SPORTS SECTION E
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
DAYTONA 500 - Page E5
Hugh Campbell Day 1 highlights By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
THE prestigious Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic for senior boys teams in the island nation got off to a flying start yesterday at the AF Adderley Gymnasium and the intensity is only expected to mount as the action continues this week. Here's a review of the games played so far: Comets 37, Magics 29 In the feature game of the night, the Queen's College Comets turned the tricks on Government High to complete day one. Javan Missick came up with a game high 14 points and seven rebounds, Rajon Louis had eight points and nine rebounds, Tayshawn Taylor had eight points as well with four assists, three steals and two rebounds and Kayden Deveaux added seven points with a pair of rebounds and steals. Comets' head coach Ruben Mounts said they were just trying to shut off the rust and get back to playing Queen's College style of basketball. "We had a lot of rust. The guys didn't have a lot of practice, so right now we're just playing off our talent," Mounts said. "We had a very good second half. They started to get their legs under them and they hit some very good shots and we started to play a lot better." Aaron Brown scored nine, Taj Johnson had seven, John Joseph had six points and eight rebounds and Rayvon Burrell five and five rebounds. Highlighted by three consecutive fast break slam dunks, including the final one at the buzzer from Missick, Queen's College surged ahead 8-0 at the end of the first quarter. Government High got on the scoreboard with their first two baskets but, after falling behind 11-4, they didn't score again until they got a baseline jumper off the top of the rim for an 11-6 deficit. But Queen's College took a 13-6 lead into the half. In the third, the Comets tightened up their defence and created a few fast break attempts to pull ahead for a 27-14 margin going into the fourth. The Cobras made a final run, but the Comets answered every challenge to clinch the win.
Giants 42, CC Sweeting 35 There's much to expect when you come into the tournament as one of the champions and with the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools' crown around their neck. Deren Moultrie scored 10 points with 11 rebounds and Akai Miller also had 10 points in the win for St John's. Christopher Francis had nine points, four steals, three rebounds and two assists, Timothy Ferguson also had 10 points and Lavardo Dean chipped in with eight points, three assists and two rebounds. But coach Baker didn't mince words as he noted that he wasn't impressed with the performance at all. "We just came out our (BAISS) championship and we came into the Hugh Campbell Tournament playing very sloppily," he said. "I wasn't impressed at all. We have to go back and improve on our play." It was a bitter-sweet game for Baker as he also coached CC Sweeting so, while he was happy that his Giants won, he is rooting for the Cobras to play even better. Bradley Lubin had a game high 12 points, Kaleb Jean-Baptiste had 10 points, seven rebounds and three steals and Tameko Dorsette chipped in with eight points in the loss. The Cobras led 10-6 after the first quarter, but the Giants stormed back for a 19-15 advantage at the half. The Cobras came for a slim 32-30 lead at the end of the third, but the Giants put the game away with a late flurry in the final three minutes. Cheribin 50, Stingrays 21 They have not won a title or got to the pool final yet, but Teleos Christian Academy has always been a force to reckon with and they showed that in their opener of the tournament. "I think the boys played very well. They worked hard in practice, so I'm glad that they were able to showcase their skills out here," said Teleos' head coach Roger Charlton. Keanu Thurston led three players in double figures with a game high 17 points as Teleos Christian Academy stunned CV Bethel. Thurston also pulled down 12 rebounds to post a double-double, leading two other players in
ON THE REPLAY: The prestigious Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic for senior boys teams in the island nation got off to a flying start yesterday at the AF Adderley Gymnasium. Here, the St John’s Giants got the 42-35 win over the CC Sweeting Cobras. Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr/Tribune Staff double digits. Jeidelove Archelus and Luke Adderley both had 10 points. Calvin Spence added eight points with a game high 15 rebounds. Davaro Saunders, Michael Mackey, Torriano McPhee and Joshua Marshall all scored three for CV Bethel. McPhee added 13 rebounds and four block shots to his ledger. The Stingrays, however, were simply out-played in every aspect of the game, including 53-31 on the boards, while commiting 10
more turnovers in the critical stats. After being tied 7-7 at the end of the first quarter, Teleos Christian Academy surged ahead 25-11 at the half. They extended their lead to 35-15 at the third and cruised in the fourth. Cougars 42, Greenville 38 The BAISS runners up Charles W Saunders got an all-around game from Laquanne Collins with 16 points, seven rebounds, five steals, three assists and a pair of steals as they held on
for the win. Daniel Munroe had 10 points, eight steals and seven rebounds, Shelton Nelson had eight points and 14 rebounds and Breon Poitier also had eight points with five steals, two assists and as many rebounds. Marvin Pratt led Greenville Preparatory Academy with 11 points, four steals, two assists and two rebounds. Akeem Storr and Kino Kelly both had eight points with six and five rebounds respectively. Greenville opened the game with a 9-4 advantage
at the end of the first quarter, but that lead was short lived as Charles W Saunders surged back for a 18-13 margin at the break. The Cougars went up 32-20 at the end of the third and held on in the fourth. TODAY 5pm - ISBET vs Jordan Prince Williams 6pm - RM Bailey vs Westminster 7pm - CI Gibson vs Patrick J Bethel 8pm - Anatol Rodgers vs St John's College
Kai Jones’ numbers ‘scream efficiency’ By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter jburrows@tribunemedia.net
KAI Jones in action for the LA Clippers in the NBA. He currently plays for the Anadolu Efes Istanbul. (AP)
KAI Jones’ move to Europe has settled into something quietly remarkable as the 6’11” Bahamian big man has become one of the most efficient interior scorers in the 2025-26 EuroLeague while backing that up with defensive plays and energy minutes for Anadolu Efes Istanbul. His numbers don’t jump off the page in terms of volume, but they scream efficiency. Through mid-February, Jones has appeared in the
EuroLeague rotation in 25 games and is averaging roughly 13-14 minutes, 3.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game, with a player-impact rating (PIR) near 6.9. Jones has made 41 of 43 two-point attempts in EuroLeague play, a 2-point percentage of 95.3%, which sits at the top of the league leaderboard for two-point field-goal accuracy. That kind of efficiency is historic for a player getting regular minutes in Europe’s top competition. His best single performance this season came in early February against Valencia where Jones, 25,
poured in a season-high 15 points with seven rebounds, added two steals and three blocks as Efes beat Valencia 107-90, a game that solidified how he can change the flow in limited minutes with high-efficiency finishes, rim protection and activity on the glass. That night was the reason club leadership moved to secure him with a two-year contract extension shortly after. Team-wise Efes has had an up-and-down EuroLeague season thus far, sitting in the lower half of the table, fighting to climb back toward play-in contention. Efes currently has a record of 9-16.
Head coach Pablo Laso has leaned on role players like Jones to provide high-energy minutes and situational defence while the team hunts consistency. Jones himself sounds comfortable with the move. “Everything is going great. I’m glad I chose to come here, and the team is playing really well. This is an excellent club, and so far I’m enjoying it,” he said in a mid-season interview discussing the transition and his role. The season has not been loud. It has been efficient, controlled and now secured with long-term backing from his club.