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SPORTS SECTION E

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2017

WNBA champions Lynx capture 4th title with 85-76 win over Sparks

NFL PICKS

Week 5, Page 3

MCPHEEMCCUIN, DOLPHINS LOOK TO WIN RINGS By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net IN her fifth year at the helm of the Jacksonville University Dolphins’ women’s basketball programme, Yolett McPhee-McCuin has set the bar high once again for the 2017-18 campaign. “Like every year the end goal is to win a championship,” she said after the Dolphins’ first practice of the season. Described as one of the toughest schedules in programme history, depth can be the deciding factor on how far the team goes. “This is the most depth we’ve had from top to bottom – which I’m extremely excited about. If we were playing tomorrow, I couldn’t tell you who was starting,” McPhee-McCuin said. “We have a lot of new pieces, we only have one freshman so we’re very mature. We brought in some junior college players. Our senior leadership has been phenomenal, this is year five for us as a programme and you can tell because there is a way we do things and for the most part the girls have bought into that so I’m excited about where we are going. They work hard and this is a group where the culture is starting to show.”

SEE PAGE 8

MINNESOTA Lynx guard Seimone Augustus (33) and forward Maya Moore (23) embrace after the deciding Game 5 of the WNBA Finals last night against the Los Angeles Sparks in Minneapolis. The Minnesota Lynx won their fourth championship in seven years with an 85-76 victory over the Sparks. SEE THE FULL STORY AND MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE 8 (Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune via AP)

Fox recognised as Rays’ baserunner of the year By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE Tampa Bay Rays lauded Lucius Fox and several of his minor league counterparts for their standout performances over the course of the season. Fox was recognised as the organisation’s Baserunner of the Year. His 30 stolen bases ranked second among Rays minor leaguers. He was successful on 30 of his 43 attempts (69.7 per cent). The Rays also awarded its Minor League Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Defensive Player the Year, Relief Pitcher of the Year and MVPs for each of their nine affiliates. The winners were

honoured during an awards ceremony prior to the regular season finale against the Baltimore Orioles at Tropicana Field in Tampa. Fox finished the year ranked as the No.11 prospect in the franchise’s pipeline. He was assigned to the Charlotte Stone Crabs at the Single A-Advanced level in July. In 30 games with the club, he hit .235 with a .608 OPS, .350 OBP, one home run, three stolen bases, 12 RBI and 19 runs scored. After a last-place finish for the team in first half, Fox was one of the catalysts for the Stone Crabs as they turned things around and tied the franchise record for most wins in the second half of the season with 38.

LUCIUS FOX

The 20-year-old shortstop spent the previous 77 games with the Bowling Green Hot Rods of the Midwest League at the Single A-Full level. For the Hot Rods, Fox hit a career-best .278 and ranked third in the Midwest League with 27 stolen bases. He also ranked second on the team with 45 runs scored, collected 27 RBI and totalled a .362 OBP and a .722 OPS with two runs. Fox was also featured in the annual showcase of Major League Baseball’s top minor league prospects during the midseason All-Star classic. Fox drove in one RBI, but his Futures World team fell one run short in their rally and a 7-6 loss to Team USA at the 2017 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game.

Robinson ‘just lining balls’ with Diamondbacks By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net BOTH Kristian Robinson and the Arizona Diamondbacks had an opportunity to look ahead into the prospect of the future when he got an opportunity to hit in a major league ball park. Robinson, the team’s top international signee, and Pavin Smith, the team’s top draft pick of 2017, were hosted to batting practice at Chase Field in Phoenix Arizona as the Diamondbacks prepared to face the Kansas City Royals. “It’s basically like I’m hitting in a city. It’s like a video game, and I’m just lining balls all over the city. That’s what I like,” Robinson said to sports360az.com. “I thought

about this day once they told me I was going to take (batting practice), and I wanted to think about what I would do, just seeing the ball fly in a big league stadium, and that’s what I dream for.” Out of Maximum Development Academy, Robinson signed the most lucrative deal of any Bahamian player this international signing period when he reached an agreement near $2.55 million. Baseball America had Robinson ranked at No.9 among international prospects, while MLB Pipeline had him listed at No.15, the highest ranked of the group of Bahamians. According to MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez, Robinson has the mix of athleticism and raw power makes him a contender and “has the

potential to be a breakout star in this year’s class.” The Diamondbacks selected Smith seventh overall in the first round of the Rule 4 Draft. He spent the past season with Hillsboro in Short Season Single A-Class. Robinson was one of four Bahamians to sign during the current international signing period. “I have to thank everyone for supporting me through this process. I have to thank God for giving me the drive, desire and determination for this game and to reach my goal of signing with the Diamondbacks,” Robinson said in July at his signing ceremony. “I have to thank the Diamondbacks for taking me to start my career and I have to say the start because this isn’t the

finish line for me. I hope to be in the majors very soon and I hope to stay there for a long time. The 6’3”, 195-pound outfielder joined a Diamondbacks organisation that already includes fellow Bahamians and Max D prospects Jazz Chisholm and DJ Collie. Cesar Geronimo, the Diamondbacks’ Latin American scouting director, said the next step for Robinson is to watch his progression toward the major leagues. “We are very excited to see this young talent here from the Bahamas,” he said. “It’s been great to scout him, great to see him play. We really think this kid here is going to be something special. I only wish that in 4-5 years from now you guys can see him on television.”

PRO BOXER SANDS TO SQUARE OFF WITH AMERICAN By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net BAHAMIAN heavyweight Amron Sands has learned the opponent for his next pro bout. Sands will face American Gary Kelly October 28 at Ice Entertainment’s “The Beginning” hosted at the Cocoa Beach Sports Complex in Cocoa Beach, Florida. The card will feature 10 bouts featuring up and coming fighters in the Florida area. Kelly, 38, comes in with a record of 1-5 and has lost five consecutive bouts following his successful debut in 2014. His last fight resulted in a seventh-round knockout at the hands of Romarick Ngoula in July 2016. En route to a sparring session in Miami, Florida, Sands said learning his opponent has slightly adjusted his training regimen, but the general approach remains the same. “He’s a southpaw, I’m a southpaw as well so I’ve just been training with a lot of left-handers getting ready for this fight,” he said. “You approach all fighters the same basically because you don’t want to underestimate anyone in the ring. “I’m still going into the fight focused on trying to get the win and see how things go from there. I’ve been doing a lot of training camps, but it doesn’t change

SEE PAGE 2

PAGE 2, Thursday, October 5, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Week 5: NAUGHTY’S NFL PICKS THE bye weeks are upon us so Atlanta, Denver, New Orleans and Washington will all be off this week. Lots of surprises last week, does it continue this week? I don’t think so! • Here’s who I like this week:

STANDINGS Here’s how we look going into Week 5 of the NFL season: 1. Santxo Z - 42-21 2. Leo B - 41-22

Tonight

3. Naughty - 40-23

PATRIOTS vs BUCS: The “Camelot” continues to crumble in NE. The PATS defence is porous! BUCS at home in the Thursday night upset special. BUCS 34 - PATS 31

4. Clint J - 40-23 5. AP - 38-25 6. Stevie J - 38-25 CHARGERS 26

Sunday 49ers vs COLTS: The COLTS get in the win at home in a shootout! COLTS 27 - 49ers 24 (OT) JETS vs BROWNS: The winning streak continues, 3 straight for the high flying JETS! JETS 27 - BROWNS 20 STEELERS vs JAGS: Tough match up on the road for the JAGS, their defence keeps it close, but Big Ben, LeVeon and AB get it done at home. STEELERS 17 JAGS 13 CHARGERS vs GIANTS Coin flip......GIANTS at home in a nail biter. GIANTS 27 -

BILLS vs BENGALS: BILLS move to 4-1, that doesn’t look correct as I type, but it’s a fact. BILLS 23 BENGALS 20 PANTHERS vs LIONS: LIONS at home in the battle of the ‘Big Cats’ LIONS 23 PANTHERS 20 TITANS vs DOLPHINS: I don’t care who they are playing, I’m not picking the ‘Stink Fish’ ever again! TITANS 30 DOLPHINS 10 EAGLES vs CARDINALS: CARDS at home in the battle of the birds. CARDS work the home field advantage.

CARDS 24 EAGLES 20 RAVENS vs RAIDERS: RAIDERS miss injured QB Derek Carr, but manage to get the ugly home win. RAVENS 19 RAIDERS 17 SEAHAWKS vs RAMS: RAMS got a fluke road W against my ‘Boys, not two weeks in a row. SEAHAWKS on the road, in a division match up. SEAHAWKS 24 RAMS 17 PACKERS vs COWBOYS: COWBOYS get back in the win column, erasing painful playoff memories of the recent past. COWBOYS 27 PACKERS 24

it!

CHIEFS vs TEXANS: If it ain’t broke don’t fix

CHIEFS with the tough road win. CHIEFS 24 TEXANS 20 Monday VIKINGS vs BEARS: VIKINGS on the road because of their decence. VIKINGS 26 BEARS 20 SANTXO Z LAST WEEK 9-7 SEASON 42-21 BUCS BILLS

MINNESOTA Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford runs from Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle David Irving during the second half of a game in December 1 2016. Irving is ready after serving a fourgame suspension, two weeks removed from fellow defensive lineman Damontre Moore rejoining the team following a two-game ban. (AP) JETS LIONS COLTS TITANS GIANTS CARDS STEELERS RAMS RAIDERS COWBOYS CHIEFS VIKINGS

BILLS LIONS COLTS TITANS GIANTS JETS STEELERS RAMS RAVENS COWBOYS CHIEFS VIKINGS

LEO B LAST WEEK 12-4 SEASON 41-22 BUCS EAGLES

STEVIE J LAST WEEK 10-6 SEASON 38-25

CLINT J LAST WEEK 10-6 SEASON 40-23 Clint J was travelling, picks were submitted.

TB CINN NYJ CAR SF TENN NYG PHI PITT OAK LAR GB HOU CHI

PRO BOXER AMRON SANDS TO SQUARE OFF WITH AMERICAN GARY KELLY OCTOBER 28 FROM PAGE 1 much, I’m still trying to go out there and do my best to get the win.” The 23-year-old made his heavyweight debut with a TKO win

over Julio Mendoza at the Lakeland Events Center in Lakeland, Florida, on August 5. A former basketball player, Sands used boxing to help his recovery process following an injury but eventually fell in love with the sport.

“I was recovering from an ACL/MCL injury I sustained in Oklahoma while playing AAU basketball and began training with Ron Rodgers at Strikers Boxing Club to get back in shape. Ron saw my progress and convinced me to try boxing too.”

Sands made the full transition and spent three years in the amateur ranks. He has four more fights scheduled for 2017. “I hope to bring back the glory of the Ali era to the heavyweight division and to be the first Bahamian heavyweight champion. I would

like to give the youth another option besides track and basketball as a sport. Baseball is making a comeback as well. Boxing is an individual sport where you determine how far you go with the right people around you and financial backing of course.”

DECEMBER 22, 2017 | 12:30 P.M. ET - THOMAS A. ROBINSON NATIONAL STADIUM LIVE ON

TICKETS ON SALE NOV. 1! At the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium Box Office Online at nsa-bahamas.com For more info, call the Stadium Box Office at 325-0376

FOOTBALL • FAMILY • FUN

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, October 5, 2017, PAGE 3

Can the Patriots find some defence in short Week 5? By BARRY WILNER AP Pro Football Writer

NEW England doesn’t have much time to work on patching up that leaky defence. And next up are Jameis Winston, Mike Evans and perhaps the returningfrom-suspension Doug Martin for the Buccaneers. Only Indianapolis has yielded more than the 128 points the Patriots have given up. Mobile quarterbacks (Alex Smith, Cam Newton, Deshaun Watson) have given them fits. The Patriots have scored 129, so the offence is in good form. Is there finger pointing among the New England players heading into tonight’s game? “Well I’ve been on teams where we didn’t score many points and we just relied on the defence to do everything,” Tom Brady says. “That’s just the way football is. There’s going to be games this year where we don’t do well on offence and we’re going to need our defence to play well. It’s four games in. We’ve got ... a long way to go. “This team has never been about ‘Hey, what are you guys doing wrong?’ We just focus on what we need to do. It’s score more points than the other team. It doesn’t matter if it’s three points or 30 points or 50 points. Whatever they score, we need to score more and if they score three then we need to score four. That’s how you win. That’s all we care about. That’s all we’ve ever really cared about.” The Patriots, No. 8 in the AP Pro32 — seems weird to see them so low — are 3-point favourites over No. 17 Tampa Bay. These teams hardly ever play, with the Patriots leading the series 6-2 and not having lost to the Bucs since 2000, before Brady was a starter. They haven’t visited Tampa Bay since 1997. A loss drops New England to 2-3. Can’t see that. PATRIOTS, 36-30 KNOCKOUT LEAGUE TIP Seattle’s big second half kept us in the mix, and we’ll turn to PITTSBURGH this week to keep it going. No. 22 Arizona (plus 6) at No. 7 Philadelphia Something about Eagles excites us. Can’t say same for Cardinals. BEST BET: EAGLES, 28-20

No. 19 Tennessee (minus 2 1-2) at No. 26 Miami Dolphins finally get to play at home, curing some ills. UPSET SPECIAL: DOLPHINS, 20-16 No. 1 Kansas City (minus 1) at No. 12 Houston Chiefs won’t go unbeaten, but will win this one. CHIEFS, 21-18 No. 2 Green Bay (plus 2) at No. 13 Dallas Great early season matchup in great all-time series. COWBOYS, 33-30 No. 9 Carolina (plus 3) at No. 6 Detroit Lions only win close games that go down to wire. LIONS, 27-26 No. 11 Buffalo (plus 3) at No. 25 Cincinnati We probably should believe more in Buffalo than we do. BENGALS, 19-17 No. 14 Seattle (plus 1) at No. 10 Los Angeles Rams We probably should believe more in Rams than we do. SEAHAWKS, 22-21

NEW England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) passes under pressure from Carolina Panthers defensive end Mario Addison, centre, who is blocked by Patriots tackle Nate Solder (77) during the first half of last Sunday’s game. The Patriots face the Buccaneers tonight. (AP)

No. 23 Jacksonville (plus 8 1-2) at No. 3 Pittsburgh Schizophrenic Jags too unpredictable to pick. STEELERS, 27-16 No. 31 San Francisco (plus 1 1-2) at No. 30 Indianapolis Frank Gore gets back at his former team? Don’t think so. 49ERS, 17-16 No. 21 Baltimore (plus 5) at No. 16 Oakland Even without Derek Carr, going with Raiders to wake up. RAIDERS, 16-13 No. 24 New York Jets (pick-em) at No. 32 Cleveland Jets 2-0 at home, 0-2 on road. Make it 0-3. BROWNS, 17-13 No. 29 Los Angeles Chargers (plus 3) at No. 28 New York Giants Did someone say nil-nil draw? GIANTS, 24-23 No. 18 Minnesota (OFF) at No. 27 Chicago Would’ve been our BEST BET had there been a line. VIKINGS, 23-10

RAIDERS COMFORTABLE WITH EJ MANUEL REPLACING CARR AT QB By MICHAEL WAGAMAN Associated Press ALAMEDA, California (AP) — Jack Del Rio believes the Raiders are better equipped to handle the loss of Derek Carr than they were late in the 2016 season when the starting quarterback suffered a season-ending broken leg. Back then, Oakland had minimal experience to lean on. Journeyman backup Matt McGloin started the regularseason finale but injured his left shoulder and was knocked out of the game. Rookie Connor Cook, a fourth-round draft pick who replaced McGloin and made his first career start the following week in the playoffs, didn’t fare much better. Del Rio expects things to be different with EJ Manuel running Oakland’s offence while Carr recovers from a broken bone in his back. “Last year in the playoff game we had a rookie making his first start,” Del Rio said yesterday. “Obviously a lot better situation to have a guy who’s taken snaps in the league, started games and will have time to prepare. It’s a lot different scenario.” Manuel will make his first start of the season when the Raiders

play the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday at the Coliseum. The 16th-overall pick and the first quarterback drafted in 2013, Manuel had some positive moments after replacing Carr late in the third quarter last week against Denver. He completed his first eight passes, threw for 106 yards and directed a scoring drive before throwing an interception in the final two minutes after moving Oakland inside the Broncos’ 40-yard line. That experience, along with his past as a backup in Buffalo, has Manuel feeling confident heading into Sunday. “The only issue was the pick at the end,” Manuel said. “I wish I would have took it down and ran or maybe checked it down or threw the ball outside a little more for (wide receiver Amari Cooper) to help him out.” Other than getting the majority of reps in practice, Manuel hasn’t altered his daily routine much. Everything has remained the same, from the time he arrives in the morning to eat breakfast with Carr until the time he hops in his car to head home for the night. Oakland’s offence isn’t expected to change much either. Manuel and offensive coordinator Todd Downing worked

together when both were in Buffalo during the 2014 season when Downing served as the Bills’ quarterbacks coach. Manuel was also teammates with Raiders centre Rodney Hudson in college at Florida State. “I’m looking at this as an opportunity that’s before me,” Manuel said. “I’m not necessarily looking at it as a second chance because I’m on the team. I want to go out here and help our team win.” The only adjustments will likely come from Oakland’s wide receivers. “All quarterbacks throw a little bit different,” Cooper said. “I think EJ throws the ball a little bit harder. I’ll have to adjust to that.” Manuel could have a full complement of wide receivers to throw to this week. Michael Crabtree, who was held out of last week’s game in Denver because of a chest injury, practiced and Del Rio is optimistic the veteran wideout will play against the Ravens. IN this file photo, Oakland Raiders quarterback EJ Manuel (3) passes against the Seattle Seahawks in the first half of a preseason game in Oakland, California. After failing in Buffalo, E.J. Manuel gets another shot at being a starting quarterback in the NFL as Derek Carr’s replacement for the Raiders. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

PAGE 4, Thursday, October 5, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, October 5, 2017, PAGE 5

Judge-ment Day: Indians set to meet slugger, Yankees in ALDS By TOM WITHERS Associated Press CLEVELAND (AP) — They ran away with their division again, and streaked to history, 102 wins and home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs. The Cleveland Indians have had a special season. A new one, the only one, is about to begin. Heartbroken after coming up a little short last year against the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland figured to make it to October for another swing at ending a World Series drought stretching back to 1948. The Indians are back, but there’s now a 6-foot-7, 280pound baseball-bashing behemoth standing in their way. Behold Aaron Judge. On the same field where their magical 2016 postseason ended on November 2 in a light rain and extra innings, the Indians will open the division series tonight against Judge and the New York Yankees, who rallied to beat the Minnesota Twins in the wild-card game. Unaffected by a larger stage, Judge hit a two-run homer in his playoff debut as the Yankees overcame a 3-0 deficit in the first inning and won their first postseason game in five years to earn a best-of-five matchup against the defending AL champions — and the team favoured to win it all. “We’re not done yet,” Judge said after the 8-4 win at Yankee Stadium.

MEMBERS of the Cleveland Indians are shown during batting practice at a team workout yesterday in Cleveland. The Indians will play the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the ALDS today. (AP Photo/David Dermer) “We’ve just got to keep it rolling in Cleveland.” And while fans across the country are excited about watching the colossal Judge, who blasted 52 homers as a rookie and seems to hit the ball hard every time he’s up, face Indians ace Corey Kluber and baseball’s deepest pitching staff, Cleveland manager Terry Francona isn’t as thrilled. “He’s good for Major League Baseball,” Francona said of Judge.

“He’s bad for the teams you’re playing against. He’s really good. From all accounts, he’s a really special young man. “I didn’t get a chance to meet him at the All-Star Game because I wasn’t there, but everybody came back raving about him as a person. “I know, if you throw in the wrong place, he’s going to hit it a long way.” Francona, normally a bythe-book manager, is taking

a gamble in the opener and starting Trevor Bauer, a 17-game winner during the regular season, in Game 1 instead of Kluber, who will start Game 2. Francona reasoned that in doing so he will have Kluber on regular rest again for Game 5 — if the series goes that far and if Mother Nature doesn’t bring rain. It makes sense. Then again, it seems risky. Bauer is well aware of the damage

Judge can do, but he’s just as focused on rest of New York’s lineup. “You’ve got some youth in there with big power,” he said. “You’ve got some veteran guys in there too that balance everything out. They can do a lot of different things offensively, and they’re very well balanced.” So are the Indians, who don’t have a hole in their lineup and finished strong, stringing together 22

straight wins from August 24 to September 14 and winning 33 of their last 37. Cleveland also went 5-2 against New York. None of that means anything now. “Everybody’s even,” Francona said. “What’s going to matter is who plays the best. “It doesn’t matter who thinks somebody should win unless it’s the umpires. It’s going to be who plays the best.”

OKLAHOMA City Thunder forward Carmelo Anthony smiles as he watches the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s preseason game against the Houston Rockets. Houston won 104-97. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Anthony sharp in OKC debut, Rockets look fine without him By BRIAN MAHONEY Associated Press CARMELO Anthony sizzled in his first game with the Thunder, though Chris Paul and the Rockets look like they will be just fine without him. Houston overcame Anthony’s 19 points in just 20 minutes and Paul George’s 15, spoiling their Oklahoma City debuts with a 104-97 victory on Tuesday night in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Paul had 11 points and seven assists in his Houston debut. The Rockets tried to acquire Anthony after getting Paul, but couldn’t work out a deal during their summer-long discussions with the New York Knicks, who instead dealt their leading scorer to Oklahoma City on the eve of training camp. “Being happy out there on the court again, being excited, being motivated to be out there on the court again, it’s back for me,” Anthony said. “That feeling is back for me.” But the Rockets, who had one of the NBA’s most potent

offenses last season, might not need the extra scoring. James Harden had 16 points and 10 assists, Sixth Man of the Year Eric Gordon scored 21 points, and the Rockets made 24 3-pointers . Gordon had six and Trevor Ariza hit five on his way to 18 points. NETS 115, KNICKS 107 D’Angelo Russell scored 19 points in his Nets debut to help Brooklyn take the first of two preseason meetings between the city rivals. Acquired in a trade with the Lakers, the former No. 2 pick started in the backcourt with Jeremy Lin, who struggled to a 2-for-9 night and scored eight points. Enes Kanter, acquired from Oklahoma City in the Anthony trade, and Tim Hardaway Jr. each scored 17 points for the Knicks.

THUNDER forward Paul George, left, is defended by Rockets guard Chris Paul on Tuesday. (AP)

BULLS 113, PELICANS 109 Cristiano Felicio scored 15 points and the Bulls overcame

SUNS 114, TRAIL BLAZERS 112 TJ Warren scored 23 points and the Suns rallied with a

a strong performance from the All-Star tandem of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins in New Orleans. Davis had 24 points and 10 rebounds, and Cousins added 20 points and 10 boards.

41-point fourth Portland.

quarter

CLIPPERS 98, RAPTORS 84 Blake Griffin scored 17 points and DeAndre Jordan added 15 points and eight rebounds as the Clippers won easily in Honolulu. DeMar DeRozan had 15 points for the Raptors.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, October 5, 2017, PAGE 7

Kyrgios smashes racket, advances to the China Open quarter-finals By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN Associated Press BEIJING (AP) — Nick Kyrgios smashed a racket after losing the first set, sang a song while relaxing during a changeover, and then advanced to the China Open quarter-finals. The eighth-seeded Australian rallied to beat Mischa Zverev 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 yesterday, finding some degree of redemption for his illtempered, suspension-earning performance against the German last year in Shanghai. Kyrgios said he found his rhythm after losing the first set and smashing his racket, choosing at one point to sing along with the stadium soundtrack. “Obviously, didn’t have a great one last year. Obviously, got suspended after that,” Kyrgios said. “I just wanted to go out there and redeem myself a little bit from last year.” Kyrgios missed the end of the 2016 season after being suspended by the men’s tour and fined $25,000 for “tanking” a match

and insulting fans during a second-round loss to Zverev at the Shanghai Masters. The ATP said Kyrgios was sanctioned for “conduct contrary to the integrity of the game” following an investigation into his behaviour. Kyrgios said his latest victory was more a statement about his playing ability than anything. “I just wanted to prove to myself how much I have improved,” he said. Also, third-seeded Grigor Dimitrov eliminated Juan Martin del Potro 7-6 (6), 7-5, Steve Darcis defeated Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 6-4 and fifth-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut beat Aljaz Bedene after the British player retired from the match in the second set. In the women’s tournament, second-seeded Simona Halep defeated Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals. Halep landed 74 per cent of her first serves, while Sharapova recorded five double-faults. “First of all, I think she played an incredible match, probably the

By DAVID HULMES Associated Press

NICK KYRGIOS, of Australia, returns a shot against Mischa Zverev of Germany yesterday in the China Open. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) best she’s played against me in all of our previous meetings,” said Sharapova, who is still rebuilding her game after serving a doping

suspension. “And I wasn’t as sharp. I wasn’t seeing the ball as well. I wasn’t moving up and down as well as I have been against her.”

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 81° F/27° C Low: 73° F/23° C

TAMPA

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

Variable clouds, a t‑storm in spots

Partly cloudy with a shower or two

Periods of sun, a t‑storm in spots

Partly sunny, a t‑storm in spots

Clouds and sun, a t‑storm in spots

High: 88°

Low: 78°

High: 90° Low: 79°

High: 91° Low: 78°

High: 90° Low: 78°

High: 89° Low: 78°

AccuWeather RealFeel

103° F

92° F

107°-91° F

109°-95° F

108°-89° F

106°-90° F

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: 82° F/28° C Low: 80° F/27° C

12‑25 knots

WEST PALM BEACH High: 83° F/28° C Low: 78° F/26° C

8‑16 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE E

FREEPORT

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 75° F/24° C

MIAMI

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

12‑25 knots

KEY WEST

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 78° F/26° C

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 82° F/28° C

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 82° F/28° C

W S

7‑14 knots

tiDes For nassau High

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

Today

7:59 a.m. 8:19 p.m.

3.5 3.4

1:52 a.m. 2:16 p.m.

0.2 0.2

Friday

8:43 a.m. 9:02 p.m.

3.6 3.4

2:33 a.m. 3:02 p.m.

0.1 0.1

Saturday

9:28 a.m. 9:48 p.m.

3.7 3.3

3:15 a.m. 3:50 p.m.

0.0 0.1

Sunday

10:16 a.m. 10:36 p.m.

3.7 3.2

3:59 a.m. 4:40 p.m.

0.0 0.1

Monday

11:06 a.m. 11:28 p.m.

3.7 3.1

4:47 a.m. 5:33 p.m.

0.0 0.3

Tuesday

12:01 p.m. ‑‑‑‑‑

3.6 ‑‑‑‑‑

5:38 a.m. 6:31 p.m.

0.2 0.4

Wednesday 12:25 a.m. 1:01 p.m.

2.9 3.5

6:36 a.m. 7:33 p.m.

0.4 0.6

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

7:04 a.m. 6:52 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

7:09 p.m. 6:46 a.m.

Full

Last

New

First

Oct. 5

Oct. 12

Oct. 19

Oct. 27

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 81° F/27° C

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 82° F/28° C

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 82° F/28° C

W S

LONG ISLAND

insurance management tracking map H

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

CAT ISLAND

7‑14 knots

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

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 79° F/26° C Low .................................................... 75° F/24° C Normal high ....................................... 86° F/30° C Normal low ........................................ 74° F/23° C Last year’s high ................................. 90° F/32° C Last year’s low ................................... 74° F/23° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.55” Year to date ............................................... 29.93” Normal year to date ................................... 29.62”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

TOKYO (AP) — Ryan Harrison withstood the big serve of Kevin Anderson and advanced to the quarter-finals at the Japan Open yesterday by beating the US Open finalist 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (2). Anderson landed 24 aces in the match, but the 52ndranked American overcame the barrage and will next face top-seeded Marin Cilic. Cilic advanced with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Yasutaka Uchiyama, a Japanese player who won in his ATP main draw debut in the first round. Cilic dropped only four points out of 34 on his first serve. Adrian Mannarino and 8th-seeded Diego Schwartzman also advanced to the quarter-finals. Mannarino beat Jiri Vesely and Schwartzman defeated Bernard Tomic. Fourth-seeded David Goffin, last year’s runner-up, started his campaign with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Feliciano Lopez.

uV inDex toDay

TONIGHT

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 75° F/24° C

HARRISON ADVANCES AT JAPAN OPEN

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 82° F/28° C

7‑14 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 86° F/30° C Low: 81° F/27° C

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

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS

tonight’s lows.

RAGGED ISLAND High: 86° F/30° C Low: 82° F/28° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 88° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

N E

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 82° F/28° C

6‑12 knots

4‑8 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 E at 8‑16 Knots E at 4‑8 Knots SE at 7‑14 Knots SE at 7‑14 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots SE at 6‑12 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots ESE at 6‑12 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots SE at 4‑8 Knots E at 10‑20 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots SE at 7‑14 Knots SE at 6‑12 Knots SE at 4‑8 Knots SE at 6‑12 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots SE at 7‑14 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots SE at 6‑12 Knots SE at 6‑12 Knots SE at 4‑8 Knots SE at 6‑12 Knots SE at 7‑14 Knots SE at 7‑14 Knots SE at 6‑12 Knots

WAVES 8‑12 Feet 5‑9 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 5‑9 Feet 4‑7 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑6 Feet 6‑10 Feet 4‑8 Feet 5‑9 Feet 3‑5 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑5 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 6‑10 Feet 5‑9 Feet 3‑5 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 3‑6 Feet 2‑4 Feet

VISIBILITY 3 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 5 Miles 8 Miles 3 Miles 5 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 83° F 83° F 86° F 86° F 84° F 84° F 85° F 85° F 83° F 83° F 83° F 83° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 85° F 85° F 84° F 84° F 86° F 86° F 85° F 85° F

PAGE 8, Thursday, October 5, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS: Minnesota Lynx team owner Glen Taylor accepts the WNBA championship trophy as Lynx players celebrate their WNBA finals win last night. (AP Photos)

Lynx grab 4th title with 85-76 win over Sparks By JON KRAWCZYNSKI AP Basketball Writer MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Sylvia Fowles had 17 points and broke her own WNBA Finals record by grabbing 20 rebounds to lead the Minnesota Lynx to their fourth championship in seven years with an 85-76 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks in Game 5 last night. Maya Moore had 18 points and 10 rebounds and hit a huge runner with 26 seconds to play, Lindsay Whalen had 17 points and eight assists and Seimone Augustus added 14 points, six assists and six boards to help the Lynx move into a tie with the Houston

PLAYERS celebrate last night after winning the WNBA finals. (LEFT) - The Lynx hoist their WNBA Championship trophy. Comets for most titles in league history. Candace Parker had 19 points, 15 rebounds and five assists for the Sparks, who were looking to become the first repeat champions in 15 years. Chelsea Gray had 15 points and eight assists, but Nneka Ogwumike fouled out with 5:29 to play and finished with 11 points. Los Angeles turned it over 17 times. With a team that had the makings of a new dynasty bearing down on it, the Lynx responded to reassert their own. They have been in the finals in six of the last seven years and now find themselves in the company of Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes and the Comets that dominated the league’s early days. The game the Lynx rule now is bigger, faster and deeper and the proud core of Moore, Rebekkah Brunson, Augustus and Whalen have had to earn everything they’ve accomplished. They led by 12 in the third quarter, but Los Angeles pushed right back, trimming the deficit to four at the start of the fourth. Coach Cheryl Reeve has always regretted not getting Fowles more involved late in Game 5 a year ago, and they made sure to forcefeed their MVP this time around to close the door. After Parker’s 3 cut Minnesota’s lead to 68-64, Fowles corralled a loose ball and finger-rolled it in just ahead of the shot clock buzzer for a 70-64 lead. The Lynx looked to have things in control when Augustus’s jumper gave them a 79-67 lead that lasted until Jantel Lavender’s layup with 90 seconds

to go. But Riquna Williams hit two free throws and Sims had two steals for layups, one of which she converted for a three-point play to pull Los Angeles within 79-76 with 35 seconds to go. But Moore responded with a tough pull-up in the lane and Fowles hit a couple of foul shots to ice it. A rivalry this tight just had to come down to a Game 5, and Minnesota forced it with an 80-69 victory Sunday in Los Angeles. The Sparks and Lynx went five games last year before Los Angeles won on a last-second put-back from Ogwumike. The previous 12 meetings between these two teams, starting with Game 1 of last year’s finals, had a cumulative score of 908-908. It has been the kind of tense, back-and-forth play between two star-filled rosters that the league has sorely needed. Household names like Moore, Parker, Ogwumike and Whalen have gone at each other to the bitter end in two straight series. Magic Johnson has been courtside watching his Sparks while Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns watched the Lynx playoff run before going to China with the Timberwolves. A capacity crowd packed Williams Arena, turning one of the oldest basketball arenas in the country into a rollicking women’s hoops mecca, reminiscent of Whalen’s days here as a star for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. The old “Barn” is filled with obstructed views — seats behind support posts and under awnings that make seeing the court difficult.

YOLETT MCPHEE-MCCUIN AND DOLPHINS LOOK TO WIN CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS FROM PAGE 1 Last season, the Dolphins came up just short in making consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament but earned a berth in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). They received an at-large bid and ultimately lost in the first round to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. She led the Dolphins to 23 wins, which tied the school mark for most wins in a season, and they also had the best RPI in the conference. In the 2015-16 campaign, McPhee-McCuin led the

Dolphins to a 22-11 record, the A-Sun tournament title and their first NCAA Tournament championship berth in school history. In addition to the new players added to the roster, there have been changes to the coaching staff as well with the hiring of assistant coaches LaQuanda Dawkins and Stephanie Edwards. “Coach Dawkins brings a tremendous amount of experience being in the business for about 20 plus years and that’s one thing I looked for in that position when it opened up – someone that can give us some different insight,” McPhee-McCuin said. “We wanted familiarity with coach

Edwards. Because she played for me, she knows what we want and she was also a graduate assistant on our championship team so she understands what it takes. I think the balance of having that experience and that youthfulness along with what coach [Darnell] Haney and I bring is the right recipe for this year.” In the offseason, McPheeMcCuin resumed her role as the Bahamas senior women’s national team where they finished 1-4 at the Centrobasket Tournament. “It challenged me, allowed me to assess some things, taught me

how to be creative and put stuff in with limited time,” she said. “Just going through the adversity makes you quit or have more resilience, for me it gave me more resilience to challenge myself and hopefully get the Bahamas to where we want to go and that’s the Olympics.” McPhee-McCuin currently has one Bahamian on her roster at JU - LaShonda Neely of Freeport, Grand Bahama. Neely also played at Centrobasket and said it set the tone for an improved season this year. “This one helped me to get back to my toughness, my

fighting and being strong offensively and defensively, she said. Last season as a sophomore Neely appeared in 27 games with three start. She earned a spot in the starting lineup during the ASUN Tournament and WNIT action vs. Georgia Tech. She posted a career-high 10 points with seven rebounds vs. NJIT and finished the season with 52 points, 66 rebounds, 11 steals and nine blocks Jacksonville’s season begins on Friday, November 10, at No. 17 North Carolina State – the first of seven opponents that advanced to the postseason last year.