The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

MAKE it two in a row for the Bahamas men’s national basketball team at the Caribbean Basketball Confederation 2015 Men’s Championships.

With the addition of Kadeem Coleby in  the lineup, head coach Mario Bowleg said the team was firing on all cylinders as they polished off Guyana in a huge 89-69 victory in the preliminary round of Group B at the Multi-sports Complex in Road Town, Tortola.

“I think we started off too sluggish in game one, but with Kadeem (Coleby) in the line-up we are much stronger and the guard play is much better,” said head coach Mario Bowleg, who is assisted by Wayde Watson and Norris Bain.

“With Kadeem added to the team, we have what we call a triple tower with Magnun (Rolle) and David (Nesbitt).

“All we need is for the guards to continue to play the way they played tonight and if they do that, I think we will be okay. We are just taking it one game at a time, but our ultimate goal is to get to the championship so that we can defend our title.”

Coleby, whose brother Dwight had to be left at home because his passport was stolen from a rental car at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium, missed the team’s opening game on Monday as he was en-route to Tortola from Saudi Arabia where he just finished playing his professional season, helping his team to win the championship.

The Bahamas used a 15-4 run that was ignited by a Kentwan Smith three-pointer at the 6:12 mark in the first quarter and were able to control the game after that. Smith finished with 18 points on a perfect 7-7 FG and 3-3 from downtown. He also had six rebounds.

Leon Cooper had 15 points, six rebounds and four assists, captain Magnun Rolle had 11 points and nine rebounds, Torrington Cox had 11 points as well with four reboubds, David Nesbitt had nine points and seven rebounds, Kadeem Coleby came in and helped out with eight points and four rebounds, Tahran Cox had six points, Michael Bain had five points and Scott Farrington contributed four points with five rebounds.

Guyana’s efforts were aided by a strong performance by Dave Causway who had a game-high 19 points, including 11 of his team’s 13 in the third quarter.

The Bahamas was coming off their opening 57-38 victory on Monday over Bermuda and they will play their third game 4:15pm today.

A win and the Bahamas will be heading to the semi-final Friday after getting a rest on Thursday.

“The coaching staff is confident that we can win this tournament again,” Bowleg said.

“We have the team and if everybody, including our guards, play up to their potential, I don’t see why we can’t win.”

The men, who are mixed with a group of returning and new players, are following on the heels of the women’s national team, coached by Yolett McPhee-McCuin, who won the title last week by going undefeated.

The women have already clinched a berth in the CentroBasket next year and the men are hoping to duplicate that feat at the end of the tournament on Saturday.