The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Having secured their third consecutive New Providence Basketball Association (NPBA) championship title, the Commonwealth Bank Giants are now looking forward to duplicating the feat at the Bahamas Basketball Federation's National Championships.

The Giants came from a 2-0 deficit to stun the MailBoat Cybots in a three-game sweep that concluded at DW Davis gym Monday night.

Now the Giants are getting ready to travel to Bimini on Thursday along with the New Providence Women's Basketball Association champions Four J's Lady Cheetahs and the Johnson's Lady Truckers as they compete for the national title this weekend.

"The mindset is for us to go back and win the national title again," said Commonwealth Bank's coach Perry Thompson. "Last year, Freeport gave us a lot of competition but this year, we are looking forward to the challenge."

In addition to New Providence and Grand Bahama, the men's field will also comprise of Bimini, Eleuthera, Andros, Abaco as well as the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Looking at the islands expected to participate, Thompson said they are not concerned because they have a mission and that is to three-peat as the national champions. "We're not going there to party," he said. "Business will continue for us."

The Lady Cheetahs and the Lady Truckers, both representing New Providence, will be joined in the women's division by Grand Bahama and Eleuthera.

Mario Bowleg, who coached the Lady Cheetahs to their second consecutive title over the Bommer Gee Lady Angels, said they have been taking it easy, although they know there's a mammoth task ahead of them.

"We have only had about three practices last week and we only played some scrimmage among ourselves to make sure that we stay on the competitive edge," he said.

"But we know that the competition will be stiff down there with Grand Bahama and now that the Truckers will also be traveling to compete. I think we will be all right because we have seen all of the teams that are coming down."

Bowleg said with the teams scheduled to participate, the nationals should be real exciting in both divisions.

"We know that Bimini has always played well in front of their home crowd so we expect nothing different," Bowleg said. "We are also looking forward to seeing the Turks and Caicos Islands.

"The Cybots normally travel there to compete in their tournament and so they were looking forward to matching up against each other here. But the Giants knocked out the Cybots so the Turks and Caicos have to face them instead."

The tournament is scheduled to get underway on Thursday and expected to continue all day on Friday before they wrap up Saturday when the championship game is played in both divisions.