The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

Due to the damage inflicted by Hurricane Matthew, the internationally renowned Junkanoo Jam basketball tournament was forced to relocate.

Traditionally hosted in Grand Bahama, Basketball Travelers and tournament organisers announced this week that the 2016 event is now scheduled to take place at the Gateway Christian Academy Gym in Bimini November 24-26.

All teams and supporters that purchased tournament packages through Junkanoo Jam and Basketball Travelers, will be automatically assigned rooms at the brand new Hilton at Resorts World Bimini.

The relocation effort began once the damage to the Grand Lucayan Resort was assessed following the passage of Hurricane Matthew through Grand Bahama.

“Obviously we are disappointed that the tournament had to be moved from Grand Bahama Island, but we are grateful to our friends in the Bahamas, who have been extremely helpful in relocating the tournament,” said Neal Holden, tournament director and BTI president.

“Our first priority is always to the safety and well-being of our teams, fans and stakeholders. We are keeping the Bahamian people in our prayers as they recover from this natural disaster and hope we can still provide travellers with an unforgettable experience, while showing off the beauty of the Bahamas.”

The Junkanoo Jam will again feature some of the top NCAA Division I women’s basketball programmes and will also showcase an appearance by a Bahamian player.

Event organisers officially released the eight-team field for the 14th edition of the event hosted over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

The field includes Bahamian Shanea Armbrister and her Georgia Bulldogs, the Creighton Bluejays, Dayton Flyers, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Missouri Tigers, South Florida Bulls and North Carolina Tar Heels.

As a transfer after a storied junior college career, Armbrister played in 21 games last season for the Bulldogs.

After battling through a torn meniscus in the early part of the year, the 6ft 2in wing player hit 45 per cent from three-point range, the best average on the team for players with 10 or more attempts. Over the season she averaged 2.2 points and one rebound per game. 

Since the  inception of the Junkanoo Jam in 2002, many of the nation’s top women’s programmes have converged on Grand Bahama to test their skills in meaningful regular season competition.

Local favourite Jonquel Jones, now with the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun, returned to Grand Bahama at the 2014 Junkanoo Jam.

Jones delivered an MVP performance and led her George Washington Colonials to the Freeport Division title at the St George’s Gymnasium.

The junior forward posted a double double in the title game - 14 points, all in the second half, and 14 rebounds - in the 79-59 win over the Purdue Boilermakers. 

The tournament traditionally boasts a talented group of teams which range among some of the best in  the NCAA.

The 2015 field included the Baylor Bears, Boston College Eagles, Cincinnati Bearcats, University of Denver Pioneers, Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, Michigan State Spartans, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Oklahoma Sooners, UCLA Bruins and Utah Utes.

Six of those teams advanced to the NCAA tournament.