The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

JUST two weeks in, the 2015 edition of the Bahamas Basketball Federation’s Summer of Thunder has been the most successful for Bahamian teams since the event began seven years ago.

Local teams have notched four wins thus far against visiting teams which play nightly at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium in a series of triple headers.

Leading the charge for the local teams has been the PJ Stingers who are undefeated at 2-0 thus far.

In their latest win, the Stingers’ Vernon Stubbs tipped home the game winning score as time expired for a 70-68 win Monday night over the St Louis Billikens.

Able Joseph led the way for the Stingers with 23 points, Kemsey Sylvestre finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds while Steven Culmer Jr added 10 points.

The Billikens were lead by Milik Yarbrough with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

In what was a back and forth battle as both teams never seemed to keep the momentum when taking the lead.

The Stingers recorded 18 steals, forced the Billikens into 28 turnovers.

The game came down to its final possession when Joseph split a pair at the line  to tie the game at 68 and Stubbs tipped the ball home for the win to shock St Louis.

The late game theatrics for the Stingers began in their opener with a 79-77 win over the Southern Utah Thunderbirds.

A controversial goaltending call in the game’s waning moments gave the Thunderbirds their first loss of the exhibition series.

Southern Utah was called for a goaltend on Joseph’s floater with 13.4 seconds left to lift the PJ Stingers to a 79-77 win over the Thunderbirds.

The Thunderbirds failed to get off a shot on their final possession.

Joseph led a shorthanded Stingers team with a game high 21 points, six rebounds and nine assists.

Sylvester posted a double double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, Devin Ferguson finished with 18 points and Tevin Hudson added 15 points and eight rebounds.

Also on Monday, the CTG Knights took a 93-90 win over the Youngstown State University Penguins.

Mark St Fort had a phenomenal game for the Knights with 30 points and 16 rebounds, Trevon Grant scored 20, Jeremy Hutchinson scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Prince Braynen finished with eight points and 11 assists.

Boby Hain led the Penguins with 21 points and 12 rebounds.

The Knights led by as much as 12 points in the fourth quarter en route to the win.

The Providence Storms were the other local team to top a visiting NCAA team thus far.

The Storms won 79-73 over the Southern Utah Thunderbirds.

Kino Burrows led the Storms with 20 points and 10 rebounds, Robson Memnon had another double double with 15 points and 12 rebounds, Shakwon lewis had 11 points and six assists, Justin Gardiner had 12 points and Quincy Poitier scored 10.

AJ Hess led the Thunderbirds with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

The Storms also pulled off an upset in 2014 against then national ranked University of North Carolina Tar Heels and defeated Portland State.

Six games thus far have been decided by a single possession, three points or less.

“Bahamian teams have been able to hold their own. Many of the final scores have been close,” said BBF vice president Mario Bowleg. “We feel as though the competition is stiff, the foreign teams and the coaches have been pleased that they have been able to face this competition as they prepare for their seasons.”

Teams expected to participate in the second half of the series include University of North Dakota, Middle Tennessee St University, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Bethune-Cookman University and the University of Texas Arlington.