAHAMAS Basketball Federation President Mario Bowleg admitted that the men’s national team could have played better than they did against the United States of America and Puerto Rico in the bubble in Indianapolis, Indiana.

#After getting trounced 99-59 to the USA in game one of the FIBA AmeriCup 2022 Qualifiers on Sunday night at the Indiana Convention Center, Team Bahamas returned to the court Monday and lost 91-85 to Puerto Rico.

#On his return home after he and Moses Johnson assisted head coach Chris DeMarco of the Golden State Warriors, Bowleg said although they only had 10 players in uniform, they gave it a gallant effort in both games.

#“We felt that if we had Kentwan Smith and Willis Mackey Jr available to play against the USA, the team would have played much better,” he said.

#“But I still want to commend the players who were available. They went out there and played their hearts out.”

#Smith and Mackey, who play in Europe, were affected by the ruling of the USA government, which had tightened their restrictions on visitors from that area due to the coronavirus pandemic. But Bowleg expressed his gratitude to the Bahamas Consulate, who assisted in getting the players into the USA so that they could at least play in the final game.

#He noted that the other players they wanted to bring in would not have made the requirements in the bubble in time.

#The other members of Team Bahamas in Indiana were Godfrey Rolle III, Jaron Cornish, Ahmad Pratt, Mychel Thompson, Nashad Mackey, D’Shon Taylor, Eugene Bain and Robert Nortmann.

#With both Smith and Mackey in uniform after taking the four necessary COVID-19 tests before the game was played, Bowleg said it showed in their final outcome against Puerto Rico. “We just have to take care of the ball better at the end of the game,” Bowleg said. “We were actually leading this game against Puerto Rico, but we didn’t handle the ball the way we should down the stretch and it cost us the game. “As we prepare for the next window of the qualifying process in February, we have to try and find a way to get our better players available to play in those games.”

#Immediately, Bowleg said the federation will be contacting the various leagues that the Bahamian professional players participate in and to ensure that they are released in time so that they can compete for Team Bahamas.

#He noted that there are a list of 24 players who fit that criteria and once they can get their release, Bowleg said it will be incumbent upon the federation to get the team to play in at least two scrimmage games to develop the cohesiveness that they will need by the time the next window rolls around.

#It’s not certain yet as to where the next round will be played as countries have been invited by FIBA to bid on hosting a bubble, similar to what was done in Indiana.

#However, Bowleg said the federation doesn’t intend to put in another bid, as they were already turned down when they made a previous request to the Bahamas Government to host the first bubble that they just played in.

#“We’re just going to reach out to the 24 players available to play,” Bowleg said.

#“Once we can confirm the team, we will do whatever is necessary to ensure that they can get sufficient time to work out together as a unit.”

#The Bahamas will have to beat Puerto Rico by more than six points in order to finish in the top three to advance out of Group D to the FIBA AmeriCup 2022.

#The USA remains undefeated at 4-0, while Mexico is second at 2-2, Puerto Rico is third and Bahamas fourth, both at 1-3.

Maycock Leads The Pack

VETERAN golfer Greg Maycock holds a slim four-stroke lead over nearest rival Keathen Stuart after the first two days of competition in the Bahamas Professional Golf Association (BPGA) 2020 National Championships.
Photo: Donavan Mcintosh

VETERAN golfer Greg Maycock holds a slim four-stroke lead over nearest rival Keathen Stuart after the first two days of competition in the Bahamas Professional Golf Association (BPGA) 2020 National Championships. Photo: Donavan Mcintosh

Wednesday, December 2, 2020

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#With two consistent rounds of two-over-par 74s, veteran Greg Maycock holds a slim four-stroke lead over his nearest rival Keathen Stuart after the first two days of competition in the Bahamas Professional Golf Association (BPGA) 2020 National Championships.

#Despite the increase with the wind on the Ocean Club Golf Course on Paradise Island yesterday, Maycock was able to match his performance from day one on Monday to stage out front with a total of 148.

#Playing in the threesome with Maycock, Stuart matched his own four-over-par with a pair of 76s for his two-day total of 152. Marcus Pratt, the only member of the group, is in third with 80-78-158.

#Only three other players are participating in the tournament that will continue today and wrap up on Thursday. They all played in the other threesome.

#Chris Lewis, president of the BPGA, leads that crew with 82-90-162, followed by Glenn Pratt with 89-82- 171 and Matthew Cox, the youngest member in the field, with 97-88-185.

#Looking at his consistency over the first two days of competition, Maycock attributed it to his driver.

#“My driver has allowed me to hit the majority of the greens,” he said. “Yesterday (Monday), I hit too many, but I was right on target today.”

#And as the tournament goes into its final half, Maycock said as long as he can endure the weather, he should be able to hold onto his lead. Not letting him get out of sight or reach, Stuart admitted that he will have to capitalise on the few mistakes he made over the first two days, missing a put here and there. “Each day I messed up on one hole,” he said. “I triple bogeyed 17, so it’s pretty strong with just one hole messed up. I just have to continue to do my best and 17 won’t get me again.”

#Based on the conditions, Pratt said he can’t complain about his performance.

#“We’ve not been playing any major golf on any major golf course at the professional level in the Bahamas at all, so I consider my game in grand standings,” he stated.

#“The next two days, the only thing I need to work on out here is my putting. I didn’t make too much mistakes today, but it was really a putting struggle because I wasn’t used to the greens.”

#Lewis, in from Grand Bahama, admitted that he’s not playing as well as he anticipated, but he’s just glad that they have a tournament to get things back on track for the professionals. “So far, I’m just scrapping by, not playing that well. I have too many loop holes out there on the golf course,” Lewis said. “Today, I shot an 80, but I made a quadruple bogey, a triple bogey and a double bogey. That was my whole day summed up in three holes.”

#The Grand Bahama resident said although the field was quite small, the competition is still there. “We have some people just going back to work, so we didn’t expect a huge number. As a matter of fact, in professional golf, we don’t have that many numbers to begin with,” he stated.

#“We probably were missing about three or four guys, but you have to take the first step in order to start rebuilding.”

#For Glenn Pratt, it’s all about getting readjusted to playing golf again. “I expect to improve every day and I’ve done that for the first two days,” he said. “I haven’t done anything outstanding because this is like only the second time that I’ve played for the year.

#“It’s important that we continue playing and keeping the association alive, so I’m definitely going to do whatever I can to keep it alive.”

#He noted that Maycock has set the pace for them so far in the tournament, but they’re missing players like Keno Turnquest, who is nursing an injury.

#“We have to struggle around that and hope that we can manage more golf courses so that we can get to play more regularly,” he said.

#“Until then, it’s going to be a struggle for us. We need to be employed and have access to improve our game by playing more tournaments.”

#For Cox, he’s just glad to be participating in the tournament. “My game isn’t up to my standard, but I’m still enjoying the experience, enjoying the competition,” Cox said.

#“The golf course is providing a good test for everybody, so hopefully I can put in two good rounds and finish strong.”

#The former junior national team player said he hopes that more tournaments will follow to improve his game.

#“I don’t focus on how many persons are in the tournament, just on who has the lowest score,” he said. “So that is my target because I try to surpass what they are doing.”

#The players will all have two more days to improve their scores.

Bahamas Blows Late Lead, Loses To Puerto Rico 91-85

D’SHON TAYLOR (9) scored a game high 25 points. Photos courtesy of FIBA

D’SHON TAYLOR (9) scored a game high 25 points. Photos courtesy of FIBA

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#A disastrous fourth quarter collapse saw Team Bahamas squander a late lead to Puerto Rico and finish winless in the second window of the FIBA Americup 2022 Qualifiers.

#The Bahamas went scoreless in the final 5:43 of the game and was outscored by 10 in the fourth quarter of a 91-85 loss to Puerto Rico yesterday at the Indiana Convention Centre in Indianapolis, Indiana.

#D’Shon Taylor scored a game high 25 points to lead four Bahamians in double figures. Kentwan Smith finished with a double double – 10 points and 12 rebounds – Willis Mackey posted 18 points and seven rebounds and Nashad Mackey scored 12. Godfrey Rolle also added nine points off the bench while Mychel Thompson scored seven.

#Jaysean Paige led Puerto Rico with 19 points while Gilberto Clavell scored 18 and Emmanuel Andujar scored 16.

#Taylor’s jumper gave the Bahamas an 85-76 lead with 5:43 left to play and the Bahamas appeared well on its way to a split after Sunday’s loss to the United States.

#What followed for The Bahamas was a series of miscues that allowed Puerto Rico to erase the eight-point deficit and close the game on a 15-0 run.

#The Bahamas’ final possessions of the fourth over the course of the final 5:43 featured six turnovers, including four on consecutive possessions, 0-5 shooting from the field and four missed free throws.

#In an evenly played first quarter, Puerto Rico opened the game on a 6-0 run before the Bahamas came back to tie the game at 12 on a Taylor three pointer.

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WILLIS MACKEY posted 18 points and seven rebounds.

#After a Paige layup, Rolle would give The Bahamas their first lead of the game with his three on the ensuing possession and the teams eventually took a 17-17 tie into the second.

#The Bahamas had its best scoring period in the second when they outscored Puerto Rico 30-24. Willis Mackey’s three gave the team a 32-25 lead with 5:31 left to play in the half. Jaron Cornish made a three as time expired and The Bahamas took a 47-41 lead at the break.

#The lead reached nine early in the third when Taylor made a trio of free throws for a 50-41 lead at the 9:45 mark.

#Puerto Rico answered with a 12-2 run capped by Andujar’s layup to take a 53-52 lead.

#The Bahamas still managed to take a 71-67 lead into the fourth. The lead reached as much as eight in the fourth quarter.

#Puerto Rico outscored The Bahamas 20-5 on fastbreak points, 24-11 on points from turnovers, 44-26 on points in the paint, and 32-13 on bench points.

#Mackey and Smith were both unavailable for Sunday’s game against the United States but made an immediate impact as the Bahamas’ roster increased to 10 players against Puerto Rico.

#“We just need to learn to stay with what we were doing. The whole game we were doing a lot of good things, running our sets pretty well, and I think at the end we just kind of forgot what were doing that was successful at the beginning,” Mackey said. “But I think that will be an easy adjustment for us in the next window – running our stuff and realising what’s working.”

#With the loss, The Bahamas dropped to 1-3 at the group stage of the qualifiers and moved into a tie with previously winless Puerto Rico.

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KENTWAN SMITH finished with a double double – 10 points and 12 rebounds.

#In the next window of qualifiers, The Bahamas faces The United States on February 18, followed by a February 21 matchup against Puerto Rico.

#The Bahamas would need a win over Puerto Rico or two losses from Mexico to have an opportunity to qualify. The Bahamas holds the tiebreaker over Mexico by the aggregate score of the first window last February.

#The top three teams from each group will qualify for the FIBA AmeriCup 2022. AmeriCup is the FIBA Americas championship. The US won the last edition of the event in 2017.