The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AFTER winning their opening game of the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship on Monday night at the Baha Mar resort, the University of Mississippi Rebels women’s basketball team had a fun day yesterday.

The team, coached by Grand Bahamian Yolett McPhee-McCuin, visited St Francis/Joseph Catholic Primary School and interacted with the Catholic Diocesan Primary Schools basketball champions Shockers boys and girls basketball teams.

Principal Tiffany Glass said they were delighted to entertain the undefeated 5-0 Rebels, who were coming off the 63-50 win over the Dayton Flyers, coached by Tamika Williams-Jeter, who remained winless at 0-5.

Glass said the visit by the Rebels will serve as an inspiration to her boys and girls teams, who are gearing up for the completion of the Catholic Diocesan Primary Schools’ postseason at Loyola Hall.

McPhee-McCuin, who was thrilled to have her former principal, Claudette Rolle, now the Director of Education for the Catholic Diocesan, to be present for the visit at St Francis/ Joseph.

After delivering a speech about how she made it from the Bahamas to the United States on a basketball scholarship to coaching one of the most prestigious universities in the NCAA, McPhee-McCuin allowed her players to introduce themselves and spend some time playing and sharing their experiences with the students, who got to ask a lot of formal and informal questions.

“The Bahamas is beautiful. This is my first time being here. Coach is actually from the Bahamas, so it’s just amazing that we can come here and meet the culture of the people, so it’s so inspiring for us,” said Ole Miss senior guard Myah Taylor.

On their victory on Monday night, Taylor said it was just what they needed to get ready for their big matchup against Utah at 7pm tonight as the tournament comes to a close at Baha Mar.

“At one point, Dayton tied the game and that was when we went on a run and our defence and our togetherness was able to pull us through,” she said.

“For game two, we just have to go out and play hard to the best of our ability. That is something that we usually hold our head to, our defence.”

The 5-foot, 7-inch guard, like the rest of her team-mates and the rest of the coaching staff, seemed to have enjoyed themselves as they interacted with the students.

But for McPhee-McCuin, there was no better place than to be able to give back to the community.

“This has been a dream come true for me. To be able to come home on my soil and show the Bahamian people that there’s no ceiling if you want to accomplish anything,” she said. “I don’t think a lot of people understand what I do. I’m just a coach, but I am a CEO running a programme.

“Hopefully at the least, it would inspire our people that if they keep focused, keep God first, they too can do it for the 242.”

For those who missed their opener against Dayton, McPhee-McCuin encouraged them to be present tonight when they take on Utah in the finale of the tournament.

“They will get to watch 15 young women play at the highest level and that is important,” she said. “Utah is a great opponent. They play at a high level. “They are going to run a lot of complicated plays. We’re going to have to be locked in defensively, but I know if we win, it could put in the conversation nationally, so they are ranked No.16 in the country, so this is a great opportunity for us.”

Win, lose or draw against Utah, McPhee-McCuin said the Rebels will remain behind for an extra day just to relax and take in some of the sights of the island before they head back to continue their regular season.

McPhee-McCuin said her players were so shocked when they heard they were coming to the Bahamas, especially because she’s from here.

“I’ve just been hitting them with some fun facts. They’ve been asking about conch, but I had to correct them about the pronunciation of the word. So they have been enjoying it.”

Baha Hoops, according to McPhee-McCuin, has done a wonderful job in hosting them and the rest of the teams and so they will enjoy Thanksgiving Day here in the Bahamas with a meal provided by Showman.

“We are utilising all of the Bahamian talent by purchasing their merchandise,” said McPhee-McCuin, whose coaching staff wore tops made by vendors at the Straw Market. “We are totally engrossed in the culture here because I am a part of this culture.”

McPhee-McCuin and her Rebels hope to take that Bahamian culture back to Ole Miss when they return home to play their next game against Texas Southern Tigers at 8pm on Monday, November 28.