The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE final list of eight teams is all set and the Bahamas men's junior national team now knows the full group of teams it will compete alongside at the 2020 FIBA Tournament of the Americas.

The date and location of the tournament have yet to be announced by FIBA, but the Bahamas will face Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Canada and the United States this summer when the tournament tips off.

The top four teams at the Tournament of the Americas will advance to the subsequent Under-19 Basketball World Cup.

Caribbean teams qualified through the Centrobasket, while the South American teams did so through the South American Championships. Canada and the United States received automatic bids.

The Bahamas sealed their place in the field in dramatic fashion with an 85-83 win over the Dominican Republic in the bronze medal game at last summer's FIBA Centrobasket Under-17 Championship for Men.

Dean rebounded a missed layup and followed with a dunk that gave the Bahamas the historic win, the bronze medal and the Tournament of the Americas berth at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Puerto Rico.

Dean finished with a double-double - 18 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

Deyton Albury led Team Bahamas with 28 points, six assists and four steals - all team highs. Malik Joseph finished with 12 points and nine rebounds, Tyler Pinder scored 12 (4 - 8 from three-point range), while Chester McPhee finished with eight points and nine rebounds.

The Bahamas opened the tournament with a 75-70 loss to host country, Puerto Rico. They followed with an 86-57 win over El Salvador and an 89-76 win over the US Virgin Islands to advance to the semi-finals. They suffered a 64-48 loss to Mexico in the semi-finals and were placed in the bronze medal game.

Mexico went on the win the event and Puerto Rico took silver. Albury led Team Bahamas in scoring at 19.4 points per game while Dean averaged a double-double with 14.2 points and 11.4 rebounds per game.

Oswald Meadows led the team in assists at four per game, while Albury also led the team in steals at 3.4 per game and Pinder was the top three-point shooter at 48.3 per cent.