Kristian Robinson.

July 22, 2020

Sheldon Longley

0392 Views

Despite being left off the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 60-man roster for summer camp, Bahamian professional baseball player Kristian Robinson is regarded as one of those rare talents who could explode in the future.

The 6’3” 19-year-old outfielder hit .282 with 14 home-runs and 51 RBIs (runs batted in) between two teams in the minor league system a year ago, and is the number one prospect of the Diamondbacks. He also had a .514 slugging percentage. It came as a bit of a surprise when Robinson wasn’t invited to be a part of the Diamondbacks’ 60-man player pool for summer camp, particularly since he stayed in Scottsdale, Arizona, working out at the D-backs’ spring training facility after the pandemic struck.

For a gifted player such as Robinson, who doesn’t turn 20 until December, the sky is the limit. He is listed as the number 43 prospect in all of Major League Baseball (MLB) and is the number 11 outfielder.

For Robinson, the season is over, given the cancelation of the minor league seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The deadly new coronavirus halted sports worldwide for a three-month period before a handful of leagues and sporting organizations resumed play in recent weeks, albeit while adhering to strict health and safety guidelines.

In his two seasons in the minors, Robinson has shown an ability to hit for average and power, and make plays defensively. He was a Class-A Short Season all-star a year ago, ranking second in the Northwest League in both home-runs (nine) and OPS (on-base plus slugging) at .966, fifth in average at .321 and was tied for sixth in stolen bases with 10 through 41 games. Defensively, he had four outfield assists while splitting time between center and right.

Robinson’s average dropped off a bit after being assigned to the Kane County Cougars in Class A last season, but his power numbers remained pretty much the same as he connected on five more home-runs in just 25 games. He has a good eye for the ball and when he meets the ball out front and makes good contact, it goes a long way.

Robinson signed with Arizona for $2.5 million in 2017 and has blossomed in his two years in the minors.

Many expect Robinson to be called up to the majors within the next two years, but the D-backs’ system is loaded with talent. However, if he keeps producing and putting up impressive numbers, his time in the minors could be short-lived. Outfielders Alek Thomas and Corbin Carroll, catcher Daulton Varsho and shortstop Geroldo Perdomo were all added to the Diamondbacks’ 60-man player pool and all four rank inside MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects List. Robinson is listed ahead of all of them.

The Bahamian outfielder has shown power to all fields, is already producing triple-digit exit velocities and is expected to make immediate impact whenever he is called up to the majors.

At the plate, he is regarded as a patient batter who sits back and waits on his pitch. He drew 31 walks a year ago and 27 the year before while splitting time between two teams in rookie league baseball. He has deceptive speed as well for a man his size, stealing 17 bases a year ago and 12 the season prior.

Whilst he might be taking this season off because of the pandemic, the Bahamian outfielder is expected to continue to blossom.

Globally, electronic sports (Esports) has been on the rise in recent years, raking in high sponsorship and viewership numbers. Locally, The Bahamas Esports Federation (BESF), the body recognized by the International Esports Federation (IESF) as the governing entity of Esports in the country, has been active during the COVID-19 pandemic, and is set to play virtually in the Skins Rival international event slated for July 31 to August 2.

BESF President Michael Armogan said that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team will have to play online as opposed to traveling to a location to play.

“We have an invitation for late July or late August where there is an invitation from the Central America/Latin America countries that will be playing in three different games. We are happy to be a part of that and it will be done online,” Armogan said.

Team Bahamas will be up against countries such as Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia and Mexico. The three games that will be played at the competition will be Valorant, League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics.

Trials for the national team were held from April 3 to 6 with 35 persons registered. The BESF will only have a team for League of Legends at the competition. It is the most popular Esports game played around the world.

The team comprises of Johnathan Kelly (JEK), Seth Sweeting (Aft3r1mage), Floyd Bethel (Riga), Robert Smith (Rubz), Tristan White (Focus) and Chaz Swann (Muffin).

During the COVID-19 pandemic, BESF members were active, trying to improve their skills.

“A lot of the events have moved more online. Some of our member groups, instead of having their physical activities, they’re moving into more weekly and bi-weekly events online. People have taken this time to try and revamp a little bit. It is almost business as usual to a degree,” said Armogan. “We had a lot of plans – anything pertaining to community outreach to working with students to dealing with tourism and building up Esports more to a proper industry. COVID-19 also threw a wrench into the international aspect of it because we build up our teams to compete internationally and go to world qualifiers and world tournaments. We had to revamp and reconsider how to go about doing that and if we should go about doing that.”

The IESF is looking to have regional qualifiers in October and then stage the world championships in Israel in December. The organization stated that it will keep track of COVID-19 restrictions, and that the dates of events may change to ensure the health and safety of all participants.

Locally, there are close to 200 officially registered Esports members. There are also a few who have taken it on casually, for example the Fortnite community that has about 145 members.

Armogan and his team are working on a national leaderboard for persons getting into Esports. Persons can sign up as individuals or as a group.

“I see Esports growing in The Bahamas once people hear about it because that is part of the issue right now,” Armogan said. “We still have not reached a lot of persons and that is something we are working on. Once people hear about us, more persons will become interested and sign up, asking how to go about joining the teams. I see our teams growing and I see Esports growing. I see teams, leagues, clans and organizations being created and a lot more competitive aspects come about. You will hear more about Esports.”

BESF Vice President Chris Dames is one of the persons behind the scenes assisting the federation.

“I create and continue systems to get things running,” said Dames. “Gaming-wise, I have always been a strategist so that translates very well for me here… In the gaming community you need persons to take a step back sometimes and help others to get to where they need to get to.”

Dames has organizational and business experience, so using that experience has helped out the Esports community. He has done a lot of competitive gaming.

The BESF is looking forward to working with some of the other federations, having previously worked with the Bahamas Basketball Federation (BBF).

“We are taking a look at FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) so we are looking to working along with the soccer federation. We are also working to try ensure that Esports is represented along with games like Madden and anything else that we can get our hands on that the community is looking [at], and also that it is being built internationally so it is not just something that is local but we can take persons internationally as well,” Armogan said.

The federation has ratified national teams for League of Legends, Call of Duty and Tekken. The popular games played are Fortnite, Call of Duty, Hearthstone, Overwatch, Street Fighter and Tekken. The federation is looking to create teams for Fortnight, Valorant and several other games as well. The main platforms used by the BESF are Playstation 4, PC and for games like Smash Brothers, the Nintendo Switch.

Interested individuals who want to become members of the BESF can register at besf242.org/individuals-sign-up/ and teams can register at besf242.org/club-signup/.

SAN Francisco Giants’ Antoan Richardson (00) and Jaylin Davis kneel during the national anthem prior to an exhibition baseball game against the Oakland Athletics on Monday in Oakland, California. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

#By JANIE McCAULEY

#AP Baseball Writer

#SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jaylin Davis called home and spoke with his family then his decision immediately became clear: he would kneel for the national anthem.

#If there even was an anthem.

#The Giants were playing an exhibition game at Oakland on Monday night with no fans after a months-long delay caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

#It turned out Davis had all kinds of support on every side of him, including from first-year San Francisco manager Gabe Kapler, who also took a knee before the Giants’ 6-2 victory.

#Fellow outfielders Mike Yastrzemski and Austin Slater chose to kneel.

#So did first base coach Antoan Richardson, while shortstop Brandon Crawford stood between Davis and Richardson with a hand on each man’s shoulder.

#“For them to be courageous enough to do it it really meant a lot,” Davis said Tuesday. “… We kind of talked at the beginning before we even started camp that we wanted to make known that we weren’t going to let everything be pushed aside just because baseball was back.”

#Kapler and Davis had been in regular communication about racial and social issues and the manager called Davis earlier Monday to inquire about what Davis might do.

#After the game, Kapler said the Giants would continue to have important discussions about their role in driving change and making an impact when it comes to racism and injustice.

#The 26-year-old Davis said it was a difficult decision to kneel given he is a rookie. Then Yastrzemski and Hunter Pence pulled him aside and assured the right fielder they would support him regardless.

#Davis said he has more ideas to shed light on the issues that matter to him.

#“They told me not to worry about being a first-year guy or anything, if I felt comfortable doing it then I should do it,” Davis said.

#“Having Gabe and all of them do it, too, that kind of helped me be more comfortable about it. I think it’s been big. I’ve gotten texts from guys that I played with with the Twins, old coaches, that I’ve had. They just told me that they would support me and they’re behind me.”

#President Donald Trump took notice and posted on Twitter: “Looking forward to live sports, but any time I witness a player kneeling during the National Anthem, a sign of great disrespect for our Country and our Flag, the game is over for me!”

#Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started taking a knee during the national anthem in 2016 to protest racial inequality and police mistreatment of minorities.

#He was roundly criticised for years, but public sentiment has changed since George Floyd’s death in May.

#Floyd, a Black man, died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck while Floyd was handcuffed and saying that he couldn’t breathe.

#Kapler has been outspoken on issues such as police brutality. He talked to the team Monday before taking a knee.

#“I wanted to demonstrate my dissatisfaction with our clear systemic racism in our country and I wanted them to know that they got to make their own decisions and we would respect and support those decisions,” Kapler said. “I wanted them to feel safe in speaking up.”

NORTH Andros pro basketball player Shaq Cleare and his cousins Micah and Christen Miller display their phone chargers.

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#He couldn’t have easily been concentrating on getting back to playing basketball in Europe, but for North Andros native Shaquille ‘Shaq’ Cleare, the coronavirus pandemic has turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

#Since returning to the Bahamas in March when the pandemic shut down sports on the global stage, Cleare reunited with his cousins Charles and Christen Miller as they worked on the creation of a company called Mo Charge Inc, which produces charges for phones.

#“I’ve been focusing more on Mo Charge Inc.,” said Cleare about his future aspirations. “We had a few launch periods, but because of the coronavirus, we are still working on our launch date. We’ve been working on it since I got back.”

#Cleare returned home after his league in Spain got shut down due to the spread of the coronavirus, just like all other sporting activities.

#But the 27-year-old national basketball team member said his mind has not been on the game over the past few months.

#“I was kind of disappointed when we got the news that they were going to shut down the league,” Cleare said.

#“We were fighting for a place in the playoffs, but the concern was more about the safety of the players and not the league.”

#The 6’8”, 275-pound forward was playing for Actel Forca Lleida that competes in Spain’s Liga Española de Baloncesto – Gold, the second division in the country’s basketball system.

#“I’ve gotten a few offers already, but I’m still waiting on some better ones,” Cleare said. “I’ve been training daily. So I’m still waiting to see what happens with the deals on the table.

#“I haven’t been at the AF Adderley or Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium to do any training. I was just doing a lot of stuff on my own, just to stay in shape, if I decide to take that route and head back to Europe. But that’s up in the air for me right now. I’m still training daily.”

#With no time limit on when sports will resume overseas, Cleare said he decided to utilise his time to focus on developing the Mo Charge Inc. brand.

#“We’re getting ready to launch. We’re launching soon,” he said.

#“That’s been my focus because we don’t know what will happen with this pandemic. So that has been my focus since I’ve been back.”

#Charles Miller said he’s delighted to be partnering with his cousin.

#“It’s much easier for us to do this business together because we all live together,” he said. “We are depending on social media and platforms like the newspapers and radio and television to get our message across.

#“Once we launch this product, the Bahamian people will have a window to buy it at a very reasonable price. We won’t do any international advertising during that window. Bahamians will have the cheapest price in the world. After that window has already passed, we’re going to the United States and the rest of the world.”

#The cost to the Bahamian public is just $49.00, but once they market to the United States and around the world, they will be increased to $89.99, which includes battery cases or power packs.

#“We know that this is going to take over the market. This is going to bring in a lot of money, so this is where my focus is right now,” Cleare said.

#“We haven’t launched yet, but we are looking at making millions of dollars on these devices.

#“When we launch, we know that it will take off. Everything is set in place for us to launch.”

#Cleare said although he goes overseas to play basketball to make money, he’s focusing on Mo Charge Inc. because he feels there’s a lot more money that their company can accumulate in the long run.

Lashann Higgs.

July 22, 2020

Simba French

0137 Views

She missed out on being selected in the 2020 Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) draft, but Bahamian female guard Lashann Higgs is headed to Bembibre, Spain, to play professionally.

Higgs signed with Embutidos Pajariel Bembibre PDM which plays in the Liga Femenina Endesa (Liga Dia) – the highest women’s basketball division in Spain. Higgs will look to help elevate the team from the bottom of the standings after they finished with four wins and 18 losses last season.

The Bahamian is coming off her final year of playing for the University of Texas Longhorns in Austin, Texas, before entering the WNBA draft back in April. She was unable to follow in the footsteps of Walteia Rolle and Jonquel Jones as Bahamians to be drafted into the WNBA. Despite not being selected in the draft, Higgs is optimistic about going elsewhere to play professionally.

Back in May, Higgs told Guardian Sports that she was proud of everything she accomplished in her collegiate career at Texas.

“God has blessed me tremendously – to be able to compete in college and earn a college degree. I am proud that I was able to accomplish that feat… I would like to continue playing for as long as possible, but you never know what path God would lead you to. Everything that took place happened for a reason so I’ll just have to trust that God has my best interest in store for me,” she said.

That faith led her to Spain, where she will have a chance to continue her basketball career.

In her final season as a Longhorns player, Higgs averaged 9.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. Like every other National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I sporting discipline that was in action in March, women’s basketball was shut down. That happened before the season officially ended, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Higgs showed resiliency when she bounced back from a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in her left knee in 2018. She returned this season with a knee brace and finished her collegiate basketball career.

This season, she dropped a season-high 19 points back in January in a 70-53 victory for the Longhorns over the University of Oklahoma Sooners. Higgs was able to pull down a season-high 12 rebounds in the Longhorns’ game against the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros back in November 2019. The Longhorns won that game, 85-69.

The Harbour Island native helped her team to a 19-11 win/loss record this season, including 11-7 in conference play. They finished third in the BIG 12 Conference.

The Longhorns were set to play the West Virginia University Mountaineers on March 13 in the Big 12 Conference Championships before the season was shut down.

The 24-year-old’s best season was the 2017-2018 season where she started all 35 games, averaging 12.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.

For her career, Higgs averaged 9.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, and helped lead the Longhorns to the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament four straight seasons. They reached the Elite Eight in 2016, and the Sweet 16 in back-to-back years of 2017 and 2018.

Higgs is still working out during the pandemic, staying in game shape for when the season starts in Spain. On July 10, she posted a video with her going through some dribbling and finishing drills.

Higgs spent her entire collegiate career with the Texas Longhorns and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Youth and Community Studies.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Valarie Nesbitt, left, and head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin.

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedi.net

#Valarie Nesbitt’s season came to a premature end following a surprising announcement by the Ole Miss Rebels’ media relations.

#The Rebels dismissed the junior point guard just 15 games into her tenure with the programme.

#“Right now, we’re trying to build a positive culture so that we can have a programme that lasts,” head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin told the Oxford Eagle.

#“I’m really focused on above-the-line actions. Right now, Valarie just needs a pause on basketball here with us.

#“Her actions just have not been above-the-line consistently. So I just believed it was in our best interest to move separate ways,” said McPhee-McCuin.

#In her last appearance with the Rebels, Nesbitt finished with four points in 13 minutes of the team’s 79-35 loss at No. 10 Texas A and M Aggies on Monday to open Southeastern conference play.

#Ole Miss fell to 7-8 on the season.

#Nesbitt was in the midst of making what appeared to be a seamless transition to NCAA Division I basketball following two years at the JuCo level.

#She led the Southeastern Conference in steals at 3.2 takeaways per game and had six games this season with at least four.

#She was the Rebels’ second-leading scorer at 11.3 points a game and was also second in minutes played at 24.3 per game.

#McPhee-McCuin did not offer specifics behind the grounds for the dismissal, but only added that Nesbitt’s actions did not reflect the way she wished to run the programme. “No level of player, no talent can make me sacrifice what we’re trying to build,” she said to the Eagle.

#“I’ve known (Nesbitt) for a long time. She’ll probably be a part of my life moving forward, just not in this fashion, right now.

#“I’m just giving her that freedom to be able to right some of her wrongs. And not just right her wrongs, just grow personally. That’s just where we are right now.”

#McPhee-McCuin and the Rebels now lose a key component in their rotation as they continue a difficult schedule in SEC play. A total of 10 of the SEC’s 14 teams currently reside in the NCAA RPI-top 100. Ole Miss holds the nation’s 42nd-toughest future schedule, according to the NCAA’s strength of schedule rankings.

#Nesbitt became the first Bahamian player signed by McPhee-McCuin in her tenure as the head coach of the Rebels. She has successfully recruited Bahamians to her programmes in the past – Jonquel Jones to Clemson and Shalonda Neely to Jacksonville.

#Nesbitt previously starred at Chipotle Junior College where she averaged 17.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game as a sophomore.

#As a freshman, she was named a Panhandle Conference first team selection when she averaged 10.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 46 per cent from the floor in 26 contests.

#McPhee-McCuin was named the head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels women’s basketball programme in April 2018 as they looked to rebuild and contend in the SEC.

#In her first season at the helm, the Rebels finished 9-22, 3-13 in SEC play. The season was highlighted by the first ranked road win for the Rebels since 2011 when Ole Miss defeated the Kentucky Wildcats for the first time since 2007. Following her first season, both sides agreed in principle to a deal which will run through the 2023 season.

Friday, April 5, 2019

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#The Ole Miss Rebels displayed their long-term commitment to head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin and her direction of the Women’s Basketball programme with a four-year contract extension.

#McPhee-McCuin, pictured, who became the Rebels head coach exactly a year ago, agreed in principle to the deal yesterday, which will run through the 2023 season.

#“I can’t believe it’s been a year already. I was extremely grateful for the opportunity last year, and to this date the feeling has not changed. I would like to thank vice chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletic Ross Bjork and chancellor Larry Sparks for their vote of confidence in my staff and myself as we take the necessary steps to build this program back into a national brand,” she said.

#“This year has not looked like success as far as wins and losses, but if you had a chance to watch us play this year it is evident that we are heading in the right direction. There is no doubt that with time and continued effort we will be a force to reckon with in the SEC.”

#Her first season as head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels’ women’s basketball programme came to an end early in the postseason.

#The Rebels fell to the Florida Gators 67-54 in the opening round of the Southeastern Conference tournament.

#The Rebels finished 9-22, 3-13 in conference play. The season was highlighted by the first ranked road win for the Rebels since 2011 when Ole Miss defeated the Kentucky Wildcats for the first time since 2007.

#The team also improved their win total by two from the 2017-18 campaign.

#She also increased the team’s profile off the court throughout Oxford, Mississippi, through several community outreach efforts.

#“I sincerely appreciate everyone that has attended a game, reached out to us on social media and supported our programme,” McPhee-McCuin said.

#“It is my hope that we can continue to fill The Pavilion and make women’s basketball games the place to be in town. Let’s make it known to everyone that Oxford loves women’s basketball. If you haven’t been to a game, let me be the first to invite you to one next season. I promise you, you won’t be disappointed.”

#McPhee-McCuin made the Dolphins a dominant team in the Atlantic Sun Conference and finished with a 94-63 record (50-24 in ASUN play) and three post-season appearances.

#She became the first Bahamian head coach in an NCAA Division I basketball programme when she was announced as the Dolphins head coach in April 2013.

#Prior to her time at Jacksonville, McPhee-McCuin was an assistant at Clemson from 2011-13, where she was recognised as one of the top assistants in the nation by National Women’s Basketball Insider.

#While with the Tigers, McPhee-McCuin solidified her reputation as one of the best recruiters in the country, spearheading the No. 16 class in the nation in her final year at Clemson, which included five McDonalds All-America nominees.

#Before her stint at Clemson, McPhee-McCuin was on staff at Pittsburgh for two seasons in 2009 and 2010. She was part of a pair of postseason appearances with Panthers, who rose to No 14 in the national rankings and advanced to a Sweet 16.

#Her coaching career also includes stops at Portland, Frank Phillips College and Arkansas-Pine Bluff, where she earned her master’s degree in physical education with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

#McPhee-McCuin received her bachelor’s in business management and administration from Rhode Island in 2004, playing in 56 games over her junior and senior years at URI and helping the Rams advance to the 2003 A-10 title game. She played her first two seasons at Miami-Dade Community College.

#She achieved another first in 2013 when she was named The Bahamas’ women’s national basketball team head coach, and McPhee-McCuin immediately set out on her path to seek Olympic qualification for the country at the Tokyo games in 2020.

#Under McPhee-McCuin’s leadership, The Bahamas finished with the gold medal at the 2015 Caribbean Basketball Confederation Championships and turned in a fifth place finish at the 2017 Women’s Centrobasket Championships.

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Yolette McPhee-McCuin

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#COACH Yolett McPhee-McCuin hosted her first official practice as head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels women’s basketball programme.

#Ole Miss opens the season with a home exhibition with LeMoyne-Owen on November 2, with the regular season slated to begin at home against Norfolk State on November 6.

#“I thought the energy of the group was great. I thought they came out and everyone was excited and locked in,” McPhee-McCuin said. “Obviously there is a lot we need to implement and work on but, for the most part, I felt like they controlled the controllables, which is their attitude and their effort.”

#She was named last April after turning around a Jacksonville programme that had only won 20 games twice in its history prior to her arrival.

#“In my opinion, everyone is a newcomer because everyone is trying to get better. This is a new system for all parties involved. I’m just looking forward to growing with them and getting them to build chemistry on the floor, and that will happen over time.”

#Ole Miss women’s basketball will be featured on national TV during six Southeastern Conference contests.

#All six games will be broadcast on SEC Network, with two coming at home at The Pavilion at Ole Miss on January 6 (Arkansas) and January 20 (Florida), with the other four coming on the road on January 13 (Kentucky), January 27 (Mississippi State), February 18 (Georgia) and February 24 (Arkansas).

#“Anytime there is a new programme, there is a curiosity that’s out there,” McPhee-McCuin said.

#“Ole Miss is a national brand, so a lot of people recognize it already. There’s not a place I go that I don’t hear Hotty Toddy,” she said during a recap of the summer months “I think success for me would be putting out a product on the floor that our fans will be proud of. When you come and watch us play, you can see that there is a new era, and where it is going. You’re going to see young women that enjoy playing the game. You’re going to see young women that enjoy playing with each other and for each other.”

#The Rebels ended last season with a 12-19 record and a second round loss in the SEC Tournament.

#The daughter of legendary Bahamian coach Gladstone “Moon” McPhee and educator Daisy McPhee, she became the ninth head coach in Rebels history.

#Valerie Nesbitt became the first local player signed by McPhee-McCuin in her tenure leading the Rebels. Nesbitt, a sophomore at Chipola College, committed to join the Rebels for the Fall 2019 campaign.

#Prior to her post at Ole Miss, McPhee-McCuin completed an historic tenure with the Jacksonville Dolphins where the programme accomplished several new feats.

#In her final game at JU, the Dolphins saw their season come to an end in the opening round of the WNIT when they were eliminated with a first-round loss to the University of Central Florida Knights.

#It was the second consecutive season the Jaguars came up just short in a bid for the NCAA Tournament but earned a berth to the WNIT. McPhee-McCuin also signed a Bahamian player – Shalonda Neely – to join the programme while at Jacksonville.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

YOLETT McPhee-McCuin, right, and Valerie Nesbitt.

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#YOLETT McPhee-McCuin has led her Ole Miss Rebels women’s basketball programme above .500 powered by another outstanding game from Valerie Nesbitt.

#Nesbitt finished with a team high 16 points and six assists – both team highs – in the Rebels’ 69-66 overtime win over the Georgia Southern Eagles yesterday at the Pavilion in Oxford, Mississippi.

#The Rebels improved to 6-5 on the season and ended a three-game losing streak.

#Nesbitt shot 50 per cent from the field (7-14) and also added five rebounds and two steals before she fouled out after 32 minutes.

#“Val really wants to win. Val is a competitor,” McPhee-McCuin said. “We’re teaching her how to be competitive about the right things. Through the course of it, you’re just seeing her evolve into the type of player that she could potentially be.

#“The last game, she had eight turnovers because she was really trying to win it for everybody.

#“I told her that her intent was good, but what she did didn’t work for us. So now, she has six assists, one turnover, because she realises that she doesn’t have to do it herself and that she needs the team.”

#Nesbitt split a pair at the line to give the Rebels a 60-58 lead with just under a minute left to play in regulation. The Eagles would force overtime with their layup with 25 seconds left to play. Nesbitt scored on the opening possession of overtime and the Rebels went on a 6-0 run to put the game away.

#Ole Miss shot just 37 per cent in the first half but still managed a 30-26 lead at the half. They shot 50 per cent in the second half, but went on a scoring drought for nearly seven minutes in the third quarter.

#“I’m glad we found out a way to get a victory. This is a tough time to coach, with it being the holiday season and with the young group that we have. I thought that we handled adversity well. Right now for me, with this group, it’s about finding wins, and we had a couple today,” McPhee-McCuin said.

#“I thought that we responded in the right way. There was never a moment for me where I felt like we wouldn’t win this game. It was just a peace that I felt as we competed for 45 minutes.”

#Nesbitt scored 11 of her 16 points in the second half and overtime. In her last five games, she has averaged 14.8 points overall and 9.6 points in the second half alone,

#It was the 17th Kids Day in the Ole Miss programme. It is a day when elementary and middle school students throughout Mississippi have an opportunity to watch an early afternoon game live. Tipoff was at 12pm central standard time.

#A crowd of just over 6,500 was on hand – comprised mostly of students.

#“(Kids Day) is just the best day ever,” McPhee-McCuin said. “I told our players that they have a responsibility to be a positive example and play the game the right way for these kids. And not only just the girls, boys too. I just think sports has a way of teaching respect, no matter your race or gender, so it was pretty cool to see them come out and cheer.”

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Anthonique Strachan

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#BAHAMIAN Olympic sprinter Anthonique Strachan had to settle for a third place finish in the women’s 100 metres on Saturday at the Velocity Fest 2020 All Comers Meet at the Ashenheim Stadium.

#The privately ran one-day meet was held four months after sports started to return to some sense of normalcy from the spread of the coronavirus pandemic that halted all activities worldwide in March.

#In windy conditions throughout the afternoon, Strachan was featured in one of the marquee events of the meet in the women’s 100m where Olympic and world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce sped to victory in the meet that was closed to the general public and the media.

#Fraser-Pryce, a mother now representing Nike, outclassed the field to easily win in a world-leading time of 11.00 seconds in a negative wind reading of 2.2 metres per second.

#Shashalee Forbes of Sprintec Track Club’s was second in 11.49.

#Also competing for the MVP Track Club, Strachan followed in third in 11.84 in the straightaway race. The Bahamian CARIFTA Games’ 2011 and 2012 Austin Sealy most outstanding award winner is working towards her prominence on the senior stage after she completed her junior career in 2012 as the World Junior champion in both the 100 and 200m.

#Although she had to battle through a series of injuries over the past few years, Strachan went on to represent the Bahamas at the 2012 Olympics in London, England and in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as well as the World Championships in 2017 in London, England and last year in Doha, Qatar. She also ran the third leg of the Bahamas’ 4 x 400m mixed relay team, consisting of Steven Gardiner, Shaunae Miller-Uibo and Michael Mathieu that claimed the gold as the curtain came down on the third version of the World Relays held at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium in 2017.

#With her 27th birthday coming up on August 22, the St Augustine’s College graduate has her name inked personal best times of 11.20 in the century in 2012 and 22.32 in the half-lap race in 2013. She has also produced a lifetime best of 52.42 in the 400m in 2016 and 7.47 in the 60m indoors in 2018. Among the other events in the meet on Saturday in Jamaica, 2019 World Championship 400m bronze medallist Shericka Jackson, also of MVP, took the 200m in 22.89 over fellow team-mate Elaine Thompson-Herah.

#Thompson-Herah, the 2016 Olympic double sprint champion, placed second in 22.98 with Forbes coming in third in 23.45.

#Nesta Carter, also from MVP who is making his return to action after a doping suspension, took the men’s 100m crown in 10.38 with two-time World Championships’ bronze medallist Asafa Powell finishing sixth in 10.51.