The Tribune

ALTHOUGH they didn’t have any major competition in the country over the past two years to test their skills, coach Kevin Clarke was still pleased with the way his Tabernacle Baptist Falcons senior boys’ basketball team played last week in the Arby’s Classic at the Viking Hall in Bristol, Tennessee.

The Falcons, one of the top teams in the country, returned home to Grand Bahama having lost the two games they played in their annual trip to the high school boys and girls tournament, known for its explosive talent, rich tradition and incredible memories.

But Clarke said if they had a little more exposure prior to going to the tournament, they would have been in a better position to continue on in the double elimination format in one of the premier tourneys in the USA December 27 to 31.

On Monday in their first game played on December 27, Tabernacle Baptist lost to Earl Hamilton Hurricanes 56-53 after turning the ball over 23 times, compared to 16 by their opponents. The Falcons also won the battle on the boards with a 35-22 advantage.

Ashton Munsop led the way with a game high 19 points. Adam Minus paced the Falcons with 16 points, and 14 rebounds. Jadyn Pinder had 12 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals and Carlin Sands added 11 points with four rebounds and two assists.

The Falcons returned on Tuesday and lost another close encounter to the Twin Springs Titans 55-50. After leading 14-11 at the end of the first quarter, the Falcons fell behind 28-23 at the half. They turned things around in the third quarter to regain a slim 41-40 margin at the final break. But in the fourth quarter, the Titans used a 15-9 spurt to secure the win.

Again, the Falcons turned the ball over 18 times compared to 17 by the Titans. And on the boards, they posted a 26-24 advantage to make it a keenly contested match-up.

Connor Lane and Bradley Owens provided a 1-2 punch for the Titans with 24 and 22 points respectively.

For the Falcons, Leano Rolle came up big with 15 points, seven steals, five rebounds and three assists. Jarred Hall had nine points and Adam and Alex Minus both chipped in with eight points,

“Both games basically went the same way for us,” Clarke said.

“In the first game, we ran out of gas, missed lay-ups and free throws down the stretch. We had a shot to win the game at the end of the game, but we fell short.

“And in the second game, we were up by about nine points in the second half, but the same thing happened. We just couldn’t close it out. With about 18 seconds left, they went up on a three-pointer from their best player. We had the ball with about four seconds left, but couldn‘t convert.”

Despite their early exit from the tournament, Clarke said they played against a number of nationally ranked teams with players who are heading off to some of the top prestigious division one colleges and universities this year.

“Overall I was proud of the way my boys played,” Clarke said.

“Not being able to play for about two years and getting thrown into the fire in a tournament like that, I have to be pleased. I think if we have any type of basketball this year in the Bahamas, that will definitely help us playing against our local teams.”

Once they get the team back in place this year, Clarke said he will continue to work with his Falcons in a bid to get them ready for the possibility of playing in the prestigious Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic.

And the Ministry of Education’s National High School Championships, if they are played this year.

Clarke said while he tips his hat off to his entire team for the manner in which they conducted themselves, he noted that tenth grader Leano Rolle got some interest from coaching scouts.

Rolle averaged about 15 points and five rebounds in the two games combined.

As a point of interest, Long Island Lutherans won the title over the Berkmar Patriots.