The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

DESPITE a relatively new supporting cast, the defending champions staked their claim as early favourites at the Caribbean Basketball Confederation Championships.

After a slow start, the Bahamas dominated the second half to take a convincing 57-38 win over Bermuda at the Multi Purpose Complex in Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

Magnum Rolle led a balanced scoring attack with 11 points and nine rebounds, David Nesbitt added six points and 10 rebounds, Kentwan Smith scored eight points and Michael Bain Jr chipped in with six.

Jason Lowe led Bermuda with 15 points and four rebounds while Sullivan Phillips scored eight.

Rolle and Nesbitt led the Bahamas to a 17-point advantage on the boards and it had a direct effect on the scoreboard. They won the rebounding battle 45-28 and outscored Bermuda 30-8 in the paint and 14-0 in second chance points.

The team will have to improve on its shooting in all areas if it hopes to make a deep run in the tournament. They shot just 38 per cent from the field, 24 per cent from beyond the arch and 53 per cent from the free throw line.

Neither team shot well in the first quarter, but the Bahamas clung to a 10-9 lead. Tehran Cox connected with Magnum Rolle who slammed it home on the opening possession and the Bahamas appeared to be off to a quick start. They fell behind for a brief moment when Bermuda opened with a thee-pointer, but the Bahamas would control the remainder of the period.

In the second, Bermuda’s three-point shooting would put them ahead once again as they took a 12-10 lead.

Bermuda led by as much as four (16-12) when Lowe scored on a putback with 5:46 left in the half.

The Bahamas would take control for good when they responded with an 11-0 run.

Eugene Bain sparked the run with a jumper, followed by a pair of Tavario Miller layups, and five points in a row from Leon Cooper with his three-pointer and pair of free throws.

At the end of the run the Bahamas led 23-16 with 2:05 left to play before Lowe finally ended the drought for Bermuda with a three from the corner.

Bermuda closed on a 5-0 run of their own but the Bahamas led 23-21 at the half.

Bermuda quickly tied the game at 23 in the opening moments of the third period but the Bahamas would respond with another run to take a double-digit lead.

Shakwon Lewis’ three-pointer gave the team a 38-26 lead with 1:47 left to go in the period and they took a 40-32 lead into the fourth. It was a defensive exhibition in the fourth when the Bahamas came with eight of its 14 steals. They outscored Bermuda 17-6 in the quarter.

The Bahamas will play out of Group B against Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, Guyana and Suriname. Group A is made up of Barbados, British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, St Vincent and the Grenadines and US Virgin Islands.

The second game for the Bahamas is scheduled for 6:45pm tonight against Guyana and they are slated to face Suriname 4:15pm Wednesday.

Their final game in the preliminary round robin segment is 6:45pm Thursday against Antigua and Barbuda.

Friday is an off day for the Bahamas, but they will return to play their classification round on Saturday. The tournament will wrap up on Sunday.