As of Wednesday, November 22, 2023

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Federation president Joel Stubbs.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#WITH four more competitors earning their professional status this year, the Bahamas Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation can now boast of having 20 active professionals in the sport.

#Federation president Joel Stubbs made the comments after Serena Salis-Norius, Dekel Nesbitt-Quant and Briceston Anderson all earned their pro cards at the MCP Worldwide Caribbean Grand Prix at the Atlantis resort, Paradise Island, earlier this month.

#They joined Terrion Kemp, who picked up his pro card at the Central American and Caribbean Bodybuilding Championships in Palm Beach, Aruba, in September. “We’re so excited for the few Bahamian athletes who have achieved their professional status this year,” said Stubbs of the competitors, who earned their status on both IFBB platforms at the Elite League and the Pro League.

#“They will be joining the others at that prestigious performance level. Blessings upon blessings to all of you.”

#Two of those pro bodybuilders – Jason ‘Jay-Shred’ Johnson and Kaif Young – just competed in the IFBB Elite Pro Mr Universe Colombia Show over the weekend in Cali, Columbia. Out of a field of 10 competitors, Johnson took the title with Young as the runner-up.

#Stubbs congratulated the two competitors whom he had an opportunity to train during their introduction into the sport. He remains a mentor and confidant to both competitors, who lauded him for his leadership of the federation. “To the other professionals, continue to work even harder in raising the bar,” Stubbs said.

#“Continue to work while it’s day, for the night cometh when no man will be able to work. Remember, the sky’s the limit.”

MILLIE Vlasov and Gulliver du Saint-Chene placed 12th in the 1.50m Grand Prix at the MET Autumn Tour II in Spain.

As of Wednesday, November 22, 2023

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#MILLIE Vlasov aboard Gulliver du Saint-Chene turned in an impressive performance in the CSI3* 1.50m Grand Prix at the MET Autumn Tour II in Oliva, Spain, finishing 12th out of 50 rider/horse combinations from 19 countries.

#Vlasov and Gullie were unfazed by the rainy conditions on course, navigating Swiss course designer Gerard Lachat’s twisting track of 13 obstacles the course in a fast time of 73.80 seconds and going nearly clear until dropping an unlucky rail at Fence #11.

#Although the dropped rail meant that they could not advance to the jump off, the pair finished on four faults with the 5th fastest time in the first round.

#In the end this was good enough for 12th place, a share of the prize money and, most importantly, an opportunity to earn more of the ranking points needed to earn a qualifying spot to represent The Bahamas in Equestrian Show Jumping at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

#In Olympic Equestrian sport there are limited slots allocated to Individual athletes, based on their position in the FEI Longines Rankings as determined by their performance in major show jumping competitions in the calendar year.

#With just a few weeks left in the year to amass more points, Millie is one of a dozen individual athletes in FEI Olympic Groups D and E (North, Central and South America) vying for one of these coveted slots.

#Nonetheless, she remains determined. “It’s my dream to represent The Bahamas at the Olympics,” she said. “It’s a challenge but I’m up to it.”

Mississippi head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin with the trophy. Photos: Dante Carrer

As of Tuesday, November 21, 2023

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Mississippi coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin with the trophy

#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#The University of Mississippi Ole Miss Rebels pulled off a decisive 60-49 win over the University of Michigan Wolverines in the championship round of the third Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis women’s tournament yesterday at the Imperial Arena, Paradise Island.

#The win not only marked their first championship victory in the tourney’s history but it also made Grand Bahamian coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin the first Bahamian coach to accomplish this feat at the three-day event.

#Placing third in the tournament were the University of Arizona Wildcats, who fell 56-47 to the Ole Miss Rebels in the semifinals, after they toppled the South Dakota Coyotes 61-52 in the third place game yesterday.

#Coach Yo was elated as she basked in the historic moment in Bahamian and team history with her players.

#“It means a lot and when I saw the conch shell I almost broke down and cried. The conch shell on the trophy was elite. Usually, I let the trophies stay at work but this one I may try to sneak to the house for at least a week. It feels great to win. I am happy but we had three straight games in a row so I am really exhausted but inside I am screaming with joy,” the Grand Bahama native said.

#In the first two games of the Battle 4 Atlantis women’s tournament, the Ole Miss Rebels got off to a slow start and rebounded to win in the second half against their opponents. However, from the opening tip to the final buzzer of the championship game versus the Wolverines, the Rebels played with a chip on their shoulders and led the entire game.

#The former national team coach said the Ole Miss Rebels’ strategy coming into yesterday’s game against the 4-1 Wolverines was to get off to a hot start. “It was key. I have a lot of respect for Kim. She is a veteran in coaching, she is someone I look up to so I have been watching for a long time. I knew they would be prepared and well coached. We wanted to win the first four minutes of the game. We wanted to send a message that we were here to win a championship as well and I thought our team did that,” she said.

#Coach Yo’s team got the advantage 10-6 to start the game and pushed the lead to 16-11 to close out the first period of play.

#Despite a strong showing by the team in the opening quarter, starting point guard Kirsten “KK” Deans went down with an apparent knee injury at the 2:29 mark and tried to return to action but only managed to play less than six minutes in the ball game. The status of her injury remains unknown at this time.

#Although she was a notable loss for the 5-1 team, backup rookie point guard Marija Avlijas provided a bright spot for the team and embodied the next woman up mentality in her efforts on the court. She mailed in a team-high 11 points, along with three assists, two steals and shot 5-for-10 for 50 per cent in the championship win.

#Madison Scott, who has been a standout performer for the Lady Rebels all tournament long, dropped 10 points to pair with seven boards, and one block shot.

#Scott was the engine of the team’s stingy defence and energy on offence in the tournament which earned her the Battle 4 Atlantis women’s MVP award.

#The newly-named MVP wanted to improve on her consistency in the women’s tournament and was happy to pull off the win.

#“It feels really good. We have been working really hard so to win the title we are seeing our hard work pay off. We saw our point guard KK Deans go down and that was really hard for us but it was the next man up mentality. We wanted to win for her and we knew that we have been working so hard to continue to improve each and every day,”

#“This game we showed strength and resilience. Marija, our freshman point guard, came in and worked her butt off. On the bench everybody gave everything they had so I am so proud,” the MVP said.

#Defence was the name of the game for the Lady Rebels, especially headed into the second half of basketball. The team collectively held the Wolverines to 15-for-62 shooting for 24 per cent from the field and at the halftime mark they shot 14.8 per cent through two quarters.

#For the no.24 ranked Lady Rebels, it was their first time leading going into the halftime break (27-19) in the tournament and the rest was history.

#The Southeastern Conference (SEC) National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) D1 team’s swarming defence forced 16 turnovers in the final round which translated to nine fast-break points.

#The third period of play saw the Lady Rebels outscore the Wolverines 21-11 in the quarter.

#Meanwhile, in the fourth quarter they advanced to their biggest lead of the game, 20, at the 6:42 mark to cement their Battle 4 Atlantis championship win.

#The Grand Bahama native talked about why she was so passionate about getting this year’s trophy.

#“Last year when we lost it was in the tournament but we ended up losing a game. The junkanoo music started playing and I couldn’t even dance. That is why I made it a point to go dance once I heard the junkanoo music today because I love junkanoo music. The fact that I couldn’t dance last year has kept me up at night,” she said.

#She acknowledged the team’s grit and determination against some of the top NCAA D1 women’s teams in the third edition of the tournament. She added that this win is a step in the right direction for the Ole Miss Rebels women’s basketball programme.

#“I hope we can play even better basketball but this is a step in the right direction, that’s why we wanted to come play in this tournament. A lot of people that have situations like mine shy away from competition to protect rankings and reputation, that has never been my take. I wanted to come to a tournament like this to play quality opponents. All of them are between 25-30 in the net, that’s tournament worthy teams. This is definitely a step in the right direction and hopefully we can just use this and continue to improve,” coach Yo said.

#As for the Wolverines, guard Laila Phelia carried the team with a game-high 21 points. Although she shot 11-for-12 at the charity stripe, the Lady Rebels’ defensive effort bothered her from the field where she shot 4-for-18.

#The Michigan women’s team got the edge on the Rebels in second chance points 21 to 9. However, the Rebels dominated them inside the paint 36 to 14.

#Additionally, their bench players outscored the Wolverines 27 to 10 in the victory.

#The Battle 4 Atlantis tournament ended yesterday for the women’s segment and picks back up on Wednesday at the Imperial Arena for the men’s basketball teams.

Photos by Dante Carrer

As of Tuesday, November 21, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#THE 2023 Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championships for 10 NCAA division one collegiate women’s teams got started yesterday at the Baha Mar Convention Center with the Georgia Bulldogs, Ohio State Buckeyes and Florida Gators all producing early victories.

#The Bulldogs routed the Columbus Lions 73-56, the Buckeyes pounded the East Carolina Pirates 79-56 and the Florida Gators held off the Purdue Boilermakers 52-49.

#In the pair of evening games, Oklahoma State took on Penn State and the University of South Carolina met Seton Hall.

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

#Gators 52,

#Boilermakers 49

#In a game that went right down to the wire, Purdue made three consecutive fouls in the final 10 seconds before Aliyah Matharu finals to the foul line and converted a pair of charity shots as they pulled away from a 50-49 lead push their lead up three, 52-49.

#Abbey Ellis attempted a “hail Mary” three-pointer at the buzzy for the Boilermakers, but it bounced off the rim as the Gators celebrated the much deserved victory.

#Matharu, the pesky guard, ended up with a game high 15 points with four rebounds and two assists. Guard Leilani Correa had 10 points and eight rebounds; center Ra Shaya Kyle had nine points and nine rebounds; guard Laila Reynolds added six points with four rebounds and both Alberte Rimdal and Jeriah Warren came off the bench and contributed five points apiece.

#Florida, coached by Kelly Finley, led 14-10 at the end of the first quarter, 26-22 sat the half and 42-40 at the end of third. They held off Purdue, coached by Katie Gearlds, 10-9 in the fourth when it counted the most.

#The Boilermakers got 14 points, five rebounds and three steals from guard Abby Ellis. Caitlyn Harper had 12 points and five rebounds and Jayla Smith came off the bench and helped out with 11 points, five rebounds and four assists.

#Florida, competing out of the SEC, reached the quarterfinals of the postseason WNIT last year, while the Big Ten Purdue representative got to the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

#Buckeyes 79, Pirates 56: Guard Jacy Sheldon produced 20 points with five rebounds and a pair of assists to lead four other players in double figures as Ohio State improved to 3-1 on the season.

#Guard Taylor Thierry had 14 points with eight rebounds, four assists and three steals; forward Rebeka Mkulasikova had 12 points, three assists, two rebounds and as many steals; forward Cotie McMahon had 11 points with seven rebounds; Rikki Harris came off the bench and also contributed 11 points.

#Although they controlled the tempo of the game from start to finish, opening up with an 10-0 run, Ohio State had to endure a near shuffle with 1:29 left in the third quarter.

#Officials held up the game for a considerable time to review a play that resulted in Jade Tillman of ECU being ejected, while two players from OS got hit with a technical foul each. Ohio State was leading 57-41 at that point.

#Guard Synia Johnson scored 14 points with seven rebounds to pace East Carolina. Amiya Joyner had 12 points and nine rebounds and guard Micah Dennis added 10 points with four assists and three rebounds.

#Ohio State, coached by Kevin McGuff in his 22nd season, is coming off its first NCAA Elite Eight appearances in 30 years with an 28-8 overall record, while East Carolina, coached by Kim McNeil in her eighth season, is coming off a first round appearance in the NCAA Tournament last year.

#Bulldogs 73: Lions 56: Zoesha Smith led four players in double figures as Georgia, who are entering their second year under coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson, picked up their third straight victory of the season.

#Smith, connecting on 8-for-11 from the field, had 18 points with seven rebounds. Javyn Nicholson had 17 points with seven rebounds as well, along with three assists; Chloe Chapman had 15 points and seven assists and DeMauri Flournoy added 11 points.

#The Bulldogs led 37-29 at the half, but while they only scored nine in the third quarter, they held the Lions to the same tally in the fourth when they stepped on the gas, scoring 27 points to put the game away.

#In a losing effort for Columbus, Riley Weiss scored 18 points; Kitty Henderson had 12 points with four rebounds, four assists and as many steals and Abbey Hsu contributed 10 points with seven rebounds and two assists.

#The Lions, coached by Megan Griffith, are coming off their first Ivy League championship title last year, although they eventually fell short of making the NCAA Tournament.

#After taking a break on Tuesday, the final day of competition for the women will be played today with the following games on tap:

#11 am Seton Hall vs East Carolina.

#1:30 pm Columbia vs Florida.

#4 pm Purdue vs Georgia.

#6:30 pm Ohio State vs Oklahoma State.

#9 pm Penn State vs University of South Carolina.

Bahamas senior men’s national soccer members in training ahead of their CONCACAF Nations League match against Puerto Rico 7pm today at the Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium.

As of Tuesday, November 21, 2023

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#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#THE Bahamas senior men’s national soccer team is slated to take on Puerto Rico at 7pm today at the Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium.

#The CONCACAF Nations League match was supposed to be the final one of their November window but the collapsing of a highway wall, which resulted in the death of nine people, and inclement weather conditions in Santo Domingo, Puerto Rico, resulted in their match against Guyana being postponed on Sunday.

#The League B, Group D teams were initially scheduled to play the home game at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium but due to ongoing renovations at the venue it was moved to the Estadio Olímpico Fèlix Sànchez.

#Despite not playing the last scheduled game, Team Bahamas will now face Puerto Rico in Bayamon, Puerto Rico in a critical match for determining their fate in the League B, Group D rankings.

#Nesly Jean, head coach for Team Bahamas, talked about the men’s national team’s preparation for Puerto Rico after their last game was postponed with no new date in sight.

#“It is an unfortunate situation that happened in the Dominican Republic but again we have to move on and try to get our mindset focused on different tactics for what we want to do against Puerto Rico,” Jean said.

#Team Puerto Rico is currently second in the CONCACAF Nations League standings for League B, Group D with a 3-0-2 win/loss/draw record and 9 points. Their most recent victory (3-2) came against Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association’s Technical Centre in Piggotts. The Benna Boys, of Antigua and Barbuda, were Team Bahamas’ last opponents in the October window, their match ended in a 2-2 draw. Team Bahamas remains last in the rankings with a 0-1-3 record and a lone point.

#With the possibility of relegation to League C looming for the fourth ranked team, coach Jean said the team is ready despite the odds.

#“I think any match we play at the moment is important. This is our last two matches so we want to get the points because we want to move up in the group stage. The guys were really anxious to play so let’s see what happens in Puerto Rico. They are ready so we are gonna go ahead and give 100 per cent and try to get the three points,” he said.

#After participating in some practice sessions yesterday, Team Bahamas is looking to pull off a big win today.

#The victor of the group will be promoted to League A, the second and third ranked teams will remain in the League B and the fourth team will be relegated to League C.

As of Tuesday, November 21, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#THE SPIA 2023 Relays Challenge had some challenges at the start of the competition on Saturday, but it turned out to be a great day for the participants at the University of the Bahamas.

#Organiser Rashad Patton said they had to delay the start of the event because of the amount of water that had settled on the grass track from the downpour of the rain on Friday.

#But once they got started, the participants from the UB Mingoes track team, local track clubs and schools, raced under the adverse conditions and there were even some falls in the puddles, but it in no way diminished the level of competition.

#“It was a good experience to see in November where our athletes are at,” Patton said. “So we decided to invite some of the clubs to participate as well so that they can test their athletes.”

#Despite not drawing a larger crowd of teams, Patton said those who participated performed very well. “I’m really thankful to the teams who showed up and participated,” Patton said. “I was a little concerned because of the rain, but we still had some good performances out there today.”

#Teams competed in the 4 x 800, 4 x 600 and 4 x 500 metre relays in the open, under-17, under-15, under-13, under-11 and under-9 men and mixed divisions. Trophies and medals were awarded to the top performers. UB’s head coach Ednal Rolle, who also assisted in getting the meet off the ground, admitted that it was a rough start, but he too was pleased with what he saw.

#“I just wanted to see where they are. We have our timed trials next week, so I wanted to see how they would handle the relays,” he said. “My cross country team won the 4 x 800m and the mixed relay.

#“Our team is much stronger than last year. The 4 x 400m team should break the school record this year because I’m looking for them to do much better this year. A few of them are running on our cross country team. So we’re looking good.”

#The Mingoes men’s 4 x 800m team that dominated the event were Kenold Jewan, Dennis Williamson, Jackson Ozias and Lhevinne Joseph.

#After getting sidelined by the rain from Friday, Rolle said the track was a little flooded, so they had to delay the start just so that some of the water could subside.

#“But running events like this is all about the conditions on the course,” Rolle pointed out. “It was a good condition for the athletes to get in the challenge, so they had to run through it. So we’re pleased with the performances.”

#Andrew Tynes, coach of Swift Athletics, said they welcome any and every opportunity they get to compete under any condition.

#“This is November, so it’s good for us to take a look at them and to see how far they have come,” he insisted. “I was really grateful that they had this meet to compete in and the conditions on the grass is something that they have to get used to because if they get to go to college, they don’t know what conditions they have to compete under.”

#Cedricka,Rolle coach of the 3PA Stallions, in assessing her 3PA Stallions’ team performances, admitted that she got a good chance to view their level of fitness as they move forward.

#“We’re trying to get them prepared for an indoor meet in December in Ohio, so they are using these markers to know what we have to work on to get ready for that trip,” she insisted.

#Rolle was impressed with her athletes, particularly Jasmine Mackey (Carifta athlete in the 800 and 1,500m), Dahjia Mesidor (800m, shot put) and Zantea Ferguson (triple jump).

#Coach Clinton Smikle said his Quick Step Athletics’ team did what they had to do.

#“Our team performed very well. They are in pretty good shape and so going into the season, it was a good way for us to gauge what we are doing,” he said. “We have the Carifta trials coming up and so we want to get them ready for that.”

#His team consisted of Dillan Simon, Mario Miller, Clyde Richards and Yulianas Akompi.

#Coach Latoya Bain-Sturrup, who brought a number of her athletes from Claridge Primary, noted that her team did an excellent job.

#“It was a conditioning meet and some of the athletes are just getting in shape, so it showed where we’re at and what we need to work on,” Bain-Sturrup said. “So I was very pleased.

#“The kids also had fun and they competed against clubs and athletes who are always training, so I thought we had a wonderful time on Saturday. It was all about the kids being exposed to the UB track and to run against other clubs and schools. I was very pleased with their performances.”

#Here’s a look at the results posted by the various teams during the event:

#Men’s Open 4 x 800m relay – University of the Bahamas – 9:09.50; SPIA Track Club – 9:45.15.

#Open mixed 4 x 800m – University of the Bahamas – 10:53.17; Quick Step – 11:05.06; SPIA Track Club – 11:18.06.

#Under-17 mixed 4 x 800m – Speed Capacity Club – 13:08.58; SPIA Stallions – 13:20.03.

#Under-17 men 4 x 600m – Swift Athletics – 7:23.01.

#Under-17 mixed 4 x 600m – Speed Capacity – 9:28.00; Unattached – 9:04.07.

#Under-15 mixed 4 x 600m – 3PA Stallions – 9:04.80.

#Under-13 female 4 x 600m – Speed Capacity – 9:40.80; Claridge Primary – 12:37.79.

#Under-13 male 4 x 600m – Swift Athletics – 8:27.11; Claridge Primary – 12:50.39.

#Under-11 female 4 x 600m – Prince Williams – 12:37.11; Claridge Primary – 13.01.

#Open men 4 x 400m – Swift Athletics – 3:54.42; SPIA Track Club – 3:58.23.

#Open female 4 x 400m – 3PA Stallions – 5:01.73.

#Under-17 male 4 x 400m – Swift Athletics – 5:245.83.

#Under-17 mixed 4 x 400m – 3PA Stallions – 5:08.49.

#Under-15 mixed 4 x 400m – 3PA Stallions – 5:18.37.

#Under-13 male 4 x 400m – 3PA Stallions – 5:17.35; Swift Athletics – 5:23.88; Claridge Primary – 5:45.65.

#Under-11 female 4 x 400m – Prince Williams – 7:35.64; Claridge Primary – 10:58.50.

#Under-9 male 4 x 400m – Swift Athletics – 10:34.24; Claridge Primary – 11:34.14.

As of Tuesday, November 21, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#WHILE the ladies and men’s collegiate teams are in New Providence for the various basketball tournaments, Grand Bahama will showcase a number of visiting high school senior boys’ teams over the Thanksgiving weekend.

#The Tabernacle Baptist Academy/Dale Burns Thanksgiving Basketball Tournament, now in its 23rd year, will feature three high school teams from Grand Bahama against five visiting teams from the United States.

#The tournament will start on Wednesday and run through Saturday at St George’s High Gymnasium and, according to Norris Bain, the deputy director of sports in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, the event will give the island an economic boost this weekend.

#“We have the number one ranked school out of Georgia in Colombia High and the fifth ranked out of Georgia in 6A in Jonesboro,” Bain said. “They are two highly-ranked schools. We will also have a very good team in Oakridge High out of Tennessee.

#“So we will have some very good high school basketball competition here in Grand Bahama, while they have the college teams playing in New Providence.”

#The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture is partnering with Tabernacle Baptist to sponsor the tournament, which is expected to attract over 100 fans from the various schools coming in.

#With the three local teams participating, Bain said they anticipate that the fans will have an exciting four days of competition as the island tries to reclaim the title as the sporting capital of the Bahamas.

#“This will be a good test for the teams in Grand Bahama to see where they are because they will have some nationally ranked teams to compete against. This will also give the coaches the opportunity to match their skills against their American counterparts.”

#Bain, a former coach of Tabernacle and the men’s national team, said through the tournament, they hope that a few more players from Grand Bahama will be able to obtain athletic scholarships to attend colleges and universities in the United States.

#“This is a good opportunity for our boys to perform in front of some high level coaches and scouts, who are also expected to be in town to view the tournament,” Bain said.

#At the same time, Bain encouraged the residents of Grand Bahama to come out as they usually do to support the tournament and at the same time get to view some high level competition from the high school level.

#Stacked in pool A are Tabernacle Baptist Academy Falcons and St George’s Jaguars against visiting teams Columbus High and Lakeside High, both out of Georgia.

#In pool B are the Sunland Lutheran Stingers against the visiting Oakridge High out of Tennessee and both SouthWest Dekalb and Jonesboro High out of Georgia.

#Here’s a look at the schedule of games on tap:

#Wednesday’s schedule

#3:30 pm Jonesboro vs SouthWest Dekalb.

#4:30 pm Columbia vs St George’s.

#5:230 pm Tabernacle Baptist vs Lakeside.

#6:30 pm Oakridge vs Sunland Baptist.

#Thursday’s schedule

#3:30 pm Jonesboro vs Oakridge.

#4:30 pm SouthWest Dekalb vs Sunland Baptist.

#5:30 pm St George’s vs Tabernacle Baptist.

#6:30 pm Columbia vs Lakeside.

#Friday’s schedule

#3:30 pm Oakridge vs SouthWest Dekalb.

#4:30 pm Sunland Baptist vs Jonesboro.

#5:30 pm Tabernacle Baptist vs Columbia.

#6:30 pm Lakeside vs St. George’s.

#Saturday’s schedule

#10 am Semifinals.

#11:30 am Semifinals.

#5 pm Third place consolation.

#6 pm Championship game.

• Simba French
• Nov 21, 2023
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Nahum Johnson.

Cameron Pratt.

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BAYAMÓN, Puerto Rico — With The Bahamas senior men’s national soccer team in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, are two high school student-athletes, Nahum Johnson and Cameron Pratt, soaking up the experience of representing the country in the 2023 Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Nations League competition.

Johnson is the youngest Bahamian to score a goal Nations League competition for The Bahamas. Pratt, the youngest player on the team, has been the number two goalkeeper in all of The Bahamas’ games this season as he patiently waits for his name to be called

“Playing against older players is good for younger players like me because of the challenge. It helps me to get better and I like the challenge so far. I hope it helps me get recognized and helps me in my career,” Johnson said.

Pratt, who is 17-years-old, said that it has been an unforgettable experience to be on the team and to represent his country.

“I learned a lot of new things. Although I am the youngest on the team, they handle me with care, how to play on and off the field. Being able to practice at a high level with goalkeeper coach Avery Kemp was beneficial for me. I was able to learn new things such as shot blocking, spatial awareness, goal awareness and communication on the field,” Pratt said.

Johnson plays the forward position and will never forget October 17, 2023 because he scored an equalizer goal for The Bahamas on that date, his first senior men’s goal for The Bahamas, giving the country its first point of the 2023-2024 Nations League competition. That goal came against Antigua and Barbuda.

“I was excited but I still had to stay focused because it was only the 81st minute of the game. When I scored that goal, my mind was blown away as I scored a goal to help my team at the age of 17. It was a great accomplishment. I want to score more goals to help my team,” Johnson said.https://77e4dc8d1da7fdfab1eb1e0e55736418.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

The Aquinas College grade 11 student says that he is looking to stay humble. He was to make his first start for the senior men’s program against Jamaica. There is a strong chance that Head Coach Nesly Jean and Assistant Coach Kevin Davies may give him a starting job against Puerto Rico today. The opportunity is something that he is thankful for, he said.

Pratt, who plays for Dynamos FC locally, has not played a minute in Nations League competition but he has been ready to hear the coaches call him into action.

“I stay ready at all times because the best goalkeeper will be on the field and something can happen. I always keep it in my head that I can go on the field and play. I do get disappointed when I don’t get to play in this or that game, but I look forward to the next game because I know that in practice if I keep my level up I can shock my coaches and may be I can get to play.”

The St. John’s College grade 11 student has been playing soccer since he was seven years old and credits his mother Deeian Pratt for getting him into the sport. Kemp played a role in him choosing to play that position. 

“My teacher, family and friends hold me to a high level of accountability. I still manage to put aside time to play and practice and still be able to stay on top of my school work,” Pratt stated.

He is looking to go to Europe to play soccer but playing for a college team is also on his radar.

For Johnson, who plays for Renegade FC locally, balancing between school and soccer has been something he has been able to do successfully. He said his teachers have helped him. Johnson is thankful for his mother Stacy Johnson for her dedication and support. He hopes to one day be a professional soccer player and he hopes to go off to school or to a soccer academy.https://77e4dc8d1da7fdfab1eb1e0e55736418.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

The match against Puerto Rico is set for this evening at the Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel in Bayamón, Puerto Rico.

• Simba French
• Nov 21, 2023
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BAYAMÓN, Puerto Rico — The Bahamas senior men’s national soccer team experienced mental disorder recently as their match against Guyana was postponed twice over the weekend due to adverse weather and tragedy in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Head Coach for The Bahamas Nesly Jean said that they will now turn their attention to securing maximum points against Puerto Rico on Tuesday.

That game in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Nations League’s League B Group D division will be played at the Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, starting at 8 p.m.https://f6f6f0c4323eeaa8a450c6f7d4046184.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

“It’s an unfortunate situation that happened, but then again, we have to move on and try to get our mindset focused on different tactics on what we want to do against Puerto Rico,” he said.

This is indeed another key matchup for The Bahamas as they intend to bring three points back home, looking to avenge a 6-1 loss to Puerto Rico at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in September.

“I think any match we play at the moment is important. This is our last two matches, so obviously we want to get the points. We want to move up in the group stage. The guys are really anxious to play, so let’s see what happens in Puerto Rico. Obviously they’re ready. We’re going to give 100 percent and try to get three points,” Jean said.

Puerto Rico is coming off a tough 3-2 victory over Antigua and Barbuda in Piggotts, Antigua and Barbuda, on Saturday. The Bahamas is well-rested, having not played on the weekend but Jean said he does not see it as an advantage as Puerto Rico is playing at home.

“They played at home and we were travelling. With all that was going on, officials were trying to figure out if you have a game or not, so guys were up pretty early, still trying to figure out if we’re playing or not. Guys didn’t really rest this morning, so I wouldn’t say we have an advantage. I would say going into the game, it’s quite even. We just got to go and perform. We just have to do our job to the best of our ability,” Jean said.https://f6f6f0c4323eeaa8a450c6f7d4046184.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

It has been a long five months for the players, having played in four matches and going through training. The Bahamas is a little banged up but having a physiotherapist with the team helps.

“Some of the guys had a few injuries, but of course, with a day off, it helps them to recover a little bit. Obviously, getting the physio, treating them as well, so that helps them in a way. Again, at this point, there are no excuses. It’s game time,” said Jean. “We just have to go and stick to the game plan and hopefully they play to their full potential.”

The team held its final practice yesterday afternoon, fine tuning for today’s match.

Team picks up wire-to-wire win over Michigan in the championship game

• Sheldon Longley
• Nov 21, 2023
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Bahamian Yolett ‘Coach Yo’ McPhee-McCuin, the women’s basketball head coach at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), was determined to leave the country with a championship and her team made sure of that as they easily took care of the Michigan Wolverines in the championship game of the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis (B4A) Women’s Basketball Tournament. The tournament wrapped up inside the Imperial Arena at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island, The Bahamas, on Monday, with the Ole Miss Rebels winning 60-49 over the Wolverines.

For McPhee-McCuin, it was her second title as women’s basketball head coach at Ole Miss.

Unlike their previous two games of the three-day tournament, playing every day, the Lady Rebels got out to a fast start on Monday and never looked back in the complete wire-to-wire performance. They led by as much as 20 points in the one-sided affair, coasting to the comfortable win.

“I knew they would be prepared and I knew they would be well-coached so for us, we wanted to win the first four minutes of the game and then go from there,” said McPhee-McCuin. “We wanted to send a message that we were here to win a championship. I felt like we were able to do that.”

The only setback in the game for the Lady Rebels was an injury sustained by starting point guard Kirsten ‘KK’ Deans. She went down with a knee injury at the 2:29 mark of the opening quarter, and tried to come back, but she had an obvious limp and was forced to sit out. Fortunately for the Rebels, her services won’t be needed as they controlled the game with their defense and their offense fed off that.

Marija Avlijas, who got most of the minutes in Deans’ absence, led the Rebels in scoring with 11 points, tournament Most Valuable Player (MVP) Madison Scott added 10 points and seven rebounds and Marquesha Davis and Silentianna ‘Snudda’ Collins scored nine apiece.

“‘KK’ is an important piece to what we have going on. It shook me up and it shook up the team, so this win, through adversity, will be one for the books,” said McPhee-McCuin. “We’re going to hope for the best with ‘KK’. We intend to rally around her and play Ole Miss basketball the rest of the way.”

Others were able to come in and stepped up in Deans’ absence, particularly Avlijas and fellow point guard Zakiya Stephenson.

“I was able to play 12 players today and that just shows our depth,” said McPhee-McCuin. “I’m using non-conference to develop the bench, to continue to develop continuity and chemistry in the team, discover our identity and be challenged like we were in this tournament and beyond. We can’t win a championship one through five, but we could win a championship one through fifteen. We have people who come off the bench who could start. Hopefully that gives them confidence to continue to build and accept their roles on this team.”

Laila Phelia led Michigan with 21 points. She was 4-for-18 from the field but made 11-for-12 from the free throw line. Jordan Hobbs had the second-most points for the Michigan starters with six. Wolverines’ Head Coach Kim Barnes Arico said it was a tough ending but they enjoyed themselves regardless.

“The tournament and the competition was amazing. It gave us an opportunity to play three days in a row which is going to be preparation for the Big Ten Tournament,” she said. “We couldn’t have asked for a better three days than obviously coming away with a win today. We really learned a lot about our team and this is going to give us an opportunity to go back home and work on some things. We are going to learn from this and we will be better because of it. The hospitality has been exceptional and the tournament was well ran. It’s been really beautiful and just phenomenal.”

Ole Miss defense was suffocating. They held an opponent to less than 50 points for the third time this season, and since the start of the 2021-22 season, Ole Miss has held eight Power Five opponents under 50 points.

They led 16-11 after one, 27-19 at the half and were up by as much as 20 points in the second half. Tyia Singleton made a layup just before the third-quarter buzzer to extend their lead to 48-30.

“I knew they were going to be disciplined and they wanted to play inside-out, so we had to make a decision as to where we wanted to dictate their offense,” said McPhee-McCuin. “We just tried to clog up the paint and make them kick it out and then we used our athleticism to contest shots. It took a team effort to get it done today because they are so good inside.”

Dancing to the beat of the goatskin drums, the blowing of the horns and clanging of the cowbells afterwards, the Bahamian sports legend said this is the feeling she came home to experience. Last year, she was unable to enjoy it like she wanted to as they fell short in the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship inside the Baha Mar Convention Center at Baha Mar.

“I love junkanoo music and the fact that I couldn’t dance last year kept me up at night. This meant a lot,” McPhee-McCuin said. “The Bahamian people helped will us to a win today and for that we are grateful. It feels great to win. Inside, I am screaming with joy. It means a lot.”

Following their semifinal win over Arizona, McPhee-McCuin made a clarion call for the Bahamian people to come out and show them love and support in the championship game and they got just that. Students from a couple schools were in attendance as well as scores of other Bahamians.

Adorned in Bahari shirts for the duration of the tournament, she said she wanted to show her love and loyalty for The Bahamas and is always grateful for the support she receives.

“For me to be able to come home and do this hopefully provides inspiration for the youth,” said McPhee-McCuin. “I was born and raised in the 242 (The Bahamas) and to be able to go out and live a dream – play college basketball and have an opportunity to do what I’m doing, I hope that it provides inspiration. There are truly no ceilings as long as you have work ethic and keep God first and good people around you.” 

The Bahamian coach thanked the team at Battle 4 Atlantis and everyone who played a part in staging the three-day basketball tournament. The men’s Battle 4 Atlantis tournament will get underway tomorrow.

Ole Miss returns home for two games, hosting the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Trojans on Saturday and the University of Louisville Cardinals on November 29. Michigan will host the Eastern Michigan University Eagles on Friday and the Southern Illinois University (SIU) at Edwardsville Cougars on November 29.

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