As the sixth Bahamas Games moved into day six, basketball was one of those sports that took center stage and what was billed to be a marquee matchup between two gold medal contenders in the women's category turned out to be a battle of the fittest.
Both the New Providence Buccaneers and the Grand Bahama Lucayans had experienced one loss coming into their featured matchup yesterday. So, for seeding purposes, both teams desperately needed a win. It would be New Providence who would pull away in the second half, recording a much needed 54-45 win over the visiting Grand Bahamian squad on Wednesday at the Kendal G.L. Isaacs National Gymnasium.
The Buccaneers improved to a 2-1 win/loss record with the win while the Lucayans dropped to 1-2.
The gold medal favorite New Providence team took charge early as Grand Bahama came out with no sense of urgency. They looked lackadaisical in the early going and struggled against the Buccaneers' size on the inside and their zone defense. New Providence went ahead, 9-2, early on. They surged to a 15-7 lead at the end of the first quarter but Grand Bahama woke up in the second quarter.
Grand Bahama went on a 12-4 scoring run to open the second quarter to pull even at 19. They maintained that momentum for the rest of the quarter, pulling ahead 28-25 at the half. In total, Grand Bahama outscored New Providence by 11 in the second quarter, 21-10.
"I don't know what happened in that second quarter, but that wasn't our style of basketball," said New Providence Head Coach Donillo "Donnie" Culmer. "We were off for most of the first half, but it came together in the third quarter. As the tournament goes on, we will continue to progress and we'll be alright. We came here to get the gold and that is what we intend to do."
The Buccaneers' defense was ferocious in the third quarter, holding a bewildered Grand Bahamian team to just two points. They outscored Grand Bahama, 20-2, in the third to take a commanding 45-30 lead going into the fourth and final period. From there, the Lucayans got no closer than nine points the rest of the way.
Prior to the game, New Providence suffered its only loss to the Exuma & Ragged Island Navigators while Grand Bahama had experienced their only setback to the Eleuthera Adventurers.
"We just have to play our type of basketball," said Culmer. "In that loss to Exuma, we had a 12-point lead and we just ran out of gas. We'll see them again and we'll be ready for them, whether it's elimination or the championship. We'll be ready to play," he added.
As for Grand Bahama, they now have to fight themselves out of a hole, looking to make the top four to advance to the tournament semifinals. They defeated the Columbus Isles Arawaks (Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador) and lost to New Providence and Eleuthera.
"We played okay... it's just that we couldn't put things together down the stretch," said Grand Bahama's Head Coach Audley Dean. "A lot of things played a factor in the performance today. We just have to come out here, regroup, and get back to playing our style of basketball. Once we do that, we'll be okay."
A trio of players scored in double figures for New Providence. Philicia Kelly led them with 12 points and added six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Michelle Butler dropped in 11 points and pulled down four rebounds. Antonicia Moultrie contributed 10 points and added eight rebounds.
Arjene Stubbs and Arlia Greene led Grand Bahama with 11 points apiece.
New Providence outscored Grand Bahama, 23-8, in fastbreak points and outrebounded them, 48-37. Both teams shot the ball poorly from the field with New Providence going 14-for-44 for 31.8 percent shooting while Grand Bahama connected on just 15 out of 63 shots for 23.8 percent shooting. They were both woeful from three-point range. New Providence was 0-for-8 from distance while Grand Bahama hit just two of their 18 attempts.
"For now, it's just good to be on the court – get the girls out there and let them get some work in," said Grand Bahama Head Coach Dean. "We'll improve as the tournament goes along, and at the end of the day, hopefully we could be one of the last teams standing. Right now, they are just trying to compete to the best of their ability. We have to take it one day at a time and get out there and do what we do best."
In other ladies basketball games yesterday, Exuma & Ragged Island turned back Eleuthera in a matchup of unbeaten teams, 48-38, New Providence beat the Abaco Survivors, 50-41, Eleuthera beat Grand Bahama, 51-45, and Abaco defeated Columbus Isles, 62-47.
In men's games on Wednesday, the Andros Chiccharnies defeated Exuma & Ragged Island, 63-60, the MICAL Flamingoes (Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins and Long Cay) defeated the Long Island Sheep Runners, 85-72, Grand Bahama knocked off Exuma & Ragged Island, 57-46, New Providence blasted Long Island, 109-37, the Bimini and Berry Islands Marlins beat Andros, 48-37, Abaco slammed Columbus Isles, 74-52, and Eleuthera beat Bimini and Berry Islands, 76-50.
Action continues today in men and women's basketball. Athletics and boxing will get underway today, and optimist sailing will be the final discipline to get started, set to commence on Friday.
The Golden Jubilee Bahamas Games got underway last Friday and will wrap up this coming Saturday. Following the final event in athletics on Saturday, the open men's 4×400 meters (m) relay, a brief closing ceremony will be held at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.
The games are back in action after a 22-year break.
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