As of Thursday, March 30, 2023

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#By TENAJH SWEETING

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#THE Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) hosted this past weekend’s combined CARIFTA trials and Nationals with it being the final test event ahead of the 50th CARIFTA Games.

#With The Bahamas’ ninth hosting of the games being only one week away, officials are confident the country will be able to successfully put on the major track and field event.

#Officials of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and BAAA gave raving reports of their respective areas after managing 1,200 athletes ahead of April’s games.

#Despite handling more than double the amount of athletes expected to be at Oaktree Medical Center’s CARIFTA games, officials only had a few minor shortcomings at the final test event.

#Lynden Maycock, chief executive officer of the LOC, talked about the areas that will be worked on in the final stages of preparation ahead of Easter weekend.

#“There were some areas in security with respect to zoning, there were persons that were in zones that should not have been in some zone areas [and] that will definitely be worked on,” Maycock said.

#“From our competition area, there were some issues with our measuring and there was some new equipment that came in that did not work but we have taken those under control, “ he added.

#Maycock assures the public that those minor issues will be rectified in time for the CARIFTA Games as security presence will be top notch and the faulty equipment has been sent back and new ones are expected to arrive before the games.

#At this year’s 50th CARIFTA games there is expected to be more than 50 media houses for the first time ever at the event. After a full 80-member 2023 CARIFTA team was announced local media can expect more organization and structure as they will want to report on local athletes at the games. Tonique Williams, director of event media services, has ensured that four of seven media areas will be at their disposal during the three days of activity. The areas will include the media press center co-shared with the copy center, the media tribune or press boxes located in the stands, trackside which will be a mixed zone that allows the press to interact with athletes first, and the press conference room.

#With this year’s CARIFTA games coinciding with the 50th year of independence officials are doing it big according to Maycock.

#He maintains that officials will look to tighten up on security, ensure equipment is efficient, and improve on communication in the final stretch of preparation.

#Security will be a key area as the CARIFTA trials/high school nationals only housed 2,000 spectators but with 600 athletes coming from 28 different countries Maycock expects to see 15,000 plus in attendance on Easter weekend. “Our security detail is going to be very tight. We [are] expecting leaders of countries and the president of the World Athletics so the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Royal Bahamas Defence Force, and security personnel team will work in collaboration together to ensure that security will be at its strictest,” Maycock said.

#As the days wind down ahead of the looming 50th CARIFTA games the CEO of LOC has seen an increase in ticket sales for April’s event. He predicted that this would happen and encouraged more Bahamians to purchase the remaining tickets as the full 80-member 2023 CARIFTA team will need the support of the home crowd in efforts to win gold for the host country.

#For persons that wish to purchase tickets for all three days the gold tickets are $75, silver is $55, and bronze is $40. The daily ticket prices are $25 for gold, $20 for silver, and $15 for bronze.

#For those unable to attend the games in-person they can tune in via livestreams broadcasted locally and abroad.

#The colors for CARIFTA are black on Friday, white on Saturday, aquamarine on Sunday, and gold on Monday.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/mar/30/loc-ceo-final-carifta-test-event-success/?news

As of Thursday, March 30, 2023

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#By TENAJH SWEETING

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#THE Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) will host the Royal Bank of Canada sponsored Spring Classic tournament March 30 to April 2 at the National Tennis Center.

#The junior tennis tournament is scheduled to begin at 4pm today and is expected to feature approximately 70 participants, including girls and boys of the under 12, 14, 16, and 18 divisions.

#With more than one hundred matchups expected to be played over the course of the four-day tournament fans can expect lots of excitement from this year’s Spring Classic.

#Perry Newton, president of the BLTA, talked about his excitement leading up to the beginning of today’s third event of this nature post COVID-19.

#“We are really excited about this iteration of the Spring Classic Tournament, we see growth in all age categories [and] we want to encourage players to keep working hard and to be dedicated because there is a reward for each one of them,” Newton said.

#This year’s junior tournament will include players from Grand Bahama, Eleuthera, and New Providence. For the under 14 girls and boys, and the under 16 boys there will be a 32 draw size. The under 12 girls and boys, and under 16 boys will be a draw size of 16. Additionally, the under 16 girls will be a draw size of 8.

#Although the entry deadline for the tournament ended this past Monday at 5pm, adults and kids interested in tennis are encouraged to join the BLTA’s “ Play Tennis” program as the president believes this is the key to sustainability within the sport.

#This weekend’s RBC tournament is geared towards allowing junior tennis players to test out their skills, measure their game, and enhance their skill set in friendly competition.

#The tournament is free for all persons interested in attending beginning today at the National Tennis Center. For those that wish to keep up with the daily matchups they can visit https://www.blta.net/blta-spring-classic-tournament/ for more information. Also, they can keep up with BLTA tennis action on their Twitter and Instagram pages Bahamaslta as well as BSLTA on Facebook.

#The matchups will begin today at 4pm and will start at 9am Friday through Sunday.

#The next major tennis event will be the 2023 BLTA Junior Nationals which will be held in June where the national champions in all age groups will be crowned including the under 8 and under 10 categories.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/mar/30/bltas-spring-classic-tourney-begins-today/?news

IN THE HUDDLE: The Commonwealth Bank Giants went up 2-0 on the division one Discount Distributors Liquors Rockets after game two of the New Providence Basketball Association (NPBA) Finals last night. The Giants toppled the defending champions 101-83 to take control of the series. Photo: Austin Fernander/Tribune Staff

As of Thursday, March 30, 2023

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#By TENAJH SWEETING

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#The Commonwealth Bank Giants went up 2-0 on the division one Discount Distributors Liquors Rockets after game two of the New Providence Basketball Association (NPBA) Finals last night.

#The Giants toppled the defending champions 101-83 to take control of the series. Both teams showed up to play in the first half with undefeated regular season Rockets leading after both the first and second quarter.

#However the Giants, like they usually do, responded in the second half, leading by nine going into the final period of the game.

#By the final buzzer, the Giants went up by as much as 18 points and never looked back en route to a victory on the night.

#Perry Thompson, head coach of the CB Giants, talked about how it felt to take care of business after an ugly game one.

#“I felt we came out from the jump and we played a better and complete game overall so it’s a great feeling and we get to play game three with no pressure,” Thompson said.

#He added that he knows the team struggles with slow starts at the beginning of games. However, they will look to try something different in game three in efforts to close out last year’s NPBA champions.

#On the night, the Giants finished up where they left off last game, leading in fast break points 31 to 12.

#The difference maker Wednesday night was bench points as the Giants’ bench pumped in 40 points compared to the 30 from the Rockets.

#The Giants took charge in the paint with a dominant 54 on 51% to trump the Rockets’ 42 on 40% shooting.

#Lerecus Armbrister scored 16 of the Giants’ 40 bench points and operated as the team’s momentum shifter on offence.

#He splashed four timely treys from behind the arc on an efficient 80% shooting clip.

#Thompson said he gives the guys coming off the bench the green light to come on the court and run and score within the flow of the game. Armbrister did just that.

#The winning team had five players score in double digits in a big win.

#Dylan Musgrove led all scorers with 19 to go alongside six rebounds and two blocked shots. On the defensive end, Jordan Wilson grabbed 11 boards and three blocks.

#Musgrove talked about how it felt to go up 2-0 in the series.

#“It was sloppy at first but in the second half we locked in on defence and executed better than game one and came out with the win,” Musgrove said.

#He added that the game plan for game three is the same as always – to come out, play hard, play defence – as they will look to win the NPBA championships.

#Despite winning game two by double digits, the Giants will look to remain focused and capitalise on the ground gained in game one and two of the big dance.

#The poised teams will battle it out in a critical game three for both sides 9pm at the A F Adderley Gymnasium on Friday night.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/mar/30/giants-take-2-0-lead-npba-finals/?news

As of Friday, March 31, 2023

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#ASPIRING chess players from across New Providence participated in the competitive Scholastic Chess Team Championship.

#The team-based event is one the largest chess tournaments of the year, with many schools trying to defend their title as well as achieve new ones.

#The event was hosted by The Bahamas Chess Federation, and took place on Saturday, March 25 at the QCafe. Queen’s College graciously sponsored the venue for the event.

#The Scholastic Championship attracted 66 strong students from over 12 schools and institutions.

#Excited students from Queen’s College, St. Augustine’s College, Kingsway Academy, C.I. Gibson School, St. Andrew’s School, St. Anne’s, Aquinas, Lyford Cay, Windsor Academy, New Providence Classical School and other various small schools and homeschools, battled it out in a five -round competition.

#The tournament consisted of three divisions: – under 12, under 16 and under 20 with a new feature of the tournament this year, the addition of a combined school team section. This section was added to allow home school students and students attending schools that do not have sufficient chess players to field a team to come together to form a team.

#The QCafe was filled with intense focus as school teams faced off against each other in a bid to be crowned the Scholastic Team Champions and best chess school on the island.

#As soon as a match was completed, students wasted no time and would huddle in a corner or proceed to the outside waiting area to discuss their moves and strategies in their own chess language. It was clear that chess was the common denominator, as students from different schools and backgrounds came together to share their passion for the game.

#Queen’s College seized the win in both the under 16 and under 20 categories, winning the title of the Strongest Chess School on the island of New Providence.

#Dr Paul Thomas, math teacher, C.I. Gibson School and coach for the C.I. Gibson Chess Club, was happy with the performance of his team who placed 3rd in the under-20 category.

#He stated: “The C.I. Gibson Chess Club has been in existence since 2012 but this academic year, post pandemic, has been the most remarkable one. In this period, the greatest level of interest ever has been shown by our students, particularly our 10th graders.

#Chess at C.I. Gibson, for our approximately 30 active members, is one way we remind students that careful thinking must always precede actions. Our chess members embrace this principle and our expectation is that they will transfer it to every facet of their lives. It is important that students play chess because the game is a useful means by which students can develop critical thinking skills, which can help them make thoughtful decisions in all areas of their lives.”

#“The Scholastic Chess Team Tournament was exciting and competitive,” declared Curtis Pride, 1st vice president, The Bahamas Chess Federation.

#He continued: “I was impressed by the level of skills displayed from newcomers from C.I. Gibson, St. Augustine’s College, St. Anne’s, Kingsway Academy, St. Andrews and players in the Under 12 section.

#These players give me hope for the future of chess in The Bahamas. We, as a federation, are proud to have hosted such a prestigious and successful school-based event.

#“We know that the best way to develop our junior talent is through partnerships with school coaches. With this in mind, we are committed to providing and enhancing this tournament every year.”  

#Overall Results for 2023 Scholastic Chess Team Tournament

#Best Team U16

#1st Place – Queen’s College Team 1

#2nd Place – Kingsway Academy

#3rd Place – St Anne’s

#Best Team U20

#1st Place – Queen’s College 1

#2nd Place – Queen’s College 2

#3rd Place – C.I. Gibson Senior

#Top Board Players

#U12 Board 1 – Zayne Berry, Empowerment Learning Center, 1.5 points

#Board 2 – Kaleah Brown, Queens College, 1 points

#Board 3 – R. Caerwyn Turnquest, Windsor Academy, 2.5 points

#Board 4 – Cire Darville, 3 points

#U16

#Board 1 – Avian Pride, Home school, 5 points

#Board 2 – Theophilus Weir, Kingsway Academy, 5 points

• Chika Pride, Homeschool, 5 Points

#Board 3 – Jason Liang, Kingsway Academy, 4 points

#Board 4 – Johnathan Coakley, Queen’s College, 5 points

#Board 5 – Xavier Fernander, St. Anne’s, 1 points

#Top Board Players

#U20

#Board 1 – Noah Albury, St. Augustine’s College, 5 points

#Board 2 – Tadan Ferguson, St. Andrew’s School, 4 points

#Board 3 – Hugesson Valcourt, C.I. Gibson, 5 points

#Board 4 – Elliot Rahming, Queen’s College 2, 5 points

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/mar/31/queens-college-strongest-chess-school-new-providen/?news

 Home|Sports|BYFFL to stage inaugural high school flag football tournamentSports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailMarch 31, 2023 78 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

This coming Saturday, the Bahamas Youth Flag Football League (BYFFL) will host its inaugural high school flag football tournament on the multi-purpose fields adjacent to the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

The tournament will get underway at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, and participating teams will include the St. John’s College Giants, the Queen’s College Comets, the Kingsway Academy Saints and the St. Augustine’s College Big Red Machine.

The entrance fee for the one-day tournament is $3 and refreshments will be on sale. Games will get underway at 10 a.m. on Saturday and the championship games will commence at 3:30 p.m.

“Our coaches have been working with our participating schools from October of last year, and this Saturday, they get to see their hard work and training come to fruition,” said Jayson Clarke, president of the league. “We are pleased to have four schools participating, most entering multiple teams. The kids and coaches are excited and we are pleased to see the expansion of our youth flag football program. We are all waiting to see who will emerge as our first champions in this inaugural event.”

Spectators are invited to come out to support the youngsters as an exciting day of flag football action is anticipated.

“We look forward to the public’s support during this event,” said Clarke.

The Bahamas Youth Flag Football League is an arm of the Bahamas Flag Football League (BFFL) and caters to junior athletes. The tournament is being sponsored by Fidelity Bank Bahamas, Bahamas Waste Ltd. and the Pedialyte product.

https://thenassauguardian.com/byffl-to-stage-inaugural-high-school-flag-football-tournament/

 Home|Sports|Reloaded Baseball to stage first invitationalSports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailMarch 31, 2023 105 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Reloaded Baseball, a program that came into existence in the interest of the further development of young baseball players in the country, is staging its first invitational baseball tournament this weekend at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

The mini three-day tournament gets underway today and will run through Sunday, catering to young players in the Coach Pitch (eight-and-under – 8U), Minor (10-and-under – 10U) and Major (12-and-under – 12U) divisions.

The Reloaded Baseball invitational games are sanctioned by the Bahamas Baseball Association (BBA) and the group has entered into a partnership with the National Sports Authority (NSA) for the games to be held at the fields at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex. Food and drinks will be on sale.

“Our focus at Reloaded is development and our goal is to walk our kids into scholarships through baseball and academic development,” said Peron Burnside, a coach at Reloaded and one of the organizers of the tournament. “We are a self-funded non-profit program and we have engaged our Family Island teams to join the development movement for our kids.”

Taking part in the three-day tournament are Reloaded Baseball, the Abaco Youth Baseball and Softball which is led by Troy Feaste, the Twin City Baseball League out of Palmetto Point, Eleuthera, which is led by Elline Sineus and Grand Bahama Athletics which is led by Oscar Greene.

The coaches and executive team include Peron Burnside, Mandell Curry, Tarah Curry, James Clarke, Lisa Bostwick Dean, Javier Bowe, Desmond Ferguson, Barry Nairn, Stephen ‘Bishop’ Beneby, Thalia Culmer and Kenue McPhee among others. The games will get underway at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, will continue at 10 a.m. on Saturday and run all day and the tournament will conclude on Sunday. The games on Sunday will start at 9 a.m. and the championship games will be held at 3 p.m.

https://thenassauguardian.com/reloaded-baseball-to-stage-first-invitational/

 Home|Sports|Cargill seeks more funding for CARIFTA swimmingSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailMarch 31, 2023 162 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas CARIFTA swim team will be in action in less than a week in Willemstad, Curacao, looking to win a fifth straight title. President of the Bahamas Aquatics Federation Algernon Cargill said that it is an expensive mission and although Corporate Bahamas has done a good job, the federation is still in need of funds. The team is set to leave on Tuesday.

According to Cargill, the trip exceeds $200,000 and they were able to raise $65,000 through individual sponsors as well as support from the Bahamas Olympic Committee (BOC) and the Government of The Bahamas. He said he is grateful for them stepping up and supporting the team, but added that there is still a shortfall of about $80,000.

“We will find a way, even if we have to use reserve funding for other trips to pay for the trip to CARIFTA. It’s so important to be able to represent The Bahamas and go to defend our CARIFTA title that we have won for four consecutive championships,” Cargill said.

It is not going to be an easy road for The Bahamas, as Guadeloupe will be returning to action and all of the other countries will be looking to dethrone The Bahamas. Cargill knows that they will have to put their best effort forward in the pool.

Although they have been winning championships, six of the last seven, Cargill said that they have not been getting the support that they should be getting. He chalks it up to a misconception that swimming has been historically viewed as an elitist sport.

“It’s so unfortunate and so far from the truth,” Cargill said. “I agree that back in the day, maybe the early 70’s, swimming was made up of upper middle-class Bahamians, but now we have swimmers from all cross sections of life involving both swimming and water polo in the Bahamas Aquatics Federation. As a matter of fact, we have every socioeconomic status here in Bahamas Aquatics, but we are still branded with that label from years ago of being an elitist sport and we are seeking to dispel that label, because we are not.”

Cargill added that swimming parents also make sacrifices like the other sports like track and field and they sacrifice to create opportunities for their children. The swimmers’ day usually starts around 4:30 a.m. and they’re in the water by 6 a.m. Then they go to school, find time for their homework, then back in the water and then repeat itself, Cargill said. He said that there are some 160 swimmers with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or above.

Cargill commended the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for the 50th Oaktree CARIFTA Games for raising the amount of funds that they did for CARIFTA track and field but added that they in swimming have gotten the short end of the stick.

“Yes, we’re disappointed. Yes, we don’t understand why Corporate Bahamas continues to see this sport as an elite sport,” Cargill said. “Don’t get me wrong, we’re happy that they’re able to raise nearly $2,000,000 or so in support of hosting the CARIFTA Games, but we are not happy that while they’re able to raise that amount, we were able to raise $65,000 despite a lot of effort going into that exercise. We will demonstrate to Corporate Bahamas that although the support is small, the result will be substantially big and we will continue to put The Bahamas on the map as a very strong swimming country. Our goal is to fight for every single point in Curacao and to retain the CARIFTA title.”

It is not too late to support the CARIFTA swimming team, Cargill said. He said any financial support is greatly appreciated and welcomed.

“It is important to note that we are very transparent with our fundraising and we are very transparent with our financial statements. We’re very accountable for the funds for Bahamas Aquatics. We have financial statements that are available for review. We are reviewed by a reputable accounting firm. It is not as if we have funding that goes in the black hole. We’re transparent with the funds and we will demonstrate what the costs were, how much was raised and where the shortfall is, and where it came from among other things,” Cargill said.

Persons looking to sponsor the team can contact Bahamas Aquatics at info@bahamasaquatics.com.

The Bahamas will be hosting CARIFTA Aquatics next year and will hopefully be looking to win a sixth straight title in front of the home fans.

https://thenassauguardian.com/cargill-seeks-more-funding-for-carifta-swimming/

 Home|Sports|Giants put Rockets on the ropesSports

They take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series over the defending champs

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailMarch 31, 2023 156 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Commonwealth Bank Giants took over in the second half on Wednesday night and won convincingly, 101-83, over the defending New Providence Basketball Association (NPBA) Division I defending champions Discount Distributors Liquors Rockets. With the victory they take a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five championship series.

Leading the way for them at the A.F. Adderley Gymnasium was Michael ‘Furley’ Bain Jr. who poured in a game-high 19 points. The Rockets’ Able Joseph matched game-high honors with 19 points in the loss.

Head Coach for the Giants Perry Thompson said they needed to play better than they did in the first game, and they did.

“I feel like we came out from the jump and played a better and more complete game overall, so it’s a great feeling. We get to play game three with no pressure,” Thompson said.

The game was a close one at the half as the Rockets led 48-46. It looked like it was going to be another thriller like the first game that was close wire-to-wire. Instead, the Giants went into another gear in the third quarter. They went ahead early in the third and increased the lead to 63-56 with 5:20 left in the quarter after Salathiel Dean completed a three-point play. Lerecus Armbrister, who was a huge help for the Giants off the bench with 16 points, made 3-of-4 shots from the field and gave the Giants their first double-digit lead of the game when he sank two free throws. He gave them a 67-56 lead with 3:57 left in the third quarter. A 26-15 advantage in the third quarter put the Giants in the driver’s seat as they led 72-63 going into the fourth.

In the fourth quarter, the Giants took control of the game and the series. They jumped out to an 86-71 lead with 4:51 left in the fourth quarter. The Rockets didn’t have enough energy to mount a come back and tie the series. Now, they will return tonight in an attempts to avoid a sweep in game three that gets underway at 7 p.m.

Thompson said that the Rockets swept them last year and this year they are looking to return the favor.

The Rockets lost forward Livingston Munnings in the first quarter as he injured his ankle. Munnings was instrumental in the first game with 24 points and 16 rebounds. The Rockets could certainly use his services for a better chance of defending their title.

The Giants shot the ball well in the second game, making 44 percent of their shots from the field. The Rockets shot poorly from the field, hitting just 33 percent.

In the early game, the second game of the NPBA Division II championship between the Produce Express Rockets and the Your Essential Store Giants, the Rockets came back from a 10-point deficit to get a 80-76 victory to tie the series 1-1.

Assistant Coach for the Rockets Julian Colebrooke said that they needed to fix their rebounding and hustle as they needed to win and avoid going down 0-2 in the series. They did just that. They used a 30-21 fourth quarter advantage to get the victory.

With the score tied at 75, Randy Blanfort made a layup to give the Rockets their first lead of the game since the first quarter. They led 77-75 with 1:15 left in the fourth quarter and the layup helped trigger an 8-1 scoring run for the Rockets.

“In game three, we are looking to execute in a way that we know how to,” Colebrooke said. “We need to box out, play defense and force them to make turnovers.”

The Rockets got 21 points from Jefferson Oliver to help them in the victory. The Giants’ Brandon Strachan came away with a game-high 24 points in the loss.

The third game is set for tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the A.F. Adderley Gymnasium.

https://thenassauguardian.com/giants-put-rockets-on-the-ropes/

 Home|Sports|Sailors take part in the Bahamas Youth Olympic ChampionshipsSports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailMarch 30, 2023 148 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The annual Bahamas Youth Olympic Championships was hosted this past weekend by the Bahamas National Sailing School and the Nassau Yacht Club, with sailing at Montagu Bay.

There were close to 70 participating sailors, ranging from ages eight to 17, sailing in three different classes – the Optimist, Laser and Sunfish. The New Providence sailors were joined by a crew of sailors from Eleuthera, Harbour Island, Long Island and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The sailors enjoyed relatively light winds on Saturday, but the conditions picked up on Sunday, posing some challenges for the less experienced sailors.

The 10-boat Laser fleet was won by Joshua Weech, and finishing second and third, respectively, were Zachary Knowles and Craig Ferguson, who all sail with the Bahamas National Sailing School.

The clear winner in the Sunfish fleet was Dawson Knowles from Long Island, with Jaron Francis and Delano Davis of the Bahamas National Sailing School in second and third, respectively. It was particularly noteworthy that a Long Island sailor won so competitively, as their local junior sailing club, led by Mack Knowles, has been inoperational for a few years since hurricane damage, COVID-19 and other issues forced its closure. A number of Long Island parents and volunteers are now trying to re-establish the club with assistance from the Bahamas Sailing Association. They seek financial backing from the government and corporate sectors in order to buy boats and equipment to get them back afloat.

A large 21-boat green fleet of optimist sailors was won by 12-year-old Rudolph Ferguson of the Bahamas National Sailing School with Zoya Manwatkar of Lyford Cay and Kai Harvey of the Bahamas National Sailing School finishing second and third, respectively.

The competition in the Optimist championship was very strong. The 25 participating sailors were battling for their national rankings to qualify for the international race team. Those who qualify will represent The Bahamas at the Optimist World Championships in June in Antigua and Barbuda and several other high-profile international events. The first and second places were taken by Eliza Denning and Patrick Tomlinson, respectively, both of Lyford Cay/Royal Nassau Sailing Club, while Finley McKinney-Lambert from the Eleuthera Sailing Academy finished in third place.

The Bahamas National Sailing School thanked the Nassau Yacht Club for its ongoing hospitality and the Bahamas Olympic Committee for their continued support of junior sailing over the years and sponsorship of this extremely popular junior event.

http://sportsinthebahamas.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=7241&action=edit

 Home|Sports|Sports

Jones has first career double-double in the NBA

Simba FrenchSend an emailMarch 30, 2023 150 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

It was a significant night for Bahamian post player Kai Jones as he scored a career-high 12 points and pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds on Tuesday, recording his first double-double in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and helping his team, the Charlotte Hornets, record a 137-134 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Playing on the road at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Jones led his team in rebounds and they collectively played the role of spoiler to the Thunder who are looking to advance to the NBA playoffs. They have a 37-39 win/loss record, tied for 10th in the Western Conference of the NBA. The Hornets have already been eliminated. They have a 25-51 record. However, they have been a thorn in the side of playoff contenders. They are coming off two wins over the Dallas Mavericks prior to their win over the Thunder.

Jones came off the bench and played 22 minutes in which he made the most of it by going a perfect 5-for-5 from the field and making two out of three free throws. Three of his field goals were slam dunks. The NBA sophomore also had one assist and stayed grounded as he did not commit a single foul. He had 11 defensive rebounds and three offensive rebounds and a plus-minus of plus 17.

Jones did most of his damage in the first half, going 3-for-3 from the field. He made both of his free throws in that half and scored eight points. He also had five rebounds in that half. He played six minutes in the fourth quarter and crashed the boards again, finishing with five rebounds in the fourth.

The Hornets were led by P.J. Washington who had 22 points in the fourth quarter to finish with a career-high 43. Isaiah Joe led the Thunder with 33 points.

The game had eight ties and eight lead changes. The Thunder held a 68-57 lead at halftime, but the Hornets got back in the game. They kept trying to cut into the lead in the third quarter. They got it down to six points with 4:24 left in the third quarter, 88-82. The Thunder extended their lead to as much as nine points before the Hornets were able to bring it down back to six, ending the quarter down, 99-93.

The Hornets got off to a great start in the fourth quarter as they went on a 16-2 scoring run, enabling them to take a 109-101 lead with 8:44 left in the game. That eventually ballooned to a double-digit lead as JT Thor put the Hornets up 117-107 with seven minutes left. The Thunder came back, tying the game at 129 with 2:08 left. It was a nailbiter the rest of the way but the Thunder had some poor free throw shooting, and the Hornets were able to hold on for the victory.

The 6’11” big man is seeing the court more in March, averaging 15.2 minutes per game and he was featured in 12 games. He is averaging 4.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in March as the Hornets give their younger players an opportunity with the season winding down. This season, Jones has played in 41 games and is averaging 3.2 points and 2.7 rebounds in 10.7 minutes per game.

The Hornets are riding a three-game winning streak and return home to take on the Chicago Bulls (36-39) at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, at 7 p.m. on Friday.

https://thenassauguardian.com/jones-has-first-career-double-double-in-the-nba/