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SPORTS SECTION E

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2018

Knowles trying to develop ‘next national champion’ By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net HE was the Bahamas’ premier tennis player, having enjoyed a 20-year span on the professional circuit where he captured three of the four doubles grand slam titles. But in the aftermath of his accomplishment that had him sitting on top of the world in doubles, Mark Knowles is now splitting his time with his family, television commentating and coaching. Over the weekend, Knowles, along with one of his sons Brody, took in the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s hosting of the International Tennis Federation’s Goombay Splash Bowl for players under 18. He had a keen interest

watching Sydney Clarke emerge as the female singles champion and Jacobi Bain as the male runnerup and doubles champion with New Zealand partner William Kesterson. All three players are a part of the Albany Tennis Academy in which Knowles serves as one of the principals in his Mark Knowles Foundation. He also offers his expertise there as a coach, assisting Grant Doyle, the head coach at the Albany Academy. “It’s really special to be out there to watch the juniors compete. Jacobi and Sydney are both playing very well and I have been focusing a lot of my attention on trying to develop the next national champion,” Knowles said. “We have a good training base at Albany where

MARK Knowles and one of his sons, Brody, enjoy the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s ITF Goombay Splash Bowl at the National Tennis Centre. Photo: Terrel W Carey/Tribune staff

some of the kids are involved in, so it’s good to be able to give something back. I’m helping to fund the kids like Jacobi and Sydney to allow them to go to Albany full time.” A fundraiser is being planned for December 6 when Knowles is hoping that they can generate some more assistance for the other kids who are involved in a programme that allows them to train there at least 2-3 times a week. “This is a great group of kids and so it’s very encouraging to be able to assist them,” Knowles said. “It’s been very exciting and rewarding so far. We had Jacobi and Sydney playing in their first ITF junior tournament final here at

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‘Bubba’ posts double doubles By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net an ‘Bubba’ Hutchinson Jr, still reeling off his historic 56-point game performance, had a pair of double-double stings to lead the Niagara College Knights to a pair of victories over the weekend. In their opener on Saturday against the Sault Cougars, Hutchinson poured in a game high 27 points and 17 rebounds as Niagara prevailed 111-41. Hutchinson shot 9-for-20 from the field, 2-for-7 from behind the three-point arc and was 7-for-10 from the free throw line in just 28 minutes. Fellow Bahamian Livingstone Bromwell helped out with eight points, 12 rebounds, one assist and a blocked shot in 26 minutes. Kevin Cooper, another Bahamian on the team, finished with a pair of points in three minutes. The Knights came back on Sunday and posted one extra point in their margin of victory with another 116-45 blowout as Hutchinson Jr had 27 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and four steals. He shot 12-for-21 from the field, 2-for-6 from the three-point line and 1-for-5 from the foul line in 28 minutes. Bromwell again helped out with 11 points on 5-for-11 from the field and 1-for-2 from the charity stripe in 21 minutes. Cooper logged seven minutes as he contributed a rebound, steal, assist and blocked shot. With the victories that came after the Knights dropped their last game 108-101 to the St Clair Saints on November 17, Niagara College improved to 7-2, much to the delight of head coach Phil Mosley. “We had a solid team effort this weekend,” Mosley said. “We were able to play a lot of guys and work on some defensive systems, which will help us later in the season.”

HIGGS AND LONGHORNS WIN THE GULF COAST SHOWCASE By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net WHILE the country hosted several elite NCAA Division I basketball programmes in the capital and Bimini, several Bahamian players were competing in early season tournaments across the United States. Lashann Higgs and her No.10 Texas Longhorns won the Gulf Coast Showcase while Jaron Cornish and the Stony Brook Sea Wolves are off to their best start in seven years to highlight play in various conferences over the weekend. The Longhorns won the early season tournament title, but suffered a major loss when Higgs went down with a knee injury in a hard fought 56-55 win over Quinnipiac. No details about the severity of the injury have been released by the Longhorns and no timetable has been set for her return. Higgs went down late in the first half before being carried off the court by members of the Longhorns staff. The Longhorns didn’t get a warmup for the second half and didn’t return to the floor until about 30 seconds were left in the 15-minute

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COLLEGE BASKETBALL: BAHAMIANS SHINE IN CANADA By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

VAN HUTCHINSON JR, of the Bahamas, in action for the Niagara College Knights.

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NFL MONDAY, Page 5

The Knights, who had to take a 10-hour trip to play Sault, will be back home for their next game at 8pm on Friday when they host the Fanshawe Falcons. Their final game for 2018 will be on Thursday, December 6 as they host Sheridan. After taking a break for the Christmas holiday, Niagara College will resume play on the road

against the Redeemer Royals on January 11. They will have five games in January, including a rematch at home against St Clair on Sunday, January 20. Their final four regular season games will be played in February, starting on February 7 at Humber, the other team to beat the Knights, 94-81 on November 1 at Niagara College.

Hutchinson Jr is coming off his career high 56 points, 13 rebounds, five steals and four assists in their loss to St Clair, a day after they won 100-93 over Lambton. He was named the CCAA Athlete of the Week, scoring a total of 81 points, 21 rebounds, 14 assists and nine steals in a combined 79 out of 80 minutes in their two games in less than a 24-hour span.

BAHAMIAN players are leading their respective programmes to national rankings at various levels of collegiate basketball in Canada. Leashja Grant and her Lakehead Thunderwolves are expected to earn a top 10 ranking in the toptiered U Sports level while Roosevelt Whylly and the Holland College Hurricanes have progressed to No.2 in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association. The Thunderwolves completed another weekend with back-to-back wins and Grant continues to be one of the most dominant players in the league. In game two, they defeated the York Lions 86-83 powered by Grant’s 29 points, 11 rebounds, three steals, three assists and two blocked shots. Grant and the Thunderwolves lead the OUA West Conference at 7-1 and are on a three-game winning streak. “It was a battle from tip to buzzer,” Thunderwolves head coach Jon Kreiner

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PAGE 2, Tuesday, November 27, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Experienced Gonzaga, Virginia stand tall early By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) — Experienced Gonzaga and Virginia sent not-so-subtle reminders not to discount talented, veteran-led teams. While Duke and its vaunted freshmen class were the talk of college basketball for the first two weeks of the season, Gonzaga and Virginia walked away with titles to cap off Thanksgiving holiday tournaments. The Zags held off the much-ballyhooed Blue Devils to win the Maui Invitational — and replaced them as the No. 1 team in the country yesterday — in what could have been a preview of a late-March showdown. At the other end of the spectrum were the fourthranked Cavaliers, who beat Wisconsin to win the Battle 4 Atlantis in a low-scoring game featuring teams content to grind it out with defence and clock-melting stretches that limited the number of possessions and magnified any mistake. Both styles worked. “We said we want to learn something as every team would as they come into this tournament,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said after Friday’s win against the Badgers and preseason Associated Press All-American Ethan Happ. Experience also showed for No. 5 Nevada and No. 9 Michigan State in winning separate brackets at the Las Vegas Invitational, with both being led by upperclassmen (Wolf Pack fifth-year senior Caleb Martin and Spartans junior Cassius Winston) who earned MVP honours. And in Michigan State’s case, that title came by maintaining poise well enough to rally from 19 points down against No. 17 Texas.

excited about what he’s doing defensively, spreading out and being able to guard sometimes a 4, sometimes a perimeter guy. And his alertness took a step in the right direction.”

VILLANOVA guard Phil Booth (5) celebrates with the championship trophy after getting a 66-60 win over Florida State in the NCAA college basketball tournament championship game Sunday in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (AP Photo/Phelan M Ebenhack) • Here are some takeaways from those holiday tournaments: MAUI’S TOP TRIO Maui had the best field of the week with Duke, Gonzaga and Auburn, so there were plenty of measuring-stick moments among legitimate Final Four contenders. No team was more impressive than Gonzaga — in any tournament. The Zags offence created problems for then-No. 1 Duke, with the Blue Devils having a hard time deciphering all their ball screens and motion. Gonzaga will only get stronger when 6-foot-10 junior Killian Tillie returns from preseason ankle surgery in the coming weeks. Tournament MVP Rui Hachimura, a versatile and aggressive 6-8 junior forward, is establishing himself as one of the nation’s top players.

But it was Gonzaga’s defensive efforts that most impressed coach Mark Few, who said, “We can really build on that.” Gonzaga’s win moved the Zags from third to No. 1, while Duke dropped to No. 3. Auburn, which finished third in Maui, stayed at No. 8. CHAMPS BACK? There is reason for optimism at Villanova, though the reigning national champs still have work to do. The Wildcats looked befuddled in a blowout home loss to Michigan in a rematch of last year’s title game and an overtime home loss to Furman, which knocked the Wildcats out of the Top 25 poll. Guard Phil Booth said at the time the Wildcats are “a young team trying to find our way.” Villanova, which jumped back into the poll at No. 23

on Monday, looked more like it had figured out that path at the AdvoCare Invitational in Orlando, Florida. The Wildcats beat Canisius, Oklahoma State and No. 15 Florida State. Sunday’s 66-60 win against the Seminoles prompted coach Jay Wright to note: “We’ve grown so much.” And they are still growing, trying to replace the talent from last year’s title winner, including AP national player of the year Jalen Brunson and Final Four most outstanding player Donte DiVincenzo. DOMINANT HUNTER Fourth-ranked Virginia showcased a growing, game-changing presence in 6-7 redshirt sophomore De’Andre Hunter. Hunter was the Atlantis MVP in the Bahamas after three sometimes-dominant

performances. First came a near triple-double against Middle Tennessee. Then he matched a career-high with 23 points and hit a key 3-pointer with about a minute left to help hold off Dayton. He closed with 20 points against No. 22 Wisconsin. He was the ACC’s sixth man of the year last year but suffered a broken wrist that sidelined him for the NCAA Tournament — and the Cavs certainly missed him as they struggled to contain UMBC’s guards in that unprecedented 16-vs-1 March upset. As long as he stays healthy, he’s a weapon at both ends alongside veterans Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome, not to mention Virginia’s best NBA prospect by far. “You look at the length and the dimensions, and some of those nice plays he makes offensively,” Bennett said. “But I get equally

ON POINT Freshman Coby White could be taking hold of the starting point guard job for North Carolina. He had 33 points — the most by a UNC freshman since Harrison Barnes had 40 in the 2011 Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament — and seven 3-pointers in the loss to Texas in the Las Vegas Invitational. He followed with 19 points and eight assists against UCLA, though the loss dropped North Carolina to No. 11. The production came with junior point guard Seventh Woods sidelined by a concussion. Woods lacks White’s scoring potential but has 27 assists with just six turnovers. REPLACING YOUNG Oklahoma senior guard Christian James appears ready to fill the scoring void created by the oneand-done departure of Trae Young to the NBA. Young led the country in scoring and assists; James arrived at the Battle 4 Atlantis averaging a Big 12-best 22.7 points. James had at least 18 points in three straight games as Oklahoma finished third. Coach Lon Kruger has said he expects it will have to be a group effort this year to replace Young’s production, but added: James “is shooting with confidence and making good plays.” James said his teammates are telling him they need him to score and “that takes a load off of me knowing I can relax and play my game and let it flow.”

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, November 27, 2018, PAGE 3

Landing Bradley could be a ‘Beal’ for Lakers IT has been about eight days since news broke via Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN that “every player” on the (7-12) Washington Wizards roster is “available” for the right trade offer. At 11-8, my Lakers look like they could be a force in the Western Conference with some tweaking of the roster and a big name addition, at the right price. The big name addition being Wizards All-Star shooting guard Bradley Beal. The question now for Laker Nation is: Could “Magic” Johnson be posturing to make a play for the All-Star guard? “Beal would be a perfect fit next to LeBron,” said one Eastern Conference scout. “He’s a much better shooter than [Brandon] Ingram, and LeBron needs shooters.”

Although Beal is only shooting 32.8 per cent from three-point range this season, he’s hit 39 per cent over his six-plus years in the league on 5.5 attempts per game. Ingram is at 34.5 per cent this year and is only a 33 per cent shooter for his career on 2.1 tries each night. The difficult part for Los Angeles is finding a trade package to entice the Wizards that also fits within the Lakers’ long-term plans. Various league sources have the Wizards asking for so much in return, the deal may not be feasible to the Lakers. LeBron James is 33 years old (34 in December) with significant NBA mileage logged in his 16th season. Johnson must weigh how much of James’ prime he is willing to risk on

THE

PRESS BOX ELAYA

BY INIGO ‘NAUGHTY’ ZENICAZ

the maybes of building a championship contender tomorrow. Beal averaged 15.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game as a 21-year-old. He shot 40.9 per cent from three-point range on 4.1 attempts. He made a big jump two years later to 23.1 points per night. Ingram, at 15.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists, probably won’t ever be as consistent an outside shooter as Beal, but Beal won’t ever have Ingram’s 6’9” height and 7’3” wingspan. Ahh, decisions, decisions !

The Wizards would trade Beal for Ingram, the Lakers’ prospect with the most upside. Los Angeles would need to include significant salary to balance a deal, presumably with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Michael Beasley (neither can be traded until December 15). Um, question, why you slunkin’ on this “Magic”, let’s get this one done like yesterday! • Naughty presents ‘Mischief and Mayhem in da AM’ from 6am to 10am, Monday to Friday and ‘The Press Box’ sports talk show on Sunday from 10am to 1pm, on KISS FM 96.1. Comments and questions to naughty@ tribunemedia.net

WASHINGTON Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) dribbles the ball against Los Angeles Clippers forward Tobias Harris (34). (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Higgs and Longhorns win Gulf Coast Showcase FROM PAGE 1 intermission. “We were a little shell-shocked,” head coach Karen Aston said. Texas went on to defeat Michigan in the semi-finals and Fordham in the finals to improve to 6-0. Through three games, Higgs was averaging 16.3 points, five rebounds and 4.3 assists per game on 56 per cent shooting from the field. Cornish and the Sea Wolves got their third consecutive win with a 68-58 win over Rhode Island. The senior guard finished with eight points and three assists as they improved their record to 5-1 on the season. Stony Brook used a 16-3 run in the latter portions of the first half to take a 32-21 lead and would not relinquish the advantage the rest of the way, only letting it get as close as three in the early portions of the second half. Head coach Jeff Boals said: “We knew what we had to do to win a game on the road. Our guys showed a lot of toughness, came in here and had a great game. We wanted to win the ‘first two wars’ in the first eight minutes of the game. We knew their pressure was going to be some of the best we’ll see and our guys handled it really well. Same thing in the second half. We had to come out and get to a good start, which we did. Give our guys a lot of credit. We made plays on both ends of the floor and had a lot of guys step up and contribute.” Head Coach YolettMcPhee McCuin and her

MARK KNOWLES from PAGE 1

home this weekend.” Although Bain fell short of winning the title, Knowles said the 15-yearold is “an incredible athlete.” “He moves extremely well, especially in today’s game where he faced a guy who moved so well,” Knowles said. “I think he needs to be a little offensive with his forehand. But those are things that he can develop. He’s a great kid. He’s a kid who is completely devoted and he continues to get better.” Clarke, who celebrated her 17th birthday by winning the girls’ title, is the opposite of Bain. “She hits the ball so well,” Knowles pointed out. “She has such a clean strike at the ball. That’s a great thing to have on your side. Maybe getting her movement a little better is what we will have to work on. “But she has to develop that killer mentality that

Ole Miss Rebels fell to 3-4 on the season after the Paradise Jam, hosted in the US Virgin Islands. The Rebels lost 64-59 to the St John’s Red Storm in their tournament finale. Despite the fact that they overcame a slow start where they trailed 30-18 at the half and erased a 19-point deficit, the Rebels fell short for their third consecutive loss. They trailed 48-29 with 3:22 to play in the third quarter, but the Rebels responded with a 20-3 run over the third and fourth quarter to trim the deficit and make the score 51-49 with 4:16 to play. Travis Munnings and the ULM-Monroe Warhawks suffered a 79-73 loss to Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles despite the second best scoring output this season from their senior leader. Munnings score 22 points and shot 3-4 from beyond the arc in the loss. Radshad Davis and the entire Texas-Arlington Mavericks had a foulplagued night in a 78-60 loss to Arkansas. The Mavericks were called for 34 fouls – tied for the 12th-most in single-game programme history. Arkansas shot 34-46 from the line while the Mavericks were just 18-27. Davis’ only basket of the game - a reverse layup - eventually trimmed the deficit to 56-49 with just over seven minutes remaining. UT-Arlington fell to .500 at 3-3. It was a season low in points, field goal percentage and free throw

IN this file photo, Texas’ Lashann Higgs (10) shoots the ball against North Texas. (AP) percentage with a season high 19 turnovers. “I thought the difference in the game came at the free-throw line. We fouled them too much and put them at the line, especially in the first half, where we had four guys with three fouls. And

when you are up, you need to finish off your opponent and not allow them to get back into the match because it could become dangerous when you let players of a high level back into the match.” With the two players coming into their own and the others in the BLTA junior programme, Knowles said the future looks bright for the Bahamas and he’s eager to continue to make his contribution. “I’ve been doing a lot of commentary for Tennis TV and I’m also concentrating on the champions initiative where we are focusing on developing the next Bahamian champion,” Knowles said. “Now that I am too old, we need someone else to go out there and get the Davis Cup and Fed Cup teams to compete at a high level again. We have the talent and the youth to develop, so I’m looking forward to it.” In addition to that, Knowles and his wife Dawn are rearing three children - Graham, 13 and 6-feet, 3-inches (a versatile

that was the difference in the game, they made a lot more free throws than we even attempted,” head coach Chris Ogden said. “But we’ll regroup. I like our guys. I believe in them. We just have to learn to get better without fouling.”

basketball and baseball player as well as a football quarterback) Brody, 10 (who loves tennis the most) and Presley, 7, who plays tennis and soccer. “It’s been exciting watching them grow up,” Knowles reflected. “They are playing some sports too, so it’s just a matter of being there for them too. So it’s been great. “We’ve never forced any sport on our kids, including tennis, but they are all very athletic. They love sports and I think I have tried to instil in them that sports is a great vehicle to life, even if you are not playing it professionally.” Having had the opportunity to represent the Bahamas for about 14 years in Davis Cup competition where he compiled a 23/25 win-loss record in singles and 18-7 in doubles, Knowles said he would like to continue to work with the BLTA in producing the best team possible to carry on the legacy. “My goal is for us to formulate a team with guys like Justin Roberts, who is out there, and we have

Charles Bain rebounded from a scoreless outing against Stetson and finished with seven points and a team high six rebounds in an 84-46 loss to the No. 24/19 Purdue Boilermakers. The Colonials are now 3-3 on the season.

a good team in place right now,” he said. “I would like to see us formulate and put together the best Davis Cup team possible and so we can get back to the heights that Roger (Smith), John (Antonas), John (Farrington) and myself had us in Zone One and even in the World Group regulation.” As the only player with any ATP computer points, Roberts has expressed the concern of having to come home to compete in the BLTA’s year-ending Giorgio Baldacci Invitational in December at the National Tennis Centre. “That’s always a sensitive thing. We’ve had issues with that before,” said Knowles, who at one point had to deal with a similar issue. “I think I would like to be the intermediary where I can maybe be the sounding platform for both sides. I understand his point. He’s trying to do everything in his power to be the best player he can be. Ultimately, I think it’s important to have requirements, but I think it’s also important to be able to bend a little bit.”

CANADA BASKETBALL from PAGE 1

said. “I was proud of our team building an 11-point lead with 4 minutes to go, but we really struggled in the last 2-3 minutes against their press. No scoring run went unanswered, and the largest margin of victory in any quarter was three. The Thunderwolves held a one-point lead at half. Lakehead dished out 24 assists in the game’s 34 made field goals. In game one, they defeated the Queen’s Gaels in an OUA inter conference matchup 76-64. Grant again led the way with 30 points and 13 rebounds. The pair of wins follows Lakehead’s biggest win of the season just over a week ago. Grant finished with a dominant 30 points and 24 rebounds to lead the Thunderwolves to a 62-56 win over the No.4 ranked and perennially dominant conference powerhouse Carleton Ravens. With the win, the Thunderwolves snapped the Ravens’ 53-game home win streak. The Holland College Hurricanes remain at No.2 overall in the latest edition of the CCAA rankings released this week. In the CCAA, Roosevelt Whylly and the Holland College Hurricanes are ranked No.2 in the latest edition of the poll. Whylly finished his fifth double double in as many games to lead the Hurricanes to a 120-65 win over the UKC Blue Devils to cap the weekend and remain undefeated at 7-0 this season. He tallied 17 points on 7-11 shooting, 11 rebounds and four assists. He also finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in a 119-43 win over the Dal AC Rams. Whylly is averaging 15.2 points, 11.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game on the season. After missing the season opener, he finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds in a 127101 win over Crandall.

At the end of the day, Knowles said it’s all about fielding the best team possible and getting on the court to win. He said he would like to ensure that the Bahamas puts its best team out there to compete at that level. Last year Knowles was coaching Milos Raonic, the 27-year-old who at the time was ranked at No.7 in the world and was the first Canadian player to reach the Australian Open semi-final, French Open quarter-final and Wimbledon final. This year, he coached American Jack Sock, 26, who got to the third round of both the Australian Open and Wimbledon and the fourth round in the French and US Open. “When the schedule permits, I coach and mentor those guys,” Knowles stated. “I enjoy coaching. I think I have a lot to provide to the up and coming players, having experienced the game for such a long time. “I played pretty much my entire life so I want to help out wherever I can. I think that’s the fun part. The

toughest thing about coaching is the travelling, which I don’t enjoy because you are limited to so many weeks. But I enjoy helping others.” Some of that time, Knowles spent at Albany helping to coach Bahamian players like Bain, Clarke, Donte Armbrister, Michael Major Jr, Safaya Ferguson and Jackson McTaggart. “I think we can develop the next Bahamian champion,” Knowles said. “The tennis world misses the Bahamas being prominent, not just at the Davis Cup stage, but on the world stage. “So it’s important to me. I want to continue to develop these young kids and hopefully in the next 3-5 years, we will have a solid base again doer the Bahamas.” Knowles, who sat at No.1 in the world in doubles on June 24, 2002, had a 13-year partnership with Canadian Daniel Nestor that resulted in the triumph in the 2002 Australian Open, 2004 US Open and 2007 French Open. He also won the 2009 Wimbledon mixed doubles with Anna-Lena Gronefeld of Germany.

PAGE 4, Tuesday, November 27, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

NEW ZEALAND RALLIES TO 131-2 AFTER FOLLOW-ON VERSUS PAKISTAN DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Leg-spinner Yasir Shah put Pakistan in control of the second test yesterday with a career-best 8-41 as New Zealand rallied to 131-2 in its second innings after being forced to follow-on. The tourists were dismissed for only 90 runs in the first innings to give Pakistan a massive lead of 328 on the third day. Shah claimed both New Zealand wickets in the second innings to become the first Pakistani bowler to claim 10 wickets in a single day of a test match. New Zealand, which narrowly won the first test by four runs, still trails by 197 runs with Ross Taylor not out on 49 off 53 balls and Tom Latham, dropped on 19, remaining unbeaten on 44 at stumps. Shah removed opener Jeet Raval (2) for the second time in the day before having captain Kane Williamson (30) caught behind through a television referral off his sharp legspin in the last session. Earlier, six New Zealand batsmen were dismissed for zero in the first innings while Williamson was left unbeaten on 28 as Shah struck four times each on either side of the first two sessions. New Zealand were going along at 61-1 in 27 overs but lost nine wickets for 29 runs against Shah to get bowled out in only 35.3 overs after the lunch break. Shah extracted sharp bounce and turn from the wicket that included three wickets in five deliveries in his last over before lunch. The leg-spinner then claimed four more wickets after the break in quick succession with B.J. Watling getting run out and Colin de Grandhomme trapped leg before wicket by Hasan Ali.

Unusual rain showers in Dubai delayed the start of day’s play for an hour before New Zealand resumed on 24-0. Fast bowlers Mohammad Abbas and Hasan tied down both openers with their impressive swing and seam bowling before Shah ripped through the top order. Asad Shafiq spilled a low catch at second slip off Hasan’s delivery that could have dismissed Raval (31) on his overnight score of 17. But Pakistan didn’t have to wait long to get the breakthrough when the lefthanded Raval played on while attempting an ambitious reverse sweep shot to Shah. Shah’s triple strike then ignited the New Zealand collapse in the penultimate over before lunch. Latham (22), one of the three batsmen to reach double figures, was caught close to the wicket by Imam-ul-Haq on the leg side. Taylor’s struggles continued in the series when, one ball later, he was bowled after playing around Shah’s sharp leg-spin. Shah also bowled the lefthanded Henry Nichols to leave New Zealand in deep trouble at lunch at 63-4. He then ran through the lowerorder and bamboozled the tail-enders with his top spinners to leave Pakistan with a chance to level the three-match series. Shah’s first innings figures were the second best by a Pakistan spinner in the country’s test history. Legspinner Abdul Qadir holds Pakistan’s record of most wickets in an innings when he claimed 9-56 against England in Lahore in 1987. New Zealand won the first test by four runs when Pakistan capitulated for 171 runs while chasing a 176run target.

ENGLAND’S JACK LEACH, left, celebrates taking the wicket of Sri Lanka’s Lakshan Sandakan during the fourth day of the third test cricket match yesterday. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

England wins 3rd test, completes whitewash in Sri Lanka By REX CLEMENTINE Associated Press COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — England claimed a hard-fought 42-run win over Sri Lanka in the third test with a day to spare yesterday to complete a 3-0 whitewash. Chasing a target of 327 at Sinhalese Sports Club, Sri Lanka was reduced to 226-9 but the last wicket pair of captain Suranga Lakmal (11) and Malinda Pushpakumara (42) shared a 58-run stand off 75 balls to delay the final result. Despite tea being extended by 30 minutes, England failed to make the breakthrough as the last pair picked up runs. The victory eventually came in the first over after tea when Jack Leach trapped Lakmal leg before wicket. “It was frustrating because you’re looking at 10 minutes before tea and you get them nine down. It’s a long two-hour session and it’s hot so you look forward to the 20-minute break when you can regroup, dust yourself down and go again,” England captain Joe Root said. “Sometimes that extra half hour can go against you and it felt like it did today but we very

quickly dusted ourselves down and took the opportunity to calm things down again, simplify it and finish the job very professionally.” Spinners Moeen Ali (4-92) and Leach (4-72) shared eight wickets between them to lead England to victory. England had won the first test in Galle by 211 runs and the second in Pallekele by 57 runs to win their first series in Sri Lanka in 17 years. England became only the third team to complete a 3-0 whitewash in Sri Lanka. Australia did it in 2004 and then India in 2017. “The way we’ve played has been exceptional and a great motivator to keep doing what we are,” Root said. “To keep looking to get better and drive each other on.” After a poor start at 54-4 on the third day, Sri Lanka fought back through a 102-run stand for the sixth wicket between Kusal Mendis (86) and Roshen Silva (65). Leach produced a direct hit to run out Mendis after lunch to allow the tourists to take a firm grip on the game. Silva worked a delivery from Adil Rashid on the leg-side and called for

a second run but Mendis was slow to complete the first run and turned back reluctantly for the second. Leach, charging in from backward square leg, sensed the panic and threw down the stumps at the nonstriker’s end. Mendis’ 86 came off 129 deliveries with eight fours and one six. England then claimed four wickets in the afternoon session. Silva was the ninth wicket to fall as England successfully reviewed a leg before after umpire Sundaram Ravi had turned down an appeal off the bowling of Ali. England’s fielding has been top class throughout the series and the efforts of Keaton Jennings stood out at short leg. He completed six catches in the third test. Pushpakumara was unbeaten on 42 off 40 deliveries with six fours and one six. “The difference between the two teams was very little,” Sri Lanka coach Chandika Hathurusingha said. “Kusal Mendis’ run out to a brilliant piece of fielding was the turning point of the game. “Matter of quick decisions to say yes or no,” he added.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, November 27, 2018, PAGE 5

Deshaun Watson leads Texans to franchise-record 8th straight win By KRISTIE RIEKEN AP Sports Writer HOUSTON (AP) — Deshaun Watson threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a third as the Houston Texans set a franchise record with their eighth straight win, 34-17 over the Tennessee Titans last night. Demaryius Thomas scored his first two touchdowns as a Texan and Lamar Miller ran for 162 yards, including a 97-yard TD. In the first game since founder and owner Robert “Bob” McNair died on Friday, the Texans (8-3) honoured him by wearing decals on the back of their helmets in the shape of a football with white block letters bearing his initials of “RCM.” With that reminder on their helmets, they became the first team in NFL history to win eight games in a row after starting 0-3. They lead Indianapolis by two games in the AFC South. The Texans trailed by 10 early before reeling off 27 straight points. Tennessee (5-6) finally scored again on a 48-yard reception by Corey Davis late in the third quarter, but the second TD by Thomas — this one for 10 yards — made it 34-17 with just more than eight minutes left. Marcus Mariota, who missed the second half of last week’s game after suffering a stinger, was 22 of 23 for 303 yards and two

touchdowns. He completed his first 19 passes before an incompletion with just more than a minute remaining. Miller’s 97-yard breakaway in the second quarter made it 21-10. It was the longest run in franchise history and the longest run in the NFL since his dash of the same length for a touchdown December 28, 2014, while with the Dolphins. He’s now the only player in league history with two career rushing touchdowns of 95 yards or longer. The Titans went ahead 3-0 on their first possession, and Jonnu Smith had a career-long 61-yard catchand-run touchdown that extended their lead less than halfway through the first quarter. Houston got going after that, cutting the lead to 10-7 when Thomas grabbed his first touchdown since being traded from Denver on October 30, a 12-yard grab with about six minutes left in the quarter. Watson put the Texans on top when he scrambled 15 yards for a score on the first play of the second quarter. The Titans went for it on fourth-and-inches from the 3 later in the second, but tight end Luke Stocker was stopped for no gain. Miller’s long TD, which helped Houston set a franchise record with 281 yards rushing, came on the next play. He took the handoff in the end zone and darted through a crowd of Titans before shedding one tackle and simply outrunning

HOUSTON Texans running back Lamar Miller (26) runs past Tennessee Titans outside linebacker Brian Orakpo (98) during the first half last night in Houston. (AP Photo/David J Phillip) the rest of the defence. The Texans kicked a field goal as time expired in the second quarter to take a 24-10 lead into halftime. MCNAIR REMEMBERED The Texans honoured McNair in a pregame ceremony, which included a video tribute to him while

the Texas A&M Singing Cadets sang “Amazing Grace.” While the video was played, one side of the video board displayed the words: “Faith, Family, Philanthropy, Football.” Painted on both 25-yard lines was a football with his initials that looked just like the decals on the players’ helmets.

Television cameras panned to several fans with signs honouring the late owner with one that read: “McNair Never Forgotten.” INJURIES Titans cornerback Malcolm Butler left in the second quarter to be evaluated for a concussion and did not return.

Houston WR Keke Coutee didn’t return after injuring his hamstring in the third quarter. UP NEXT Titans: Host the New York Jets on Sunday. Texans: Host the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

WALL, WIZARDS BEAT ROCKETS 135-131 IN OT DESPITE HARDEN’S 54 WASHINGTON (AP) — John Wall scored a season-high 36 points, including six in overtime, and the Washington Wizards overcame James Harden’s season-best 54 points to outlast the Houston Rockets 135-131 last night. Wall had two baskets in the extra period and finished with 11 assists. Bradley Beal equalled his season high with 32 points for the Wizards. Otto Porter hit a runner with 4:37 to play for the first basket in overtime and the Wizards remained ahead from there. Wall followed with a jumper to make it 129-125 and later made another jumper that pushed the lead to five. Beal’s jumper extended it to 133126 with 1:50 to play. Harden had 44 points through three quarters but missed five of his seven shots in the fourth. In overtime, Harden whose career high is 60, was 1 of 2 from the field and had two free throws. He had 11 turnovers, three in overtime. Eric Gordon scored a season-high 36 for the short-handed Rockets, who played without Chris Paul for the second straight game. CELTICS 124, PELICANS 107 NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Kyrie Irving closed out a 26-point, 10-assist performance with a 3-pointer and a tough baseline fade over Anthony Davis, and Boston pulled away late for a victory over New Orleans. Jayson Tatum, who scored 20, threw down a right-handed dunk while being fouled by Davis with 2:26 left, at which point Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry began subbing out starters and fans started filing out, resigned to just New Orleans’ second loss in 10 home games this season. Davis finished with 27 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks, Nikola

Mirotic hit six 3s as part of his 25 points, and Julius Randle added 15 points from the bench, but that wasn’t enough to end what is now a four-game losing streak for New Orleans. Al Horford scored 20 points, and Marcus Morris had 19 points and 11 rebounds for Boston, which punished the Pelicans for their 22 turnovers, converting them into 32 points. HORNETS 110, BUCKS 107 CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb each had 21 points, and Charlotte held on to beat Milwaukee after nearly squandering a 25-point, third-quarter lead. Marvin Williams added 16 points and eight rebounds, and Tony Parker had 15 points off the bench for the Hornets, who bounced back from a loss at Atlanta on Sunday night and ended a two-game skid. The Bucks nearly came all the way back, cutting the lead to one with 17 seconds left on a layup by Giannis Antetokounmpo. But Walker made two free throws with 7.1 seconds left and the Bucks failed to get off a good shot after a side inbounds, with Eric Bledsoe forced to launch an off-balance 3-pointer at the buzzer that hit off the glass and the rim and bounced away as time expired. Antetokounmpo had 20 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists. Bledsoe scored 17 points. SPURS 108, BULLS 107 CHICAGO (AP) — LaMarcus Aldridge scored 11 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, and San Antonio held off Chicago. DeMar DeRozan had 21 points and Patty Mills finished with 17 as San Antonio improved to 2-1 on a four-game trip. Bryn Forbes made three of the Spurs’ 10 3-pointers on his way to 13 points.

Chicago had two chances to go in front in the final seconds and came up empty each time. Zach LaVine was short on a 3-point try from the top of the key, and Ryan Arcidiacono missed a jumper as time expired. LaVine scored 11 of his 28 points in the fourth, but the Bulls lost for the seventh time in eight games. Arcidiacono finished with a career-high 22 points, Jabari Parker had 18 and Justin Holiday added 17. TIMBERWOLVES 102, CAVALIERS 95 CLEVELAND (AP) — Robert Covington scored 24 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 21 and Minnesota beat Cleveland. Minnesota is 6-2 since trading disgruntled star Jimmy Butler to Philadelphia two weeks ago and 10-11 overall. The latest win was its second in 10 road games this season. Derrick Rose came off the bench to score 10 of his 12 points in the fourth quarter. Towns hit two baskets in the final two minutes, including a fadeaway jumper on the baseline, after Cleveland cut the lead to 91-86. Cleveland beat Philadelphia and Houston last week for its first back-toback wins of the season, but couldn’t make it three straight.

ROCKETS guard James Harden (13) dunks against Wizards forward Kelly Oubre Jr (12) during the first half last night in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

MCDERMOTT, TURNER LEAD PACERS TO 121-88 ROUT OF JAZZ SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Doug McDermott scored a season-high 21 points and the Indiana Pacers rolled to an easy victory without their leading scorer, beating the Utah Jazz 121-88 last night. Victor Oladipo, averaging 21.4 points, missed his fourth game with a sore right knee, so his teammates turned up their defensive intensity and spread the ball. Myles Turner set the tone with 16 points, all in the first three quarters, and seven Pacers reached double figures.

Tyreke Evans scored 14 points and Cory Joseph and Domantas Sabonis each had 13. The Pacers shot a season-best 58.3 per cent and made half of their 18 3-point attempts. Donovan Mitchell, who scores 20.6 per game, sat out his second game with bruised ribs and Utah was playing a back-to-back, but it was 19 turnovers and poor shooting that buried the Jazz and dropped their usually stellar home record to 2-6. The Jazz repeatedly tried to dribble through the Pacers’

tenacious defence or pass over their outstretched hands. Even Utah’s traditionally supportive crowd booed at times as Utah’s turnovers led to 25 Indiana points. Turner drew Rudy Gobert outside and made his first five shots, mostly on mid-range jumpers off pick-andpop actions. Turner signed a four-year, $72 million extension in the offseason and the big man from Texas went to work earning it, dropping fat, gaining muscle and improving his shot during the summer.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, November 27, 2018, PAGE 7

Big 3 of Djokovic, Nadal, Federer closes 2018 ranked 1-2-3 By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer THE Big Three is the year-end top three, something that last happened in 2014. With Novak Djokovic at No. 1, Rafael Nadal at No. 2 and Roger Federer at No. 3 yesterday, that trio of tennis greats leads the season’s final ATP rankings for the seventh time. This is the first time, though, that each of those three men spent some time at No. 1 during the same year. The seven changes there were the most since 1999, when there were eight. Djokovic won Wimbledon and the US Open in 2018, while Federer took the Australian Open, and Nadal earned the title at the French Open.

They accounted for Nos. 1-3 in the final rankings in 2007-11 and 2014, too. For Djokovic, it marks the fifth time he has closed a year in the top spot, following 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015. Only Pete Sampras, with six year-end No. 1 finishes, did it more often. The 31-year-old from Serbia is also the oldest man to be No. 1 at season’s end and the first to finish atop the rankings after being outside the top 20 during the year — or outside the top 10 at the end of the previous year (he was No. 12 in 2017). Simona Halep ended the season at No. 1 in the WTA rankings for the second consecutive year; she clinched that spot more than a month ago. Angelique Kerber was No. 2 among women, followed by

ROGER FEDERER

NOVAK DJOKOVIC

RAFAEL NADAL

Caroline Wozniacki, Elina Svitolina and Naomi Osaka. Djokovic overtook Nadal three weeks ago; the Spaniard did not compete anywhere after stopping because of a painful right knee during his US Open semi-final in September against Juan Martin del Potro. Nadal had arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle this month.

Nadal concludes a season at No. 1 or No. 2 for the 10th time, trailing only Federer’s 11. Federer, meanwhile, is in the year-end top three for a record 14th time. The 37-year-old from Switzerland has won 20 Grand Slam singles championships, the most by a man, followed by Nadal with 17, then Djokovic and the retired Sampras with 14 apiece.

The rest of the ATP top 10 for 2018: No. 4 Alexander Zverev, No. 5 del Potro, No. 6 Kevin Anderson, No. 7 Marin Cilic, No. 8 Dominic Thiem, No. 9 Kei Nishikori and No. 10 John Isner. Del Potro was the runner-up at the US Open, Anderson at Wimbledon, Cilic at the Australian Open, and Thiem at the French Open.

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 64° F/18° C Low: 37° F/3° C

TAMPA

TONIGHT

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

A couple of afternoon showers

A shower early; partly cloudy

Periods of sun; breezy, not as warm

Partial sunshine

Sunny and beautiful

Partly sunny and pleasant

High: 85°

Low: 65°

High: 75° Low: 64°

High: 77° Low: 67°

High: 82° Low: 71°

High: 84° Low: 73°

AccuWeather RealFeel

90° F

61° F

73°-64° F

81°-65° F

83°-70° F

87°-77° F

High: 64° F/18° C Low: 42° F/6° 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: 78° F/26° C Low: 66° F/19° C

8-16 knots

WEST PALM BEACH High: 72° F/22° C Low: 45° F/7° C

8-16 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE E

FREEPORT

High: 75° F/24° C Low: 47° F/8° C

High: 78° F/26° C Low: 59° F/15° C

MIAMI

High: 76° F/24° C Low: 49° F/9° C

8-16 knots

Statistics are for Nassau through 1 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 88° F/31° C Low .................................................... 69° F/21° C Normal high ....................................... 80° F/27° C Normal low ........................................ 69° F/20° C Last year’s high ................................. 82° F/28° C Last year’s low ................................... 70° F/21° C Precipitation As of 1 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.00” Year to date ............................................... 44.28” Normal year to date ................................... 38.11”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 65° F/18° C

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 72° F/22° C

KEY WEST

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 65° F/18° C

tiDes For nassau High Today

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

10:41 a.m. 11:11 p.m.

3.4 2.6

4:18 a.m. -0.2 5:14 p.m. -0.1

Wednesday 11:39 a.m. -----

3.2 -----

5:17 a.m. 6:13 p.m.

0.0 0.0

Thursday

12:14 a.m. 12:40 p.m.

2.6 3.0

6:21 a.m. 7:13 p.m.

0.2 0.0

Friday

1:21 a.m. 1:43 p.m.

2.6 2.9

7:31 a.m. 8:14 p.m.

0.3 0.0

Saturday

2:27 a.m. 2:46 p.m.

2.7 2.8

8:41 a.m. 0.3 9:13 p.m. -0.1

Sunday

3:30 a.m. 3:47 p.m.

2.8 2.7

9:47 a.m. 0.2 10:07 p.m. -0.1

Monday

4:27 a.m. 4:43 p.m.

3.0 2.7

10:48 a.m. 0.1 10:58 p.m. -0.2

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 73° F/23° C

7-14 knots

6-12 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

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

6:35 a.m. 5:20 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

10:01 p.m. 10:48 a.m.

Last

New

First

Full

Nov. 29

Dec. 7

Dec. 15

Dec. 22

CAT ISLAND

uV inDex toDay

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 74° F/23° C

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 74° F/23° C

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 69° F/21° C

W S

LONG ISLAND

insurance management tracking map

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 76° F/24° C

7-14 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 83° F/28° C Low: 77° F/25° C

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

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 82° F/28° C Low: 77° F/25° C

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 77° F/25° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 85° F/29° C Low: 74° F/23° C

3-6 knots

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

Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday:

WINDS W at 8-16 Knots NW at 8-16 Knots SW at 7-14 Knots N at 8-16 Knots SSW at 7-14 Knots NNW at 8-16 Knots SSE at 4-8 Knots NW at 6-12 Knots SW at 7-14 Knots NNW at 8-16 Knots NW at 8-16 Knots NNW at 8-16 Knots SW at 6-12 Knots NNW at 8-16 Knots SE at 3-6 Knots NW at 4-8 Knots S at 4-8 Knots NNW at 8-16 Knots SSE at 4-8 Knots WNW at 7-14 Knots SSW at 6-12 Knots NNW at 7-14 Knots S at 3-6 Knots N at 8-16 Knots SW at 7-14 Knots NNW at 8-16 Knots

WAVES 3-6 Feet 6-10 Feet 0-1 Feet 3-5 Feet 1-3 Feet 3-6 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 3-6 Feet 3-5 Feet 5-9 Feet 0-1 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-3 Feet 2-4 Feet 3-5 Feet 1-2 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-2 Feet 3-5 Feet

VISIBILITY 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 80° F 80° F 82° F 82° F 81° F 81° F 83° F 83° F 79° F 80° F 82° F 82° F 82° F 82° F 84° F 84° F 83° F 83° F 83° F 85° F 80° F 81° F 82° F 83° F 81° F 81° F

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

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(BAHAMAS) LIMITED. INSURANCE BROKERS & AGENTS

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PAGE 8, Tuesday, November 27, 2018

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