SHOWN, from left to right, Alan Loane, commodore of The Nassau Yacht Club, sailor William Bain, Emma Tinkler, regatta chair, Akone Cumberbatch, Fidelity Bank Donations Committee member, sailor Zane Munro, Lori Lowe, president of The Bahamas Sailing Association and Antonio Saunders, Fidelity Bank marketing and media manager.

As of Tuesday, September 20, 2022

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#FIDELITY Bank (Bahamas) Ltd. has donated generous sponsorship to The Bahamas Sailing Association to support this year’s Optimist National Championship, the largest national junior event on the country’s sailing calendar.

#Based on Fidelity’s guiding philosophy of “We’re Good For You”, their donations committee’s primary goal is to contribute to the creation and maintenance of educational and vocational opportunities for youth in The Bahamas, giving away thousands of dollars each year to activities which support community and youth development and improve the socio-economic conditions of Bahamians.

#The event will be hosted by The Nassau Yacht Club September 30 to October 2.

#This annual regatta is held at a different island location each year with young sailors aged eight to 15 years old coming together from throughout the country to sail in the iconic little Optimist boat. This year the expected participation is set to be around 90 children.

#The Sailing Association is particularly excited to be welcoming back sailors from Hope Town and Freeport, their first visit since the ravages of Hurricane Dorian destroyed their sailing clubs, boats and equipment.

#Other contingents are heading to Nassau from Eleuthera, Exuma and Harbour Island to race against their New Providence-based rivals.

#As this is an “open” championship, non-Bahamians are welcome to compete and, to this end, there are a number of children from the United States oming to the event.

#All participants receive medals, the top finishers in each fleet receive trophies and the top-placed Bahamian sailor will receive the prestigious Geoffrey Holowesko Perpetual Trophy and be awarded the national title.

#The organising committee wishes to also thank JS Johnson, which has continued to support numerous events and junior sailing programmes and initiatives over the years and have also given a generous contribution towards financing this championship.

#Thanks also goes to several other businesses for donating products, including Aquapure, Home Fabrics, Thompson Trading, Panama Jack, Sands Beer, Abaco Big Bird and the Nassau Yacht Club, who are providing all the food throughout the weekend at a substantially reduced cost for the sailors and their entourages.

#As non-profit organisations, the Bahamas Sailing Association and the Bahamas National Sailing School cannot run events such as this without the support of sponsorship and the assistance of many volunteers.

#Emma Tinkler, event chairperson, believes this year’s Optimist National Championship will be a huge success thanks to all who are working tirelessly to make it happen.

#Watch out for the action in Montagu Bay next weekend.

JONQUEL Jones shoots last night. (AP Photos/Jessica Hill)

As of Friday, September 16, 2022

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#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#On a night where Jonquel Jones was awarded her fourth All-WNBA selection, her Connecticut Sun staved off elimination in game three of the WNBA Finals.

#Jones finished with 20 points, five rebounds and four assists in the Sun’s 105-76 win over the Las Vegas Aces last night at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

#She shot 8-12 from the field and made her only three-point attempt. Jones’ teammate, Alyssa Thomas recorded the first triple-double in WNBA Finals history with 14 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

#The Sun are now 4-0 in elimination games in the playoffs so far this postseason.

ACES’ A’ja Wilson dribbles as Sun’s Jonquel Jones defends during the first half in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals last night in Uncasville, Connecticut.

#The Aces raced out to an early 12-4 lead, but the Sun responded with one of their most dominant stretches of the postseason. They eventually outscored the Aces 34-19 at the end of the first quarter and took control for good. They maintained a double figure lead at the half, 53-42, and took a 77-69 lead headed into the fourth.

#Connecticut’s all-time postseason record is now above .500 at 37-36. Sun head coach Curt Miller’s WNBA Finals Record is now 3-5. The best-of-five series continues in Connecticut for game four, September 18 at 4pm, broadcast live on ESPN.

#A fifth and deciding game, if necessary, will be hosted by the Aces at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on September 20.

#Jones had 15 points and nine rebounds in a game one 67-64 loss followed by 16 points and 11 rebounds in an 85-71 loss in game two.

#Prior to the game, Jones was named an All-WNBA Second Team selection. She received 12 first team votes and 22 second team votes for a score of 126.

#The 2022 All-WNBA Second Team also includes Jones’ teammate Alyssa Thomas (175 points), New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (168), Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike (141), and Minnesota Lynx center Sylvia Fowles (65).

#Voting for the All-WNBA Team was conducted at the conclusion of the regular season.

#For the first time, players were selected without regard for position.

#Players received five points for each First Team vote and three points for each Second Team vote.

#Jones led the Sun in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots with averages of 14.6 points (17th in WNBA), 8.6 rebounds (fourth) and 1.15 blocks (seventh).

#The 6-6 Jones was selected to the WNBA All-Defensive Team for the third time. The All-WNBA First Team included the Aces’ A’ja Wilson (280 points), Seattle Storm forward Breanna Stewart (280), Aces guard Kelsey Plum (265), Phoenix Mercury guard Skylar Diggins-Smith (183) and Chicago Sky center-forward Candace Parker (183).

#Each member of the All- WNBA First Team will receive $10,300 and each member of the Second Team will receive $5,150.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/sep/16/jonquel-jones-sun-stay-alive-connecticut-routs-las/?news

As of Friday, September 16, 2022

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JACOB HIGGINS, the owner of the Class B boat, The Cobra, passed away on Sunday at his family homestead in Yellow Elder.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#SLOOP sailing boat owner Jacob Higgins was not just remembered for the pioneering role he played as a competitive sailor, but as an executive chef, who helped to inspire so many of his family and friends.

#Higgins, the owner of the Cobra, a Class B boat, passed away on Sunday at his family homestead in Yellow Elder.

#The 82-year-old native of Pirates Well, Mayaguana, leaves behind seven daughters and five sons.

#Clyde Rolle, vice commodore of the National Family Island Regatta in Exuma, said he was able to benefit so much from the late Higgins, whom he considers to be one of his idols.

#“He was a former five-time national champion with the Cobra, who was featured in a number of sailing magazines,” Rolle said. “The Cobra is still a very popular boat. He was like a father to me. He made an invaluable contribution to sailing.”

#For his efforts, the National Family Island Regatta committee, headed by Danny Strachan, honoured the late Higgins and Stafford Armbrister during the last National Family Island Regatta held in Georgetown, Exuma in 2019 before COVID-19 halted the popular event until it returned this year.

#“We recognised his contributions and we asked him to become a part of our race committee in 2019 and he gratefully accepted, the same year that we honoured him and Stafford,” Rolle said. “It was long in coming. He made his contribution, but we were glad to honour him.”

#Rolle, who also sailed the Cobra on a number of times for Higgins, said he could always count on him for his advice. He noted that he will definitely be missed by the sailing sloop community for the contribution he made along with the late Cassius Moss, King Eric Gibson and Rollie ‘the Grand Master’ Gray.

#Higgins’ son, Dwayne Higgins, who followed in his father’s footsteps in sailing, said he was a “strong, resilient and committed” person, who was very disciplined and exhibited a lot of high standards that he expected others to emulate.

#“I could remember him especially for his tenacious spirit because nobody could shake his conviction,” Higgins said. “If only one person supported his position, he still stuck with it.”

#As an executive chef, listed as the first as a Bahamian, Higgins was known for his employment at a number of establishments, including the Sheraton British Colonial Hotel, Emerald Beach, Lucayan Beach, Balmoral Beach, the Pilot House and Holiday Inn, just to name a few.

#“He came from humble beginnings as a person cleaning the floor to being elevated to executive chef,” said Dwayne Higgins, whose brother Marcellus and sister Natchie Dean have followed in their father’s footsteps in the culinary industry.

#“He really pulled himself up by his bootstraps and made it happen. He was really a trailblazer as a chef.”

#As a child growing up in Mayaguana, Higgins developed an affinity for sailing.

#He first owned a boat called “the Snake” before he got another one called “Trouble Maker,” which evolved into the Cobra.

#“Daddy owned the boat, but he had a number of people who captained it for him,” Dwayne Higgins said.

#Dwayne Higgins, an educator by profession, eventually owned his own boat, Jacob’s Ladder – a Class C boat that he named in honour of his father.

#“He came from really humble beginnings, having to leave school at a very early age to go to work at the naval base,” Dwayne Higgins said.

#“He always wanted people to know that despite your beginning, it doesn’t determine your outcome. It ain’t how you start, but how you make the best of what you have to become what you are.”

#In addition to Dwayne, Marcellus and Natchie, Higgins’ other children are Sheral and Donna Higgins, Carmen Rolle, Darnell, Bonnie and Madonna Higgins, Melvin and Dwight Higgins and Ricardo Penn.

#He also has two sisters Mabel Bodie and Vernita Ellis and two brothers Huel Williamson and Nathaniel Higgins and a number of grand and great grandchildren.

#The Tribune Sports Departments extends its condolences to the Higgins family.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/sep/16/jacob-higgins-dies-his-family-home-yellow-elder-ga/?news

ANDY and Nancy Knowles with Let’s Swim Bahamas mascots Tim and Snorkel.

As of Friday, September 16, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#AFTER spending the past 15 years teaching primary school students the basic skills in swimming, the Let’s Swim Bahamas programme will provide a private premiere documentary on their progress made so far.

#On Tuesday at 6pm at the University of the Bahamas, the husband and wife team of Andy and Nancy Knowles will show the LSB documentary to provide more awareness of the importance of learning how to swim.

#“When we started this programme 15 years ago, we only got started with one school, but now we have worked with over 10 schools,” said Andy Knowles, who along with Nancy, have been responsible for providing an opportunity for countless young people to learn to swim.

#The duo were previously responsible for the formation of Swift Swimming, one of the most successful clubs in the Bahamas Aquatics, formerly the Bahamas Swimming Federation, which gave rise to some of the top swimmers in the country, including Olympians Jeremy Knowles and Allan Murray.

#The LSB programme got started in 2008 with students from the Thelma Gibson Primary School. The Knowles are now working with 10 primary schools with Sadie Curtis, Sandilands, Eva Hilton, TG Glover, Stephen Dillette, Woodcock, Albury Sayles, Adelaide and Gambier joining Thelma Gibson.

#“We have been encouraged by the response, with each school willing to work with us, that includes principals, teachers and administration,” Andy Knowles said.

#“Would like to see a better response from parents willing to sign their kids up for the learn to swim programme, we have averaged about 46 percent of the students taking advantage of the swimming.”

#The programme was relaunched in March through June this year.

#On June 23 at Baha Bay, LSB worked with Melissa Lockwood from Baha Mar and Olivia Daxon, principal of Thelma Gibson School and 55 children to participate in a worldwide swimming event.

#Jeremy Knowles along with Baha Mar’s lifeguard, Linda Hall, assisted in the lesson plan.

#“Once the lesson was over, the children and their families were able to spend the rest of the day at Baha Bay playing in the water park. This will definitely be a LSB annual event.

#While they are based here in New Providence, the Knowles plan on expanding the programme throughout the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. But for now, they are content with what they have accomplished here so far.

#“We are pleased with what we have been able to accomplish with the 10 schools, including the many thousands of students we have taught and the many tens of thousands of lessons we have taught,” Andy Knowles said.

#As they move forward, coming out of the pandemic which forced the programme to be put on hold over the past two years, Andy Knowles said they are eager to resume the programme following the launch of the documentary next week.

#Knowles said they intend to continue to improve their registration process to be quick, efficient, thorough, with emphasis on sticking to the deadline for registration. “We are now using our Facebook page to get the word out about signing up for the lessons and have had over 7000+ shares so far.

#“With the financial help from our sponsor ATEOS, they hope to be able to print and distribute to all the Government Primary Schools throughout The Bahamas the 3rd edition of the Let’s Swim Bahamas Water Safety Colouring and Activity Book and Posters.

#Eventually, they want to show two mini premiere documentaries for fund-raising and then air on ZNS TV for the general public.

#With the assistance of the Defence Force, headed by Commodore Dr Raymond King, LSB would like to work out the details for using members of the Defence Force as coaches, especially for the South Beach Pool site.

#And LSB will continue to work to add new sites and schools with the goal to have five sites and 18 schools (out of the 24 schools in New Providence) ready to start the programme in September 2023.

#“We want to increase the percentage of kids who sign up and the number of schools we work with and the teaching all the grades from 1 to 6 and getting to have all 24 primary schools in NP on board,” he said.

#With the Bahamas being an archipelago of islands, Andy Knowles said their goal is to get all Bahamians able to swim and enjoy the God-given beautiful seas surrounding us.

#Today, Andy and Nancy head a LSB programme that receives tremendous help from students, parents, retired workers, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and many others who learn about LSB and the impact they can have by being a part of the programme.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/sep/16/andy-and-nancy-knowles-show-lets-swim-bahamas-docu/?news

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailSeptember 16, 2022 307 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Retired Boxers Association inaugural Hall of Fame Awards program that was originally scheduled for this coming Sunday, September 18 has been postponed and will now take place at a date to be announced in late October.

It was set to be held at the JCN Broadcast Center on University Drive in New Providence. However, plans are being made to hold the event in late October at the same venue.

A representative for the organization said that the event was put off because of circumstances beyond the control of the organizers. 

The association is set to induct Oswald “Elisha Obed” Ferguson, Gomeo Brennen, William “Yama Bahama” Butler Jr., Ray Minus Sr., Nathaniel “Nat” Knowles, Garvin “Garry” Davis, Charlie Major Sr., Kirkwood “Baby Boy” Rolle, Leonard “Boston Blackie” Miller, Bertram “Bert Perry” Perigord, Wilfred Coakley Jr., Wilfred “Battling” Douglas, Clifford “Sugar Cliff” Francis and Andre Seymour into the Hall of Fame Class of 2022.

They will also recognize Taureano Johnson, Ray Minus Jr., George “Boo” Wilmore, Everette Jackson, L. Garth Wright, Paul Thompson, Gladstone Thurston, Chris Malakius, Roger Kelty, Charlie Major Sr., Wilfred Coakley Jr., Frederick Sturrup and Valentino Knowles for their outstanding contribution to amateur and professional boxing.

The association is a non-profit organization with former Bahamian Cruiserweight Champion and former Chairman of the Bahamas Boxing Commission (BBC) Pat “The Centreville Assassin” Strachan as the chairman. Wellington Miller is the vice chairman, Sturrup is a director and Janet Munroe serves as the organization’s first secretary.

https://thenassauguardian.com/retired-boxers-hall-of-fame-awards-rescheduled/

 Home|Sports|BAISS softball season gets underway TuesdaySports

Simba FrenchSend an emailSeptember 16, 2022 372 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) will kick off its 2022-2023 sporting calendar on Tuesday, September 20 with its softball season on Tuesday, September 20 at various locations.

Four division titles will be up for grabs – senior boys, senior girls, junior boys and junior girls divisions. It is the first time that the BAISS will be hosting its softball season since the 2019-2020 school year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Coordinator for the softball discipline, Ainsworth Beckford, said that it was imperative to get softball up and running.

“It is key to get started as we have a calendar of sporting events to try and get in within the school year. If we push back softball, it is going to affect the sports we normally play at the end of the school year which is volleyball. We need to get softball started so we can keep on track with the calendar so we can have a smooth calendar for the year,” Beckford said.

The softball season was set to start on Monday, September 19 but because of the National Holiday those games were pushed back to Friday, September 23. The senior girls will kick the season off on Tuesday, September 20.

Queen’s College will host Kingsway Academy,; St. Andrew’s will host St. Anne’s Schools; St. Augustine’s College will host C.W. Saunders Schools; over at Freedom Farm, Nassau Christian Schools will host Temple Christian Schools. All games start at 3.30 p.m.

“Our student-athletes at Nassau Christian Schools are excited to go again,” Beckford said. They are just ready to let loose on the field against other schools. It is the same thing that I am hearing from the other schools. The students are excited to get back into competition.”

As for the level of competition, Beckford said that the senior level should be very competitive as they were involved in the sport outside of school. The junior high level may not be as competitive because they were in primary school before the pandemic hit, where they were not playing any softball. He understands that it will be a rebuilding process.

“The level of competition will be a mixed one,” Beckford said. With the juniors, I see a little of a struggle there as they were coming out of primary school where there is no competition at all. They come into high school, and they will do a lot of catching up. Those kids who were playing baseball from the two leagues – Freedom Farm and Junior Baseball League of Nassau (JBLN), they did not stop playing. We are expecting very good technical skills to be displayed by those students who were involved in some level of sporting activity.”

There has been a push to have the boys play baseball in the private schools like in the government schools. Beckford said that while they want to have baseball played in BAISS, it is not a simple fix as facilities are needed in case all 15 of their member schools decide to play baseball.

“We do not have sufficient fields to play a round robin format amongst the schools,” Beckford stated. “We are looking around and thankfully, the National Sports Authority (NSA) refurbished the softball complex which should be able to play baseball, but it is still a softball complex. Few private schools can accommodate baseball namely SAC, St. Andrew’s School and Aquinas College. They have a sizable field to accommodate baseball. All the other schools will rely on facilities such as Freedom Farm and the facilities by Blue Hills. It’s a logistic situation for us and we are trying our best to see as quickly as we can to get baseball going.”

There are 10 schools across the four divisions that are participating in this year’s softball season. In the 2019 season, Queen’s College won the senior boys division while St. John’s College won the senior girls. On the junior side, Queen’s College won the boys and C.W. Saunders won the girls.

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 Home|Sports|Collegiate tennis players see fall actionSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailSeptember 20, 2022 150 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Bahamian collegiate tennis players Sydney Clarke, Jacobi Bain and Abigail Simms saw some Fall action over the weekend as they look to see where they are in these early matches.

Jacobi Bain and doubles partner VanDer Woody came away as champions in the men’s A doubles at the HBCU National Championships at the South Fulton Tennis Center in College Park, Georgia on Saturday. Bain repeated as champion.

The Xavier University of Louisiana Gold partners took care of Alabama State University’s Ruan Du Preez and Samrakshyak Bajracharya. They won 6-3. The duo comfortably won the quarter finals and semi finals.

The sophomore played in the men’s singles A draw. He received a bye in the first round. He then played against the eventual champion, Jonasz Dziopak in the quarterfinal. However, Bain fell 3-6 and 0-6.

Bain and his team were tied for third with 17 points as nine teams participated.

Clarke and her University of Alabama Blazers were in action at the Austin Peay University Fall Tournament at the Governors Tennis Courts in Clarksville, 

Tennessee. The matches were played on September 16-18.

The junior was able to play in eight matches including both singles and doubles. She was not so fortunate in the singles as she lost all but one of her four matches. In the doubles, she won all four of those matches.

In her first match against Emma Honore, Clarke fell in two sets – 1-6 and 4-6. Clarke was able to win a set against Melody Hefti but fell 6-1, 0-6 and 7-10. She then fell 3-6 and 2-6 to Coc Bosman. She won the final match with a score of 6-0 and 6-2 over Maria Arbelaz.

Clarke played with four different doubles partners, and they were able to be victorious. She first paired up with Adela Wasserbaureova. The duo took on Paola Campigotto and Emma Honore and won 6-4. Clarke played with Mackenzie White, and they won 6-4 over Denise Torrealba and Lucy Lascheck. Her third double matches saw her pairing up with Annalisa Smith as they took down Bosman and Callie Billman 6-2. Her final doubles match saw her and Alexandria da Silva taking care of Elina Sungatullina and Juanita Mendez 6-1.

Simms and her Indiana Tech Warriors were in action against the number five Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats at the IWU Fall Classic. They were shut out 6-0. In the doubles action, Simms and doubles partner  Echavarria fell 2-6 to France Antezana and Sofia Loren Munoz.

Simms’ number two singles match against Munoz did not finish as the Wildcats wrapped up that dual.

https://thenassauguardian.com/collegiate-tennis-players-see-fall-action/

 Home|Sports|Titans rally against Mighty MittsSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailSeptember 20, 2022 152 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Atlantis Titans had a tough start to their game defensively but picked it up in the final three innings, as they came back to get the 12-10 victory over the Chances Mighty Mitts on Saturday at the Bankers Softball Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

The women’s division saw the Sunshine Auto Wildcats winning by default over the Johnson’s Lady Truckers.

Coming away as the Player of the Game was the Titans’ Windsor Bethel, who was impressive offensively as he finished the game three-for-four and four runs batted in (RBIs).

He had help from Morris Canter, who finished 3-for-3 at bat to go with four runs. Also helping the Titans was Angelo Dillett, who went 2-for-3 to score one run.

The Mighty Mitts got on the scoreboard first when first baseman Chris McPhee brought home centerfielder Stephen McKenzie. That put the Mighty Mitts up 1-0 as the score remained the same heading into the bottom of the first inning.

The bottom of the first saw the Titans come up empty as the score was unchanged.

It was a very offensive game in the third inning as the score was tied at 1-1 heading into it. The Mighty Mitts were able to score five runs in that inning. They left the Titans to try and battle back from a 6-1 deficit.

The Titans responded with five runs of their own in the bottom of the third inning. They were tied at the end of the third inning 6-6.

Looking to open the game and give themselves some distance, the Mighty Mitts went up by three more runs as they took a 9-6 lead at the end of the fourth inning. The Titans were only able to come up with one run in the fourth inning. In the end, the Mighty Mitts went up 9-7.

The fifth inning saw the Mighty Mitts scoring one run and the Titans scoring one as the Mighty Mitts were still up 10-9.

Needing to find a way to take their first lead of the game, the Titans found a way in the bottom of the sixth inning. They did it when three batters came home to put the Titans up 12-10 as the Mighty Mitts had one final chance to take the win at the top of the seventh inning. However, the Titans’ pitching and defense pulled through as they were able to out the first three batters.

The league is winding down as the make-up games begin on Thursday at 7 p.m. The schedule for those games was not available at press time.

https://thenassauguardian.com/titans-rally-against-mighty-mitts/

 Home|Sports|Sun falls short againSports

Jones finishes with 13 points

Simba FrenchSend an emailSeptember 20, 2022 166 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

For the second time in just four years, the Sun made the finals and it came to an end without them lifting the championship trophy. This time they fell to the number one seed, the Las Vegas Aces 78-71 in game four of their best-of-five championship series on Sunday afternoon.

Playing in front of their home crowd at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, the Sun kept it close but an 8-0 run in the final 1:39 by the Aces was the final nail in the coffin for a Sun team that has shown resilience and was hoping to force a fifth and final game.

Bahamian Jonquel Jones finished with 13 points and eight rebounds. 

Defensively, she had two blocks and one steal. The Grand Bahama native went 5-for-8 from the field and made both of her three-point attempts. She played 29 minutes as she battled foul trouble with four personal fouls by the end of the third quarter. She was whistled for three fouls in that quarter alone.

The Sun was in the WNBA finals in 2019 and fell 3-2 to the Washington Mystics. It was also their fourth consecutive trip to the WNBA semifinals. Asked what it will take to get them over the hump, Jones said she was trying to process the loss.

“I wish I could answer that for you right now but all I know is it hurts me, and that’s all I’m feeling right now,” Jones said.

After going down 53-49 at the end of the third quarter, the Sun needed to bring out their resilience. The Sun went down 67-61 with 3:55 left. That were able to pull the game closer in less than one minute. That sequence saw DeWanner Bonner making three free throws then Jones pulling up and making a 10-footer to bring the game to 67-66 with Aces leading and 3:35 left in the game. Jones stole the ball on the next Aces offensive possession that set up Courtney Williams who got fouled and went to the free-throw line as the crowd was fired up. Williams split the pair of free-throws as the game was tied at 67 points. The Aces turned the ball over that set up Williams to make a jumpshot to give the Sun the 69-67 lead with 2:22 left in the game.

From there the Aces went on a 9-2 run to end the game and win the series.

Despite the loss, the 2021 Most Valuable Player (MVP) spoke about her team’s resolve to compete in night in and night out throughout the season.

“This team has heart,” Jones said. “This team has a lot of pride. This team, everybody has made sacrifices for us to be able to be back here. And like Courtney said, the chips didn’t fall the way we wanted them to. But there’s a lot of selflessness and a lot of sacrifices to be able to have this team back together and make this run.”

She added, “While it’s tough and it’s disappointing, we get to say that we were one of the last two teams standing and playing for a championship. So, I’ve got a lot of pride and a lot of joy with the moments that I’ve had with this team and have the ladies that have been ready to play with every night.”

The Sun’s forward Alyssa Thomas finished with her second consecutive triple double with 11 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. She also had two steals and two blocks. Scoring a team high 17 points for the Sun was Williams.

The finals MVP was the Aces’ Chelsea Gray who did it all and more with a game-high 20 points to go with five rebounds and six assists in 37 minutes. She got support from bench player Riquna Williams who had a breakout game with 17 points including five triples.

Jones led her team in these finals in scoring with 16 points per game that included shooting 56.5 percent from the field. She averaged 8.3 rebounds per game.

For her efforts in the regular season, Jones was able to earn All-WNBA second team and All-Defensive second team. The center finished seventh in the MVP voting.

Jones, 28, averaged 14.6 points per game on 51.3 percent shooting from the field this season. She also had 8.6 boards per game to go with 1.2 blocks per game and 1.1 steals per game.

https://thenassauguardian.com/sun-falls-short-again/

 Home|Sports|Valentine Cox sweeps Fall Classic Chess tournamentSports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailSeptember 15, 2022 168 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Fall Classic Chess Tournament took place this weekend at the University of The Bahamas’ (UB) Choices Restaurant on September 10-11. This vital partnership between UB and the Bahamas Chess Federation (BCF) was formed to promote the growth and development of critical and analytical thinking, leadership and safe social interaction in The Bahamas through the sport of chess.

The Fall Classic Chess Tournament was the final qualifier to determine who would fill the remaining spots at the upcoming Bahamas National Chess Championship. Valentine Cox defeated all his opponents and emerged as the overall winner of the tournament. Dr. Kenville Lockhart came second, and Avian Pride secured third place. The Fall Classic Chess Tournament was the final qualifier to determine who would fill the remaining spots at the upcoming Bahamas National Chess Championship.

The tournament was set up as a five round Swiss format, game in 60 minutes plus five seconds per move tournament. The chief arbiter of the Fall Classic Chess Tournament was Andre White. He is an experienced chess arbiter. White was one of nearly two hundred arbiters selected by the Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE), out of a total of over 14,000 official FIDE arbiters globally, to arbiter at the 44th Chess Olympiad held in Chennai, India this summer. The 44th Chess Olympiad was his second Olympiad as an arbiter. The first was in Tromso, Norway in 2014. White was assisted at the tournament by Angel Pride.

Subsequent to a recent partnership formed between UB and BCF, future chess tournaments will be held at UB.

“UB is excited for the opportunity to collaborate with the Bahamas Chess Federation,” said Dr. Joseph Ferguson, assistant professor, mathematics and Chess Club advisor, the University of The Bahamas.

He continued: “We recognize that many of the younger chess players currently in primary and high schools will one day be at UB, and we want them to know that chess has a home at the university. 

President Rollins, vice-president Stubbs and the entire UB community congratulates BCF on the tournament and their efforts.”

Candidate Master (CM) Kendrick Knowles, BCF president, recognized the partnership between UB and the BCF.

He added: “I thank UB for hosting the Fall Classic Tournament and look forward to BCF hosting more chess tournaments and events in collaboration with the University of The Bahamas. Traditionally higher education institutions and chess go hand in hand. Top universities around the world promote chess and participate regularly in chess tournaments. Congratulations to Cox on a stellar performance. I am excited for The Bahamas Nationals, the players qualifying for the Nationals are the top chess players in The Bahamas and competition will be intense.”

The Bahamas National Chess Championship, the biggest event on the BCF calendar, is a five-day event. Players for the upcoming Bahamas National Chess Championship include CM Knowles, Shawn Barker, Curtis Pride, CM Nathan Smith, FIDE Master (FM) Cecil Moncur, Avian Pride, Noah Albury, Trevor Bridgewater, Cox and Dr. Lockhart.

https://thenassauguardian.com/valentine-cox-sweeps-fall-classic-chess-tournament/