SPORTS SECTION E
FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2025
UB Mingoes, Page 7
QC Comets’ gap shrinks on day 2 By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net
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he Queen’s College Comets have all intentions of dethroning the defending champions - St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine - at the 2025 Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) Track and Field Championships and they appear to be on track to do just that. For the second straight day of competition, the Comets are leading the charge with 716 points. The Big Red Machine is not roaring too far behind with 701.50 points for second place. The Temple Christian School (TCS) Suns are
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At BAISS Track & Field Championships comfortable in the third spot at 260.50 points. It is still a close battle for fourth between the Anglican schools St Anne’s Blue Waves and the St John’s College (SJC) Giants. The Blue Waves own the fourth spot with 138 points but the Giants are on their heels with 135.50 points. Although the Comets are not entirely happy with SAC shaving a 30.5-point lead down to under 15 points, head coach Everette Fraser said it is still good to have the advantage heading into the final day of the meet. “I feel good. It is always good to be in front so I feel good about it. I didn’t like how they closed the gap but it is what it is. We are going into day three in front and for me I am going to tell the kids it is zero to zero so we just have to execute tomorrow. “We have relays, 200m, 800m and hurdles so we have strong events. I am looking for the 200m and 800m to be our strongest events along with the relays,” he said. Despite some minor hiccups in the sprints, coach Fraser remains confident that once his athletes execute there could be a new champion crowned today. “Tomorrow is a different day. Let’s just wake up tomorrow and see what happens. If the kids come out and we execute the relays we should be in a good position,” he said.
girls’ long jump event but also qualified for her third CARIFTA Games event in the process. She leapt to 5.65m for first place. Her mark bested the CARIFTA-qualifying standard of 5.58m. Placing second overall was her schoolmate Alexis Roberts who finished at 5.19m.
GRAND Bahamian coach Yolett McPheeMcCuin and her University of Mississippi Lady Rebels are now into their fifth consecutive quarterfinal appearance of the 2025 Southeast Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina. The number seven ranked Ole Miss, who earned a bye in the first day of competition on Wednesday, came out on Thursday and knocked off coach Sam Purcell’s Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs 85-73 to take on the nation’s top ranked team in the University of Texas Longhorns (15-1), coached by Victor Schaefer, in tonight’s quarterfinal match at 6pm. “In the last two timeouts, I didn’t say a word. Manny (Madison Scott) had the time out and she was basically telling them we have the lead, we have to build on it, we have to take good shots. She was totally coaching them and they were locked in,” said McPhee-MCuin of her
team leader on the floor. “That’s what you want in March, a player-led team. I’m just out there managing and moving pieces, but these young ladies are out here and they are serious about doing something special.” As their coach, McPheeMcCuin has led the Rebels to four consecutive seasons of double-digit SEC wins, starting in the 2021-22 season. She also becomes the Lady Rebels’ first head coach to guide Ole Miss to four consecutive 10-plus conference wins. Her “uncomplicated” team saw Scott score 20 points with four rebounds, four assists and two steals, Kennedy Todd-Williams also had 20 points with seven rebounds and two steals. Sira Thienou added 18, five rebounds and three assists and Christeen Iwula chipped in with 11 points, seven rebounds and a pair of assists and steals. Madina Okot led four Mississippi State players in double figures with 14 points and 10 rebounds. It was the second win this season for Ole Miss over Mississippi State after beating the Lady Bulldogs
Jamaya Rolle, competing for QC, dropped to third at 5.08m. Major spoke about how it felt to get the win for the Big Red Machine. “It feels really good to represent my school well and take home a gold,” she said.
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PAUL GREENE AND PENMEN TO PLAY FOR ANOTHER TITLE
‘Coach Yo’ and Ole Miss Rebels advance to SEC quarterfinals By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net NORTH American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) President Mike Sands said he likes what he’s seen so far in the lead up to the staging of both the CARIFTA track and field and swimming competitions. The dual sport competition will be held during the Easter holiday weekend, April 17-24 in Trinidad with about a hour drive separating the two sports. “There was an intent several years ago to have the CARFITA Games. It was supposed to be a multievents competition,” Sands said. “But there are very few countries in our region who can host multi-events simultaneously. “The Bahamas is one and of course Jamaica and Trinidad. So, what the Government of Jamaica has done is they have established a joint Local Organising Committee that is coordinating the entire event and then there’s the implementation committee that is organising the two games separately. “But they are working together to maximise the scheduling and attendance of the fans for both events. So it’s a good thing.” CARIFTA track and field, the brainchild of Barbados’ icon Austin Sealy, got started in 1972 in Bridgetown with Jamaica winning its first title. They reeled off a three-peat before Bermuda was the first country to defeat them in 1975.
SETTING THE PACE: Private school students compete yesterday on day 2 of the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) Track and Field Championships. SEE MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE 8 Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr Athletes continued to hit the CARIFTA-qualifying marks in their respective events while also setting new BAISS records along the way on day two of the track and field championships. Field Events SAC’s Bayli Major not only won the under-20
CARIFTA GAMES: MIKE SANDS LIKES WHAT HE HAS SEEN SO FAR
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net GRAND Bahamian senior Paul Greene and his Southern New Hampshire University Penmen men’s basketball team will now play for another Northeast 10 Conference championship title. Greene, a 6-foot, 6-inch forward, produced a double-double with 20 points, shooting 9-for-19 from the field and 2-for-2 from the free throw line, with 14
COACH Yolett McPhee-McCuin and her University of Mississippi Lady Rebels are now into their fifth consecutive quarterfinal appearances of the 2025 Southeast Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina. 86-71 in their regular season match-up on January 16. But they lost to Texas 61-58 in a January 26 game that went right down to the wire. “We’re just going to have to stick to our defensive principles,” said McPheeMcCuin of the Longhorns led by Madison Booker, the SEC Player of the Year. “Two defensive teams, so it’s probably going to be a low-scoring game. “We felt we had some opportunities where we felt we
could have pulled away. We will see. We have a lot of respect for them, but we’re hungry and they are in the way. So, we’re going to do our best.” The Lady Bulldogs opened the tournament on Wednesday with a 75-55 rout over No.15 Missouri for their first SEC Tournament victory, but they couldn’t sustain their intensity against the Lady Rebels.
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points to lead the secondranked Penmen to a 58-56 victory over the third-seed Bentley University on Wednesday night in the semifinal of the tournament at the Stan Spirou Field House in Manchester, New Hampshire. Southern New Hampshire University, who erased an 11-point deficit late in the second half, will now host the fifth-seeded Pace University in the NE10 championship title
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THE SPORTS March CALENDAR SWIMMING LAST CHANCE CARIFTA MEET BAHAMAS Aquatics has announced that its Last Chance Meet for swimmers wishing to qualify for the 2025 CARIFTA Swimming Championships will be held over the weekend of March 14-15 at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex. The event is open to all Bahamas
Aquatics-registered swimmers who have previously competed in a Bahamas Aquatics competition. Swimmers who have not competed in a specific event previously will not be allowed to register for that event. (No Time Entries will not be accepted for this meet). The first session is scheduled for 6pm on
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