The Bahamas' senior women's national basketball team played in its final games of the 2014 Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Championships on Friday and Saturday, and left Tortola, British Virgin Islands (BVI) with a fifth place finish.
The squad lost just one game in the five-day tournament, which caused them a shot at the semi-finals due to a stringent point-spread system, but the way they finished was truly impressive. One of the teams they defeated, the Dominican Republic, is number 37 in the world according to the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) World Rankings.
"I think we did a good job, going 4-1. That was the best record we had in a while. Honestly, I feel sad because I feel that we were the best team in the tournament, if not the best then we were one of the best. Being told that having a record of 4-1 is not enough to advance really hurts," said Head Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin yesterday.
"The only team that went undefeated was Jamaica and they were in a different pool."
After being eliminated from the semis, The Bahamas took on Guyana and Barbados in the classification rounds. Those games were played to determine who would finish in the fifth through eighth spots. They slaughtered Guyana in the first game, 113-27, and then blasted Barbados in the second game, 102-54. As mentioned, they finished with a 4-1 win/loss record, and won their final two games by a combined 134 points.
Jonquel Jones was one of the most exciting players to watch during the tournament. In the team's last two games she maintained her high level of play. In the first game, she scored a team-high 21 points and then put up a double-double in the second, finishing with 13 points and 12 rebounds.
In both games, The Bahamas' defense clamped down and forced turnovers, which allowed them to get out in transition. The fast-paced game suited the athletic players on the team's roster. They also exploited the size advantage down low. Along with Jones, Leashia Grant and Ashley Moss helped out on the boards.
One of the only issues The Bahamas had during the tournament was some of the decisions made at the point guard position. At times, the guards made careless turnovers and struggled to execute plays. They still shot the ball at a high percentage and remained aggressive throughout the tournament, but turnovers in the backcourt plagued the team.
"It (guard play) was definitely not one of our stronger points, but it was not the reason that we didn't advance. There were a lot of lay-ups and easy baskets that we missed, but as we continue to mature as a team, we will beef up in the areas that we feel that we struggled in," said McPhee-McCuin.
Besides that, there is not much negative that can be taken from posting four wins in five games.
However, the fifth place finish at the CBC Championships ensured that the women would not be competing in the Centrobasket Championships that will take place later this summer in Mexico, thus ending their Olympic journey, for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Although this team will not be moving on, the coaches did open doors regarding how national teams will be put together and trained in the future, particularly on the women's side. Their partnership with the owner of Macfit 360, Jimmy Mackey, produced possibly the best-conditioned national team ever.
Also, the players who performed at a really high level at the Caribbean championships are still relatively young. Jones just turned 20 this year and will be an even more seasoned player should she remain in good health. She is in her sophomore year at George Washington University and is expected to become an even better player as she fills out her frame and gets stronger. With players such as Jones, Leashia Grant, Britenique Harrison and others such as up-and-coming guard Valerie Nesbitt, The Bahamas' senior women's national program appears to be in good hands for the forseeable future.
"Nine of the girls who competed, that was their first time competing in international play. We took a lot from it and we learned that the point differential matters in FIBA, but we are just going to take things from this and grow," said McPhee-McCuin. "Hopefully, everybody was able to see that there is a lot of talent in The Bahamas and if we can keep this group together they will be dominant for years to come."
Luckily for the team they will not have to wait long for another chance to qualify for Centrobasket. The CBC Championships are held every two years but last year the host country dropped out due to financial reasons, which caused the tournament to move to this year. So, the CBC Championships are once again set for next year.
McPhee-McCuin said that she plans to begin training camp earlier next year, and she also wants to shift the location of the camp to the campus of Jacksonville University, where she serves as the head coach.
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