The Tribune

The shortest player on the floor made the biggest play of the game and lifted a local team to their first win over a visiting NCAA team in the 2017 Summer of Thunder exhibition series.

Shakwon Lewis made a turnaround jumper as time expired to give the Bahamas All-Stars a 100-98 win over the Colorado State Rams Tuesday afternoon at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

Lewis finished with 10 points and five assists with his lone field goal of the fourth quarter turning out to be the game winner.

Torrington Cox led the Bahamas All-Stars with 25 points and eight rebounds, Eugene Bain had 27 points and seven rebounds, Michael Carey had 18 points and seven assists, and Kino Burrows finished with nine points, five rebounds and four assists.

Nico Carvacho led the Rams with 23 points and 11 rebounds, Che Bob and Deion James each scored 16 and grabbed nine rebounds and Lorenzo Jenkins scored 12.

It was easily the best shooting performance of the series so far for any local team as the All-Stars made 14 three point field goals. They shot 47 per cent from the field, 40 per cent from long range and 73 per cent from the line.

Cox led the attack from beyond the arch and shot 7-14. Carey shot 3-6 and Lewis was 2-4.

Colorado State dominated the boards with a 53-36 rebounding advantage, which led to a 20-point advantage on points in the paint

The Bahamas All-Stars’ sharpshooting started from the opening quarter and they made six of their eight seven three pointers to pull away early. A Cox three gave them their first double digit lead, 24-13 with just under three minutes left to play and Lewis’ buzzer beating three gave them a 38-21 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Bahamas built a 17 point lead on 54 per cent shooting from the field, 57 per cent from three (8-14).

The Rams made a run in the second quarter and outscored the Bahamas by 18 in the period to erase the deficit by the half. A suddenly turnover prone All-Stars teams also regressed toward the mean in their shooting numbers and the Rams’ size advantage was apparent on the boards. The Bahamas was in the midst of drought that stretched to nearly three minutes before Roosevelt Whylly banked in a jumper for three of his nine points. The Rams rallied and ended the quarter on a 9-0 run. James made a long range two pointer from the corner and a buzzer beating baseline jumper from Raquan Mitchell gave the Rams a 49-48 lead at the half. The Bahamas was limited to just 10 points.

The Rams opened up a five point lead in the second quarter, but Bain scored six consecutive points to regain a 64-63 lead and spark a run for the All-Stars. Following a Rams turnover, Bain dished an assist to Burrows who finished a layup and Carey made a pair of free throws for a 10-0 run and a 68-63 lead.

Cox hit a three pointer and finished a layup of a no look assist from Whylly, to put them ahead 76-67, a lead they took into the fourth quarter.

Bain converted a three point play on the Bahamas’ first possession of the quarter for a double digit lead for the first time since the first quarter. Just as the Rams were making a run Carey got a shooters bounce on a three to rescue a stagnant offence and JR Cadot layup pushed lead back to 11 with just under six minutes left to play.

The Rams had one final run and eventually tied the game with just seconds left to play.

Bob made a three pointer from the wing to tie the game at 98 with 23 seconds left to play, setting the stage for Lewis’ late game heroics. The series of exhibitions between local teams and visiting NCAA programmes began August 4 and continues through August 21.

Visiting programmes this summer will include the Nicholls State Colonels, Penn State Nittany Lions, Southern University Jaguars, Colorado State Rams, Rhode Island Rams, Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles, Chicago State Cougars and Boston College Eagles.

The showcase is designed to expose local talent to an international style of basketball, as well as give those players an opportunity to compete against some of the top collegiate basketball players the NCAA has to offer.

The event also allows young Bahamian athletes to familiarise themselves with potential tertiary level institutions which they could possibly attend.

Local teams include the Bahamas All-Stars, New Providence Basketball Association All-Stars, IBA Elite, CTG Knights and the Providence Storm.