Home|Sports|Giorgio Baldacci nationals get underway at national tennis centerSports

Giorgio Baldacci nationals get underway at national tennis center

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailDecember 20, 2022 79 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Giorgio Baldacci Open National Championships got underway on Monday at the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s (BLTA) National Tennis Centre and will run through Thursday.

Picking up wins on the opening day of competition and advancing to the quarterfinals in the men’s draw were Kevin Major Jr., Marvin Rolle, Anthony Burrows Jr., Jacobi Bain, Denali Nottage, Savano Hanna, Rodney Carey Jr. and Dentry Mortimer Jr.

Advancing to the semifinals on the women’s side were Sydney Clarke, Elana Mackey, BreAnn Ferguson and Jalisa Clarke.

Among the men, Kevin Major Jr. turned back Michael Major Jr. in straight sets, 6-2 and 6-0. Marvin Rolle defeated Phillip Major Jr. in a tough three setter, 2-6, 6-3 and 7-6(4). Anthony Burrows Jr. prevailed over Rudy Williams by way of walkover, Jacobi Bain prevailed over Baker Newman in the same fashion, Denali Nottage took care of Sharano Hanna in straight sets, 6-3 and 6-1, Savano Hanna won by walkover over Spencer Newman, Rodney Carey Jr. prevailed by the same way over Jody Turnquest and Dentry Mortimer Jr. took out Cailan Bowe in straight sets, 6-0 and 6-0.

In the quarters, Major will take on Mortimer, Rolle will battle Burrows, Carey will take on Bain and Nottage will battle Hanna.

On the women’s side, in the quarters, top seeded Sydney Clarke took down Simone Pratt in three sets, 6-4, 3-6 and 6-4. BreAnn Ferguson won over Caila Bowe, 7-5 and 6-1. Jalisa Clarke took out Genesis Missick, 6-2 and 6-0, and Elana Mackey defeated Saphirre Ferguson, 6-0 and 6-0.

In the semis, Sydney Clarke will take on Ferguson and Jalisa Clarke will battle Mackey.

Overall, there was reported to be great competition on the first day of the open nationals. The tournament is being held in a single elimination format, played to a best-of-three tiebreak sets and the finalists in both the men’s and women’s draws will qualify to compete in the 2023 Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup competitions.

The event is sponsored by RMS Insurance Agents & Brokers and Fidelity Bank & Trust.

https://thenassauguardian.com/giorgio-baldacci-nationals-get-underway-at-national-tennis-center/

 Home|Sports|Jones averaging double-digit minutesSports

Bahamian experiencing increased playing time on the court

Sheldon LongleySend an emailDecember 20, 2022 96 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Bahamian Kai Jones has settled into the regular rotation for the Charlotte Hornets, seeing extended minutes over the past month of the season.

During that time, the second-year forward has played the most minutes of his career for the Hornets. After being taken with the 19th overall pick on the 2021 National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft, Jones entered his rookie season with high hopes, but experienced limited minutes on the floor.

This season, the Bahamian is averaging 10.1 minutes per game after just three minutes per game in his rookie season. In his last 11 games, Jones has averaged 14.8 minutes per game.

As a result of increased minutes, his production level on the floor has gone up. He is still looking for his first double-digit scoring game of his career, but remains confident in his ability and knows that the sky is the limit.

In a recent interview, 21-year-old Jones said it’s just a matter of showing up on the court and doing what he knows he is capable of doing. He has been plugged into the center spot as well as both forward positions during the past month of the season.

“It’s not challenging at all,” he told the Charlotte Observer. “We go over it every day in practice so it’s just translating it from practice to the game. I know that coach will be watching, so just showing him that I know what I’m doing on the court when we practice to give him the trust in me when the game time comes. So, it’s just being consistent with that.”

The action on the court in his most recent games has been the most important stretch of Jones’ young career, but the Hornets has struggled as a team, losing eight straight and nine out of 10.

Jones had a season-high 28 minutes against the Minnesota Timberwolves on November 25. Since then, he has experienced double-digit minutes in nine out of 10 games. Against the Timberwolves, Jones scored a career-high nine points on 3-for-5 shooting from the field and had his first double-digit rebound game of his career. He tallied 12 rebounds and also had a block. Three nights later against the Boston Celtics, he matched that career-high in points on 4-for-11 shooting from the field including knocking down one out of three attempts from behind the three-point line.

Jones hasn’t scored more than six points since but has been consistent shooting percentage wise, going 50 percent or better from the field in six out of nine games.

The Bahamian player is maturing into an everyday player for the Hornets. It shows that Hornets’ Head Coach Steve Clifford has confidence in his ability.

“Coach told me, ‘Kai you’ve just got to show me the consistency in practice.’ So, it shows me he’s a man of his word, and I can trust him. It gives me that trust in coach just like he’s trusting in me. It makes the relationship more genuine because we are just being real about what we are doing here. So that’s the good part of it. Hopefully, we can continue to take those strides in the relationship and that will translate onto the court and make us a better team.”

So far this season, Jones has appeared in 21 games, already matching the output from last season when he spilt time between the big league Hornets and their NBA G League affiliate Greensboro Swarm. He is averaging 3.0 points and 2.3 rebounds per game this season while shooting 49.1 percent from the floor and 72.7 percent from the free throw line. Jones has knocked down three three-pointers in 11 attempts this season.

As a team, the Hornets are struggling, losing eight straight and nine of their last 10 games. They are dead last in the Eastern Conference of the NBA with a 7-23 win/loss record.

Jones and the Hornets faced the Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, last night, but the result of that game was unavailable up to press time. 

https://thenassauguardian.com/jones-averaging-double-digit-minutes/

As of Monday, December 19, 2022

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#POWER hitting third baseman Bertram Murray III, coming off an impressive year in the Chicago Cubs minor league baseball organisation, capped off the first All-Bahamian final to become the first home grown player to capture the Don’t Blink Home Run Derby title.

#In a dramatic showdown as the fifth edition of the event returned from Paradise Island to the Montagu shores, Murray, better known as ‘Deeja,’ out-slugged Trent ‘T-Money’ Deveaux 9-8 in the final of the country’s biggest event that highlighted the majority of the players playing in the minor leagues or in college.

#The event, organised by the duo of Todd Isaacs Jr and Lucius Fox, came one week after the Bahamas Baseball Association hosted the Caribbean Cup Baseball Championships in the newly built Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium.

#Some of the derby participants represented the Bahamas in a fourth-place finish. Murray III, who didn’t participate for Team Bahamas, came home and joined the list of Home Run Derby champions, which includes Bo Bichette of the Toronto Blue Jays – winner of the first two titles in 2018 and 2019 – Miami Marlins outfielder Lewis Brinson, the winner in 2020 and Kansas City Royals catcher MJ Melendez took the crown in 2021.

#“Somebody had to do it. Whether it was me or Trent, someone had to keep it home in the Bahamas,” said Murray III about clinching the title. “I felt comfortable out there. I had a good thrower, so I felt comfortable.

#“From the time we were youngsters, me and Trent always had some friendly competition, so it was good going up against him. It feels good, though, to be the one to bring the title back to the Bahamas.”

#Although he fell short, Deveaux said he was just delighted to be able to make the All-Bahamian final.

#“We made sure that the trophy stayed here, so whatever we had to do, we did it,” Deveaux said. “I was supposed to win the tittle, but I came close, one step closer to winning it. So next year, I’m going all out to win it.”

#Deveaux, 22, admitted that after getting off to a sluggish start, he was able to make up enough grounds to put himself in contention for the title. Murray III just wanted it a little more and it showed when he followed Deveaux.

#“I have something coming for BJ. But he was amazing today. He deserved that one. He came here to put on a show,” Deveaux said. “That’s all we came out to do is to put on a show. But he did it this time.”

#After finishing the season in low A with the Inland Empire 66ers, Deveaux said he will continue working until he reaches his ultimate goal, which is to play in the major leagues, joining the latest Bahamians to do so, including injured Jasrado ‘Jazz’ Chisholm of the Miami Marlins and co-organiser Lucius Fox, who made a brief debut with the Washington Nationals.

#Murray Jr, 22, was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 15th round of the 2021 draft out of Florida Athletic University. After spending his first season with the Cubs affiliate in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League, Murray III was promoted to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, the Single-A affiliate of the Cubs before moving up to High-A South Bend this year.

#“The season was fun, but it’s over now, so I have to look forward to next year,” lamented Murray, who finished the season with the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League. “I just want to go out there and compete everyday and have some fun with it. I just want to do my best.”

#While Murray took home the individual award, Team Fox beat out Team Isaacs for the team title.

#Team Fox included Kashon Conliffe of the San Diego Padres, Dax Stubbs of the Baltimore Orioles, Keithron Moss of the Texas Rangers, Kristin Munroe and D’Shawn Knowles of the Los Angeles Angels, Anfernee Seymour of the Long Island Ducks, Dabiel Johnson, a free agent, Marcus Wilson of the Seattle Mariners, Murray Jr, Zion Bannister of the Texas Rangers, Warren Saunders of the New York Mets, Richie Palacious of the Cleveland Guardians, Khalil Lee of the New York Mets, Nick Gordon of the Minnesota Twins, Lewis Brinson of the San Francisco Giants, Dominic Smith, a free agent and MJ Melendez of the Kansas City Chiefs.

#Team Isaacs featured Paris Johnson of the Los Angels Dodgers, Cherif Neymour, Andre Arthur, Simmons, Steven Adderley and Ian Lewis of the Miami Marlins, Adari Grant of the St Louis Cardinals, Everette Cooper of the Houston Astros, Ryan Reckley of the San Francisco Giants, Deveaux of the LA Angels, Corey Julks of the Houston Astros, Ellison Hanna of the Lake Erie Crushers, Masyn QWinn of the St Louis Cardinals, Akil Baddoo of the Detroit Tigers, Joshua Palacios of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Will Benson of the Cleveland Guardians and Isaacs of the Lake Eric Crushers.

#The Home Derby was the culmination of a week of activities organised by Fox and Isaacs Jr as they brought the island nation’s minor league players home where they participated in a celebrity softball and golf and children’s clinic.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/dec/19/home-run-king-bj-murray-iii-wins-home-run-derby/?news

As of Monday, December 19, 2022

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#THE University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers, the athletic programme that features Bahamian star Sydney Clarke on their women’s tennis team, came back to town on Friday and took home the 2022 HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl football title.

#The Blazers, with the go-ahead touchdown from Jermaine Brown Jr on 4th-and-1 with one minute and 33 seconds left, held on as Rennard Ellis tackled Jalen Walker at the 1-yard line on the final play of the game that was sealed with kicker Matt Quinn booting in the extra point for a 24-20 win over Miami (Ohio) RedHawks at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

#“There’s no doubt, it’s just our philosophy,” said UAB’s interim coach Bryant Vincent on their decision to go for the play on 4th-and-1. “We believe if it’s ever a yard or less, we have the offensive line, we have the tight ends, we have the quarterback and running backs that can get that yard.

#“Doesn’t matter who we’re against, if it’s a yard or less, we’re going for it because we believe in who we are, what we stand for, and the players that we have.”

#Brown Jr, who ended up rushing for 116 yards and two touchdowns, said what he did was an automatic play in any team’s book. He was just the one entrusted with the heroic effort after the Blazers completed five plays on a 70-yard drive.

#“First of all, I want to thank God for giving me the opportunity to show my talent,” Brown said. I knew it was 4th and 1, and I knew we needed to score in 1:50. So, I needed that, and my team believed in me.”

#While his performance will be the highlight of the game and one of the top plays on ESPN, which carried the game live, wide receiver Trea Shropshire and linebacker Michael Fairbanks II will be logged into the history book for their performances turned in on the two different ends of the field.

#Shropshire was named the game’s offensive most valuable player (MVP) having tied the Bahamas Bowl record with 183 yards receiving and Fairbanks II was the defensive MVP having posted seven tackles, 1,5 TFL, 0.5 sack and a blocked extra point.

#“It’s a blessing. It’s all thanks to God, my coaches, my teammates, and my family as well,” said Fairbanks as he shared his wealth on the honour received. “It’s a shoutout to me, and I’m very blessed to be honoured.”

#UAB claimed its third bowl victory in school history with back-to-back bowl victories as they marked their 50th victory since 2017 when they made their debut here for the fourth edition of the bowl, only to come highly disappointed in a 41-6 crushing defeat to the Ohio Bobcats.

#As they celebrated this time, UAB improved its Conference USA record to 7-6, dropping Miami to 6-7 in the Mid-American Conference after they got stopped when they marched down the field and attempted to score, but were stopped by Ellis on the final play of the game.

#Miami head coach Chuck Martin said it was a game they should have won. They had exerted 6:37 to execute 12 plays that concluded with running back Kenny Tracy running 10 yards on a catch for the touchdown and kicker Graham Nicholson nailing the extra point to give the RedHawks a 20-17 lead.

#That was at the 6:52 mark, which left more than enough time for UAB to mound their dramatic comeback as they were crowned the new champions, leaving a bitter-sweet taste in the mouths of Miami.

#“Obviously, they jumped on us 10-0. When we got it to 10-6 before the half, I felt like we were in really good shape,” he said. “We had a chance at the end. We had a lead and got a huge turnover, had a chance for the offence to end the game right there.

#“We don’t get it done. And credit to them they went 70 yards. Obviously [we are] really disappointed, not in our players, they always battle and fought to the end. We made a ton of plays made a ton of big plays and credit to UAB they made one more play.”

#For at least two of the RedHawks’ players, quarterback Aveon Smith and senior linebacker Matt Salopek, they admitted that they gave it their best shot, but it just wasn’t enough to propel them over the top.

#“We (have) been fighting through adversity all season, so it isn’t anything new to us,” Smith said. “We wanted to start it fast and make sure we finished but it didn’t go our way. Sticking together as a team is something we have been doing all year, so I’m proud of ourselves for sticking together.”

#Added Salopek: “It’s been something we have been hanging our hat on all year, playing through bad plays and keep on fighting through the game. I know the offence was sticking together and we were trying to get them the ball back and the defence was sticking together trying to get a stop for them. I’m proud of how hard we fought today and UAB was just a great team.”

#After receiving the prestigious Prime Minister Trophy, which was presented by Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg, coach Vincent said there’s no better place to win a bowl game than in Paradise.

#“The Bahamas is paradise. The way we were treated from the moment we got off the plane to right now has been first class. This is a first-class bowl game. The people here, the community here are all first class,” Vincent said.

#“I’ll tell you this right now and our players said it too, if we could go to any bowl game, every year we would come to the Bahamas Bowl. It’s beautiful. We’ve been treated first class like I said. It’s just special.”

#Vincent thanked the people and the organisation of the Bahamas Bowl.

#“I’d come back every year if it was up to me,” he summed up. “It’s paradise, the people are first class, we’ve been treated with open arms, and we put on one heck of a game. I can’t thank you guys enough.”

#The week-long experience was a tremendous one for both teams as they bonded in the immense attractions at their home base at Atlantis and participated in a youth training camp for the Bahamian children, many of whom came out and showed their appreciation during the game.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/dec/19/bahamas-bowl-blazers-take-title-uab/?news

As of Monday, December 19, 2022

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#WITH a little more time to work with their teams, coaches for both the New Providence and Grand Bahama All-Stars feel as if they could have had better showings against the Miami Northwestern High School in the Hoopfest High School Tournament at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium over the weekend.

#On Friday, the New Providence All-Stars got off to a slow start and ended up getting routed 71-36 by Miami.

#On Saturday, the Grand Bahama All-Stars got off to a good start, but couldn’t maintain their composure, losing 66-47 to Miami.

#The two-day event featured some of the top high school teams out of the United States of America. Although no champions were crowned, all of the teams, except those from the Bahamas, played two games.

#By virtue of having two teams, the NP and GB All-Stars only played once.

#• Here’s a summary of the games played in the tournament organised by American Glenn Smith and Bahamians Jerome Gomez and Jeff Rodgers.

#Duncanville High School def. Roselle Catholic 73-58, Duncanville High nipped Oak Ridge High 76-74, Sunrise Christians def. Oak Ridge High 58-53 and Sunrise Christians def. Roselle Catholic High 73-62.

#Miami Northwestern High 66, Grand Bahama All-Stars 47: After coming back from a 12-11 deficit at the end of the first quarter, the Floridians managed to surge ahead 28-23 at the half and they never looked back.

#Calvin Russell exploded for a game high 28 points with 11 points and five assists, Tristan Thomas had 12 points with eight rebounds and both PJ Paulk and Giovanny Desire both added 10 points.

#“I think we had a slow start and that was because of the way this team played us, but we managed to pick it up and started to play Bulls basketball,” said Miami’s coach Melvin Randall. “This is our first time in the Bahamas. We enjoyed it, so we will be back.”

#For the GB All-Stars, Tiano Roberts was the only player in double figures with 19 points and seven rebounds. Their next best scorer was Denage Kelly with six points.

#“It was a great experience. We did what we expected with the short time to work with these guys. I think we let it get away from us midway in the third quarter,” said Darrel Sears, who coached the GB team along with Jay Philippe and Kevin Clarke.

#“We were right there in the game, but we couldn’t rebound the ball. Our size hurt us a bit. They did what they wanted to do to us in the third quarter as they pulled away. Our guys just got discouraged. But it was a great experience.

#Miami Northwestern 71, NP All-Stars 36: Thanks to a 15-3 spurt in the first quarter, the next door neighbours didn’t have any mercy, extending their margin to 40-20 at the half and they were never in any trouble the rest of the way.

#Calvin Russell came up big with 21 points, 10 rebounds and five steals, Fatoma Faulk 15 points with 10 rebounds and Coru Lovett added 13 points.

#For the losing home based team out of New Providence, Laterro Young was the only player in double figures with 13 points and four rebounds. Jefferson Bethel was next with seven points.

#“We could have done a much better job in terms of closing out the shooters. But it was a good game, but we just needed more games to improve as a team,” said NP coach Denycko Bowles. “We started out pretty late preparing this team. It’s not fun when you lose, but they will learn from this experience.”

#Darshtyn Baker, who assisted Bowles, couldn’t agree more.

#“Most of our guys are not used to playing at this level, but they managed to settle down. It was a bit too late,” Baker said.

#“This was a test for them to see the level that they have to face. Most of the guys are 10 and 11 graders, so they still have some more preparation to go.”

#Duncanville High 76, Oak Ridge High 74: With just six seconds left on the clock, Ron Holland drove inside for the game winning lay-up to keep the Texas top ranked Duncanville High undefeated in their two games played as they improved their season’s record to 11-0.

#“I felt really good. My team-mates trusted me with the ball and I knew once I went for it, it was going to go,” said Holland, who finished with a game high 29 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block shot. “We just love being here. It was a great event for us to participate in.”

#KJ Lewis added 15 points with five rebounds and Kayden Edwards had 13 points for the Panthers in the win.

#“We knew it was going to be a hard-fought game because it was a quick turn around for us after playing the last game last night and the first one today,” said Duncanville’s coach Neiman Ford. “I knew we just needed to take it in striking distance.

#“We have a team that plays with a heart of a champion. These kids have already won three straight state championships, so there’s no quitting in us. This is our first time here, but we are in awe. We had such a wonderful time and to win both games we played was what we came here to do.”

#In a losing effort for Oak Ridge, Jordan Tillery had 20 points and four rebounds, Cameron Simpson had 12 points and three rebounds and Tyler Johnson helped out with 10 points and four rebounds.

#Duncanville High 73, Roselle Catholic 58: Ron Holland pumped in 18 points, Kayden Edwards had 17; KJ Lewis had 15 with 11 rebounds and Cameron Barnes finished with 13 points and seven rebounds in their opener.

#Sebastian Robinson had 14 points and five rebounds, Al-Terick Watson had 11 points with four rebounds and Akil Watson added 10 points with six rebounds in the loss for Roselle Catholic.

#Sunrise Christians 73, Roselle Catholic High 62: Matas Buzelis led a balanced scoring attack in the final game played with a game high 20 points with 14 rebounds, two block shots and a pair of assists as Sunrise, the alma mater of Bahamian players Chavano “Buddy” Hield (NBA) and Lourawls ‘Tum Tum’ Nairn, (college assistant coach), out of Bel Aire, Kansas, remained undefeated.

#Miro Ltle had 26 points, eight rebounds with three assists, Scotty Middleton had 12 points and both Layden Blocker and Mikel Brown helped out with 11 points.

#Al-Terick Watson scored 14 points with three rebounds, Simon Wilcher had 13 points, five rebounds and five assists Mackenzie Mgbako added 10 points and nine rebounds in the loss for Roselle Catholic from New Jersey.

#Sunrise Christians 58, Oak Ridge High 53: Matas Buzelis scored a game high 17 points with seven rebounds and Scotty Middleton provided a 1-2 punch with 10 points as Sunrise got the win.

#Jordan Tillery paced the losers with 16 points with six steals and four rebounds. Tyler Johnson added 14 points with six rebounds.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/dec/19/hoopfest-tournament-blast-top-high-school-teams-us/?news

As of Monday, December 19, 2022

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#THE New Providence Basketball Association will complete the year with games on tap tonight and Wednesday at the AF Adderley Gymnasium before taking a break for the Christmas holiday. The league will return to action on January 4.

#• Here’s a summary of the games played over the weekend:

#TMT Giants 8, University of the Bahamas Mingoes 73: Randy Miller exploded for 23 points with 13 rebounds, two assists and two block shots in pacing the Giants to their first victory in three games played so far on Saturday night.

#Ujamaa Johnson helped with 19 points and three assists, Daniel Hall had 16 points, four assists, two rebounds and two steals and Travaughn Nicholas added 14 points with seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.

#In a losing effort for the Mingoes, who dropped to 1-2, Dave Lindsay had 14 points, four rebounds and two steals, Glenderson Black had 12 points, two rebounds and two steals and Delano Armbrister chipped in with 11 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals.

#Cyber Tech 97, BIBT Great Whites: Daniel Bethel led six players in double figures with 24 points and seven rebounds on Saturday as they improved their record to 1-3, identical to the same mark as their opponents.

#Jayson McHardy had 16 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, Jermaine Mackey had 12 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals, Warren Miller had 11 points, seven rebounds, seven steals and six assists and Devon Bonaby Jr added 10 points with seven rebounds.

#The Great Whites saw Lamont Miller score 20 points, nine rebounds and three assists, Darius Dean had 14 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals.

#Discount Distributors Liquors Rockets 82, Caro Contractors Shockers 74: Livingstone Munnings pumped in a game high 24 points with 11 rebounds, two steals, an assist and a block in securing their third consecutive win for the Rockets.

#Abel Johnson scored 18 points with six rebounds, six assists and two steals and Roosevelt ‘Chicken’ Whylly ended up with 11 points, 15 rebounds, three assists a steal and a block shot.

#For the Shockers, who suffered their first defeat in four games, William Rigby scored 22 points with seven rebounds and four steals, but it wasn’t enough.

#Shakwon Lewis had 14 points, five rebounds four assists and four steals.

#Tonight

#7pm – Rebels vs Your Essential Store (DII)

#8:30pm – Discount Distributors Liquors Rockets vs Tucker Boys (D1)

#Wednesday

#8pm – Rebels vs Zulu Media Marketing (D1)

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/dec/19/npba-end-year-wednesday/?news

As of Monday, December 19, 2022

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#SOME exciting matches are scheduled today as The Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) kicks off the Giorgio Baldacci Open Nationals at the National Tennis Centre until December 22.

#The Bahamas’ top athletes will compete to not only be crowned national champion but to also be a part of the 2023 Davis Cup (men) and the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup (BJK women).

#This year promises to be another exciting year as tennis players (juniors and adults) will vie for the championship title.

#The cast includes some of our top juniors, college players and former Davis Cup and BJK Cup players.

#The event is open which allows anyone over the age of 14 to compete.

#The tournament is named in honour of former president Giorgio Baldacci.

#Currently, there are no players on the ATP or WTA circuit that meet the criteria of top 800 (Davis Cup and BJK Cup exemption criteria) and so all players must participate in the Open Nationals should they wish to represent their country in 2023.

#This year the Bahamas was able to remain in both the Davis Cup Americas III and BJK Cup II Groups, staving off relegation to another group.

#At the end of the Giorgio Baldacci Open Nationals tournament, two finalists will automatically be named to the Bahamas BJK and Davis Cup teams. An invitational is expected to be held in 2023 to fill the remaining spots on the team. All players must complete the tournament to obtain ranking positions (men positioning up to 17, women positioning up to 8).

#The tournament is sponsored by RMS Insurance Agents and Brokers and Fidelity Bank & Trust Bahamas Limited.

#We look forward to some competitive matches as the Road to the 2023 Davis Cup and BJK Cup gets underway today at 9am. Let the matches begin.

As of Monday, December 19, 2022

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#INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 30 points, Julius Randle made six free throws in the final minute and the New York Knicks beat the Indiana Pacers 109-106 yesterday for their NBA-best seventh consecutive victory.

#The 19th and final lead change came in the final minute, when Randle made two foul shots with 45.6 seconds remaining for a 105-104 lead. After the teams exchanged turnovers, Randle hit four more free throws in the final two possessions. The Pacers missed a shot from just inside half-court at the buzzer.

#“Right now, New York is as good as any team in the NBA,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said.

#Randle finished with 25 points and 14 rebounds. RJ Barrett added 24 points.

#“To win on the road and like this, it was tough,” Randle said. “It was a hard game, but we got it done.”

#Brunson, who was 11 of 22 from the field with three 3-pointers, started a fourth-quarter comeback from a 104-98 hole with a 3-pointer and then a steal and a layup in a span of 24 seconds.

#“We just kept fighting,” Brunson said. “We’re confident, but we know we’ve still got a lot of work to do. We’ve just got to stay focused. We can’t relax. We can’t have bad days. We’ve got to stay focused.”

#Randle and Barrett have carried the Knicks during the winning streak. Randle averaged 27 points, 11 rebounds and 4.2 assists in the previous six games. Barrett averaged 22 points and 6.8 rebounds.

#“Win streaks don’t mean anything. This game won’t mean anything in our next game,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “You’ve got to start all over, put the work in preparation and when the ball goes up, be ready to go.

#“Obviously, it’s always better to win. But to think you’re going to win the next game because you have a win streak, if you start skipping over the steps to prepare for a game, then there’s going to be slippage and then you’re going to get knocked down. And I don’t want us to get knocked down. I want us to be ready for the next game.”

#Buddy Hield and Aaron Nesmith each had 23 points for Indiana. Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Haliburton each added 15.

#“Great basketball game; highly, highly competitive,” Carlisle said. “It came down to the razor-thin margins of plays at the end of the game. They made some big plays and we were unable.”

#The Pacers, No. 1 in bench scoring at 41.9 points per game, had a 35-14 edge in reserves points.

#A first half with seven lead changes and five ties ended with the Knicks ahead 54-53 after the Pacers’ Buddy Hield had a last-minute 3-pointer changed to two points. By the end of the third quarter, there were 13 lead changes with the Pacers ahead 85-84.

#TIP-INS

#Knicks: Randle’s second 3-pointer moved him past Nate Robinson for ninth on the team’s career list at 415. He also passed Walt Bellamy for 28th on the scoring list with 5,083 points.

#Since December 4, the Knicks lead the league in fewest points allowed at 97 per game.

#Pacers: PF Jalen Smith, a 27-game starter, came off the bench for the third time in two weeks as coach Rick Carlisle went with a smaller, quicker lineup. Reserve G Chris Duarte (left ankle sprain) saw his first action since November 4. Mathurin received his Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month award before the game.

#UP NEXT

#Knicks: Host Golden State on Tuesday night.

#Pacers: At Boston on Wednesday night.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/dec/19/knicks-rally-beat-buddy-hield-and-pacers-7th-strai/?news

 Home|Sports|Team Bahamas wraps up competition in MelbourneSports

Five national short course records set

Simba FrenchSend an emailDecember 19, 2022 110 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Team Bahamas wrapped up competition at the 16th FINA (World Swimming Federation) Short Course (25m) World Championships, held at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC) in Melbourne, Australia.

Representing The Bahamas at the meet were Rhanishka Gibbs, Victoria Russell, Luke-Kennedy Thompson and Lamar Taylor. Taylor set three national 

records and Thompson set two in the distance races.

Head coach Travano McPhee was proud of the quartet and mentioned how dedicated they are to the sport.

“The team performance was outstanding with multiple national records being broken by Taylor and Thompson. It says that Bahamian swimming continues to excel or improve on the international level and is moving in the right direction. The athletes are putting in extreme amounts of time in and out of the water to ensure that swimming reaches high levels and continues to grow and improve,” McPhee said.

Thompson, who already set a national record in the 400m free earlier in the meet, was the lone swimmer in the water yesterday for The Bahamas when he was in action in the men’s 200m freestyle. He was able to place 40th overall after swimming in a new national record time of 1:51.31 out of lane five, heat one. It was better than his entry time of 1:55.44. Holding the national record before was Jeremy Knowles, who did it in 1998 with a time of 1:53.34.

Clocking the fastest time in that race on Sunday was Great Britain’s Tom Dean, who swam 1:40.98.

McPhee is hoping to see the team get bigger, so it can enter full men’s and women’s relay teams.

Saturday saw Russell in action out of lane three in the third heat in the 50m breast. Russell was able to better her entry time of 33.68 seconds when she touched the wall in 32.54 seconds. That time placed her 39th overall, as Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte swam the fastest time in the heats in a time of 29.10 seconds.

Friday was a busy day for The Bahamas as it was featured in three races – one relay and two individual races.

After placing 41st overall at last year’s edition, Taylor came back stronger and set the national record in the men’s 50m free. He was able to finish 28th overall with a national record time of 21.45 seconds. It was his third national record set at this year’s championships. He lowered Allan Murray’s 26-year-old record of 21.97 seconds.

Gibbs was in the women’s 50m free race which saw her placing 35th overall after clocking 26.16 seconds out of lane seven heat four. She lowered her entry time of 26.68 seconds. Polish swimmer Katarzyna Wasick swam 23.74 seconds to come away with the fastest time in the heats.

The quartet placed 16th overall in the mixed 4x50m free relay. They clocked 1:36.95. Taylor swam the first leg with a split of 21.65 seconds. Thompson and Gibbs swam their legs with a time of 23.30 seconds and 25.79 seconds, respectively. Russell anchored the team with a time of 26.30 seconds.

France clocked 1:29.69 to finish with the fastest time in the heats.

https://thenassauguardian.com/team-bahamas-wraps-up-competition-in-melbourne/

 Home|Sports|Team Fox wins Don’t Blink Home Run DerbySports

Team Fox wins Don’t Blink Home Run Derby

Simba FrenchSend an emailDecember 19, 2022 77 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Team Fox walked away with the team competition and for the first time in the event’s five-year history, there was an All-Bahamian finals and a Bahamian winner in the individual competition at the Don’t Blink Home Run Derby. The event went back home to the Montagu Foreshore on Saturday, for the first time since 2020.

The event was a part of a four-day lineup put on by friends, current Major League Baseball (MLB) player for the Washington Nationals Lucius Fox Jr. and former professional baseball player Todd Isaacs Jr.

The Chicago Cubs farm system’s Bertram Murray Jr., who played for Team Fox, made history as the first Bahamian to win the “Home Run King” title. He was in the finals against Bahamian and the Los Angeles Angels farm system’s Trent Deveaux.

Deveaux, who was on Team Isaacs, was up first and hit seven home runs. Murray was up and found a rhythm and managed to get to seven home runs. Knowing that he had one more home run to get the title, he looked a little shaky but after two pitches, he was able to send one flying into the water and get his eighth home run and the win.

“I felt comfortable in the finals. It feels good to get the win. It is always good and friendly competition between me and him from we were young, so it was fun going up against him,” Murray said.

He added that it was fun to be able to do it in front of his people and his friends.

Deveaux said he got a little too 

comfortable after the first few swings.

“I started off very good. My swing was starting to feel good. I then got too anxious and I started to open up a little bit but then my rhythm came back. It is all about not getting too big and anxious and making sure I stay closed all the way through the ball.”

Deveaux wanted to win but he was glad to be a part of the first All-Bahamian final. Fox and his team were able to exact their revenge after losing the last edition.

“I had a whole year to sleep on that loss that I took last year. When I drafted my team, I knew that I had the right pieces and guys to pull this victory off. I am happy that the guys showed up and helped us to accomplish the job,” Fox said.

He was happy to see Murray get the win and keep the trophy in The Bahamas.

Although his team did not get the win, Isaacs felt it was a win for the Bahamian fans.

“It is a win in my book. My team didn’t win and I didn’t win, but for the whole Don’t Blink and baseball community and The Bahamas, it was a win for all of us together. We came off the Caribbean Baseball Cup last week and transitioned to another baseball event here in The Bahamas. We brought our friends down from the United States, like C.C. Sabathia and Curtis Granderson and they showed us so much love. For Bahamian fans to come out and show us so much love, we appreciate it. I am looking forward to next year’s event,” Isaacs said.

Fox spoke about the move back to Montagu.

“There is no place like Montagu,” Fox said. “It is truly the perfect setup for us. We have the blueprint for Montagu and we feel that it offers us everything that we need in terms of space. There is the beautiful ocean, and we are going to stay at Montagu. We are happy to be back here.”

As for next year’s edition, Isaacs said they want to grow the event and ensure they are consistent and let The Bahamas know about baseball.

The four-day lineup also featured a celebrity softball game, kid’s clinic and a gospel concert, featuring recording artist Todd Dulaney.

https://thenassauguardian.com/team-fox-wins-dont-blink-home-run-derby/