The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

While the men's national softball team closed out round robin play at the 23rd Central American and Caribbean Games in Barranquilla, Colombia, with their only victory, the men's national basketball team suffered their second straight loss.

The two teams highlighted Team Bahamas' appearance at the games yesterday as the men's softball team knocked off Guatemala 5-3, but the men's basketball team suffered an 84-77 decision at the hands of the Dominican Republic.

Men's basketball

Once again leading after the first quarter (22-21), Team Bahamas - with only nine players in action - got outscored 20-16 in the second quarter as the Dominican Republic took a 42-37 margin at the half. However, the Bahamas went on a 23-20 surge in the third to even the score at 61 going into the fourth. On a 23-16 effort, the Dominican Republic went on to prevail.

Michael Carey Jr led the attack with 17 points, shooting 6-for-19 from the field, 3-for-7 from the three-point line and 2-for-2 from the free throw line. He also had nine rebounds and five assists. Grand Bahamian Kentwan Smith followed with 16 points, eight rebounds, two steals, two assists and a block shot. Mark St Fort had 11 points and Eugene Bain chipped in with 10 points.

Tavario Miller helped out with eight points and 11 rebounds and both Michael Bain Jr and Shavanno Cooper chipped in with six points. Bain Jr added five rebounds, two assists and two steals, while Cooper had three rebounds.

Despite the loss, Michael Carey Jr said the players, coached by Quintin 'Three Ounce' Hall, performed at the best of their abilities.

"I think the reason for this whole thing is to see where the guys are as they audition for the next 24 listing that will be coming out from the Bahamas Basketball Federation," Carey Jr said. "I think this team underestimated the competition because they didn't know what to expect going in.

"But it all came together. We haven't been together for a long time and played that many scrimmages. We are talented, but it has nothing to do with talent. It's all about the chemistry. That was something we didn't have because we didn't get to play together, so the chemistry wasn't there."

Carey Jr said if the Bahamas is going to make it to the Olympic Games, they need to have a core group of players that play together no matter what. He said the guys who came out and played in this tournament played their heart out. But it would be nice if they have a cohesive unit from the team that participated in the FIBA World Cup Qualifier.

The Bahamas was waiting to see who they will play in their next game Thursday for either fifth or sixth place in the final positions in the games.

Men's softball

With no chance of making the playoffs, the Bahamas men's team, managed by Perry Seymour, won the battle of the two hapless teams by knocking off Guatemala 5-3 to produce their best offensive attack with eight hits, but leaving nine batters stranded.

All but one of the players in the starting line-up came through with one hit with centre fielder Lamar Watkins, the lead-off batter, going 1-for-2 with two runs batted in (RBI) and a run scored. Starting pitcher Lyle Sawyer from Abaco was 1-for-2 with a RBI and Grand Bahama's shortstop Desmond Russell was 1-for-3 with a RBI.

Sawyer pitched the first 3.2 innings, giving up three hits with a strikeout and an earned run. Alcott Forbes, in relief in the third, got the win after he suffered four hits with three strikeouts, a walk, a wild pitch and two earned runs in 2.1 innings. Thomas Davis pitched the final inning, striking out three.

Guatemala also utilised three pitchers who combined for eight hits and seven strikeouts.

Batting in the home position, Team Bahamas got a run in the second, third and fourth innings and two more in the fifth. Guatemala scored a run in the first, fifth and sixth.

Track and field

The final of the men's 400 metres will take the spotlight today as Alonzo Russell runs out of lane five.

Also in action will be Jamal Wilson and Donald Thomas in the final of the men's high jump. The men's 4 x 400m relay team will compete on Thursday.

Tennis

After the team of Danielle Thompson and Simone Pratt fell short of picking up a medal with their fourth place in the women's doubles, the women's team, with Kerrie Cartwright and coached by Larikah Russell, will play in the semi-finals of the Nation's Cup today against Colombia. Guatemala will take on Mexico in the other match-up. The final is set for Thursday.

However, the men's team of brothers Baker and Spencer Newman, Philip Major Jr and Kevin Major Jr, coached by Marvin Rolle, didn't make it.

Medal standings

Still with six medals, including five - three gold and two silver from Joanna Evans and a bronze from Albury Higgs - in swimming, the Bahamas has dropped to 11th place on the medal chart. Mexico tops the chart with 272 medals, including 109 gold, followed by Cuba with 173 medals and 64 gold. Colombia is in third with 56 gold in their haul of 195 medals.