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SPORTS SECTION E

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THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2018

Franco named to roster for the Iverson Classic

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

he accolades continue to stockpile for Bahamian basketball prep star Franco Miller and a pivotal summer recruitment continues this spring as his decision on an NCAA programme looms. Miller’s latest honour was being named to the roster for the 2018 Allen Iverson Roundball Classic, popularly referred to as the Iverson Classic. The event goes into its second year on April 21 with a mission to be the most competitive All American game in the country. In his lone season with Crestwood Prep in Toronto, Canada, Miller led the Lions to the National Preparatory Association playoffs. He averaged 21.8 points, four rebounds and 3.6 assists per

game this season and was named a First Team All-Star during the league’s tournament finale. The 2018 Iverson Classic will feature two teams comprised of the country’s most talented prospects. Team Loyalty features standouts like UCLA Commit Shareef O’Neal, Kentucky Commit Immanuel Quickley, UNC Commit Nassir Little and Syracuse Commit Darius Bazley. Team Loyalty will face Team Honour which features Anfernee Simons, LSU Commit Nazreon Reid, Mississippi State Commit Reggy Perry and more. Team Honour also features the most high profile appearance for Georgetown commit and internet phenomenon Mac Mcclung, who recently surpassed Allen Iverson’s all time Virginia scoring record. “These young guys are the future,” said Iverson, who is a co-founder of the event along with businessman Jai Manselle

FRANCO MILLER and grassroots basketball veteran Bobby Bates. “I’m proud to have every single one of them here.” Team Loyalty will be coached by NBA champion Stephen Jackson and Wesleyan Christian head

coach Keith Gatlin. Team Honour will be coached by 14-year NBA veteran Larry Hughes and Christian Brothers College High School head coach Justin Tatum. Tatum is also the father to #3 2017 NBA Draft pick Jayson Tatum. The 2018 Iverson Classic Weekend will tip off on Thursday, April 19, with a day of events, including Dunk Contest, 3-Point Shootout and more. The final event will be the Allen Iverson Roundball Classic All American Game on Saturday April 21. A location, schedule, venue, broadcast and ticket information will be announced later this week. Miller, the 6’2” guard, spent much of last summer playing under coach Ro Russell for the Grass Roots Elite Club where his performance on the AAU circuit garnered offers from several Division I programmes. Russell was hired to head the programme at

Crestwood in 2016 and Miller followed suit. Miller’s play on the AAU circuit has attracted official offers from Hofstra University, Towson University, Montana State University, the University of Wyoming, St Bonaventure University and the University of Illinois at Chicago. There are also several other programmes that have expressed interest. At the local level with the Tabernacle Baptist Falcons, Miller had a season filled with accolades highlighted when he was named as the Most Valuable Player of the 34th Annual Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic. His 27 points led the Falcons to a 58-52 win over the CI Gibson Rattlers. He also led the Falcons to a Grand Bahama Secondary Schools Sports Association (GBSSSA) senior boys’ title and finished as runners-up in the second annual Bahamas National High School Basketball Championships.

Lashann and Longhorns advance to Sweet 16 By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE lone Bahamian left in the NCAA Tournament, Lashann Higgs continues the best post-season run of her collegiate career. Higgs scored 19 and the Texas Longhorns advanced to their fourth consecutive Sweet 16 with an 85-65 win over Arizona State at the Longhorns home gym the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. Higgs’ team-high scoring effort also came on one of her most efficient games of the season as she shot 9-12 from the field. She scored 17 in the first half to send the Longhorns into the break with a 40-35 lead. “I realised that at the ball reversal there were lots of driving lanes. So I tried to take advantage of it. Just tried to be aggressive for my team,” she said. Texas will head to Kansas City, Missouri to face the No.3 UCLA Bruins 9:30pm local time tomorrow night. The game will be televised nationally by ESPN2. The No. 2 seed in the Kansas City Region, the Longhorns advanced through round one with an 83-54 win over the No. 15 Maine Black Bears. Higgs finished with 15 points and dished four assists in 23

TEXAS guard Lashann Higgs (10) celebrates a score with teammates Alecia Sutton (1), Olamide Aborowa (14) and Brooke McCarty (11) during a second-round game in the NCAA women’s college basketball tournament against Arizona State, Monday, March 19, 2018, in Austin, Texas. Texas won 85-65. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) minutes. “I would say that it’s having more discipline on the offensive end,” she said. “The discipline to reverse the ball. The discipline to make the right pass. I would just say it’s becoming more of a team effort. So I

think that’s the reason why our offence has improved.” In two NCAA Tournament games this season, Higgs is averaging a team high 17.0 points per game and shooting a squad-best 78.9 per cent from the field. In her first two seasons with

the Longhorns, Higgs has seen her teams eliminated in the Sweet 16. In 2016 as a freshman, she finished with a then career high 19 points in the Longhorns’ 86-65 loss to the eventual champion UConn Huskies. As a sophomore

in 2017, it was a 77-66 loss to the Stanford Cardinal. Higgs finished with five points and three rebounds. Texas, making its 31st all-time NCAA Tournament appearance, improves to 42-29 (.592) all-time in NCAA Tournament play,

including a 10-4 mark under head coach Karen Aston. “I’m just incredibly proud of our basketball team. The energy and enthusiasm that they’re playing the game with right now, and then just the fact that this is our fourth year in a row to go to the Sweet 16. You can almost tell that - I don’t want to say they’re getting used to it, because we told them not to ever take it for granted, but you can tell that they expect this. “I know they want bigger and better things, but this is a great accomplishment for these particular seniors. Just because all four years they were able to do this,” Aston said. “But, again, there’s a few upsets came about today, and I told them in the locker room not to ever take this for granted, or not to appreciate how great of a season and, in particular these two, how great their careers have been. Really, really proud of our team.” As a junior this season, Higgs has stepped into a leadership role and started all 27 appearances. She averaged 12.9 points, 2.6 assists, 3.2 rebounds, all career highs. She also had the best shooting season of her career at 54 per cent from the field, 33 per cent from the three-point line and 74 per cent from the free throw line.

‘IT SUCKS WHEN YOU LOSE A GAME AND YOU DON’T HAVE ANY MORE’ By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net HIS final season for the Michigan State Spartans ended prematurely with an upset loss in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32, but Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn was still able to exhibit the leadership that made him a star in the eyes of the coaching staff in East Lansing. The Spartans, ranked No. 3 in the West Region, lost 53-55 to No. 11 Syracuse at the Little Ceasar’s Arena in Detroit, Michigan, on Sunday. Nairn, who was a member of the 2015 Final Four team as a freshman, offered words of insight in the locker room following the loss to place the game in perspective.

“It’s part of life,” Nairn said. “Basketball is what we play, so it hurts. It sucks when you lose a game and you don’t have any more, but nobody on our team is battling cancer. Nobody’s fighting for their life. I’m not trying to say losing doesn’t hurt, but there is so much pain going on outside of this game of basketball that people are facing - kids not eating, homeless people, people that are fighting disease. Nobody on this team is in that position.” Spartans head coach Tom Izzo has always heralded Nairn’s leadership abilities as something that could not be simply measured on a stat sheet. He awarded Nairn the title of team captain for three consecutive years and often called him an extension of the coaches on

the floor. “That kid has meant the world to our programme, our community, our team, and to me. I don’t know if there is another Tum out there. He has been rock solid through a lot of things this year, and I love him for that,” Izzo said. “Tum’s not God, but he’s right there.” Nairn ends his Spartans career with averages of 1.7 points and 2.9 assists per game. After 65 career starts, his numbers in his senior season saw a decline with the emergence of sophomore point guard Cassius Winston. He was awarded the Stephen G Scofes Inspirational Player Award this past offseason for the third straight year when the Spartans hosted its annual Men’s Basketball Awards Banquet for the 2016-17 season.

MICHIGAN State guard Lourawls Nairn Jr (11) passes during a first round game against Bucknell in the NCAA college basketball tournament on March 16 in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

PAGE 14, Thursday, March 22, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Jackson Brennen gets his ‘D’ licence certificate

JACKSON Brennen (left) receives his “D” licence certificate from Garry Markam, technical director of the Bahamas Football Association.

BAHAMIAN Jackson Brennen, a former international soccer player, hit another milestone as he received his “D” licence certificate. The certificate he recently received from Garry Markam, the technical director of Bahamas Football Association, allows Brennen to coach anywhere in the Caribbean, and the continental USA. Before receiving his licence, Brennen had already embarked on what seemed to be a successful coaching career as he led the CV Bethel Senior High School girls to an undefeated championship season last year. As a result of the accomplishment, Brennen received the coveted GSSSA “Most Outstanding Soccer Coach” award. Brennen, along with other coaches, Chris Lewis and David Rolle, also ran a very successful youth camp called the ‘The Flamingo Youth Soccer Academy.” The academy hosted an Over-40’s

Legends Tournament and a number of youth tournaments. Best remembered as one of the outstanding Bahamian soccer players in the island nation, Brennen was also a former MVP. Brennen was voted Bahamian Sporting News Athlete of the Year for soccer in 1983 and he went on to become the Sports Magazine Athlete of the Year for soccer few years later. Brennen once scored 24 goals in a season and six goals in a single game. Brennen was a member of United soccer club that dominated the league for many years. He also had a two-year stint with the Becks Bears, winning two league championships and one national title. As a member of the Bahamas national team, Brennen represented the Bahamas in various parts of the world, including Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti

and various parts of the United States. “Having received this certification, it has sharpened my coaching skills and now I am able to draw from my experience as a player to effectively impact the game,” he said. Brennen, who was noticeably modest about his accomplishments as a player, said that his journey as a young player began with him being coached by notable players such as Robert Ashe, Kenny Love, Brian Serville and the late Sam Haven. Markam said Brennen has been “one of the best Bahamian players that we have had. “He has now taken that to the next level by coming to the coaching world. His experience as a player, combined with his knowledge as a coach, will definitely be a plus in developing young players. This D licence certification is an added dimension to his once stellar career.”

BAHAMAS FIRST AND UB SPONSORING 2ND UBFIT NEW PROVIDENCE EVENT BAHAMAS First General Insurance Company is partnering with the University of The Bahamas as a sponsor of its second UBFIT New Providence event scheduled to be held on April 7. This event is now a staple event and fundraiser for the university as well as a major component of its Road to Wellness programme. Said Kandice Eldon, UBFIT organising committee chair: “UBFIT Fun Run Walk Skate 5K/10K 2017 was the first fundraiser of its kind at the University of The Bahamas, and its undeniable success paves the way for deeper and

stronger ties between the university and the community we serve.” Leah R Davis, group marketing and communications manager at Bahamas First, said the company is “committed to both giving back to our community and supporting the advancement of education in The Bahamas. “We congratulate the University of The Bahamas on its vision and efforts to promote health and wellness through this unique fitness event which invites participants to run, walk, skate or bike for a 5K or 10K and also features a Health Expo.”

SHOWN (l-r) are Nicole Leary, Manager, Compensation & Benefits, Bahamas First Corporate Services; Leah R. Davis, Group Marketing & Communications Manager, Bahamas First Corporate Services; Kandice Eldon, UBFIT Organizing Committee Chair; Sean Bastian, UBFIT Committee, University of the Bahamas.

SPORTS NOTES TRACK UB MINGOES TEAM OFF THE University of The Bahamas will take a 22-member men’s and women’s track & field team to the University of South Florida Bulls Invitational to compete March 22-23 in Tampa, Florida. The team will be led by national record holder in the heptathlon Ken Mullings, CARIFTA qualifiers

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Michael Stuart (400m) and Quanisha Marshall (800m) and a talented men’s 4x400m relay team of Michael Stuart, Brandon Hanna, Anthony Adderley and Donya Roberts. The team will be supported by track coaches Rupert Gardiner and Ednal Rolle and field coaches Bradley Cooper and James Rolle BOWLING CITY LEAGUE Bill Casale of the E&U Watercoolers was the most valuable player with a 605 high three-game set in the City Bowling League at Mario’s Bowling and Family Entertainment Centre on Monday night. Derrick Burrows of Asurewin Pocket Pleasers

was the runner-up with a high game of 245, followed by Ritchie Pyfrom of Giga Tech with 242. Xynea Johnson of the Brooklyn Strikers was the top ladies’ performer with a total pins of 580 in her three-game series. Janice Hoyte of the Ten Back Strikers followed with a 220 second high game and a 565 second high set. Tara Culmer of the Island Game Strokers struck for the high game of 223. In team scores, Asurewin Pocket Pleasers blanked NUA Crusaders 3-0, Bahamasair Flyers blanked the Avengers 3-0, the Brooklyn Strikers knocked off the Carib Construction 2-1, the CDM Knights def. the Telco Enterprises 2-1 and the Checker’s Cafe def. the City Leaguers 2-1.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, March 22, 2018, PAGE 15

The Legend of Deandre Ayton: Part II By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net EVERY good story needs a three-act structure. There’s the setup, the confrontation and ultimately, the resolution. It’s a necessary process that endears our characters to the audience, elicits emotional responses and keeps you connected to the journey of the storyline. When we last left our hero, he was in the infancy of establishing himself as a household name. He was already one of the most sought-after recruits on the circuit, but the UNC game thrust Deandre Ayton into the international spotlight and at the forefront of everyone’s consciousness. The world has changed a lot since then – both for us and for our hero. The star climb has continued with each passing milestone. There were the video game numbers on the AAU circuit, his appearance on the roster for every honorary team, his Bahamian national team debut and of course, the Arizona decision. Since he suited up for the Arizona Wildcats, Ayton has become one of the top players in the NCAA, averaging 19.6 points and 10.9 rebounds per game and is considered a can’t miss, top three prospect in June’s NBA Draft. This is someone that is already considered a transcendent talent, already a Bahamian icon at 19. This one season in Tucson has been everything we expected. The setup was in place and on a random Friday night in March, came the confrontation. ESPN reported that FBI wiretaps intercepted phone conversations between Wildcats coach Sean Miller and Christian Dawkins, an employee for ASM Sports agent Andy Miller. According to sources familiar with the government’s evidence, Miller and Dawkins discussed paying $100,000 to ensure that Ayton would sign with the Wildcats. The Bahamian public met it with a collective shrug of the shoulders. In fact, my initial reaction was one single thought: “They got him at a bargain.”

OPINION We knew that our hero was on loan to Arizona for five months before he even stepped foot on campus. In fact, there were questions over whether this would ever occur in the first place. My mind quickly shifted to the fascination of human behaviour and the way people approach this particular subject. Are there still people naïve enough to think this doesn’t happen in all bigtime revenue generated college sports programmes? Furthermore, are there people that still buy into the faux nostalgia and the archaic notion that college sports are pure amateurism done for the love of the game? It makes it difficult to be surprised at any of these stories. I come into this with my own confirmation bias. Simply put, I believe that college players should be paid and it’s an absolute travesty that they’re not. At the same time, I love college basketball more than any other sport and I take it way too seriously. I loathe the system of unpaid labour as the driving force behind a billion-dollar industry that in no way benefits them monetarily. The social justice warrior in me recognises that I should hate this…but I went to Kentucky…so I don’t. I was nine when I watched Blue Chips for the first time and even then, I thought Butch McRae’s mom should get to keep her house and job. It seemed to be that this was the price of success in big business. I never got why Nick Nolte’s character felt remorse or why he felt the need to resign (that team was incredible). The revenue-generating sports, i.e football and men’s basketball treat players like the fictional Butch McRae as professionals in every aspect, all but the one where it matters most – the pocketbook. The system is broken, yet the response and punishment for these supposed “infractions” are as disproportionate as the wealth distribution generated from the sports. And of course, there is the racial component that becomes

ARIZONA’s Deandre Ayton (13) gets behind the Oregon State defence for a dunk on February 22. (AP Photo/Timothy J Gonzalez) impossible to ignore when the majority of the aforementioned labour force is black and the decision makers, the ones perceived to be benefitting from this revenue, are white. According to the Huffington Post: “A majority (52) of black respondents are strongly or somewhat in favour of paying college athletes, while only 15 per cent strongly or somewhat oppose the idea. Among whites, however, the numbers flip: Just 27 per cent support paying those athletes, while 43 per cent oppose it.” Ayton has already produced signature moments at home in KGLI as a high school student. Compounding these issues are the facts that elite prospects like Ayton are almost forced to enter this corrupt system due to the NBA instituting its age minimum and refusing to budge on altering the “one and done” rule. The NCAA acts as the feeder system

for NBA talent so both organisations benefit from the process. This is the world in which our hero has existed in as a pawn in the sneaker wars for the last five years. Furthermore, the case with Ayton resonated with us because anyone with a Bahamian passport gets to take the easiest and most passionate stance – we get to drape ourselves in nationalism. The first voice we heard in defence or our hero was another Bahamian basketball icon, Ayton family lawyer, honorary consul of the Bahamas to Texas, Lynden B Rose. Rose was a former college basketball star in his own right for the Houston Cougars and is currently the president of LM Rose Consulting Group, Rose Sports Management, National Education and Sports Solutions, and Texas Organisation of Youth Sports. Through Rose, the Ayton family has denied any wrongdoing and has cooperated with the FBI dating back to over a year ago. I would argue that the basic premise of “wrongdoing” is flawed in this case in the first place – whether money was exchanged or not. One of us, defending one of us against the system, against the giant comment section of the Internet and against every ravenous fanbase Ayton will face for the remainder of the season. The game immediately following the release of the probe, the Wildcats were without head coach Sean Miller and Allonzo Trier is still sidelined appealing his ruling on PED use. What would the Wildcats programme look like without Ayton and Iso Zo? - the PAC 12’s leading scorers. Oregon was particularly hostile Saturday night in Ayton’s first game since the results of the FBI probe were released and the Ducks home crowd took every opportunity to rattle our hero. It didn’t work. Chants of “$100,000” and “Where’s the Money” only seemed to fuel Ayton on his way to 28 points, 18 rebounds and four blocked shots. What the crowd at the Matthew Knight Arena could never understand is that there’s a certain level of bravado and irrational

confidence that comes in making it from our ends to the pinnacle of the sport. From an island nation of just under 400,000 with virtually no feeder system for the sport to become the top player in college basketball is the most unlikely of all results. American players may have their hard luck stories, but to come from the Bahamas and become this mega-star from the age of 15…that’s never supposed to happen, but in this case it did. The strength it took to beat those odds is what we draw on our hero from this moment and what we expect to be his rudder through the second act. We knew the confrontation would come at some point. We’re in it now and this is where the story takes a turn. Prepare to see our hero vilified for something that in 2018 should have no more of a stigma attached to it as does recreational marijuana use. Prepare to see stories rehashed questioning his eligibility, his morality, his family’s knowledge of the system and belittling the Bahamas in general. I promise, the comments section of the Internet will take it there. This FBI probe continues to unravel and we have no idea where it will lead. Hopefully, at the macro level it leads to a place where this entire NCAA system is forced to restructure the way it does business and the unpaid labour force becomes properly compensated. At the micro level, we wanted our hero to run roughshod over the competition in the NCAA tournament and have that Oregon performance again and again throughout the month of March – double fingers to the NCAA the entire time. It didn’t quite turn out that way, but we knew Tucson was just a pitstop to where we need to be. Steven Spielberg said it best, “People have forgotten how to tell a story. Stories don’t have a middle or an end anymore. They usually have a beginning that never stops beginning.” Whatever the result of this investigation, we stand by our hero and await the NBA Draft, another beginning. Our third act is coming in June and “The Promise” has yet to be fulfilled.

PAGE 16, Thursday, March 22, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

CLEVELAND Cavaliers’ LeBron James (23) drives past Toronto Raptors’ Jakob Poeltl (42) in the second half last night.

(AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

LeBron scores 35, carries Cavs past Raptors 132-129 CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James scored 35 points and added 17 assists, his last setting up a late a 3-pointer by Kevin Love, and the undermanned Cleveland Cavaliers ended Toronto’s nine-game road winning streak with a 132129 victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Raptors last night. The Cavs were missing five rotational players and coach Tyronn Lue, who missed his second straight game because of health reasons. But they had James, who earlier in the day said, “I’ll be available, so we got a chance.” James didn’t have a turnover in 40 minutes and he made three free throws in the final 7.8 seconds. He missed one with 3.9 seconds left, giving Toronto a final shot, but DeMar DeRozan’s 3-pointer — contested by James — was wide left. DeRozan and Toronto

coaches complained the All-Star was fouled to no avail. HORNETS 111, NETS 105 NEW YORK (AP) — Dwight Howard had 32 points and 30 rebounds, becoming the first player with a 30-30 game against the Nets since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1978. Kemba Walker scored 10 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter for the Hornets, who trailed by as many 23 points in the second half but won in front of an announced crowd of 10,231 at Barclay Center while a heavy snowfall outside blanketed the New York City area. Trailing 105-102 with 2:14 left in regulation, the Hornets went on a 9-0 run to pull off the impressive comeback. Jeremy Lamb, who had 17 points to help end Charlotte’s two-game losing streak, made a layup

to cut the deficit to 105-104. The Hornets then called a timeout after a miss by Caris LeVert with 23 seconds left. On the ensuing possession, Walker spun around Quincy Acy and capped a three-point play to put Charlotte up 107105, the Hornets’ first lead of the night since a 16-15 advantage with 5:46 in the opening quarter. D’Angelo Russell scored 19 points and LeVert added 11 for the Nets. CLIPPERS 127, BUCKS 120 MILWAUKEE (AP) — DeAndre Jordan had 25 points and 22 rebounds to lead Los Angeles past Milwaukee. Austin Rivers added 22 points and Lou Williams scored 19 for Los Angeles, which bounced back after a deflating loss to Minnesota on Tuesday night. The Bucks lost AllStar forward Giannis

Antetokounmpo to a right ankle sprain late in the first half. Antetokounmpo appeared to get hurt when he tripped over teammate Shabazz Muhammad under Milwaukee’s basket. He stayed in the game for a brief period, but hobbled around the court while grimacing. He went to the locker room with about four minutes remaining in the second quarter and did not return. 76ERS 119, GRIZZLIES 105 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Robert Covington, J.J. Redick and Dario Saric each had 15 points to pace all five Philadelphia starters in double-figures, and the 76ers continued their push for home-court advantage in the playoffs. Joel Embiid added 14 points and Ben Simmons had 13 points, nine assists and seven rebounds for the 76ers (40-30), who won

their fourth straight to improve to a season-best 10 games over .500. None of the starters played in the fourth quarter. Wayne Selden Jr. had 18 points to lead Memphis (1952), which has lost 21 of 22 overall and 16 in a row on the road. PELICANS 96, PACERS 92 NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Anthony Davis capped a 28-point, 13-rebound, fiveblock performance with a 15-foot baseline fade, a gritty put-back and two free throws in the final minute, and New Orleans outlasted Indiana. E’Twaun Moore scored 23 points for New Orleans, which had to overcome a scrappy defensive effort by Indiana to win its third straight. The Pacers shot only 36.6 percent (34 of 93), but kept the game close with 15 offensive rebounds and 17 second-chance points. NUGGETS 135, BULLS 102 CHICAGO (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists on “Serbian Heritage Night,” and Denver routed

Chicago. Denver shot 61.4 percent (51 for 83) from the field and had seven players score in double figures. Paul Millsap had 22 points and eight rebounds in 27 minutes, and Wilson Chandler made five of the Nuggets’ 20 3-pointers on his way to 19 points. The Nuggets (39-33) improved to 1-2 on a sevengame trip and pulled within 1 1/2 games of idle Utah for eighth in the Western Conference playoff race. HEAT 119, KNICKS 98 MIAMI (AP) — Kelly Olynyk scored 22 points and handed out a career-high 10 assists, Tyler Johnson added 22 points and Miami had little trouble on the way to beating New York. Wayne Ellington scored 16, Justise Winslow added 15, Goran Dragic had 14 and Josh Richardson finished with 12 for the Heat, who remained seventh in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Enes Kanter scored 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the Knicks. Michael Beasley added 22 points on 10 for 15 shooting for New York, and Trey Burke scored 16 off the bench.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, March 22, 2018, PAGE 17

Serena loses to Osaka in 1st round at Miami Open

USAIN BOLT TO TRAIN WITH BORUSSIA DORTMUND ON FRIDAY

By STEVEN WINE AP Sports Writer KEY BISCAYNE, Florida (AP) — The match ended with Serena Williams grinning at the net. She saved the worst shot for last in a rare first-round defeat and had to laugh. Still rusty in her return from pregnancy, Williams was unable to overcome a tough opening draw at the Miami Open and lost yesterday to Naomi Osaka, 6-3, 6-2. On the final point, Williams thundered forward to attack an easy shot at eye level, whacked the ball six feet past the baseline and responded with a sheepish smile. Not that motherhood has mellowed Williams. She left without talking to the media. The 20-year-old Osaka, who earned her first career title Sunday at Indian Wells, showed no signs of letup and overpowered the erratic Williams. Osaka had the stronger serve and wore Williams down in rallies working her from side to side. The matchup worthy of a final came about because both players were unseeded. Osaka is ranked a career-best 22nd, while Williams’ ranking is 491st after a layoff of more than a year. Another new mother and former No. 1, three-time champion

NAOMI OSAKA, of Japan, serves to Serena Williams during the Miami Open tennis tournament yesterday. Victoria Azarenka, defeated Catherine Bellis 6-3, 6-0. Seeded players are in action beginning today. Williams has been eliminated in the first round only four other times, most recently at the 2012 French Open. The latest defeat came at a tournament she has won a record eight times and considers her hometown event. The match was the last for Williams at Key Biscayne, 90 miles south of her home in Palm Beach Gardens. The tournament is moving next year to the Miami Dolphins’ stadium, where Williams helped with the ceremonial groundbreaking Monday.

DORTMUND, Germany (AP) — Sprint star Usain Bolt is set to train with German soccer team Borussia Dortmund on Friday. The Bundesliga club says the eight-time Olympic champion, whose last race before retirement was at the 2017 world championships, will “participate in an open training session” with coach Peter Stoeger’s side. Bolt posted a picture of himself in a Dortmund shirt on Twitter, saying, “BVB, get ready for Friday.” Dortmund, which shares a sponsor with Bolt in sportswear giant Puma, had long said that the 31-yearold could train with the team at some stage. Dortmund’s next game after the international break is at Bayern Munich on March 31. Bayern can secure the league title then if other results go its way.

SERENA WILLIAMS, of the US, returns to Naomi Osaka. (AP Photos/Lynne Sladky) Because of Williams’ ranking, she entered the draw as a wild card, and looked the part. She needed only eight shots to win the match’s first five points, but things became much more difficult after that. Playing her fourth match since returning to the tour, Williams was a step slow to balls in the corners and often late with her swing, while she put barely half her first serves in play. Early in the second set she resorted to her patented scream of “Come on!”, but the outburst failed to turn things around and she lost the next three games.

Typical of her struggle was an exchange midway through the last set. Williams scrambled forward to scoop a ball back, then retreated to hit an awkward, lunging overhead, and then stood and watched helplessly as a crosscourt forehand from Osaka whizzed past for a winner. Osaka, who has both American and Japanese citizenship and lives in Fort Lauderdale, was playing her idol for the first time but didn’t seem a bit fazed. She improved to 14-4 this year. Things may get tougher for her in the second round, when she’ll face No. 4-seeded Elina Svitolina.

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

Mostly sunny

Mostly clear

Mostly sunny

Mostly sunny and pleasant

Partly sunny and pleasant

High: 78°

Low: 61°

High: 77° Low: 63°

High: 78° Low: 63°

High: 80° Low: 64°

High: 82° Low: 63°

AccuWeather RealFeel

80° F

59° F

78°-63° F

81°-65° F

89°-69° F

87°-63° F

ORLANDO

High: 68° F/20° C Low: 43° F/6° C

TAMPA

High: 65° F/18° C Low: 48° F/9° C

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

almanac

ABACO

High: 68° F/20° C Low: 63° F/17° C

8-16 knots

High: 72° F/22° C Low: 50° F/10° C

8-16 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 73° F/23° C Low: 54° F/12° C

W S

WEST PALM BEACH

uV inDex toDay

TONIGHT

High: 71° F/22° C Low: 59° F/15° C

MIAMI

High: 74° F/23° C Low: 53° F/12° C

8-16 knots

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 85° F/29° C Low .................................................... 73° F/23° C Normal high ....................................... 79° F/26° C Normal low ........................................ 66° F/19° C Last year’s high ................................. 79° F/26° C Last year’s low ................................... 62° F/16° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.00” Year to date ................................................. 6.79” Normal year to date ..................................... 4.00”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 78° F/26° C Low: 61° F/16° C

High: 73° F/23° C Low: 66° F/19° C

KEY WEST

High: 70° F/21° C Low: 62° F/17° C

High

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

Today

12:07 p.m. -----

2.5 -----

6:12 a.m. -0.1 6:19 p.m. -0.2

Friday

12:42 a.m. 1:02 p.m.

2.9 2.3

7:09 a.m. 0.0 7:14 p.m. -0.1

Saturday

1:42 a.m. 2:06 p.m.

2.9 2.3

8:12 a.m. 8:18 p.m.

0.1 0.0

Sunday

2:47 a.m. 3:15 p.m.

2.8 2.3

9:20 a.m. 9:27 p.m.

0.2 0.0

Monday

3:55 a.m. 4:24 p.m.

2.9 2.4

10:27 a.m. 0.1 10:36 p.m. -0.1

Tuesday

5:00 a.m. 5:29 p.m.

2.9 2.5

11:30 a.m. -0.1 11:42 p.m. -0.2

Wednesday 6:00 a.m. 6:28 p.m.

3.0 2.7

12:26 p.m. -0.3 ---------

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

High: 76° F/24° C Low: 67° F/19° C

8-16 knots

7-14 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

tiDes For nassau

7:12 a.m. 7:22 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

10:57 a.m. none

First

Full

Last

New

Mar. 24

Mar. 31

Apr. 8

Apr. 15

CAT ISLAND

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 77° F/25° C Low: 69° F/21° C

High: 76° F/24° C Low: 68° F/20° C

High: 75° F/24° C Low: 65° F/18° C

W S

LONG ISLAND

insurance management tracking map

High: 78° F/26° C Low: 70° F/21° C

7-14 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 79° F/26° C Low: 73° F/23° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 78° F/26° C Low: 70° F/21° C

High: 78° F/26° C Low: 71° F/22° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 82° F/28° C Low: 73° F/23° C

7-14 knots

6-12 knots

marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday:

WINDS NW at 8-16 Knots NNW at 7-14 Knots N at 8-16 Knots NNE at 8-16 Knots NNW at 7-14 Knots N at 8-16 Knots N at 4-8 Knots N at 8-16 Knots NNW at 7-14 Knots N at 8-16 Knots NNW at 8-16 Knots N at 6-12 Knots NW at 7-14 Knots NNE at 10-20 Knots N at 6-12 Knots NNE at 10-20 Knots N at 7-14 Knots NNE at 10-20 Knots NW at 4-8 Knots N at 8-16 Knots NNW at 6-12 Knots N at 6-12 Knots N at 7-14 Knots NNE at 12-25 Knots NW at 7-14 Knots N at 8-16 Knots

WAVES 4-7 Feet 3-5 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-5 Feet 1-3 Feet 3-5 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 4-7 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 3-5 Feet 1-3 Feet 2-4 Feet 3-5 Feet 4-7 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-2 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet

VISIBILITY 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 8 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 8 Miles 7 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 8 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 74° F 74° F 77° F 77° F 77° F 77° F 80° F 80° F 79° F 79° F 76° F 76° F 77° F 77° F 81° F 81° F 80° F 80° F 79° F 79° F 76° F 76° F 80° F 80° F 77° F 77° F

Covering The Bahamas for over 40 years. NEW PROVIDENCE | GRAND BAHAMA | ABACO | ELEUTHERA | EXUMA

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