As of Monday, November 20, 2023

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Rhema Collins and coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin.

#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#AMONG the Bahamians cheering on the University of Mississippi Ole Miss Rebels today in the Battle 4 Atlantis women’s championship game includes rookie forward Rhema Collins.

#She has been unable to compete in this weekend’s third Battle 4 Atlantis women’s tournament due to a concussion which has kept her sidelined since the start of the season.

#Despite being inactive in the team’s quest to their first Battle 4 Atlantis title, she is very supportive from the sidelines.

#“I am very proud of my team. First of all, we went through a lot of adversity. We have been challenged and I think that was good for us and I am happy that we pulled out with the win,” Collins said. Her team, the Ole Miss Rebels, collected back-to-back wins against the Howard University Bison on Saturday and University of Arizona women’s basketball team on Sunday en route to the final game of the three-day tournament.

#The 6-foot, 2-inch forward reflected on how it has felt to be the second Bahamian since Valerie Nesbitt (2020-21) to be apart of Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin’s women’s basketball programme.

#“It is a great feeling, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am glad I came to Ole Miss. I feel very comfortable, I feel at home and I see myself being there,” she said.

#Despite being under concussion protocols, the former junior national team player is remaining optimistic as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) D1 2023-24 season rolls on.

#“I plan on getting better, and stronger I know this concussion was a minor setback but I know it will all workout in the end,” the forward said.

#When she does return to the basketball court, Collins will look to transition into a guard role with the Ole Miss Rebels and wants to improve on some aspects of her game.

#“Definitely ball handling, Coach Yo and I have a whole plan for me to be a guard I don’t see myself in the post area. I plan on being a big guard,” she said.

#Last year, Collins was recruited by multiple division one schools but opted to join the Ole Miss Rebels. Before her transition to the collegiate level, she helped the Webb School to collect back-to-back Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) Division II- A State Championships in 2021 and 2022. Additionally, she represented The Bahamas at age 14 in the 2019 Centrobasket U17 Women’s Championships.

#The Ole Miss Rebels take on the University of Michigan Wolverines in the championship game at noon today in the Imperial Arena, Paradise Island.

University of Miami Hurricanes celebrate their Baha Mar Hoops’ championship victory.

As of Monday, November 20, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#THE University of Miami Hurricanes made their short trip to the Bahamas a memorable one at the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championships yesterday in the Baha Mar ballroom.

#The Hurricanes clinched the men’s championship title with a 91-83 victory over the Kansas State Wildcats, while the Providence Friars took the consolation third place prize home with their 71-64 win over the Georgia Bulldogs.

#Hurricanes’ guard Nijel Pack was named the tournament’s most valuable player after he set a new event scoring record for the two-game series between four teams.

#Pack was joined in the All-Tournament by his teammate Wooga Poplar, Devin Carter of Providence Friars, Noah Thomasson of Georgia Bulldogs and Arthur Kaluma of Kansas State Wildcats.

#The Royal Bahamas Police Force Marching Band entertained the crowd during the half-time show of the championship game on Sunday.

#Hurricanes 91, Wildcats 83

#After opening a considerable 47-28 margin at the half, the University of Miami stayed on top as they held off every challenge that K-State made in the second half.

#Head coach Jim Larranaga said he instructed his Hurricanes to apply an old adage in basketball and that is “not to let the best player on the opposing team beat you.

#“Tyler Perry is a great player who can beat you in many ways, but Benseky Joseph prevented that. We got many contributions offensively from Nigel Pack, who was on fire in the first half, Wooga Poplar, who made the All-Tournament team and onmier Nochard, who is an outstanding player. Everybody played well. The guys off the bench did a very good job as well.”

#The biggest play may have come with 45.3 seconds with the Hurricanes up 85-76 as Norchad attempted to block a dunk attempt by K-State’s Cam Carter. He completed the pair of free throws for an 87-78 deficit,

#At the other end, Norchad canned a pair of charity shots to push the Hurricanes; lead to 87-78. On a turnover by the Wildcats, Norchad was fouled again and canned two more shots for a 89-76 lead.

#If there was any consolation for K-State, a member of the Big 12 Conference, had more fans in the stands than UM, who plays out of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

#Pack led the attack for UM with 28 points. Omier finished with 23 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two assists and both Poplar and Matthew Cleveland had 15 each.

#For K-State, Carter scored 28 points as well with five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Arthur Kaluma had 18 points and 12 rebounds and David N’Guessan and Tylor Perry (eight rebounds and five assists) added 10 papeice.

#Friars 71, Bulldogs 64: In what he felt was like a home game, Providence’s head coach Kim English said the fans sparked their comeback as they clinched the consolation third place in the tournament on Sunday for the Big East Conference contenders over their Southeastern Conference rivals.

#“I would be remiss if I didn’t say how thankful I am to the fans,” English said. “It’s the best thing that I’ve seen since I’ve been in college basketball. We are in Nassau, Bahamas, but it felt as if we were in Rhode Island.

#“Our fans came down here in droves and I said it before, it felt like a home game. It felt like a home game. So I want to thank every single fan that made the trip down here to Nassau.”

#After they lost their opening game of the tournament on Friday to Kansas State, England said the fans really rallied behind the Friars in the Bahama Resorts and they responded with the win, coming from a slim 34-32 deficit at the half.

#Devin Carter and Josh Oduro both posted 19 points with nine rebounds, two assists and a steal to lead the way for Providence, Carter also had 11 rebounds and five assists, while Oduro added nine rebounds, two assists and a steal.

#Bryce Hopkins helped out with 15 points, nine rebounds and two assists and Corey Floyd Jr contributed 11 points.

#The Bulldogs, coached by Mike White, also got 19 points from Noah Thomasson with five rebounds, two steals and a block and an assist. RJ Melendez Jr had 15 points and five rebounds; Jabri Abdur-Rahim had nine points; Justin Hill seven points and Russel Tchewa six points with four rebounds.

#Hurricanes 79, Bulldogs 68: In their opening match on Friday, Miami took advantage of their short trip here to knock off Georgia as Matthew Cleveland led a balanced scoring attack as all starters scored in double figures.

#Cleveland, 34 minutes on the court, pumped in 18 points and six rebounds. Pack had 16 points, five rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals; Poplar had 13 points with 11 rebounds; Joseph also had 13 points with six rebounds, three assists and as many steals, while Omier added 11 points with six rebounds and two assists.

#In a losing effort, Blue Cain came off the bench and exploded for 18 points with four rebounds and two assists. Noah Thomasson helped out with 14 points and two rebounds; Jabri Abdur-Rahim had 13 points and five rebounds and Silas Demary Jr chipped in with nine points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals.

#Wildcats 73, Friars 70: Perry scored a game high 24 points with four rebounds, three assists, two block shots and a steal to lead Kansas State to their opening victory on Friday.

#Kaluma added 18 points with seven rebounds and two assists; Will McNair Jr had 10 points and four rebounds; Dai Dai Ames also had 120 points with four assists and three rebounds; David N’Guessan six points and six rebounds and Carter had five points, five rebounds and four steals.

#As the tournament came to a close, it was announced that the field for the November, 2024 tournament will draw another exciting field with the Tennessee Volunteers, the St John’s Red Storms and Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino; the 2019 National champions Virginia Cavaliers and the 2021 National champions Baylor Bears.

As of Monday, November 20, 2023

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Rashield Williams

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#IT didn’t take Rashield Williams that long to win his fourth professional boxing match for the year.

#On Saturday at the Tampa Beatdown at the Alessi Gym Fitness Center in Tampa, Florida, Williams needed less than two minutes in the second round to dispose of Venezuelan native Nestor Armas ‘El Cacique’ Hernandez.

#After a slow start in the first round, Williams turned up the heat in the second round and he went to work, connecting on a right upper before he came back with a left hook that floored Hernandez to signal the end of the bout. “In the first round, it was like a chess match. We were trying to feel each other out,” Williams said.

#“But in about a minute and 20 seconds in the second round, I was just too much for him to handle with the upper cut and the left hook.”

#The 34-year-old Williams, who improved to 10-2 with his fourth win for the year, said he knew that Hernandez, who came into the match with an impressive 22-10-1 record, would have been a formidable opponent.

#“Although he had 22 wins and 21 by knockouts, I wasn’t too worried sbout it,” Williams stated.

#“He’s a strong fighter, but he just wasn’t as strong as I was. So in the second round, I just had to take him out.”

#At this stage in his career, Williams said he’s been tremendously pleased with his progress.

#“Everything is just coming into place,” he said. “God is doing some great things for me. I just have to continue focusing and training hard and be out of harm’s way. I know God has something special in store for me.”

#Williams, who trains out of the Contenders Boxing Gym under the supervision of coaches Melvin Rivus and Steven Ray, is now looking forward to a possible title fight in the new year.

#He noted that he intends to take some time off after Thanksgiving to return home to reunite with his family and friends before he starts his training for next year.

#“I haven’t been home for a minute, so I’m looking forward to eating some conch salad and relaxing myself,” Williams said. “I’m just so excited about the direction in which my career is heading right now.”

#Hopefully, he will enjoy the trip just as he did his appearance in his last bout.

As of Monday, November 20, 2023

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#THE New Providence Basketball Association continued its regular season action with a pair of games played at various gyms on Friday and Saturday night.

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

#Zulu Media & Symphony 97,

#Caro Contractors Shockers 89

#On Saturday, Jonaldo Joseph went on a scoring spree with a game high 43 points with 11 rebounds to secure their division one feature contest.

#Bertrum Minns added 25 and seven rebounds. Marc Taylor (11 rebounds) and Uriah Rolle (seven rebounds, four steals and two block shots) both had nine and Judino Wilson had seven. In a losing effort, William Rigby had 27 points, 18 rebounds, five steals and two assists, Dario McKenzie 24 with eight steals and six rebounds, Spurgeon Johnson had 20 points, three rebounds and two assists and Christian Johnson added seven points.

#Your Essential Store Giants 118,

#Javon Medical Shockers 87

#In a lopsided win on Saturday, the Giants had six players in double figures as they stomped past the Shockers in their division II encounter.

#Brandon Strachan (five rebounds, five assists and three steals) and Malieck Johnson (six rebounds and three steals) both had 23 points, Matthew Saunders had 17 points with a pair of rebounds and steals, Anthony Dummet had 14 points and 10 rebounds, Kevon Farrington 11 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals and Keon Cooper added 10 points with four rebounds and three assists.

#In a losing effort, Joshua Anderson paced the way with a game high 27 points, 11 rebounds, five steals and three assists, Lamont McPhee had 18 points, six rebounds and three assists, Latreco Mackey (11 rebounds) and Zachary Sweeting (nine rebounds, three assists and two steals) both had 11 points and Sammy Joseph added eight points and eight rebounds.

#Brandon Deli Kings 85,

#Tucker Boys 80

#On Friday in their division one game, Kevin Wright Jr paced the Kings with 25 points, five rebounds, four assists and as many steals, Dennis Turnquest had 20 points and three rebounds, Levanti Roberts had 19 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and three steals and Stevenson Jacques added 12 points with eight rebounds and four assists;

#In a losing effort, Leon Bain had 28 points with six steals and four rebounds, Clayton Ticker 11 points with five rebounds, both Franz Smith Jr (seven rebounds) and Brandon Swaby (13 points) with 10 points and Lorenzo Rolle with nine points and six rebounds.

#Cyber Tech Blue Marlins 88

#Rhythm Rebels 74

#The Blue Marlins produced a balanced scoring attack for their win in Friday’s division II opener.

#Tyrese Porter had 18 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, Jason McHardy 14 points with five rebounds, Devon Bonaby Jr had 13 points with 11 rebounds, three steals and two assists, Samuel Gibson (eight rebounds and seven assists) and Deonta Tinker (17 rebounds) both had 12 points and George Schurton added 10 points with six rebounds.

#In a losing effort, Stevey Jay scored 21 points with six rebounds and a pair of assists and blocks, Jay-Onn Joseph had 20 points, seven rebounds, four steals and three assists, Ishad Rolle had 12 points with 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals, Desmond Bowleg Jr had seven points and eight rebounds and Keino Stuart Jr added six points with six rebounds.

#Today’s schedule

#7:30pm – BIBT Great Whites vs Rythm Rebels (DII).

#8:30pm – Island Development Rebels vs Leno Regulators (D1).

#Wednesday

#7:30pm – Heat Waves vs Mekaddish Millionaires (DII).

#8:30pm – TMT Giants vs University of the Bahamas Mingoes (D1).

As of Monday, November 20, 2023

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LADIES’ half marathon champion Yunelis Lightbourn gets her cheque from Anastasia Turnquest and Michael Cunningham.

Christopher Saintus receives his cheque as the male half marathon winner from Anastasia Turnquest and Michael Cunningham.

The Rebman family of Cindy, Alexander, Chase and Doug with their medals.

Entertainer Alia Coley serenades Yunelis Lightbourn.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#CHRISTOPHER Saintus and Yunelis Lightbourn celebrated their second victories in the Bahamas Roadrunners’ Bahamas Half Marathon yesterday.

#They both collected $1,000 each for their victories and an additional $250 as the local residents to emerge as the champions.

#Their races were held along with a 10-kilometre and 5K races where trophies were presented to the first three finishers in each category. Each competitor in all of the races received a commemorative medal once they finished the course that started and ended at Arawak Cay.

#For Saintus, it was a back-to-back victory and the 18-year-old graduate of CI Gibson Secondary High School said he’s just getting started in his road-running career.

#“My performance was great. I came in confident. The wind was strong and so coming back was a bit of a challenge because I was all by myself,” he noted. “Otherwise, the race was easy.”

#After taking a few years off, Lightbourn said she was thrilled to be back in such a competitive mood to win the title again.

#“It was a bit challenging with the wind and after almost an hour delay, it made it even more challenging,” she stated. “But we ran our race. We set up a strategy, we went with it, we accomplished it and so I’m very happy with the results.”

#At 48 years old, Lightbourn said it’s never too late to achieve one’s goal. She was even more ecstatic when entertainer Alia Coley called her on stage and serenaded the song “This girl is on fire” to her.

#Olivia Nottage, competing in the half marathon, was the winner of the female 20-29 category, but she celebrated as if she was the overall winner.

#“I felt that I did good, considering the fact that my feet were swollen and I had a cramp. I still finished in two hours and 29 minutes,” she said.

#“This is the greatest day of the year for me. I’m going to buy myself an extra large pizza and I’m going to eat every last piece by myself. Thank God I finished and won.”

#In the 10k race, Tineka Goncalves, a Canadian residing in the Bahamas, captured the 30-39 category and was so overjoyed by her accomplishment.

#“I missed my goal by 27 seconds. I wanted to get under 50 minutes, but I was really happy with my performance, so it was a good day in the Bahamas,” she stated. “The competition was great. I was really motivated by the people around me.”

#Louise Munroe, a long-time marathon runner, said she was delighted to be back home to compete in a 10k race in which she won the female 50-59 10k divisional title.

#“This is my comeback run,” said Munroe, who travels between the Bahamas and Europe with her husband. “I love running and this has been a great morning for me.”

#She just celebrated her 54th birthday on November 5, so it turned out to be a belated present to herself.

#In the 5k race, Alik Faraggi of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, but now residing in the Bahamas, said she was surprised when she won the female 20-29 category.

#“I didn’t expect to get the trophy,” she said. “I didn’t know how many people were running in my category. But the course was fun. Too bad it started a bit late, but I am glad I won.”

#The Rebman family from South Carolina made an impression in the 5k as well with brothers Alex and Chase coming first and second in the make 13-19, father Doug taking the 50-59 category and mother Cindy fourth in the female 50-56 category.

#“I felt really good,” said Alex Rebman, who won the overall title. “Both of us knew that we would do well here. I took a look at the previous times and so I knew I would do well and I did well.”

#As the elder statesman, Doug said he was happy to yield to his young boys.

#“I’m getting old, so it’s good to see them perform,” he said. “But to be here in the Bahamas and winning my category, I’m just blessed with that.”

#Former basketball player Jeff Rodgers Jr said he switched to running for the past six years and he wanted to challenge himself and see how well the hard work paid off.

#“It wasn’t a bad course, but the head wind going and coming was a bit of a challenge,” pointed out Rodgers, who was third overall. “I’m kind of used to it, running in the morning, so I’m kind of used to it. But those two young guys (Rebman brothers) from the United States pushed me to my limit.”

#Bahamas Roadmasters president Anastasia Turnquest said the event was a tremendous success.

#“We had an unexpected late start because the Police had cleared up something in the road,” said Turnquest, who was assisted by the vice president.

#“But overall, it was a success. We had a little scare on Friday with the weather, but it was perfect today. Everything went well and we’re looking forward to next year for an even bigger and better event.”

#This year’s event attracted about 345 participants, including a group from Italy, Paris, the United Kingdom and the United States, which provided an international flair.

#The Cancer Treatment Centres of American City of Hope was the title sponsor.

#Part proceeds from the event will be donated to the Sister Sister Breast Cancer Support Group and the MD Patient Navigation Services.

#• The top three finishers in each category are as follows:

#5K race

#Females 12-Under – Victoria Sandi – 26:22.57; Tessa Knowles, 33:15.91; Alyssa Roberts – 45:51.97.

#Females 13-19 – Takashi Seymour – 32:40.26; Peyton Beek – 33:48,68; Shaniyah Pinder – 45:37.90.

#Females 20-29 – Alix Faraggi – 36:53.60; Lea Camille – 43:21.16; Deverne Neely – 50:13.93.

#Females 30-39 – Caitilyn Cuthbertson – 25:25.67; Cecilia Barros – 28:54.76; Latisa Burnside – 39:45.84.

#Females 40-49 – Lynn Pritchard – 30:57.65; Jonineth Cabague – 31:42.54; Keione Royside – 38:48.31.

#Females 50-59 – Gasbriella Fraser – 26:01.52; Charlotte Thompdon – 30:06.79; Wendy Pearson – 36:23.87.

#Females 60-over – Sharon Kelly – 52:41.62; Alessandra Macchi – 57:10.37; Vernice Cunningham – 1:00.58.63.

#Males 12-and=-under – Stafford Sweeting – 25:55.48; Caiden Bain – 26:29.76; Kai Weightman – 37:17.46.

#Males 13-19 – Alexander Rebman – 20:59.21; Chase Rebman – 23:04.75; Callum Pritchard – 27:58.40.\

#Males 20-29 – Pablo Huber – 25:12.21; Tony Gardiner – 29:19.54; Jonathan Lockhart – 36:31.17.

#Males 30-39 – Jeffrey Rogers – 24:15.99; Pedro Barros – 29:25.55; Carlyle Bethel – 34:04.56.

#Males 40-49 – Daniel Weightman – 37:16.23; Ashton Goodman – 46:53.96.

#Males 50-59 – Doug Rebman – 26:50.58; Richard Symonette – 27:33.36; Andrew Hanna – 32:16.09.

#Males 50-andp-over – Alberto Cause – 40:51.47; Jeremiah Hepburn – 47:56.92; George Dimopoulos – 53:33.46.

#10K

#Females 30-39 – Tineka Goncalves – 50:27.44; Erin Fox – 56:31.26; Brave Brave – 1:01:088.69.

#Females 40-49 – Iola Knowles – 53:20.60; Sarah Chemaly – 53:39.09; Lana Radermaler – 53:42.62.

#Females 50-59 – Louise Munroe – 51:34.22; Z Eve Maycock – 52:51.72; Denise Abraham – 56:28.44.

#Females 60-and-over – Anne Lowe – 1:07:58,17; Ebbie Jackson – 1:10:19.25; Eunice Johnson – 1:24:47.44.

#Males 20-29 – Jeremy Noguero – 47:03.48; Bernard Farquharson – 51:20.57; Adrian Stubbs – 1:12:48.64.

#Males 30-39 – Anthony Saunders – 42:31.61; Dion Cunningham – 45:34.46; Jyles Turnquest – 1:00.36.08.

#Males 40-49 – Curtis Miller – 44:53.24; Enrico Toote – 46:21.69; Jason Maynard – 47:00.82.

#Males 50-59 – Kevin Sweeting – 59:53.17; Otis Ferguson – 59:59.46; Edmund Rahming – 1:00:15.10.

#Males 60-and-over – Een Colebrooke – 1:05:49.13; Dave McCorquodale – 1:16:36.41; Basil Longley – 1:41:41.13.

#Half Marathon

#Females 20-29 – Olivia Nottage – 2:29:25.04; Vera Ailman – 2:30:48.46; Tarra Smith – 3:00:33.50.

#Females 30-39 – Tracey Eckert – 1:39:53.34; Pia Venegas – 1:49:57.80; Barbara Kiraly – 2:00:31.53.

#Females 40-49 – Ynelis Likghtbounr – 1:30:10.62; Suzy Eneas – 1:38:55.71; Anne Iversen – 1:42:57.88.

#Females 50-59 – Kora Butler-Wright – 2:12:47.53; Sarah Farrington – 2:16:31.82; Beth Nottage – 2:35:57.50.

#Females 60-and-over – Maria Rapuano – 2:24:46.70; Patrice Chea – 2:33:44.38; Anna Mazzette – 2:51:37.74.

#Males 13-19 – Christopher Saintus – 1:22:51.47; Enea Gervisini – 2:10:36.10.

#Males 20-29 – Dexter Adderley – 1:27:33.07; Davonte Knowles – 1:52:51.20; Kohen Kerr – 1:58:45.40.

#Males 30-39 – Peter Jackson – 1:38:05.82; Marcos Aballi – 1:42:58.01; Peter Wagner – 1:44:03.63.

#Males 40-49 – Oneil Williams – 1:29:39.16; Rafael Hidalgo – 1:33:45.38; Christopher Jenkins – 1:37:32.39.

#Males 50-59 – Mackey Williams – 1:29:07.93; Lawrence Zogli – 1:45:22.68; Eugene Bachman – 1:57:51.40; Matteucci Giuseppe – 2:00:18.74.

#Males 60-69 – Sheldon Barr – 1:57:49.63; Eugene Bachman – 1:57:51.40; Matteucci Giuseppe – 2:00:18.74.

• Sheldon Longley
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Back in The Bahamas in competition for a second year in a row, Bahamian women’s basketball head coach at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) Yolett ‘Coach Yo’ McPhee-McCuin and her team are looking to make the most of their time here by winning the program’s first title under her six-year reign.

The Ole Miss Rebels advanced to the championship game of the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis (B4A) Women’s Basketball Tournament inside the Imperial Arena at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island, The Bahamas, yesterday, taking down the Arizona Wildcats, 56-47, in the tournament semis. They will take on the Michigan Wolverines, another National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Power Five team, in the championship game today. That game will get underway at noon at Atlantis.https://65625669a8436ba6e1a8b8ba3bd7be12.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

For McPhee-McCuin, winning a championship here at home would mean the world to her. She’s looking forward to the opportunity to get the job done today.

“I’m just really thankful to see the growth of our team. We lost to Oklahoma and we were anxious to play another Power Five team. This (Arizona) is a program that has been to a Final Four that we were able to beat today. It doesn’t matter that they’re not ranked – it was a good win for our team. I was super proud of our team – they really believed in the game plan, and they executed it.”

The Lady Rebels (4-1) dropped 12 spots in the Associated Press (AP) Top 25 rankings to number 23 after an 80-70 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners – their only loss of the season thus far, and coming off a season in which they advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16. The Wildcats (5-1) are unranked.

The Lady Rebels fell behind by double digits to the Wildcats in the first half on Sunday. They battled back to trail 22-16 at the half and then opened the third quarter on a 15-3 scoring run to take control of the game. The Lady Rebels outscored the Wildcats, 25-11, in the third quarter and never looked back.

“Believe in, buy in, lock in and be all in – that’s what you saw from a group of young women today,” said McPhee-McCuin, preaching her team’s defense. “We were trying to play their game in the first half. They were so big and long that they were just dominating us. That got us rattled. Our identity is defense, and luckily for us, we were able to keep them low-scoring. They could have blown us out in the first half if we had allowed our offense to be our identity.https://65625669a8436ba6e1a8b8ba3bd7be12.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

“At the half, I told the team that it’s only a three-possession game. We made adjustments to open up the floor because they were so much bigger than us. On defense, our zone held up. We were able to get in the paint and create offense from our defense because they were missing in the zone and we were able to get out in transition.

“We were able to be more aggressive. Our group is special because we’re mobile and we’re athletic. That is the reputation of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). I thought in the clutch situations, we took care of the ball. We just have to continue to play with each other and continue to get experience. We want to play our best basketball in March, but start in January. To us, that is what matters the most.”

Marquesha Davis paced the Lady Rebels with a game-high 17 points, 15 of which came in the second half. Point guard Kirsten Deans added 13 points and Madison Scott had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Bahamian Rhema Collins is also a part of the team but the freshman forward is sidelined with a concussion.

“I’m very proud of this team,” she said. “We went through a lot of adversity and we’ve been challenged. I’m happy that we pulled out the win. I’m glad I came to Ole Miss. It’s a great feeling and I feel comfortable. I feel at home. My concussion was a minor setback, but I know it will work out in the end. I plan on coming back better and stronger.”

Maya Nnaji led the Wildcats with 12 points. She was their only player in double figures. 

“I just decided that I needed to show up in the second half for us to win and I’m glad I was able to do that,” said Davis.https://65625669a8436ba6e1a8b8ba3bd7be12.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

Scott added: “I’m trying to grow and get better each and every day and I just know that I had to show up for my team today. We wanted to win and I wanted to show my team that I had their back.”

The Lady Rebels’ stellar defense limited the Wildcats to just 32 percent shooting (19-for-56) and 17.6 percent (3-for-17) from deep. The Lady Rebels weren’t that much better, finishing at 37 percent shooting (21-for-57) and going just 1-for-12 from behind the three-point arc, but they shot 10-for-17 in the decisive quarter to seal the win.

“When we say we want to dictate and disrupt, that means doing whatever it takes to stop them offensively. In the first half, they were just pounding it inside and we had no answer for it,” said McPhee-McCuin. “Yes, we tried to wear them out. I played 10 people so we were trying to get up and down the floor to our advantage.”

McPhee-McCuin said a win in the championship game today would be huge for the program and set the tone for the rest of the season. They fell short in the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship a season ago, losing to the University of Utah Utes, 69-67, in the tournament’s championship game inside the Baha Mar Convention Center at Baha Mar.

“A championship would give our team something to be proud of. When we lost to Oklahoma, that was a big blow. My team was hurt and I was hurt. We like to win and we want to win a championship and we will give our best effort to get that championship,” said McPhee-McCuin. “This is back-to-back for us in The Bahamas. My administration decided to back me in this team playing here and for that I am grateful. We need Bahamians in the gym tomorrow. I know I don’t make the shots or the passes, but no one represents the 242 harder than me consistently every day. I’m asking Bahamians to make the sacrifice, come out and help will us to a championship.”https://65625669a8436ba6e1a8b8ba3bd7be12.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

Down 22-16 after a sluggish first half on Sunday, the Rebels turned it around in the third quarter. Deans had a three-pointer and Davis followed with a three-point play in the midst of a 13-0 run that turned a 25-18 deficit into a 31-25 lead. Davis had 13 points in the quarter on 5-for-7 shooting for the Lady Rebels. The Wildcats got to within 47-44 midway through the fourth quarter, but made just one of its last six shots and had five turnovers over the last five and a half minutes.

McPhee-McCuin and her staff are adorned in Bahari shirts for the duration of the tournament, showing her love and loyalty for the culture of The Bahamas.

“I have a respect for culture. No matter where we are, I would like to pay homage to the culture, particularly with me being home in The Bahamas,” she said. “Shout out to Nike for giving us permission to wear the shirts. They understood how important it was for me to represent for my country. We decided to go with Bahari and we’ve been getting compliments, so even if we don’t win, we would be the best dressed team.”

As mentioned, McPhee- McCuin and Ole Miss will take on the Michigan Wolverines in the Battle 4 Atlantis Women’s Basketball Tournament championship game today. The Wildcats will battle the University of South Dakota Coyotes in the third-place game.

• Simba French
• 2 hrs ago
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SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – After a torrential downpour and flash flooding on Saturday, the game between The Bahamas senior men’s national soccer team and Guyana was postponed from Saturday to noon yesterday. However, yesterday came and that match was postponed again, this time until further notice as tragedy struck Santo Domingo. Nine people died as a result of a highway wall collapsing during adverse weather.

The Bahamas and Guyana were set to play in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Nations League’s League B Group D. The game was set to be held at the Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (DR). It was set to be a home game for The Bahamas, but because of ongoing repairs to the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, the match is scheduled for elsewher

“The 23/24 CNL (CONCACAF Nations League) League B group stage match between The Bahamas and Guyana, scheduled to be played today at Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, has been postponed following multiple days of adverse weather conditions affecting the area and a suspension of public and private activities announced by local authorities.”

The highway wall that collapsed was on the 27 de Febrero Avenue which is one of the roads that leads to the stadium. Local authorities were still trying to go through the rubble two hours before the match was set to start yesterday.

At the stadium, team officials from both The Bahamas and Guyana were present to discuss the next step which was to postpone the match as the country grapples with the tragedy. A total of 14 provinces, including Santo Domingo, were on red alert, according to the Dominican Republic’s Center of Emergency.

The venue already had the necessities in place such as field markings, corner flags, broadcast crew, two ambulances and a public announcement system. Half an hour after the match was scheduled to start, the grounds crew lifted the goal nets and removed the corner flags, signifying that the game was officially postponed.

Team Bahamas flew to San Juan, Puerto Rico, late last night, set to play against Puerto Rico in what was to be the final match for The Bahamas in the group stage. That game gets underway at the Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, at 8 p.m. tomorrow. This is a huge match for The Bahamas as the country has one point in the standings – three points behind Antigua and Barbuda who are in third place with four points.

Puerto Rico is coming off a 3-2 victory over Antigua and Barbuda on Saturday and they sit in second place in the group with nine points – three points behind Guyana who leads the group with 12 points.

The group winner will be promoted to League A while the second and third place teams stay in League B. The fourth place team will be relegated to League C.

• Simba French
• 2 hrs ago
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After some speculation over who would get the final exemption spot at the 2023 Hero World Challenge, Tiger Woods announced that he will be using that exemption on himself. The tournament is set for November 30 to December 3 at the Albany Golf Course at Albany, Bahamas.

The other 19 players, featuring eight of the top 10 in the world according to the Official World Golf Rankings, were announced in October, and the 20th and final spot was to be revealed before the tournament started. The list of golfers includes world number one Scottie Scheffler, of the United States.

Woods makes a return to the sport after undergoing ankle surgery in April of this year. It will be his first appearance since withdrawing in the third round from the Masters Tournament back in April because of the bad ankle.

The 15-time major champion, who is also the host, last played in the tournament in 2019 when he finished with a score of 14-under par for a fourth place finish. He has never won the tournament since it moved to Albany in 2015. He last won in 2011 with a score of 10-under par.

Three members of the winning European Ryder Cup team will be competing, joined by 11 members of the American team. Two major champions from the 2023 season will make their debuts at the Hero World Challenge – U.S. Open winner Wyndham Clark and Open Championship winner Brian Harman. The field this year features nine players who boast a total of 13 major victories.

This is the eighth year that the tournament will be held in The Bahamas after first making The Bahamas its home in 2015. Once again, all four rounds will be covered live on the Golf Channel and NBC will do live coverage of the third and final rounds.https://7c4f106cff463f875fad04192f634e20.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

Last year, Hovland and Scheffler were paired on the final day. Hovland almost gave the title to Scheffler on the last hole, hitting a ball into the water. He was able to pull himself together and sunk a putt for a bogey and the championship, winning by two strokes.

Proceeds from the Hero World Challenge benefit the foreign-based TGR Foundation and Tavistock Foundation, and the locally-based Bahamas Youth Foundation.

• Simba French
• Nov 17, 2023
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Bahamians Eric Gordon and DeAndre Ayton were in action on Wednesday night in the National Basketball Association (NBA), continuing their seasons.

Gordon scored 15 points for the Phoenix Suns, helping them crush the Minnesota Timberwolves, 133-115, at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns improved to a 5-6 win/loss record on the season, tied for ninth in the Western Conference of the NBA.

Gordon started for the Suns as guard Bradley Beal is still out with a back injury. Gordon made the most of his 29 minutes on the floor, going 6-for-9 from the field, including 3-for-6 from deep. He also dished out three assists.

Gordon got on the scoreboard with 9:08 left in the first quarter on a driving layup that tied the game at 10 points. After leading 17-16 at the 5:22 mark in that period, the Suns went on a 15-2 scoring run to take a 32-18 lead at the 3:08 mark of the first quarter.

The quarter ended 35-29 with the Suns in control. That lead ballooned to a 22-point advantage at the half with a 76-54 scoreline. In the second quarter, the Suns scored 41 points compared to the Timberwolves’ 25. The Timberwolves had no answer for the Suns who were led by guard Devin Booker who returned to the line up with a game-high 31 points, and Kevin Durant who matched those 31 points.

The Wolves were led by power forward Karl Anthony-Towns with 25 points.

Everything was dropping for the Suns as they torched the Wolves by making 60 percent of their shots. The Suns made 17 three-pointers compared to the Wolves’ five.

The Bahamian guard has started in six of the 10 games he was featured in this season and is averaging 13.7 points per game on the season. He is shooting at a 46.3 percent clip from the field which is above his career average of 43 percent. He is making 2.2 three-pointers per game.

After a two-game losing streak, the Suns will look to make it two straight wins when they head to the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, to take on the Utah Jazz (4-7) at 10 p.m. tonight.

Ayton had a rough time in the field where he went 3-for-10 to finish at 30 percent shooting. He had six rebounds.

The center missed his first three shots of the game but hit a turnaround hook shot at the 6:52 mark of the first quarter. The Cavaliers led 12-8 at that point. That lead quickly went up to 19-8 with the quarter ending at 30-25 in favor of the Cavaliers.

The Blazers were able to tie the game at 32 points each with 10:14 left in the second quarter. There was a tough stretch for the Blazers as the Cavaliers took a 52-41 lead with 4:11 left in the first half. The Blazers were able to cut into the lead and trailed 55-47 at the half.

The Blazers never got close to the Cavaliers again as the Cavaliers cruised to the 109-95 victory.

Ayton is having a roller coaster season but is still shooting a respectable 55.8 percent from the field. He is tied for sixth in the league in rebounds at 11.5 boards per game. He is averaging 11.9 points on 10.3 shots per game.

The Bahamian big man will next be featured in a matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers (6-6) at home in Phoenix, Arizona, tonight at 10 o’ clock.

• Simba French
• Nov 17, 2023
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The Bahamas senior men’s national soccer team will get the first leg of their final window of the 2023 Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Nations League underway tomorrow, taking on Guyana at the Felix Sanchez Stadium in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The game gets underway at 6 p.m.

The match is a home game and is being played in the Dominican Republic because the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium is undergoing repairs.

“This is a difficult window as guys are nursing injuries and there are players who are off to school. There is no excuse as we still have to perform to the best of our ability. We picked up some momentum from the last game, so we are hoping to improve on that,” Jean said.

Midfielder Chris Rahming, who has played in all of the previous four games and found the back of the net once, is expecting him and his teammates to play with a lot of heart as they wrap up Nations League action for this year.

“The guys fought a lot more in the last game, so coming into training for this window, it seems like the guys have more heart now. We see what it takes to compete in these games. I think we are going to do better in these games this time around,” Rahming said.

Guyana leads the group with the full 12 points. They only need a draw to ensure promotion to League A. Puerto Rico has six points while Antigua and Barbuda has four points. The Bahamas has one point and will look to win their remaining games. They will play Puerto Rico on

Tuesday in Puerto Rico.

The Bahamas and Guyana faced each other in September in Leonora, Guyana, with the home team escaping with a narrow 3-2 victory. The Bahamas scored the first goal in that game but the home side got two goals to go up 2-1 before Team Bahamas tied it up. Guyana got the go ahead goal and the win.

That game is history now, and Jean is looking ahead to the game tomorrow.

“We just need to improve on momentum,” Jean said. “If we limit the mistakes, we could do well in the Caribbean, but it takes mental focus for 90 minutes. The players have something to prove because we want to go out there and improve in the group stages.”https://7128cee8df8e87f115f27b460f787a1a.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

A look at the scores from home and away games, it seems like the team plays better away.

“We wish we were playing in front of our crowd to show them that we are capable of playing based off the 2-2 result against Antigua and Barbuda. On the flip side, I think the guys are more comfortable playing away instead of playing with their families and friends around, which is the best time to play; but at the same time, the players are more comfortable playing away when there is not so much pressure on them,” Jean stated.

Rahming echoed the same sentiments as his coach about playing away from home.

“It is strange, but we play better away from home as the scoreline shows in the away games,” Rahming said. “It may be because playing at home brings more pressure on us as we play in front of family, friends and people who know us. Playing on a neutral ground maybe easier on the players.”

Rahming is looking to play at a high level to help the team get a win, also hoping to be noticed by professional scouts.

The team arrived in the Dominican Republic yesterday and will hold their final practice today before playing Guyana tomorrow.