The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE University of the US Virgin Islands Buccaneers spoiled the homecoming celebrations for the University of the Bahamas Mingoes men's basketball programmes as the visitors took both games in the weekend series.

The Bucs took game one 102-85 on Friday night and followed with a game two-win, 81-72 Saturday afternoon at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

Mingoes head coach Bacchus Rolle said his team struggled to overcome the size of the Bucs frontcourt and its own second half miscues.

"We knew in the second game we had a difficult one to play with a back-to-back and the turnaround was less than 24 hours, but I learned a bit about this team's resilience. Even though we came out flat, we found a way to end the fourth quarter strong. [Friday] we didn't end the game like we wanted to but on Saturday with about five or six minutes left in the game we battled back and we were chipping away at it getting back in the game so I think we have to continue learning how to finish games.

"We have been so used to playing from behind so much and sometimes when you do that you burn a lot of energy during the game and you don't have it in the fourth quarter," Rolle said.

"I think for us we just didn't make the right basketball decisions in end of game situations in the fourth quarters. It was a lot of one pass, one shot, there was no rotation, no movement of the ball, missed rebounds, no transition defence but we'll try to correct some of those things and get back to work."

Kemsey aSylvestre led the Mingoes with 22 points and five rebounds but sat a considerable amount of minutes due to foul trouble.

Travaughn Nicholls scored 12 points, while Antwan Bevans, Justin Smith and Christoff McKenzie each finished with 11 points. Ramon Dames added a game high 11 assists.

A closely contested game for three quarters, the Mingoes trailed by just two at the half (45-43) and by six headed into the fourth quarter before the Bucs pulled away.

Elijah Bush and Keith Gilmore each had 24 to lead UVI while Harold Cardwell chipped in 17 points and 13 rebounds.

In game two, the Mingoes fell behind early and struggled to keep pace. They trimmed a 20-point second half deficit to just seven points in the fourth quarter, but failed to pull any closer.

Kemsy Sylvestre again led the Mingoes with a double double - 30 points and 12 rebounds. Justin Smith added 11 points and five steals. "As a team, moving forward we have to play bigger because we were outmatched in this series.

"We have to get in better shape because at the end of the game either we're down by too much to come back and we exert too much to get back in the game, it's difficult to finish strong but we have to find a way to keep on going," Sylvestre said.

"I recognise I'm a big piece of the team so I have to do a better job staying out of foul trouble, being disciplined, keeping my hands down. I bring a lot of scoring and the offence can become stagnant sometimes so I just need to help us play to our strengths. We have to keep running, we have to keep going and getting better as the season goes on."

The Mingoes now shift attention to the New Providence Basketball Association regular season. They make their 2018-19 debut tonight against the Leno Regulators.