The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THREE games and three blowout wins thus far for the Bahamas’ senior men’s national basketball team as they continue to dominate regional competition at the Caribbean Basketball Confederation Championships.

Five players reached double figures in the 72-57 win over Suriname yesterday at the Multi Purpose Complex in The British Virgin Islands.

Eugene Bain came off the bench to lead the team with 11 points and 9 rebounds, Tehran Cox, Michael Bain Jr, Magnum Rolle and Leon Cooper each scored 10, while Kadeem Coleby added four points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots.

Bruce Zamuel led Suriname with 11 points and Safiero Fraser chipped in with nine.

The Bahamas will face their toughest test of the tournament thus far when they take on Antigua and Barbuda 6:45pm tonight.

Still struggling shooting the ball from the field at just 36 per cent and 15 per cent from three, the Bahamas held a 16-point advantage at the free throw line where they outscored Suriname 28-12.

A distinct post presence was again on display for the Bahamas as they outscored their opponents 30-14 in the interior.

The Bahamas led nearly wire-to-wire and took the lead for good at the 3:21 mark in the first quarter when Bain’s dunk made the score 11-10. They would eventually close the quarter on a 12-4 run and took a 21-14 lead after one.

They led by double figures for the first time when Cox’s layup made the score 26-16 early in the second quarter.

Suriname would eventually trim the lead to four, but the Bahamas would extend it to 11 points and lead 39-28 at the half.

The scoring slowed for both teams in the third with just 19 combined points, but the Bahamas won the period 11-8 and took a 50-36 lead into the fourth.

The lead grew to as much as 24 with 6:50 left to play on a jumper from Cox and Suriname would never threaten, unable to come within less than 12 points.

With the win, the Bahamas assured themselves of a top-two spot in group A and a berth to the semi-finals.

In 2014, it was Antigua and Barbuda that nearly derailed the Bahamas’ CBC Championship hopes.

The Bahamas opened with a blowout win over St Vincent and the Grenadines before they lost 90-68 to Antigua and Barbuda.

The Bahamas then bounced back to stun Cuba 77-71 to wrap up the top spot at 2-1 in Group A and received some good fortune when surprisingly, St Vincent nipped Antigua 93-92.

In the semi-final, the Bahamas knocked off the host British Virgin Islands 84-65. That set up a rematch in the final against Cuba where the Bahamas pulled off a 75-64 decision to clinch the title and the top spot in the CentroBasket.