Home|Sports|Hitmen win 5-2 to repeat as NPSA championsSports

Softball team scored all five runs in the sixth inning

Simba FrenchSend an emailOctober 26, 2022 176 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The C&S Enterprise Hitmen scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to repeat as the New Providence Softball Association (NPSA) men’s champions. They took care of the Cyber Tech Blue Marlins 5-2 to win the best-of-five series 3-2, at the Blue Hills Sporting Complex’s Bankers Field last night.

Legendary pitcher Edney “The Heat” Bethel pitched for the Hitmen and carted off the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, with 10 strikeouts on the night to come away with 48 strikeouts in the series. Thomas Davis pitched for the Blue Marlins.

“I thank God for another MVP,” Bethel said. “I knew it was going to come as long as I win the game. I feel great and I thank God for health and strength. I thank him for my team for having my back even though we were down the first six innings. We kept on fighting.”

The bottom of the sixth inning saw the Hitmen injecting some energy into the game, as they had all the bases loaded after leaving a run on third base in the previous inning. Edron Knowles got the sacrifice hit and brought home Keiron 

Munroe to give the Hitmen their first run of the game. Alcott Forbes was at the batting plate with the count on one ball and one strike. Thomas pitched a wild pitch that brought home Sherman Ferguson and Martin Burrows, who got the go-ahead run on a third base obstruction to give the Hitmen a 3-2 lead.

The game got chippy as dugouts cleared at that point, as frustration began to settle in for both teams as the game was still wide open.

A wild pitch by Davis brought home Alcott and Dino Sweeting to put the Hitmen up 5-2. Their fruitful inning ended but they smelled victory.

Bethel said that having the bases loaded gave them confidence in that inning.

“After we got the bases loaded with no one out, we gained confidence. In the bottom of the fifth we had one on third base and didn’t score. I told the guys that we were down but not out. The guys fought tonight,” Bethel said.

The top of the seventh inning saw the cooler with the champagne being brought into the Hitmen dugout. They got the Blue Marlins out in three tries as their champagne bottles began to pop. Hitmen Manager Darren Stevens spoke about the second straight title.

“I like to pop champagne,” Stevens said. “In the words of the famous coach Al Davis, I like to just win baby. All of the championship victories have a different level of sweetness. I appreciate them all and do not take them for granted, none is sweeter than the next. We came back from a two-year hiatus and we were able to persevere and repeat.” 

The top of the third inning saw Garfield Bethel getting his second hit of the game. This time it was a double that was well placed down the left field. Austin Hanna came in and hit the ball down the middle, past Edney Bethel and second base with just enough speed to get to centerfield. Garfield Bethel took off from second base and ran straight home to score the first run of the game.

At the top of the fourth inning, left fielder Lavaughn Ferguson went up to bat. The count was one ball and no strike. He wound up and took a strike at the ball and went deep over the fence to the left of center field, to put his team up 2-0.

At the bottom of the fifth inning, Sweeting got on third base after he got a hit and an error. The Hitmen had no outs with Sweeting on third – a sure run waiting. The Hitmen wasted the opportunity as Hosea Hilton, Rodney Forbes and Richard Bain could not bring Sweeting home.

The first inning saw both teams pitching and the defense coming out sharp. Both pitchers got two strikeouts in the first inning, as the score was 0-0. The second inning went the same as the first inning. It was expected from a do-or-die championship game that saw good pitching and defense. Hanna made it to second base in that inning, but that was as far as he got as the inning ended. Hitmen had the pressure on them.

Richard Bain got the first hit for the Hitmen in the bottom of the third inning. Sherman Ferguson got a hit that went right field to set up a possible run for Bain, who was on first. Bain ran from first base and was intent on getting home, but was out at home plate on a good throw from right fielder Winston Seymour.

Stevens is looking for a third straight championship next year.

The Sunshine Auto Wildcats’ Ciara Bowe was the NPSA women’s MVP, with a batting average of .714 going 4-for-7 and scoring seven runs to go with four runs batted in (RBI).

Desiree Taylor was the scorer in the game. Martin Burrows was the home plate umpire.

The game saw six umpires, signaling the importance of the game. It was the first time in the series and the season that there was a full complement of umpires calling the game.

https://thenassauguardian.com/hitmen-win-5-2-to-repeat-as-npsa-champions/

Lesly St Fleur named the MVP

TEAM Bahamas completed an undefeated run to claim the 2022 Bahamas Beach Soccer Cup last night with a thrilling 3-1 win over Colombia in the tournament finale.

As of Monday, October 24, 2022

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#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#International beach soccer returned to the national stadium and the senior men’s national team made history before an enthusiastic home crowd eager to see the sport once again played at the highest level.

#The Bahamas completed an undefeated run to claim the 2022 Bahamas Beach Soccer Cup last night with a thrilling 3-1 win over Colombia in the tournament finale.

#They topped the table with nine points and a goal differential of seven – 16 scored and nine against.

#Lesly St Fleur was named tournament MVP and finished second with four goals scored while Michael Butler was named best goalkeeper.

#In a slow-paced first period, attacking predominantly with Butler, The Bahamas fell behind on Colombia’s lone goal of the night when Eduardo Edu scored at the 5:35 mark.

#After a scoreless second, St Fleur moved from defender to forward, and for the second time this tournament, it sparked a Bahamas come-from-behind win.

#Brandon Adderley delivered a strike to give the home team its first goal and tie the game 1-1 with 7:34 left to play in regulation.

#The game appeared headed for extra time when Butler was awarded a penalty kick with 30 seconds left in the match.

#After his shot was blocked, Wood Julmis headed in the rebound to give The Bahamas the go ahead score, 2-1 with just over 27 seconds left to play.

#“When the ball was bouncing around I think it was just a natural reaction to me, dive, put my head on it and get the goal. I’m always eager to try and fight for the goal, score for my country,” he said.

#“I had to celebrate, I had to enjoy every single moment, it was a special moment for me.”

#Julmis said the moment was amplified by the raucous crowd in attendance that joined in on his goal celebration. “I’ve been on the national team for three years now, we’ve always played on the road, never played in a tournament at home, this is amazing. To play here in front of our fans is amazing and the support our fans gave us is extraordinary.”

#Gary Joseph converted his penalty kick with 13 seconds left for the final score.

#Head coach Gavin Christie said despite the methodical pace of the first two periods, his message to his side during the match was one of patience.

#“I told the guys, you have to be patient with this game. In beach soccer, one or two goals doesn’t mean anything. I told the guys to stick with the gameplan and our time will come – thankfully that came in the third period when we were able to score those goals and take this victory,” he said.

#“For The Bahamas to win all three games against tough competition shows that we are ready for the next step in this sport in The Bahamas.”

#St Fleur missed on several shot opportunities in the finale but was pleased with the resilience his team showed over the course of the weekend.

#“It was a great tournament, every game we played we started off slow and we recovered in the end. This match showed who had it more and who wanted to win the game and in the end, it was us,” he said.

#“It’s a great pleasure to play in front of our fans. They gave us the vibes, we feed off of their energy so we hope for them to continue to support us and I want to thank them for coming out.”

#Both player and coach see this tournament win as the beginning of a trek toward the goal of qualifying for the 2023 Beach Soccer World Cup.

#“This is the start for the World Cup, for the Qualifiers next year,” St Fleur said. “We want to encourage everyone to come out, train with us, and try to make the team. We are trying to build a young team with veteran leadership.”

#Christie added: “The Bahamas has really been wanting beach soccer back, now we have it and we’ve brought it back in grand style. The next thing on the list is World Cup qualifying and this tournament was really the kickoff for our programme to get started toward that goal in 2023.”

#The men entered the final day as the highest goal scoring team of the tournament.

#The Bahamas concluded night one with a furious four-goal rally in the third period to clinch a come from behind win.

#St Fleur’s third period hat trick and a staunch defensive effort powered The Bahamas’ 7-4 win over Trinidad and Tobago.

#The visitors took an early 2-0 lead in the first period on goals from Coker and Riley.

#The Bahamas answered with a goal from Adderley before Riley answered with his second goal of the period for a 3-1 lead.

#Julmis ended the high scoring period with a goal for The Bahamas to make the score 3-2 at the end of one. Jean Francois’ goal was the only score of the second period and the teams took a 3-3 score into the final period.

#Game two was a 6-4 win over Costa Rica.

#The visitors struck first on the first of two goals from Roger at the 7:54 mark in the first period but The Bahamas took control on goals from Joseph (3:45’) and Butler (2:42’) less than a minute apart.

#The second period featured four goals as The Bahamas maintained their advantage.

#Adderley scored at 9:13” to give The Bahamas a 3-1 lead. Greivin scored the first of his two goals in the period to bring Costa Rica within one (8:54’), only to have the home team regain their two-goal advantage just minutes later on a Kyle Williams strike at the 8:49’ mark. In the final period, Roger scored his second goal of the game at 8:33’ but The Bahamas closed out scoring with goals from St Fleur (7:25’) and Julmis (5:14’)

#The women’s national team finished winless after losses to Turks and Caicos and Trinidad and Tobago.

#On night one, The Bahamas women fell to Turks and Caicos 3-2.

#The Bahamas got goals from Janeka Edey and Angel Williams.

#Turks and Caicos lost their opening match to Trinidad and Tobago, but took the lead against their hosts on Saturday night.

#Last night, The Bahamas came up on the wrong end of the highest scoring match of the tournament, an 11-6 loss to Trinidad and Tobago.

#Edey scored a hat trick for The Bahamas, Jada Thelamour added two goals and Haddassah Knowles added another.

#Joan Cuscó, president of Beach Soccer Worldwide, stated that “it is great to return to the Bahamas after our last event in Nassau in 2018.

#“We have so many good memories of all the tournaments we had in the Bahamas, and to play in a World Cup stadium is an assurance of a quality event.”

#For Anton Sealey, president of the Bahamas Football Association, “this tournament is an opportunity to see some of the best talent competing in Nassau, in the best beach soccer facilities in the region, confirming the successful bet placed on the 2017 World Cup”.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/oct/24/bahamas-undefeated-beach-soccer-tourney/?news

As of Monday, October 24, 2022

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#ONE championship title has been decided but the other series moves to a fifth and deciding game in the New Providence Softball Association.

#In the women’s division, the Sunshine Auto Wildcats claimed their fourth consecutive league title with a three-game sweep of the R and B Operators.

#And it all comes down to one final game between the Cybertech Blue Marlins and C and S Enterprise Hitmen with the series tied at 2-2. Game five is set for 8pm Tuesday at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

#In game four on Saturday night, Thomas Davis was dominant on the mound and limited the high powered Hitmen offence to a single run in his team’s 3-1 win.

#Both teams have alternated wins thus far in the series. The Hitmen took game one 3-1 and the Marlins evened the series with a dominant 18-0 win in game two. In game three the Hitmen won another high scoring affair, 10-3.

#The Wildcats closed out the series with a 14-13 win.

#The Operators tied the game at 13 in the top half of the seventh, only to have the defending champions score the go ahead run and claim another title for the club. They took game one 7-5 and won 12-7 in game two.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/oct/24/npsa-wildcats-claim-4th-straight-title/?news

As of Monday, October 24, 2022

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#THE Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation (BCCEC) is set to close out the month of October with its much-anticipated Chamber Golf Classic Tournament, with part of the proceeds from the event to be donated to the Sister Sister Breast Cancer Support Group.

#Registered participants of all skill levels will have the opportunity to engage in a friendly competition as well as networking on the greens in the two-person scramble tournament to be held on Sunday, October 30 at the Royal Blue Golf Club, located at the Baha Mar Resort, Cable Beach. Shotgun start time is 9am and registration for the event is $275 per player.

#As breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women in The Bahamas, the Chamber has chosen to offer part proceeds to the Sister Sister Breast Cancer Support group to aid in the effort to find a cure for the deadly disease, whose mission is to provide supportive care, encouragement, coping skills, resources, strength and hope for all who have or had cancer. This dynamic attachment by women to others will promote health, wholeness and healing.

#The BCCEC has commenced its in-person events once again, having relaunched its popular Power Breakfast series back in August following a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The upcoming Golf Classic will serve not only as a fundraiser but also as a great networking opportunity for Chamber members.

#The Nassau Cruise Port is the event sponsor of the Chamber Golf Classic.

#Said Mike Maura Jr, CEO and director of the Nassau Cruise port: “Nassau Cruise Port Ltd. (NCPL) is proud to be the event sponsor for BCCEC’s Chamber Classic Golf Tournament. As a patron sponsor of The Chamber and its ongoing work, NCPL lends its support to enhance the business community and to promote ease of doing business and national development. The $300m revitalisation and expansion of the Nassau Cruise Port on Prince George Wharf aims to be the catalyst for change downtown, and anticipates reimagining Nassau, promoting innovation in business development, new opportunities and enrichment of our Bahamian tourism product.”

#The BCCEC would like to thank all of the sponsors for their patronage of the event, including their grand prize sponsor, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

#Other sponsors of the inaugural event include Comfort Suites, Summit Insurance, Cable Bahamas Business Solutions, Think Simple, Leno Bahamas, Island Pay, Higgs and Johnson, The Paint Place, Commonwealth Bank, Plato Alpha, Maran Global, Rentokil and The Wine and Spirit Guys, and others.

#For more information about the golf tournament please visit https://www. thebahamaschamber.com/ golftournament2022.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/oct/24/chamber-golf-classic-october-30/?news

As of Monday, October 24, 2022

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#THE Bahamian contingent in competition at the prestigious Head of the Charles Regatta turned in several milestone performances for Bahamas rowing against some of the top sailors around the world.

#Dehron Smith competed in the Men’s Championship Sculls Division, Dr Kathryn De Souza in the Grand Master Veterans Single Sculls Division and sisters Jessica and Poppy Proffitt in the Youth Women’s Under 17 Doubles Sculls Division at the event last weekend in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

#The Proffitt sisters, both students at the Lyford Cay International School, were the top finishers for Team Bahamas and finished 37th overall in the 55-team field of race 51 in 21:00.467 seconds. Their time finished 15th among the under-17 teams.

#This was the second appearance at the Head of the Charles Regatta for the 16-year-old Jessica. She has also rowed at the Indian Creek Regatta (Miami, October 2019), Miami International Regatta (Miami, April 2022), CanAmMex International Regatta for Team Bahamas (Ontario, Canada, July 2022)

#Poppy, 14, has rowed in both the Miami Regatta and CanAmMex.

#Dr De Souza finished 61st overall in the 79-competitor field of the Women’s Grand Master Veterans Women’s Singles Race.

#Her time of 25:22.116, no. 26 among the Grand Master Singles Fleet of 34 competitors.

#Dr De Souza, 58, is a physician specialising in sports medicine/physical medicine and rehabilitation, and has been rowing competitively for just over four years.

#She made her debut at the Head of the 2021 Schuylkill Regatta in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

#Smith finished 24th in the 21:17.852 seconds in the Men’s Championship Singles.

#A 22-year-old senior at Ithaca College, Smith has also competed at the 2022 Under-23 World Rowing Championships.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/oct/24/reaching-several-milestones-bahamas-rowing-head-ch/?news

 Home|Sports|Foster Dorsett seeks BAAA first vice president positionSports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailOctober 25, 2022 144 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Foster Dorsett, former athlete and current head coach of the T-Bird Flyers Track and Field Club, has offered himself up as a candidate for the first vice president position in the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ (BAAA) upcoming elections.

The hard-working administrator has a vast amount of experience in the field of technical and vocational education. He held the posts of senior education officer and acting assistant director for the technical and vocational branch of the Ministry of Education. He was born on the island of Exuma and his background has proven that not he is not only people-oriented, but his expertise is such that it makes him qualified to serve as an executive team member.

He has also served as president and vice president of the BAAA. In the role of vice president, for many years he held the board’s “feet to the fire” and ensured they followed the federation’s written constitution. As a candidate for first vice president, he is appealing for his fellow coaches and clubs’ support in order that he can continue to ensure the goals and objectives of the BAAA are paramount.

https://thenassauguardian.com/foster-dorsett-seeks-baaa-first-vice-president-position/

 Home|Sports|Lipscomb dominates White Sands InvitationalSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailOctober 25, 2022 148 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Lipscomb University Bisons put on a show at the Ocean Club Golf Course with a 35-stroke victory at the White Sands Invitational three-round tournament this past weekend, a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) event.

As a team, the Bisons finished 13 under 851 to be the only team to go under par. They led all three rounds in the field of eight teams.

The Bisons also won the individual category with Lauren Thompson out-dueling her teammate, Mary Kate Smith in a five-hole playoff. Both finished tied at four under par 212. Thompson and Smith were two of four Bisons who finished in the top-five standings.

Interim head coach Shannon O’Brien was happy with her team’s performance.

“We played our game and each player maintained excellent composure and concentration,” O’Brien said. “It was a joy for me as a coach to watch each player flourish in a game they have been working incredibly hard at. I am so happy for the team and so grateful for the opportunity we have had to participate in this event.”

The Arkansas State University Bears was second after starting the tournament off in fifth after the first round on Friday. The team finished the three rounds 22-over par 886.

The University of Central Arkansas Spartans were third after sitting in second place after the first two rounds. They finished up with a score of 31 over par 895.

Thompson posted two-under par 70, even par 72 and two under par 70 in the three rounds. She led the tournament with a whopping 14 birdies and 32 pars. Smith got off to a tough start, shooting five over par 77. She followed that up with a five under par 67 and then put on another solid round of golf on Sunday with a four under par 68.

The Bisons’ Siarra Stout and Mia Seeman finished third and fourth respectively. Stout finished three-under par 213 while Seeman scored two over par 218.

As a team, the Bisons had the most pars with 174 and birdies with 52. They also had the best score on the par three, par four and par five holes.

The NCAA men will get underway on Friday, October 28 and wraps up on Sunday, October 30 at the same golf course as the ladies. Two top-50 ranked schools will be in action this weekend. They are Duke University, ranked at number 43 and the University of Southern Mississippi, ranked at number 48.

Overall, there are 12 men’s teams that will be competing. The other 10 teams are Virginia Commonwealth University (host), Arkansas State University, University of Delaware, University of Louisiana Monroe, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Sam Houston State University, Stetson University, Texas State University, Troy University and University of Texas El Paso (UTEP).

This year is the third year for the event after being first played in 2019 and again in 2021, with the University of Houston and Ole Miss as the two past winners.

https://thenassauguardian.com/lipscomb-dominates-white-sands-invitational/

 Home|Sports|UB Athletics, US Embassy team up for community basketball clinic Sports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailOctober 25, 2022 155 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The University of The Bahamas (UB) Mingoes and the United States (US) Embassy teamed up Saturday, October 15 to host a basketball clinic for high school players in the community at the university’s courts.

The UB Mingoes men’s basketball team and coaches led the clinic. The coaches and UB players ran drills with the nearly 50 local high school basketball players attending the clinic.

Director of Athletics at UB Kimberley Rolle said the outreach effort for the community is a natural fit not only for UB but also UB Athletics.

“The university is based in Oakes Field, and we are in the community and looking to give back. In whatever we do, we seek to serve our community, and so we thought it was important to engage the community in such a clinic,” she said.

“When we were approached to engage with such a partnership with the US Embassy, we were more than open and willing to do it. Community work is a part of what we push here at UB Athletics, because we believe that our student-athletes are fortunate and blessed, and so to whom much is given, much is expected.”

Rolle added that she hopes the partnership continues to grow to frequently make that impact in the community.

“We certainly are happy to engage in this collaboration with the US Embassy and other partners,” she said. “We certainly look to build upon this as we grow and to engage other stakeholders.”

US Embassy Consular Chief and Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Lance Posey – himself a former US high school basketball coach – said he thought the collaboration was a great outreach opportunity for the embassy.

“Education is incredibly important for all of us,” he said. “With so many students traveling from The Bahamas to the United States to go to school, we want everyone to understand what the United States has to offer.”

He pointed out that the outreach with the high school student-athletes in The Bahamas gives the embassy an opportunity to give them a taste of athletics in the USA.

“We want to make sure that students from The Bahamas understand the different opportunities available when they go to study in the United States,” he said. “We are really happy to have Bahamian students in the United States.”

The clinic was coordinated through the American Corner at UB. The American Corner is a partnership between the US Embassy and UB and is part of the US Department of State’s global American Spaces Program. American Spaces aim to provide people around the world with accurate, compelling, timely and audience-appropriate information about the US and its history, culture, society and values.

https://thenassauguardian.com/ub-athletics-us-embassy-team-up-for-community-basketball-clinic/

 Home|Sports|Bahamian rowers compete in Head of the Charles RegattaSports

Contingent turned in some good perfomances

Simba FrenchSend an emailOctober 25, 2022 161 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Six rowers from the Nassau Rowing Club (NRC) and the Windsor High School Rowing Club traveled to Cambridge, Massachusetts to compete in the Head of the Charles Regatta on the Charles River this past weekend.

Representing the Windsor High School Rowing Club in the men’s youth doubles were Matthias Simms and Isaiah Ellis. The NRC was represented by Kathryn de Souza in the women’s grand master singles, Dehron Smith in the men’s championship singles and Jessica and Poppy Proffitt in the women’s youth doubles. Olympian Rob Gibson, the director of rowing at Windsor School, was also in action in the men’s alumni eights for the University of Washington.

Gibson and his crew powered their way through the course in 14:31 to win the gold medal. It was the first time for a contingent from The Bahamas to come back home with a medal from this regatta. Gibson and his crew were a full 14 seconds ahead of the second-place crew.

De Souza placed 61st of 74 rowers in the women’s grand master/veteran singles, then placed 25th of 31 rowers in the grand master category, with a time of 25:22. Smith was in a highly competitive division that included Ezra Carlson, who competed at the 2022 World Championships. In the end, Smith rowed a time of 21:17 and finished 24th out of 24 rowers. Carlson won that race with a time of 17:28.

Kyle Chea was in Cambridge as a coach for NRC. “The rowers in the singles had some space between the crews, so had less of a fight. Overall, low wind on both days made it relatively navigable, and no rain definitely helped keep the energy up,” Chea said.

The women’s youth doubles saw teenage sisters Jessica Proffitt and Poppy Proffitt from NRC placing 37th of 55 crews. The Lyford Cay International School rowers clocked 21:00 in a very tightly contested category. The winner, Cambridge Boat Club, won with a time of 18:47.

“The Proffitt sisters were fighting for the best line over the course of the race and performed spectacularly. At times, there were mere inches between the ends of their oars and the oars of the next closest crew. Jessica’s steering and situational awareness was a determining factor in their success,” Chea said.

Chea raced the course himself before but with a coxswain, so he was able to prep them before the race.

“I have to remember that rowing comes down to the basic point of moving in a straight line as quickly as one can, then triangulating the next straight line, and the next,” Chea said. “I’ve never raced the course as a sculler, only with a coxswain, so walking the course with the competitors, observing how crews approached and exited turns, quizzing them on who was taking the best line, and having them take notes and visualize highly detailed race plans has been great for race prep.”

In the men’s youth doubles, Simms and Ellis had a tough time on the course as they clocked 23:06. It was not enough as they placed 55th of 55 crews.

Gibson said the regatta was a great learning experience for the boys.

“They found themselves competing in arguably the most challenging rowing regatta North America has to offer. Unfortunately, they had a couple of course complications which impeded their final race time. We now know the standard set, and are going to work hard to seek improvement going forward,” Gibson said.

Gibson will be working on improving fitness and on water technical proficiency over the next weeks. He is hoping to get in one more regatta as his other rowers get a chance to compete.

NRC will be doing winter training and will focus on sprint training in spring.

Chea was happy that both NRC and Windsor was at the Head of the Charles, as it was a great testament to the resilience and growth of the sport in The Bahamas, particularly on New Providence.

https://thenassauguardian.com/bahamian-rowers-compete-in-head-of-the-charles-regatta/

Phoenix Suns centre Deandre Ayton (22) blocks the shot of Dallas Mavericks centre Christian Wood, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Phoenix, Wednesday. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

As of Friday, October 21, 2022

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#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#DEANDRE Ayton concluded last season in disappointment with a season low effort against the Dallas Mavericks but he began the 2022-23 campaign with a double double in the latest edition of the budding rivalry.

#Ayton finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds and two assists in the Phoenix Suns’ 107-105 come-from-behind win over the Mavericks Wednesday night at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

#He shot 8-11 from the field in just over 30 minutes.

#Ayton notched 30 double-doubles last year in only 58 games played and is already off to a fast start in his fifth season.

#The Suns overcame a 22-point deficit capped by Damion Lee’s go ahead jumper with 9.7 left to play, but the main storyline emerging from the game was the efficiency of Ayton and and All-Star guard Devin Booker.

#Phoenix was +25 in the 27 minutes the duo played together.

#Suns head coach Monty Williams said Ayton was aggressive in spots and showed an ability to read what the defence was giving him playing off Booker.

#“It’s something that we worked on for sure but they have to execute it,” Williams said of the two-man game. “We’ll give them structure and then a lot of times they’ll go out there and talk about the angle of the screen, where he needs to be in the pocket. It certainly doesn’t work if you don’t have guys who can make plays on the back side but DA has become really good in the pocket.”

#Booker, who finished with 28 points and nine assists – both team highs – said the next evolution of Ayton’s game is the playmaking he displayed Wednesday night.

#“For him to be a dominant post-up big, mid-range big, I think that’s the next step he can take to his game — his playmaking,” Booker said of Ayton after the game. “Especially when a lot of attention is on me and Chris [Paul]. He’s usually around that free throw line being the first person you throw it to out of the double and it’s usually three-on-two or four-on-three on the back side. I think he’s going to find out that it’s going to make his job a lot easier because he’s automatic from that area where he catches it at the free throw line.”

#Ayton averaged 17.2 points on a career high 63 percent shooting from the field and 10.2 rebounds per game in 58 appearances.

#The Suns finished with an NBA best and new franchise record of 64-18 in the regular season before the second round exit at the hands of the Mavericks.

#For the second consecutive season, the Suns will be featured in a franchise record-tying 34 nationally televised games.

#A total of 22 games will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN or TNT, with an additional 12 on NBATV.

#The Sun will return to action tonight when they face the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/oct/21/ayton-has-double-double-suns-rally-22-points-down-/?news