The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net A HOST of Bahamian players in Canada are quickly transforming a relatively unknown school into a growing basketball powerhouse. Led by head coach and athletic director Ray Evans, the Bahamian contingent at Life Christian Center have been the talk of the prep school basketball world in Ottawa. Evans has led the Saints to several tournament wins over the course of the season and has garnered notoriety for the small school in just a single season. The group of Bahamian student athletes includes Alex Delancy (Gateway, Bimini), Bijan Duncombe (Catholic High), Donald Gibson (Tabernacle), Justin Smith (Eight Mile Rock), Nathaniel Newbold Jr (Jack Hayward), Linroy Russell (Sunland) and Demario Hepburn (St George's) In their latest tournament outing, Justin Smith was named most valuable player, Hepburn was defensive player of the tournament and both were named to the All-Tournament team. The Saints will be finishing off the season in a pair of major tournaments - National Capital Classic (February 1-4) and Falcon Classic (February 9-13). They defeated several area powerhouses, including the St Peter Knights, St Patrick's Irish and St Matthew Tigers en route to the tournament wins. Evans built the fledgling athletic programme from the ground up at a school which does not have a gymnasium and relies on the local YMCA to stage practices. While the team is not registered in the National Capital Secondary School Athletic Association on the regular season schedule, the team entered and won as many tournaments as possible. According to Evans, two seniors, co-captains Smith and Troshant Williams of Orlando Christian Prep, are already being sought by top US Division II schools.