The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

IT was the battle on the boards late in the game that ultimately undid the Bahamas’ chances to repeat as Caribbean Basketball Confederation champions.

The Bahamas fell 71-65 to the US Virgin Islands last night at the Multi-Purpose Complex in Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

Kadeem Coleby had a team high 15 points, Magnum Rolle added nine and Kentwan Smith finished with nine points and eight rebounds.

Tehran Cox finished with eight points and Michael Bain Jr added seven points, three assists and three steals.

Khalid Hart led the USVI with a game high 24 points, Ivan Asaka finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds and Craig Williams scored 10.

Despite the loss, the Bahamas qualified for the 2016 Centrobasket tournament.

David Nesbit’s layup trimmed the USVI lead to one (66-65) with just over a minute left to play. Bain came up with a steal on the following possession but the Bahamas couldn’t convert to take a late lead.

Angel Rivera finished an uncontested layup and Leon Cooper was called for an offensive foul to turn the ball over with 39 seconds left to play.

The Bahamas failed to come up with an offensive rebound when they needed it most to make free throws down the stretch to seal the win.

The Bahamas played from behind early on in the first quarter. USVI scored on the opening possession and followed with scores on three of their first four possessions to take a 7-4 lead.

USVI went ahead 15-8 with the help of Hart and outside shooting. The Bahamas went through a drought for more than 10 minutes.

The USVI went ahead 17-8 at one point and led 18-12 after the first quarter when the Bahamas shot 41 per cent but 0-5 from three-point range. Torrington Cox ended the Bahamas’ drought from distance with an opening three pointer of the quarter and Bain followed with a steal and fast break layup to trim the lead to one (18-17).

USVI responded with a 5-0 run to widen the margin 23-17. Rolle ended the drought for the Bahamas (23-20) with a three-point play.

Hart responded with consecutive threes to open up the lead, but the Bahamas answered with back-to-back threes from Cox and Bain.

The Bahamas took a 32-31 lead on a Cooper layup, but the Bahamas continued to give up threes to Hart.

The Bahamas trailed 37-35 at the half. In the third, Cox dished an assist to Nesbitt to tie the game and Smith hit a three pointer to put the Bahamas ahead by five.

Hart made another transition three pointer to tie the game at 50 with 1:48 left to play in the quarter. The Bahamas managed just nine points in the quarter.

The USVI opened with four consecutive points in a row in a quarter and took a 57-56 lead for good.

Asaka made a three pointer to put USVI ahead by four points and a fastbreak layup pushed the lead to six. Rolle made a much-needed jumper for the Bahamas to keep within reach of two possessions.

The Bahamas trailed by three when Coleby made a pair at the line (64-63) with 2:31 left to play, but they were unable to take control down the stretch.