Home|Sports|Elite Ballers finishes second at international tourneySports

Simba FrenchSend an emailAugust 17, 2022 211 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Looking to give under-16 girls basketball players a chance to showcase their skills this summer, junior girls national team coach Varel Davis decided to form a travel team, Elite Ballers. They traveled to Orlando, Florida, and finished second in the Super 6 Basketball Tournament held at the Rosemont Community Center in Orlando.

The tournament ran from August 5-7. The Elite Ballers team played in the championship game and lost 45-31 to the Colorado 76ers Gold.

Overall, the team finished with a 2-2 win/loss record in the tournament.

The squad consisted of Savannah Turnquest, Dominiqua Rolle, Geontae Simpson, Dior-Rae Scott, Terell McCoy, Danielle McCoy, Shenell Stewart, Teanna Gibson, Vincinique Dames, Geraniqua Bethel, Valtasia Woodside and Trinity Bodie.

Assisting Davis was Shakira Farrington. Jimmy Clarke assisted with the practice sessions.

Davis said she was pleased with her team’s performance.

“The tournament went very well,” Davis said. “We were able to play four games and made it to the championship. The exposure and experience that they got from this will go a very long way in their development. I was pleased to see that a few scouts came to speak with me about the girls. I was able to secure three high school scholarship offers for the young ladies.”

This was the first time some of the girls played competitively since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020.

“The girls saw what they need to do and will come back home and work on their games. Speaking to the scouts and coaches, they play about 50 games throughout the course of the year. Our young people need to play more games, especially to get our teams prepared to play internationally. They need to play more games and do more traveling,” Davis said.

She added that the Bahamas Basketball Federation (BBF) was not able to fund the under-17 girls national team to the Centrobasket Under-17 (U17) Girls Championship in Managua, Nicaragua, this summer. Forming the Elite Ballers team was a way to give the girls an opportunity to play, said Davis.

“I decided to create my own basketball club. I was able to create this club and saw there were some AAU (Amateur Atlantic Union) games in Orlando. I got the team in the tournament so the girls could participate in something. They are hard-working, and seeing that they were not able to travel to Centrobasket to represent their country, they were enthused about this tournament. For me, I felt just as bad as them because I put in the time with the girls. They needed this exposure and I’m grateful that they got it.”

Davis said this was her first time organizing a trip like this. She added that more trips like this are on the way.

Davis said she is grateful to the team’s sponsors, including Sun Oil Limited, Roxbergh Williams, Discount Distributors, Robert’s Furniture, Bahamas Bus and Truck, A Sure Win, Acropolis, the Myers Group of Companies Ltd., C2G Shipping, Vaughn Jones Memorial Center, Demeritte’s Funeral Home, Nassau Agencies, QBC, Dr. Marsha Williams Bethel, John Stuart, Erika Edgecombe, Member of Parliament (MP) for North Andros and the Berry Islands Leonardo Lightbourne, Jessica Murray and Ryan Turnquest.

https://thenassauguardian.com/elite-ballers-finishes-second-at-international-tourney/

 Home|Sports|Ayton sitting out against VenezuelaSports

Phoenix Suns’ center not available; reason not given

Simba FrenchSend an emailAugust 17, 2022 218 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

What a difference a day makes!

Just one day after the Bahamas Basketball Federation (BBF) announced that all three Bahamian-born National Basketball Association (NBA) players will be on the roster for the upcoming FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Americas World Cup Qualifiers second round competition, news broke late Monday night that the Phoenix Suns’ star center DeAndre Ayton won’t be available.

The news dropped that The Bahamas’ senior men’s national team will only feature the Indiana Pacers’ guard Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield and Charlotte Hornets forward Kai Jones in the second round competition and not Ayton as previously reported. The post stated that Ayton’s representative confirmed his unavailability.

Jones and Ayton down low were expected to be great threats for The Bahamas. They have never teamed up before, and Hield would have gotten some much needed relief on the offensive side.

Guardian Sports caught up with BBF President Eugene Horton who confirmed Ayton’s unavailability for this window.

“He won’t be playing,” Horton simply said.

When asked to elaborate more, Horton did not answer or return calls that Guardian Sports made to him.

This was going to be the first time that all three Bahamian NBA players see action on the court for The Bahamas at the same time. Local sports enthusiasts were excited to hear the initial news that all three would be playing, and playing at home, made the occasion extra special.

The Bahamas will open the second round of the FIBA Americas World Cup Qualifiers with a home game against Venezuela at the Kendal G.L Isaacs National Gymnasium. That game will take place on Thursday, August 25 at 8 p.m.

Also in the same group as The Bahamas and Venezuela are Canada, Argentina, the Dominican Republic and Panama. It is not an easy path for The Bahamas as the team attempts to advance to the 2023 FIBA World Cup, which is set for August 25 to September 10, 2023 in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia.

Four days after playing Venezuela, Team Bahamas will fly down to Mar del Plata, Argentina, to play Argentina. That game will be played at the Polideportivo Islas Malvinas in Mar del Plata, starting at 8:40 p.m.

The fifth window of the second round of the qualifiers is set for November and the sixth window is set for February 2023. Those two windows will be held during the NBA regular season and will not feature any of the three players. So, The Bahamas have to make the most out of the fourth window this month.

In the clinching game to advance to the second round, The Bahamas took down the U.S. Virgin Islands, 97-80, thanks to a game-high 24 points by Hield.

In the final game of the first round of the qualifiers, The Bahamas fell to the Dominican Republic, 88-80, in a competitive game at the Baha Mar Convention Center in Nassau, The Bahamas, on July 4. Hield once again led all scorers as he finished with 29 points.

The Bahamas finished with a 2-4 win/loss record in Group C of the first round of the qualifiers, third behind Canada (6-0) and the Dominican Republic (4-2). Playing in the second round is as high as Bahamian basketball has ever been on the senior side, and a major accomplishment for team sports in The Bahamas.

The roster for this upcoming window will be named on Monday. Of course, nothing is concrete until the official roster is submitted to FIBA so there is still a possibility that the big man will play after all.

https://thenassauguardian.com/ayton-sitting-out-against-venezuela/

 Home|Sports|International teams assisted with ‘Summer of Thunder’ CampSports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailAugust 16, 2022 133 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The game of basketball can positively redirect the path of a young boy or girl, unlocking countless opportunities while building camaraderie and strengthening physical fitness. The COVID-19 pandemic forced families inside, prevented social interaction and caused major reductions in consistent exercise for young adults who happily opted for hours of mindless computer games and YouTube surfing.

Coming to the rescue, the Bahamas Basketball Federation (BBF) and Ballin’ By Da Beach Camps offered a free camp during the annual ‘Summer of Thunder’ Showcase. The event featured several top Bahamian, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and foreign national teams. Children from ages 5-18 attended the 2022 ‘Summer of Thunder’ Basketball Camp at the Kendal G.L. Isaacs National Gymnasium. The youngsters were able to learn basketball fundamentals from top tier local and international coaches.

BBF Secretary General and Ballin’ By Da Beach Camps President Jurelle Nairn-Mullings was excited about the opportunity for the youngsters.

“We were so excited to see the ‘Summer of Thunder’ Basketball Camp leverage the expertise of our high level international coaches at the NCAA Division I and semi-pro levels. Their willingness to give back and provide training to the future basketball players of The Bahamas is commendable. The federation and Ballin’ By Da Beach Camps are committed to national development and training of our young people, and what better way to do this than through sports,” expressed Nairn-Mullings.

Bahamian born Robyn Swaby, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of She Hoops Elite, along with business partner Kiara Slaton, formed the Bahamian owned business She Hoops Elite which inspires, impacts, and motivates athletes to pursue their dreams of playing basketball at a high level.

“We have a network of over 400 female athletes in South Florida whose backgrounds range from professional basketball players to trainers to coaches. We decided to partner with the Bahamas Basketball Federation to facilitate the ‘Summer of Thunder’ Basketball Camp because this is one of our most valued platforms that we utilize to give back to our community,” said Swaby.

Nairn-Mullings and Swaby, both former Team Bahamas Junior Girls National Basketball Team players, are giving back as they too can appreciate the work of the Bahamas Basketball Federation helping them as athletes.

“I can appreciate the work of the BBF because as a national team player, we were able to develop better techniques, strengthen our skills and travel due to the sacrifices of coaches and the federation. As a result, paying it forward is something we both understand is a necessary thing to do,” expressed Nairn-Mullings.

Eastern Kentucky University Women’s Basketball Team, from Richmond, Kentucky, also assisted at the camp.

https://thenassauguardian.com/international-teams-assisted-with-summer-of-thunder-camp/

 Home|Sports|Bahamian chess players grateful for FIDE titlesSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailAugust 16, 2022 121 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The trio of national chess team players from The Bahamas who earned FIDE (World Chess Federation) titles has returned home from the 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad. Earning conditional titles were Nelissa Thomas, Trinity Pinder and Noah Albury.

The three players were in action in some intense games in Chennai, India, from July 29 to August 10. There were 2,000-plus participants from 187 countries in the competition. Thomas and Pinder earned the Woman Candidate Master (WCM) conditional titles and Albury has earned the Candidate Master (CM) conditional title.

On January 1 of this year, FIDE made a change to the conferring of FIDE titles at the Olympiad, so that all titles will now be conditional. During past Olympiads, players were automatically conferred titles.

Thomas, who went in unrated, scored 5.5 points from nine games as she won five games and drew one.

“It is a surreal feeling that came as a very pleasant surprise. I am humbled and honored to have the WCM title,” Thomas said.

Pinder, who had a rating of 1,183, wrapped up competition with 3.5 points in eight games after winning three games and drawing one.

“The feeling of earning the WCM title is something I can only describe as extraordinary. I am so proud of myself,” Pinder said. “I am overwhelmed with pride.”

She said she learned that any player is beatable and she can accomplish that against anyone once she takes her time and analyzes her games.

Albury was the youngest on the Open team and went into the competition with a 1,324 rating. The 16-year-old went on to score 4.5 points out of the seven games he played. He won four games and drew one.

“I was surprised and proud of myself when I achieved the award. Going into the Olympiad, I didn’t expect to do so well. I was happy to exceed my expectations,” Albury said.

President of the Bahamas Chess Federation (BCF) Kendrick Knowles said he is happy for the accomplishment of the team, particularly the three players who earned FIDE titles.

“We achieved two 

conditional WCM titles and one CM title. I am excited to see players are already expressing ways to prepare and train for Olympiad 2024 in Budapest, Hungary,” said Knowles.

First Vice President of BCF Curtis Pride commented on the change of the FIDE titles criteria.

“Ratings are difficult, considering the small pool of players locally, but doable. The Bahamas Chess Federation is committed to providing more opportunities for our players to play and win in international, FIDE rated competitions,” he said.

For 25-year-old Thomas, she has been playing chess for 16 years but took a break from the sport for six years, so she can focus on her studies. She is back on the chess scene and said she enjoyed the experience in India. She plans to improve.

“I plan on practicing chess tactics daily, reading more chess books, and watching more chess videos to improve my skills. I aim to participate more in local tournaments and continue to sharpen my skills to hopefully participate in the next Olympiad,” Thomas said.

This was her first time making an Olympiad team.

At the beginning of the tournament, Albury said he was nervous but as the tournament went on, he got confident. He said he has learned some valuable lessons for the future.

“I have learned that even though I was successful at the Olympiad, there is still so much more I can learn about the game of chess. There were many players who were a lot better than I was and this showed me that there is still so much more growing and training that I have to do as a chess player. My goal for the next year is to increase my rating,” Albury said.

Pinder is now 18 years old and has been playing chess for the past nine years. She said she enjoyed the Indian culture and is motivated to play more games.

“What I enjoyed most about being in India was interacting with the 

different cultures and people of the world but, most of all, the food and the games I played,” Pinder said. “I am 110 percent more motivated to strengthen my chess skills because next for me is attaining a higher title than WCM. I now know that anything is possible through hard work and dedication.”

All three players said they were happy to represent The Bahamas at the tournament.

By earning titles at 44th FIDE Olympiad, the three players have demonstrated that they have chess skills on par with the best in the world. They now must show their dedication and that they deserve these prestigious titles by attaining a minimum rating. For Thomas and Pinder, they must have a minimum rating of 1,800 and Albury must have a minimum of 2,000.

https://thenassauguardian.com/bahamian-chess-players-grateful-for-fide-titles/

 Home|Sports|Nairn back in The BahamasSports

Commonwealth Games champion looking forward to competing in Freeport this weekend

Sheldon LongleySend an emailAugust 16, 2022 142 4 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Back home in The Bahamas, LaQuan Nairn has been making the rounds since becoming the first Bahamian to win a gold medal in the men’s long jump at the Commonwealth Games. He paid a visit to the Nassau Guardian yesterday, and while he’s happy to be home, he said the work is not done.

Nairn will leave for Freeport on Wednesday, set to compete in the 4th North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Track and Field Championships which will be held this weekend, August 19-21, at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex in Freeport, Grand Bahama. Nairn is a part of a 30-member team from The Bahamas that will represent the country at home.

Nairn, 26, made history a couple weeks ago, winning gold in the men’s long jump at the 22nd Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England. He had a winning leap of 8.08 meters (m) – 26’ 6-1/4”. It was tight competition for the gold as the top three jumpers were separated by just two centimeters. As mentioned, Nairn is the first Bahamian to win a gold medal in the men’s long jump at the 

Commonwealth Games.

“It feels great – just to accomplish something like that. It feels good representing my family and representing the country. I feel great about it,” said Nairn. “I’m looking forward to competing in Freeport this 

weekend. I’m just going to go there, compete to the best of my ability and hopefully get the gold and break the national record this time. I’m looking forward to that.”

Nairn is number two all-time in the men’s long jump among Bahamians, trailing just national record holder Craig Hepburn. Nairn has a season’s and personal best leap of 8.22m (26’ 11-3/4”) and he’s chasing Hepburn’s national record of 8.41m (27’ 7-1/4”). He said he thought he would get close to that mark in Birmingham, and is now optimistic about breaking the record before the season is over. He already has the national record indoors – a mark of 8.18m (26’ 10”).

“I was a little disappointed in my performance in terms of the distance because I wanted to break the national record, but at the same time, getting the win was more important,” said Nairn. “I’m going after the record. I believe it’s in me. I just have to stick to it, continue to work hard, trust the training and trust the process.

“I have great deal of respect for Craig Hepburn and what he was able to do back in the day. I’m looking forward to breaking his record because it’s been there for so long. Records are meant to be broken and I believe that I’m going to do it. He was a great competitor and a great jumper in his day and he always gives me great advice. I’m looking forward to breaking the record though. When the jump comes, it will come.”

Hepburn’s national record has stood the test of time, lasting for 29 years. It was set at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) National Track and Field Championships in Nassau, The Bahamas, on June 17, 1993.

Reflecting on the atmosphere in Birmingham, Nairn said the competition was intense and the crowd was exuberant. Murali Sreeshankar, of India, had an identical leap as Nairn of 8.08m, but Nairn had the better second-best jump to give him the edge. Jovan Van Vuuren, of South Africa, had a best leap of 8.06m (26’ 5-1/2”) for the bronze.

The previous best result for a Bahamian long jumper at the Commonwealth Games was silver status by Steve ‘Sir Bandi’ Hanna in 1982, and the previous best mark by a Bahamian long jumper at the Commonwealth Games was 7.92m (26’) by Osbourne Moxey in 2002.

“I thought it was going to take around 8.20 to 8.30 to win,” said Nairn. “I knew coming in that the Indian jumper was pretty good. He’s the number two jumper in the world this year, and there were a bunch of other guys who are really good. That was an amazing competition. That was definitely the best competition that I have been in, in my entire life. The crowd in Birmingham was lively and enthusiastic – they really got into it. It was a well-organized meet and I would love to jump in Birmingham again.”

For now, it’s off to Freeport though, set for the NACAC Track and Field Championships this weekend. Following that, Nairn will return to Europe to compete in a few meets before ending his season.

In 2023, he said he will be looking to compete on the Diamond League circuit. The Bahamian jumper has had a fantastic season, improving on his previous personal best jump by more than half of a foot and climaxing his performances with a Commonwealth Games title. He finished 18th overall at the World Athletics Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon, finishing with a best jump of 7.80m (25’ 7-1/4”). Nairn said he’s looking to continue to progress. He got his Diamond League debut in Oslo, Norway, this year, and yearns for a return.

“It was a blessing to just be on that stage competing and having that experience,” said Nairn. “I’m looking forward to Diamond League next year. At Commonwealth, I believe I made up for Worlds in a lot of ways, particularly mentally. After Worlds, I wasn’t upset. I just knew that there was something greater out there for me. I know there is more in me.”

Nairn is coached by his former collegiate coach Travis Geopfert in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He is listed as number 11 on World Athletics Top Performance List for 2022 with his season’s and personal best leap of 8.22m.

https://thenassauguardian.com/nairn-back-in-the-bahamas/

As of Friday, August 12, 2022

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#THR Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers will be the next stop on the NCAA basketball journey for Shavaul Butters.

#Butters, who played sparingly last season at the Division I level for Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros, will join the Rangers and head coach Robbie Harman.

#The Rangers compete in the Great American Conference of NCAA Division II. They finished 20-9 last season and concluded their season with a loss in the opening round of the Great American Conference playoffs.

#The 6’8”, 210-pound freshman forward was the first commit of the first class for Vaqueros head coach Matt Figger last offseason but injuries derailed the start of his collegiate career.

#Butters recovered from tibial stress fractures and finished with five rebounds in his collegiate debut. He averaged just 0.5 points and 1.2 rebounds per game in six appearances.

#Listed as a two-star recruit by Verbal Commits, Butters completed his high school career at Elevation Prep in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

#The Grand Bahama native spent the previous season with Aspire Academy in Louisville, Kentucky.

#Butters began to garner attention from major Division I basketball programmes and received his first offer of what is expected to be an active recruiting process last summer.

#He was officially offered by the Austin Peay State University Governors. Butters also received high interest from UNLV, Maryland, Eastern Kentucky, North Carolina- Greensboro, and several others.

#At the local level, Butters was a member of the St George’s Jaguars programme, headed by Darell Sears.

#“He was just excited to get back on the floor. He’s still got to learn, because he was out for a long time but he was just excited to play again,” Sears said after Butters returned from inury. “He has an extra year of eligibility and is still a redshirt so we look forward to his growth and development with the programme.”

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/aug/12/butters-transfers-rangers-ncaa-division-2/?news

As of Friday, August 12, 2022

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MELEEK Pierre

BRYAN Rolle

DON Stuart Jr

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#SEVERAL International Basketball Academy (IBA) Bahamas players are preparing to take their academic and athletic careers to the next level this fall.

#The organisation recently announced that Bryan Rolle, Don Stuart Jr and Meleek Pierre each recently committed to new programmes.

#Rolle will join the Northeast Community College Hawks, an Iowa Community College Athletic Conference in NJCAA Division I.

#The 6’5” swingman will join the contingent of Bahamians on the Hawks’ roster last season that led the team to a 5-23 record.

#The 2021-22 Hawks roster included Saheed Sanusi, Emaniel Alexandre, Jaden Strachan, Collin Storr and Charles Joseph. They led the team to the ICCAC Region XI Division II Men’s Basketball Tournament play-in game.

#Head coach Dan Anderson leads a Hawks programme that has already announced four signees for his 2022-23 incoming class.

#In addition to his leading role as one of IBA Bahamas’ top prospects, Rolle was recently selected to Buddy Hield’s “Buddy Buckets” AAU team.

#Hield hosted scores of aspiring basketball players between the ages of 15-18 this summer at the AF Adderley Gymnasium and Rolle was one of the top performers.

#Stuart and Pierre will head to Western Canada and join Panther Hoops International Basketball Academy in British Columbia, Canada.

#“Panther Hoops is excited to announce the addition of 6’4” 2023 guard Don Stuart Jr. Don at 194 pounds, a tremendous wingspan, matched with outstanding athleticism is going to be trouble! Beware, the Bahamians are back!” the organisation said in a release to announce the additions.

#“Another great addition to our 2022-2023 Roster. Meleek Pierre is a 5’10” point guard with a tremendous sense for the game and the speed and athleticism to make things happen. “We are looking forward to the exciting brand of basketball that this guard has in store for the Panthers this season.”

#The Panthers have produced a number of Bahamian alumni in recent years including Akron Zips forward Sammy Hunter, Kansas City Community College guards Bradley Lightbourne and Joshua Dames, Ranger College forward Denardo Adderley, Peninsula Pirates guard D’Ante Dean, Okanagan Coyotes forward Kendrick Russell and pro player Detarrio Thompson.

#The BC Panthers’ International Prep programme includes elite players around North, Central and South America and around the globe.

#According to the organisation, “Panther Hoops International Basketball Academy’s mission is to impact players, families and communities, both on and off the basketball court, through faith-based programming, events and coaching. We strive to provide elite level programming and training for athletes both locally and globally.

#“Whether the player is grassroots or elite international prep, all players will experience an elite basketball experience through positive coaching and an encouraging team environment while they learn to play hard, play together and play for Him.”

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/aug/12/iba-bahamas-players-earn-scholarships/?news

BLOWOUT: The Appalachian State University Mountaineers men’s basketball team last night routed the Bahamas Select Team 111-65 in at Summer of Thunder basketball tournament in the Imperial Ballroom of the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island. Photo: Moise Amisial/Tribune Staff

As of Friday, August 12, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#Head coach Dustin Kerns likes what he saw from his Appalachian State University Mountaineers men’s basketball team in their 46-point rout over the Bahamas Select Team yesterday at the Summer of Thunder in the Imperial Ballroom of the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island.

#The Mountaineers, with a balanced scoring attack with five players scoring in double figures, took advantage of the Bahamas Select Team 111-65 in one of two games played.

#The other game saw the Fordham University knock off the House of Hoops 92-58.

#“We played well. It’s an honour to be down here in the Bahamas and to have our players experience this great culture,” Kerns said. “It’s been a great experience.”

#Kerns, however, admitted that the outcome of the games was not what he anticipated.

#“We expected them to play a lot harder, but we realised that they were short-handed” he said. “We played well. We did a lot of good things, so we have a lot of good things to build on.”

#After a close encounter in the first quarter in which the Mountaineers came from a slow 6-0 start, they took a 19-10 margin at the end of the break. They slowly pulled away, cruising to a 44-30 advantage at the half. But coming out of the locker room, the Mountaineers managed to go on a scoring spree in the third quarter as they mixed it up with their inside and outside game to surge ahead 80-45 at the end of the final break.

#From there, Appalachian State continued to apply the pressure as they dominated in the paint, controlling both the offensive and defensive rebounds, to maintain their sizeable lead over the local team.

#Zocko Littleton Jr, a 6-foot, 3-inch guard, canned a side high 14 points with four steals, two rebounds and two assists, while both Michael Eas Jr, a 6-4 guard, and Terance Harcum, another 6-3 guard, had 11 points each. Tamell Pearson, a 6-10 forward and Donovan Gregory, a 6-5 forward, added 10 points apiece.

#For the Bahamas Select Team, coached by John Nutt, Joshua Dames exploded for a game high 24 points with three rebounds, two assists and a steal. Keno Burrows was the only other player in double figures with 20 points, five rebounds and three assists.

#Kadeem Coleby chipped in with eight points and six rebounds and Demari Thompson finished with seven points and three rebounds. Jacob Jackson had just four points, five rebounds, four assists and a steal.

#Burrows, who came to coach the team as he did with his Raw Talent Elite, who won the first game of the tournament by one point over the University of South Alabama, said when he realised how short-handed the team was, he decided to play.

#“It was a good one today because we had to use some 25 and 16-year-old players, who got some good exposure against a high level division one team,” he said. “So I feel great coming out here and just showing some leadership and encouraging the young fellows at this level.”

#In stressing to the players to always put their best foot forward, Burrows said you never know who is in the gym because it could be the next scholarship or coaching job, so they should always be prepared to play their best.

#Nutt, a member of the Bahamas national team management staff, said the whole idea was to get the players some playing time – win, lose or draw. He said once they realised that they didn’t have all of the firepower needed, they knew it would have been a difficult task against the Mountaineers.

#“It’s pretty tough when you don’t have all of your players show up,” he said. “It’s difficult to get people to come out at 4pm to prepare for a game at 5pm because they are working. But we still tried to put in a good showing with what we had.”

#Nutt, however, said the Bahamas Basketball Federation is using the games played so far to determine who will be the best 12 players to assemble to play against the University of Kentucky Wildcats in the finale at Baha Mar at noon Sunday on ESPN. “I believe that with the group of players that we have, we have seen enough to pick the best 12 that we can to play against Kentucky on Sunday,” he said. “Hopefully we will be able to put in a very good showing in that game.”

#The Wildcats, coached by John Calipari, played against the Mexican Pro Team last night after they opened up against the Dominican Republic men’s national team on Wednesday. They are scheduled to play Carleton University at 6pm on Saturday before they close out their trip here against the Bahamas Select Team on Sunday.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/aug/12/mountaineers-rout-bahamas-team-46/?news

 Home|Sports|Kentucky pulls away from Bahamas SelectSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailAugust 15, 2022 195 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

It was a tale of two halves for the Bahamas Select Team as they withered away to the University of Kentucky Wildcats in the second half, falling 98-74, at the Baha Mar Convention Center yesterday.

The game was a part of the Wildcats’ Big Blue Bahamas Tour, and it was the final game of the summer for both teams.

Kentwan Smith led the Bahamas Select Team with 18 points. Leading all scorers in the game was the Wildcats’ deep threat Antonio Reeves as he canned 22.

The game was evenly matched percentage-wise from the field as The Bahamas shot 48.2 percent while the Wildcats shot 50 percent. A closer look at the stats sheet shows The Bahamas shot better in the first half – at a 60.9 percent clip, but they shot only 39 percent in the second half. The Wildcats shot 37.5 percent in the first half and 66.7 percent in the second half.

The difference in this matchup was rebounding as The Bahamas was outrebounded 43-28. The Bahamas only had eight rebounds in the second half as the Wildcats controlled the glass. They had 24 rebounds in that half.

Head Coach for the Bahamas Select Team Moses Johnson said that the team moved away from the plan.

“The game went well,” Johnson said. “The first half, we were connected defensively. We got consistent stops and we ran our plays and got scores. The second half saw the guys break down 

mentally. Defensively, we had a breakdown. We let one guy hit about four threes consecutively. We cannot have that basketball lapse when it comes to Kentucky. All-in-all, the guys gave a good effort and we hung in there for the most part, despite it getting away from us at the end,” Johnson said.

The Bahamas led 34-26 with 5:31 left in the first half, thanks to a 6-0 scoring run. However, an 11-0 run from the Wildcats gave them a 37-34 lead with 1:26 left in the first half.

Bahamian veteran player Jaraun “Kino” Burrows led The Bahamas’ side with 11 first half points but Kentucky held a slim 41-40 lead at the half, ending it on a buzzer-beating layup.

In the second half, Reeves who scored six points in the first half, was the player Johnson spoke about earlier. The Kentucky guard came to life to burn The Bahamas’ side with four made three-point shots in less than a three-minute span. His final three-point shot gave the Wildcats a 70-59 lead.

In the second half, the Wildcats scored at will as they shot 66.7 percent from the field.

Taking over the coaching duties for the Wildcats was their assistant coach Orlando Antigua. Head Coach John Calipari was watching from the stands as his assistants took over.

“The tour was a huge success for us as a team. The games that we played gave us a chance to learn a lot about ourselves. In this game, The Bahamas’ team was physical, well-coached and had a bunch of veterans. It was a quick turnaround from last night’s game (Saturday) to this game. We got a chance to see a lot of things and we got tested a little which was great,” Antigua said.

The host federation Bahamas Basketball Federation (BBF) now turn its attention to the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) World Cup Americas Qualifiers second round. The team that played yesterday is not the team that will be representing The Bahamas at the Kendal G.L Isaacs National Gymnasium on Thursday, August 25 against Venezuela. According to Johnson, The Bahamas can expect to see all three National Basketball Association (NBA) Bahamian players – Chavano “Buddy” Hield, DeAndre Ayton and Kai Jones – in action on August 25 as they team up for the first time ever.

For Kentucky, Antigua said the team and their families had a good time in The Bahamas. The tour began on August 8.

The Wildcats won all four of the games they played. They took down the Dominican Republic Select Team, 108-56. They were victorious 102-40 over Tec de Monterrey University out of Monterrey, Mexico. In the other game, they won 118-56 over Carleton University.

https://thenassauguardian.com/kentucky-pulls-away-from-bahamas-select/

 Home|Sports|Jones, Sun to enter playoffs as the third seed; beat LynxSports

beat Lynx

Sheldon LongleySend an emailAugust 15, 2022 197 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Bahamian women’s professional basketball player Jonquel ‘JJ’ Jones and the Connecticut Sun ended the regular season on a strong note on Sunday, taking down the Minnesota Lynx, 90-83, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Jones and the Sun will enter the playoffs as the third seed, one year after winning the pennant. They ended the regular season with a 25-11 win/loss record, finishing as number two in the east behind the defending champions Chicago Sky and number three overall.

The Sun have finished in the top three in the Eastern Conference in each of the last six seasons and will once again enter the postseason as one of the favorites to win it all. They will host the Dallas Wings in game one of a best-of-three first round series on Thursday.

On Sunday, Jones scored in double figures for the seventh straight time, finishing with 12 points and adding six rebounds. The Bahamian post player ended the season averaging 14.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, significantly down from her Most Valuable Player (MVP) numbers of 19.4 points and 11.2 rebounds from a year ago, but she has led the Sun to the playoffs for a sixth straight year and to 25 wins in a season for the second straight year and fifth time in club history.

Jones and the Sun have their sights set on a WNBA title – looking to win their first in franchise history.

As for the Lynx, they were eliminated from playoff contention with the loss to the Sun on Sunday. They ended the season with a 14-22 record and will miss the playoffs for the first time in the last 12 seasons.

WNBA legend Sylvia Fowles, the 2017 league MVP and four-time defensive player of the year, closed out her career with her league-best 192 career double-double. She had 10 points and 12 rebounds in the loss for the Lynx.

Fowles is the only player to lead two franchises (Minnesota and Chicago) in career rebounding and she is the only WNBA player to reach 4,000 career rebounds. She checked out of the game for the last time with 43.2 seconds remaining to a long standing ovation, and hugged her coaches and teammates.

The winner of the playoffs series between the Sun and the Wings will play the winner of the series between the second-seeded Chicago Sky and the New York Liberty in the WNBA Semifinals.

As for the game on Sunday, the Sun were led by 16 points from Alyssa Thomas. They also got 15 apiece from Natisha Hiedeman and Brionna Jones to help them rack up their third straight win, fifth in their last six games and ninth in their last 11.

After Jones gave the Sun a 6-5 lead in the first quarter with a turnaround jump shot, they never looked back. They went on to lead by as many as 19 points before taking their foot off the gas pedal a little in the fourth quarter. The Lynx closed a 19-point fourth quarter lead to four points at one point, but the Sun responded as they ended the game with some clutch shots and free throws to seal the win.

Jones had a huge putback layup with 1:03 left on the clock to give the Sun an 88-81 lead. The Lynx got no closer the rest of the way.

Lindsay Allen, who entered the game with a scoring average of 4.3 points per game, made six of seven three-pointers and led the Lynx with 26 points on Sunday. She added six assists. Aerial Powers had 22 points and eight rebounds. Fowles was the only other player in double figures for them.

https://thenassauguardian.com/jones-sun-to-enter-playoffs-as-the-third-seed-beat-lynx/