The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

The St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine senior girls put on another scoring clinic as they routed the visiting St Anne’s Blue Waves by 62 points to highlight the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools basketball action yesterday.

Coming off their 73-4 blowout over the Kingsway Academy Saints on November 26, the Big Red Machine rolled past the Blue Waves 71-9 as they pushed their record to 2-0 in their bid to avenge their defeat at the hands of the St John’s Giants last year in the championship.

“I don’t think the effort was as good as it was in our first game,” said SAC’s head coach Reggie Forbes in comparing the two victories so far. “The long lay off is not good for the team. At this level, the girls need to be playing at least twice a week.

“In terms of consistency and staying in touch with the game, the long breaks is killing us. Our girls are starting to come around and look like they are ready to get back into the final and hopefully win it all this year. There’s a lot of positive things going on with this team and we can only continue to grow, but we need to be playing more games.”

After taking a two-week break in between their last game and as they get ready for the Christmas break, SAC came out firing on all cylinders as they opened a 19-0 lead in the first quarter and they matched the scoring intensity in the second quarter to post an insurmountable 38-0 lead.

They surged ahead 48-0 before Carissa Knowles got an offensive rebound as St Anne’s missed on a fast break attempt to get on the scoreboard. However, SAC finished with another 19-point quarter to extend their lead to 57-2 going into the fourth and final period.

That was when the Bluewaves seemingly managed to get their act together and trailing 59-2, they got their second basket from Marina Munroe. Jelissa Bocage followed with a basket on a SAC turnover and after converting a free throw, Knowles added their final shot, but it was a little too late.

The Big Red Machine had cooled off the pace, using a 14-7 spurt to complete the game.

Kendi Outten, scoring in all four quarters with nine in the first, eight in the second, four in the third and two in the fourth, led SAC’s potent offensive attack with a game high 23 points, while Rachel Rolle, who had an explosive third quarter with eight points, and Jade Brown, who was unstoppable in the fourth with eight as well, both finished with 12 points. Karolyn Baptiste contributed 12 points as well, M’Kayla White chipped in with seven and Payton Haye added four.

Knowles eventually led the Bluewaves with five, but coach Gary Hanna said they didn’t play up to their potential as they produced the opposite record to SAC with a hapless 0-2 mark.

“I think the girls were a little bit scared coming into SAC town, so they had to come out of their shell,” he said. “Obviously, we started to get into a grooved a little too late. We started to play better at the end, but we needed that energy from the start of the game.

“SAC is a more physical team, so our girls needed to break out of their youthfulness and play more aggressive. I think with more practice, we will have a much better game whenever we play again.”

Hanna too believe that the limited amount of games they have played so far and will play this year will not really benefit his team.

“We only have about six teams in our division and so we will probably end up just playing five games. We need more than that,” he pointed out. “I think we need to try and get in at least two rounds where the girls play a home and away games so at least they will have more time to develop.

The BAISS will now take a break for Christmas and won’t resume play until January, 2020.