The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

WHILE the top men’s NCAA basketball programmes will flock to Paradise Island during next month’s Thanksgiving Holiday, simultaneously, women’s NCAA basketball will take centre stage in the nation’s second city.

The 2014 Junkanoo Jam is slated to be hosted November 27-29 in Grand Bahama featuring eight elite schools.

The local Grand Bahamian community will have an opportunity to see its own home-grown talent in action as Jonquel Jones and the George Washington Colonials became the latest to join the field.

The Colonials will compete in the Freeport Division of the tournament, set to tip off at the St George’s Gymnasium.

It will be the Colonials’ fourth appearance at the Junkanoo Jam, the most of any Division I school in tournament history, with prior visits in 2003, 2005 and 2009. No other team has participated in more than three Junkanoo Jam tournaments (Arizona State, Florida, Kansas State, USC, Virginia).

“The Junkanoo Jam always features top-notch competition, and this year is no different with four teams that played in the NCAA Tournament,” said Colonials head coach Jonathan Tsipis on the school’s athletic website,

“We look forward to this early challenge in our schedule. We are also excited to be able to bring Jonquel Jones home and give her friends and family in Freeport a chance to see her play.”

This summer, Jones was a dominant force on the Bahamas’ national team which finished fifth at the Caribbean Basketball Confederation championships in July. She was the tournament’s second leading scorer when she averaged 17.2 points and led the field in rebounds with 14 per game.

In her sophomore season, Jones was named Atlantic 10 All-Conference honours when she was named to the second team. She averaged 15.7 points and 11.1 rebounds per game in her sophomore season to help the Colonials finish 23-11 overall and advance to the third round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT).

The North Carolina State Wolfpack, Purdue Boilermakers, and Texas Tech Red Raiders will also compete in the Freeport Division.

The Colonials and the Wolfpack will tip-off competition 1pm November 28, followed immediately by the Red Raiders and Boilermakers at 3:15pm.

The third place and championship games are set to take place the following day.

The Lucaya Division includes the East Carolina Pirates, South Carolina Gamecocks, Syracuse Orangemen and Wisconsin Badgers.

The Pirates and Orangemen will open the division 2pm November 27, followed by the Badgers and Gamecocks at 4:15pm.

As with the Freeport division, championship games will take place the following day.