As of Tuesday, October 17, 2023

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#THE NPC Worldwide Caribbean Grand Prix is scheduled to get underway at the Atlantis resort on November 11.

#The event will serve as a pro-qualifier for athletes and features nine pro cards. The event will begin with registration and check-ins from 5-7pm on November 10 and the preliminaries start at 10am on Saturday.

#Twelve Bahamian bodybuilders will be in the hunt for their pro cards to compete at the professional level.

#Serge Saric, the event’s organiser, is excited about the opportunity at stake for athletes coming from around the world.

#“This opportunity will be given to the entire world to turn pro, we will change the lives of nine persons because they will turn professional and escalate their careers and earn a living doing what they love to do,” Saric said.

#He is expecting 1,000 people from around the world to attend this event and athletes have already started to register which can have positive ramifications for tourism in the country.

#“A lot of people are going to be coming from all over the world since it is open worldwide and we have already had people sign up from Qatar, Europe, Middle East, South America and a lot of Americans are going to be coming and athletes, especially from the islands of the Caribbean,” he said.

#Athletes will be competing in nine divisions. The categories include men and women’s physique, bikini, figure, classic physique, men and women’s bodybuilding, fitness, and wellness.

#The event organiser is excited to see Bahamians in action and credited former professional bodybuilder Joel Stubbs as the president of the Bahamas Bodybuilding, Wellness and Fitness Federation (BBWFF). “The coaching is really great in The Bahamas and we are looking to see some incredible athletes from The Bahamas going for these nine pro cards,” he said.

#For individuals interested in attending the event the cost is $55 for general admission, and $75 for VIP which includes watching the preliminaries and finals.

#Athletes that have not registered for the competition as yet can sign up online at www.worldsportspromotions.com or they can sign up in person at the event and pay a $50 late fee as registration closes on November 8.

#Saric said he is looking for the Bahamian public to come out and support the local athletes and made an appeal for local sponsors.

#“We really would love to have local sponsors come and support this,” he said.

#For individuals or companies interested in supporting the event or setting up a booth they can reach out via email at sergesaric@gmail.com

HE’S BACK: Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr returned home this past weekend to interact with and watch the players of the Jazz Chisholm Foundation Little League in action on Saturday.

As of Tuesday, October 17, 2023

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#JASRADO “Jazz” Chisholm Jr, founder of the Jazz Chisholm Foundation Little League, made a special appearance this past weekend at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

#The Little League players were met with a pleasant surprise as the Bahamian Major League Baseball (MLB) star signed their equipment, took pictures and made small conversations with them before watching them play in week three action across the various divisions.

#Chisholm Jr made his return home following a successful turf toe surgery on his right foot and the National League playoffs of the MLB.

#After being greeted by excited supporters and the players of his league, he was happy to be back at home.

#“It feels good, all the kids coming up to the car asking for autographs, pictures, saying how happy they are to see you, to watch them play and go watch them hit home runs, it feels great,” he said.

#The Miami Marlins star recently launched his foundation with the aims of providing resources to youth baseball and softball leagues, incorporating financial literacy into programmes and supporting other non-profit organisations.

#Following the launch of the foundation came the birth of the Little League in September.

#With up to 300 kids participating until December 3 in the T-Ball, Coach Pitch, 12-and-under (12U), and 14-and-under (14U) divisions, the league’s founder was happy to see the kids enjoying the competition.

#“I feel like I have seen a lot of kids look like they are happy to be out here, they are ready to play ball, are enjoying it and most of all, they are having fun,” the Miami Marlins centre fielder said.

#Chisholm Jr told reporters that one of the main reasons for establishing his own league is to help with the progression of baseball in The Bahamas.

#“My goal with this little league is to make it like the Dominican Republic. We’re competing with the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and those guys. I feel like the talent is here and we just have to give them the opportunity. I feel like this is the opportunity,” he said.

#In this past weekend’s Little League action, teams competed across the four divisions.

#Jazz Black and Jazz Yellow both were victors in the 11U division on Saturday. Jazz Black shut down team Jazz Blue 8-6. Jazz Yellow had an identical score in their win over Jazz Blue. The 14U division saw Jazz Blue and Jazz Black earn wins in weekend action. Jazz Blue took care of Jazz Black 7-0, and defeated Jazz Yellow 11 to zip. Additionally, they emerged victorious over Jazz White 6-1 on Sunday. Jazz Black earned a narrow 10-9 win against Jazz Yellow on Saturday.

#The only remaining game from Sunday’s action showed Jazz Yellow putting on a show in a 22-12 victory against Jazz Blue in the T-Ball division.

#Games were postponed on Sunday due to the inclement weather.

#The Little League continues next weekend and games will be played, as previously mentioned, until the championship rounds on December 3.

View Post

As of Tuesday, October 17, 2023

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

#VOLLEYBALL results for Monday, October 16.

#Games were played on Tom “The Bird” Grant park in Yellow Elder Gardens.

#Junior Girls

#Mt. Carmel Prep Academy 7, 13

#Teleos Christian School 19, 19

#Teleos won

#Senior Girls

#Lighthouse Preparatory Academy 1, 7

#Achiever’s Christian Academy 25, 25 Achiever’s won

#Senior Boys

#Greenville Preparatory Academy 13, 11

#Teleos Christian School 25, 25

#Teleos won

#TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17 (TODAY)

#JG – Teleos Christian School vs Akhepran International Academy

#SG – Mt. Carmel Preparatory Academy vs Achiever’s Christian Academy

#SG – Lighthouse Preparatory Academy vs Teleos Christian School

ALL IN PLAY: Christopher Rahming, midfielder of the Junkanoo Boyz, tries to make a play in game one of the October window in the Concacaf Nations League soccer match on Saturday. Photos: Dante Carrer

As of Monday, October 16, 2023

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

YELLOW CARD: Midfielder Quinton Griffith, of Antigua and Barbuda, receives a yellow card with less than 45 minutes on the clock in the first half of the Concacaf Nations League soccer match at Thomas A Robinson National Stadium on Saturday. Photo: Dante Carrer

#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#The Bahamas fell into an 0-3 hole in the Concacaf (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) Nations League rankings after coming up short against Antigua and Barbuda on Saturday.

#The Junkanoo Boyz were dealt a 4-1 loss by the Benna Boys at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium to begin their October window.

#The team is now in a tough position, facing possible relegation, following three consecutive losses and will look to rebound against Antigua and Barbuda in an away game on Tuesday.

#Before the start of their match on Saturday night, The Bahamas and the away team shared an identical 0-0 win/loss record separated by a mere goal differential which seated the home team one spot ahead of their visiting opponents.

THE Bahamas men’s national soccer team can be seen in this group photo. Also known as the “Junkanoo Boyz,” the team lost 4-1 to Antigua and Barbuda at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

#After Saturday night’s loss, The Bahamas is the only remaining team in Group D of League B without a win or points earned in the competition.

#Nesly Jean, head coach of Team Bahamas, talked about what went wrong for the home team to begin this window of the Concacaf Nations League matches.

#“I think we had a game plan similar to their game plan, obviously they executed better than we did. Again, we continue to beat ourselves by making mistakes. I think once we could limit those mistakes we could move forward and be better as a team [but] until then the guys have got to keep on working,” Jean said.

#He added that some adjustments that need to be made ahead of Tuesday’s away game are body positioning on the field, players being at different angles and not standing in a straight line, pressing the opponents earlier, and moving quicker with the ball.

#With both teams hungry for their first win of the Concacaf Nations League window, Antigua and Barbuda were the first to strike on Bahamian soil.

#Midfielder Javorn Stevens scored two quick goals for the visiting team in under 15 minutes of game time to give his team the early advantage on the

New York Liberty’s Jonquel Jones (35) during the second half in Game 3 of a WNBA basketball final playoff series against the Las Vegas Aces Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in New York. The Liberty won 87-73. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

As of Monday, October 16, 2023

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

#By DOUG FEINBERG

#AP Basketball Writer

#NEW YORK (AP) — Jonquel Jones scored 27 points and Breanna Stewart added 20 to help the New York Liberty beat the Las Vegas Aces 87-73 yesterday in the WNBA Finals and force a Game 4.

#New York struggled in the first two games against the Aces in Las Vegas, but the Liberty found their shooting touch in Game 3 behind Jones, who hit four of the team’s 13 3-pointers.

#“She was huge for us,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said of Jones, who came to the Liberty in a trade in the offseason. “Those 3’s changed the moment of the game a bit. The ball went in. Other games the ball weren’t going in for us. We got back to our identity. Proud of the effort and commitment and connection we had. Now we’ve got to do it again.”

#This was the Liberty’s first win in the WNBA Finals since Teresa Weatherspoon’s half-court shot in Game 2 against Houston in 1999. The Aces are up 2-1 in the best-of-five series and Game 4 is Wednesday night in New York.

#The Liberty led by three at halftime before scoring the first eight points of the third quarter to take a double-digit lead, bringing the crowd of 17,143 to its feet. They led 61-50 after three quarters.

#Behind A’ja Wilson, the Aces got to within six before Stewart hit a turnaround jumper and Betnijah Laney stole the ball from Jackie Young at half court and made a layup to extend the lead back to 10.

#Las Vegas didn’t challenge the rest of the way and star guard Chelsea Gray went back to the locker room midway through the fourth quarter after inuring her foot.

#“I can’t give you an update, I’ll let you know when we know,” Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon said.

#Kelsey Plum scored 29 points and Wilson added 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Aces, who are looking to become the first team to win consecutive titles since the 2001-02 Los Angeles Sparks. That came on the heels of the Houston Comets winning the WNBA’s first four championships.

#“This is a good team we’re talking about, obviously a different feeling in their place,” Wilson said of the Liberty. “We still have a chance to take care of business.”

#The Aces had won their first seven games in this postseason by an average of 17.3 points. They were looking to become the first team to go 8-0 in a WNBA postseason and the first to not lose a game since Seattle in 2020.

#The first two games of the series, as well as the four regular-season meetings, were all blowouts, with the closest game being a nine-point win by New York on August 28. That was the last loss the Aces had until yesterday.

#New York had stretches of playing well in the first half, buoyed by the sellout crowd that included NBA Commissioner Adam Silver as well as basketball greats Dawn Staley, Sue Bird and Tony Parker.

#The Liberty extended their lead to 41-34 on Jones’ layup with 2:27 left in the half before the Aces got within 43-40 at the break. Jones had 16 points in the first half while Plum scored 15.

#BIG APPLE BASKETBALL IS BACK

#This was the first WNBA Finals game in New York since 2002, when the Liberty were swept by the Sparks.

#Hammon was playing on that New York squad and remembers how excited the city was amid the team’s success. No New York basketball team in either the NBA or WNBA has made it that far since. “This is New York City, this is a basketball mecca. It’s good when all the sports teams do good. The Nets, the Knicks, the Liberty,” Hammon said.

#“It’s a basketball town. Fans here, they want and expect good basketball. When you don’t put it on the floor, they’ll let you know about it, too.”

#Liberty greats Vickie Johnson, Crystal Robinson, Sue Wicks and Weatherspoon, who played with Hammon on New York’s previous Finals teams, were all in attendance and received a loud ovation from the crowd when they were introduced in the third quarter. New York’s coach at that time, Richie Adubato, was also in the crowd.

#STAR-STUDDED CROWD

#The Finals brought out celebrities from all walks of life, including musician Joan Jett, actors Jason Sudeikis and Michael Shannon and journalist Robin Roberts. Lil’ Kim performed at halftime.

Jazz Chisholm Jr signs autographs for his fans on Saturday.

As of Monday, October 16, 2023

• Sign in to favorite this
• Discuss1 comment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

WARM WELCOME: Miami Marlins star Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr returned home to greet supporters at the Jazz Chisholm Foundation Little League games on Saturday at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex where he mingled with fans and signed autographs.

#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#JASRADO “Jazz” Chisholm Jr made his return to home soil this past weekend at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

#The Miami Marlins centre fielder not only greeted scores of excited kids from the Jazz Chisholm Little League, but also gave insight on next season’s expectations, provided an injury update and shared his outlook on the previous season.

#The Bahamian Major League Baseball (MLB) professional player was all smiles as he signed autographs and prepared to watch the Little League games on Saturday.

#The Marlins wrapped up their MLB season with an 84-78 win/loss record as they earned one of the two remaining final wild card spots to make the National League (NL) playoffs of the MLB.

#After making it to their fourth playoff appearance in 31 years, the Marlins were ousted in a 2-0 sweep courtesy of the Philadelphia Phillies in the best-of-three wild card series.

#Following the team’s untimely playoff exit, the 25-year-old got surgery on a nagging turf toe injury that sidelined him during the regular season. He is expected to rehab for the next three months and currently has a walking boot on his right foot.

#“I should be back to running January 1 so in three months, the surgery went well, it was successful, the foot just throbs a little bit now but, other than that, I am just ready to go chill with the kids, be out here with them and help them get to where they wanna be,” Chisholm Jr said.

#In regards to this year’s playoffs, the centre fielder described the atmosphere at the Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia as one of the loudest he has ever experienced and said the team is now ready to do it again.

#“We just plan to do it again now we know what it takes to get there, so we are gonna just get there again but now we know what it takes to win, saw how we got to play, and who we gotta play against to win. I feel for us we just took it into experience,” the MLB star said.

#It is no secret that the 25-year-old struggled with his fair share of injuries in the previous season after only playing 97 games in total.

#He had three separate stints where he was unable to join the team on the field. The first came against the Cincinnati Reds in May when he collided with the left centre field wall at the LoanDepot Park.

#The injury kept him out of action for nearly six weeks and he returned in June.

#Shortly after, the Miami Marlins player went out with a left oblique strain against the Atlanta Braves which kept him out of the lineup for a good chunk of July.

#His final injury was some knee discomfort in September as the Marlins were on the hunt for their fourth playoff appearance in more than three decades.

#He expressed his displeasure with not being able to play up to 150 games due to injuries throughout the season.

#“Personally if I don’t play 140 or 150 games, nobody would ever see my potential, they only see half of it so, for me, it is just like every time I don’t get to 150 games I had a bad season,” he told reporters.

#In the 97 games played this season, Chisholm Jr was able to average 19 home runs, a team-high 22 stolen bases, batted .250, notched 51 RBIs (runs batted in) and 50 runs scored.

#The Bahamian was one home run shy of turning in a 20-20 season which would have made him the first Marlins player since Hanley Ramirez in 2010 to accomplish this accolade.

#During the season, he also made history after collecting back-to-back grand slams which made him the first player in franchise history to ever attain this accomplishment.

#“That’s me at half of a season, that is not what I can do. That is what I expect other guys to do…for me that is not a great season. “I have been doing that from I was 19 in the minor league, that is not how I play, for me until I can play 150 games and show you what I really got, that is only bottom of the list,” he said.

#The MLB season also saw the Bahamian make the switch from shortstop to the centre field position. He talked about the adjustment period during the transition.

#“I feel like it got easier from the first month in spring training, it was bad to when you got into the season and then it just all clicked together and it just started coming together in games, just being a person that loves to compete and be out there, I take it to heart when I am not the best person out there, so I had to flip the switch and feel it out,” he said.

#Overall, Chisholm Jr was excited to be home with the Little League players and is looking forward to improving next season.

SEASON OPENER: The St Cecilia’s Strikers boys toppled the St Thomas More Sparks 16-6 to start the 2023-24 Catholic Board of Education Primary Schools basketball season. Photos: Tenajh Sweeting/Tribune Staff

As of Monday, October 16, 2023

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#THE 2023-24 Catholic Board of Education Primary Schools basketball season got underway on Friday at the Loyola Hall.

#Four games were played across the girls and boys division which saw the Sts Francis & Joseph School Shockers win both of their season openers.

#The Xavier’s Lower School Giants collected a win for the girls and St Cecilia’s Strikers boys team earned their first victory of the young season. Games will continue every Friday at Loyola Hall until the championships in December.

#The Shockers boys and girls meant business on opening day of the 2023-24 basketball season.

#The girls set the standard for the teams after they took down the Strikers 14-5. Grace Smith for the Shockers was too much for their opponents as she scored the team’s first three buckets.

#The team ran out to an 8-0 lead to start the contest and remained relatively uncontested the rest of the ball game.

#Nkomo Ferguson, the Shockers’ newest head coach, talked about the dominant win by the girls team to start the regular season.

#“This is a new school for me, so it is a beginner starting from fresh. We still have another five games to go so hopefully it gets better as the season goes along,” he said.

#Smith complimented the collective effort of the primary school team on the defensive end of the court.

#“Defence was key, we pressed the ball and after we pressed, we stole the ball and found the most open person and it happened to be Smith most times,” the coach added.

#After a big win by the girls, the Shockers boys team followed suit and wrapped up the Giants 20-14 in one of the most competitive games of the day. Both primary schools were locked in to start the game, with the score separated by just one point (7-6) in the opening half.

#In the third quarter, the Shockers switched their defensive scheme to a full court press which sapped any late-game momentum exhibited by the Giants.

#The head coach said although they got the win, he felt that the boys played a sloppy game and would have to clean up those mistakes as the season progresses.

#“The boys played sloppy, we could have played a whole lot better, nobody kept their defensive assignments but thankfully we came out with the win,” Ferguson said.

#The Strikers secured a comfortable 16-6 win against the St Thomas More Sparks.

#The team ran out to a 10-2 advantage following the opening tip as the Sparks struggled to get a score on the board. The latter’s first score came in the third period and, at that point, the Strikers were already in the driver’s seat.

#Donillo “Donnie” Culmer, head coach of the Strikers, noted that there were some first game jitters for the boys, but they have a lot to work on going forward. “A win is always good but we have plenty to work on, with this being the first game, the guys had plenty of jitters. They are young so it is a learning process and we hope to get better each week,” Culmer said.

#The Giants girls showed up for the primary school after they closed out the Sparks 19-2 to get their season underway.

#Raygail Smith, head coach of the Giants, said the first win felt awesome. “These girls were practicing for a long time, of course they are gonna be scared because for a lot of them it is their first time, they had to get these jitters out and to win this first game proves that they can do it,” she said.

#The season continues at the Loyola Hall on Gladstone Road at 3:45pm this Friday.

Team wondering what hit them after getting blasted again

• Simba French
• Oct 13, 2023
•  0

• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Email

• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Email
• Print
• Copy article link
• Save

Bahamian professional women’s basketball player Jonquel ‘JJ’ Jones notched her eighth consecutive double-double of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) playoffs but it wouldn’t be enough as the New York Liberty was routed, 104-76, by the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA Finals at the Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Wednesday. The Aces now go up 2-0 in that best-of-five series.

Jones came away with a team-high 22 points and added 10 rebounds in 30 minutes on the floor. That was not enough as they still got blown out the water again. They lost the first game by 17 points, and then dropped Game Two by 28 points. The center was hot from the field where she went 8-for-12, shooting 66.7 percent. She also played hard on the defensive end as she came away with four blocked shots.https://ffa32b7582c8b3f6a36b46c491027883.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

The Aces’ A’ja Wilson led all scorers with an efficient 26 points and added 15 rebounds.

The Liberty never led in the game as the Aces picked up the wire-to-wire win to put Liberty’s back against the wall. The Aces used a 19-2 scoring run to lead 38-19 at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Liberty pushed back and got the lead down to single digits when Sabrina Ionescu hit a three-point shot. At that point, they trailed 50-41 with 2:17 left in that half. Jones sank three free throws to make it a game. The Aces led 50-44 with 25 seconds remaining in the first half, and the quarter ended with the Aces up 52-44. The Liberty outscored Aces 25-14 in that quarter. Jones finished the first half with 19 points.

Wilson made a jump shot at the 9:14 mark of the third quarter to put them up double digits, 54-44. From there, the lead never shrunk to within single digits again. The Aces outscored the Liberty by 20 points, 52-32, in the second half.

The Liberty had a rough night from the field, shooting at a 36.1 percent clip while the Aces made 52.9 percent of their shots. The Aces moved the ball better, and made more shots, dishing out 31 assists compared to the Liberty’s 19.

Jones has been superb in these playoffs, averaging a double-double at 16.9 points and 12.1 rebounds to go with 2.3 blocks per game. She is shooting at a 55.2 percent clip in eight games. The sixth pick in the 2016 WNBA Draft has set a record for most double-doubles in a postseason which is at eight and counting.

It is a tall task for Jones and Liberty to win three straight games against the number one seeded Aces. Fortunately for them, they are headed home to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, for Game Three, and if necessary, Game Four as well. Game Five, if necessary, will return to Las Vegas. Game Three is set for 3 p.m. on Sunday, October 15, and will be televised on ABC.

• Simba French
• Oct 16, 2023
•  0

• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Email

• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Email
• Print
• Copy article link
• Save

Players in the Jazz Chisholm Foundation Little League got a surprise this weekend as league founder Jasrado ‘Jazz’ Chisholm Jr. of the Miami Marlins outfielder paid them a visit during the games at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex on Saturday.

The Marlins’ starting center fielder was flocked by the players as they wanted to take pictures with Chisholm, who was in a walking boot on his right foot after having ‘turf’ toe surgery on Tuesday. A number of the players got their bats, hats, gloves and/or batting gloves autographed by Chisholm, putting a smile on their faces. After being with the kids, Chisholm took time to speak to the press.https://9081de7e6f35ac2277ee838b1b9c1c03.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

Playing its third week, the league boasts four divisions – T-Ball (5-6), Coach Pitch (7-8), 12-and-Under (12U) and 14-and-Under (14U). There are four teams in each of the divisions.

Chisholm is high on The Bahamas’ future in baseball as he looks to have his league play a part of the advancement of the sport in the country.

“My goal with this little league is to make it like the Dominican Republic. We’re competing with the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and those guys. I feel like the talent is here and we just have to give them the opportunity. I feel like this is the opportunity,” Chisholm said.

As mentioned earlier, Chisholm was wearing a walking boot on his right foot. It was for a ‘turf’ toe surgery that was done last week Tuesday. Chisholm said it went well and he should be back in January. He initially suffered the injury in May of this year.

“I should be back running in January – three months. Surgery went well. It was successful. I am just ready to go and be with the kids, be out here with them, help them get to where they want to be,” Chisholm said.

The league is set to wrap up on December 3 with the championships in the various divisions. The league is one of several things that Chisholm has on his list, helping to grow the sport of baseball in The Bahamas.

• Sheldon Longley
• Oct 16, 2023
•  0

• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Email

• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Email
• Print
• Copy article link
• Save

Bahamian professional women’s basketball player Jonquel ‘JJ’ Jones might have had her impressive record-setting playoff double-double streak come to an end, but she had one of the highest-scoring games of her playoff career, and the New York Liberty rode that performance to an 87-73 win, pulling to within two games to one in the best-of-five Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Finals.

The Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, was rocking for Game Three of the series on Sunday, and with their backs against the wall, feeding off the excitement of the Liberty’s first home championship game in 21 years, Jones and her team rose to the occasion to get their first win of the series. It was their first win in the WNBA Finals since 1999. It’s also the first loss for the Aces in the postseason this year.

The Bahamian star out of Holmes Rock, Grand Bahama, finished with a side-high 27 points, and just missed what would have been her ninth straight double-double in the playoffs, as she added eight rebounds. She shot 10-for-15 from the field and was over 50 percent from deep, going 4-for-7. Jones had an MVP performance in the game as she added three assists, three huge blocks and two steals.

The real MVP (Most Valuable Player) Breanna Stewart added 20 points on 8-for-16 shooting, 12 rebounds and four assists, for the winning Liberty. Stewart won her second WNBA MVP Award this season. On Sunday, Betnijah Laney and Courtney Vandersloot added 12 points apiece for the Liberty.

The Aces were paced by a game-high 29 points from guard Kelsey Plum, 14 of which came in the fourth quarter. Two-time WNBA MVP and two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, including one this year, A’ja Wilson, added 16 points and 11 rebounds for the defending champions Aces, but shot just 4-for-16 from the field. Point guard Chelsea Gray was the only other player in double figures for them, scoring 11.

The Aces led just once in Game Three, 8-7, after Plum made two free shots at the 6:20 mark of the opening quarter. Sabrina Ionescu buried a 23-foot three point jumper 19 seconds later on an assist from Vandersloot, and the Liberty never looked back. They went on to lead 21-18 after the first quarter and 43-40 at the half. Jones had 16 of her 27 points in the first half.https://08494503be61cbd392d1b9ba35359f4c.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

The Liberty opened the second half on a 12-3 scoring run, including scoring the first eight points of the second half, to take their first double digit lead of the game, and they continued the momentum as they went on to lead 61-50 at the end of three quarters, holding the Aces to just 10 points in the third.

The Aces stayed within reach, eventually getting the lead down to just six points, 67-61, on two free shots from Wilson as she stole the ball and drove almost the length of the court before getting fouled on a layup attempt to go to the free throw line. She hit both free shots and the Aces trailed by just six, 67-61, with 5:31 remaining.

Feeling the heat, Jones, Stewart and Laney led the Liberty on a 12-3 run to stretch the lead back to double digits and put the game away.

For the game, the Liberty shot 52.4 percent from the field, going 33-for-63 compared to just 33.3 percent for the Aces, 23-for-69. They were also 43.3 percent from deep (13-for-30) compared to 31.8 percent (7-for-22) for the Aces. The Liberty also dished out 28 assists compared to just 13 for their counterparts, and had eight blocked shots, led by three from Jones, while the Aces didn’t block a single shot.

Jones had four of the Liberty’s 13 three-point shots.

“She (Jones) was huge for us,” said Liberty Head Coach Sandy Brondello. “Those 3’s changed the moment of the game a bit. The ball went in. Other games the ball weren’t going in for us. We got back to our identity. Proud of the effort and commitment and connection we had. Now we’ve got to do it again.”https://08494503be61cbd392d1b9ba35359f4c.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

The Liberty led by as much 17 points late in the fourth quarter, cruising to the easy win.

The Liberty struggled in the first two games of the series, losing by a combined 45 points, 99-82 in Game One, and 104-76 in Game Two. They did what they needed to do on Sunday to stay alive in the series, winning 87-73.

The Liberty must keep it going as they have to win again on Wednesday if they want to extend the series. Game Four is set for 8 p.m. at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Wednesday. Game Five, if necessary, will be played at 9 p.m. at the Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Friday. Both games will be televised on ESPN.

The Aces are looking to become the first team to win consecutive titles in the WNBA since the 2001-02 Los Angeles Sparks. That came on the heels of the Houston Comets winning the WNBA’s first four championships.