The Tribune

By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net    

The Bahamas senior men’s national basketball team has waited more than two months to seek revenge against Cuba and the United States of America (USA) after suffering consecutive losses in the second window of the FIBA AmeriCup 2025 Qualifiers last November. 

The host team will have a chance to avenge those losses starting tonight with a must-win game against Cuba at 8:40pm in the Kendal GL Isaacs Gymnasium, to jumpstart the third and final window of the FIBA AmeriCup 2025 Qualifiers for group D.

The Bahamas’ head coach John Lucas III expressed the need for the home team to throw the first blow tonight versus Cuba after falling 76-62 in their last matchup. “We were right there. In the Cuba game, we started off slow and they brought the fight to us. They threw the first punch and we fought back….we couldn’t get over the hump,” he said.

“We got close enough but we wasted more energy trying to play catch up. This time around I told them we are gonna hit first and we are gonna continue hitting and not gonna let our feet off the gas.”

Team Bahamas will play their first game at home since competing in the first window of the qualifiers against Puerto Rico last year. 

The home team will be represented by a good mix of veteran and returning national basketball team players. 

Players expected to suit up for The Bahamas are Lathaniel Bastian, Eron Gordon, Dominick Bridgewater, Sammy Hunter, Dylan Musgrove, Jaraun “Kino” Burrows, Kenny Isnord, Godfrey Rolle III, Garvin Clarke Jr, Franco Miller Jr, Kentwan Smith, Radshad Davis and Tavario Miller Sr.

Coach Lucas spoke about the addition of more guards on the roster for the final window of the qualifiers.

“I think it is gonna be a different team than we had in the last window because now we do have guards who can turn the corner, who are more natural at that point guard playmaking ability and it just frees up those guys who had to play in a different position. It puts them back in their natural position where they can thrive. I am all about these guys looking their best and putting them in the right situations at the right time,” Lucas said.

Team Bahamas still has a chance of qualifying for the FIBA Americup 2025 but will have to defeat Cuba tonight to stave off elimination.

The team sits at the bottom of the Group D standings with a 1-3 win/loss record.  The US leads the group with a 3-1 record. Puerto Rico and Cuba have identical 2-2 records.

Coach Lucas said the host nation will need the support of the home crowd to get the job done.

“We want the fans to be here. We are fighting for the country and fighting to get to the Olympics so this is an important game…Every game that we play is an important game and we need our fans. We need the crowd and we need that sixth man,” he said.

The Bahamas plays Cuba tonight at 8:40pm and will follow up the contest with a game against the USA on Sunday at 7:10pm in the KGLI Gymnasium.