02092017 sports

SPORTS SECTION E

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2017

BASEBALL

Stadium Tour - Pg 8

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS: The CH Reeves Raptors celebrate yesterday after dominating the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association Junior Track and Field Championships.

CH Reeves Raptors win title

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE FINAL SCORE

T

he CH Reeves Raptors continued their dominance of the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association’s Junior Track and Field Championships, winning the title yesterday.

On Wednesday at Thomas A Robinson National Stadium, the Raptors finished the two-day meet with 522.83 points to stay well ahead of their nearest rivals, the AF Adderley Fighting Tigers, who had 446 for second.

The HO Nash Lions rounded out the top three with 295, SC McPherson Sharks fourth with 279.50, DW Davis Pitbulls fifth with 194, TA Thompson Scorpions sixth with 154, LW Young Golden Eagles seventh with 143.67 and Anatol Rodgers Timberwolves completed the field of teams in eighth with 76.

“The performance today was superb,” said head coach Rashad ‘Tubba’ McKenzie after getting dosed by water amidst the team celebrations. “We had some mistakes on day one, but we got everything in place and pulled it off.”

McKenzie said their athletes “put in the work” and they train. “Like I always tell them, once you continue to put in the work, everything will fall into place,” McKenzie said. “We did that and we won again.”

As the meet wrapped up yesterday, at least eight more records were broken with names from CH Reeves being inked in seven of them.

• HO Nash’s Ambernique Coakley, coming off her victory in the girls’ under-14 100 metres on Tuesday, doubled up in the 200m in a winning time of 27.24 seconds to erase the meet record that was held by Rashae Dean (28.35) last year.

“I was a little nervous going into the race, but once I got started, I felt free,” said 12-year-old Coakley, who duplicated her performance from last year. “When you get the race, you feel relieved. I’m just glad that I won. It feels amazing.”

Coakley’s teammate Sherinique Scar was second in 28.40 and Victoria Kemp of CH Reeves was third in 29.10.

• CH Reeves’ Jamal Flowers ran 24.85 to win the boys’ under-14 100m to erase the record of 25.78 that was set by Reuben Cooper in 2015. Flowers also set a record in the 100m the day before.

“It was good, good,” said the 13-year-old

TEAM POINTS

FINISH LINE: A CH Reeves student wins her race yesterday on the final day of the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association Junior Track and Field Championships at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium. The Raptors dominated the event to take the title.

Photo: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff

CH Reeves

522.83

AF Adderley

446

HO Nash

295

SC McPherson

279.50

DW Davis

194

TA Thompson

154

LW Young

143.67

Anatol Rodgers

76

Flowers of his race. “I just got out strong, came off the curve fast and I went for it.”

Ahmad Evans, also from CH Reeves, was second in 26.12 and Terrance Deveaux of SC McPherson was third in 26.21.

• Dayona Williams of CH Reeves got a double win in the under-16 girls’ division as she added the 200m title in 28.78 to her triumph in the 100m. She repeated as the double champion from last year.

“It was good. I tried my best,” said Williams, a 14-year-old ninth grader. “I think I could have done a little better. The competition was good.”

Joelia Raphael of TA Thompson came in second in 29.21 and Jael Adderley of HO Nash was third in 29.43.

• Leandre Lightbourne, also from CH Reeves, powered across the finish line in 23.77 to win the under-16 boys’ 200m as he too shattered the previous record of 24.29 that was set by Allen Jean last year.

“It was good. I had to push hard to make it. I came off the curve hard and I pushed hard,” said 13-year-old Lightbourne. “The competition was hard. I was very pleased with my performance.”

AF Adderley’s Latrell Forbes ran 24.79 for second and CH Reeves’ Joshua Joseph was third in 25.27.

In the under-14 girls’ 800m, Wadine Forestal came from behind after the first lap to pull away from the pack and held on for the win for AF Adderley. Her time was 2:46.25.

SEE PAGE 3

CR Walker in the lead going into final day

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net GOING into today’s final day of competition in the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association’s Senior High School Track and Field Championships, the CR Walker Knights are on a quest to repeat as champions.

After the first two days of races and field events, the Knights closed out competition on Wednesday with a total of 325 points.

They were followed by the CI Gibson Rattlers with 282 and the CV Bethel Stingrays in third with 250.50.

Rounding out the rest of the field in order are the CC Sweeting Cobras in fourth with 153, RM Bailey Pacers in fifth with 136.83, Doris Johnson Mystic Marlins in sixth with 134.67, Government High Magicmen in seventh with 66 and the Anatol Rodgers Timberwolves in eighth with 65.

Two records fell yesterday - one on the track and the other on the field - by Denvaughn Whymns and Jalon Dames respectively.

SEE PAGE 2

THE STANDINGS • HERE’S a look at the scores going into the final day of competition in the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association Senior Track and Field Championships: TEAM

POINTS

CR Walker

325

CI Gibson

282

CV Bethel

250.50

CC Sweeting

153

RM Bailey

136.83

Doris Johnson

134.67

GHS 66 GOIN’ HARD: The CR Walker Knights look to repeat as champions going into the final day of the GSSSA Senior Track and Field Championships.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

Anatol Rodgers

65

PAGE 2, Thursday, February 9, 2017

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CR Walker Knights are out in front going into final day FROM PAGE 1 • Denvaughn Whymns of CC Sweeting shattered the meet record in the boys’ under-18 110m hurdles in 14.52 in the preliminary round. Whymns came back in the final and lowered his new record to 14.20.

Jahmal Wilson of RM Bailey was second with 14.84. Keianno Rolle of CV Bethel was third with 15.90.

Also on the track, Melia Burns of CV Bethel won the under-18 girls’ 100m hurdles in 17.85. Tamia Bethel of Doris Johnson was second in 17.89 and Alicia Martin of CR Walker came in third in 18.45.

Althea Rolle of CR Walker won the girls’ under-20 100m hurdles in 18.22. T’Quavia Rolle of CV Bethel was second in 18.24 and Alexis Miller of Doris Johnson was third in 18.82.

Charles Butler of CI Gibson clocked 17:54.0 to win the under-20 boys’ 5,000m, followed by CC Sweeting’s Glenroy McKenzie in 18:06.28 and Abrien Rahming of CR Walker was third in 18:21.85.

And CI Gibson got a 1-2 punch from Kenton Dixon (24.11) and Brandon Hanna (24.15) in the under-20 boys’ 110m hurdles. Deontae Curry of RM Bailey came in third in 24.30.

• Jalon Dames of CV Bethel won the under-18 boys’ shot put with a record heave of 14.48 metres. The previous record was

GOIN’ HARD: The CR Walker Knights look to repeat as champions going into the final day of the GSSSA Senior Track and Field Championships.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff 14.47m set by Raynache Sands last year. Anthony Carey of Doris Johnson was second with 13.09m and Isaiah Daxon of CR Walker was third with 12.94.

In other events contested on the field, Precious Rolle of CR Walker won the under-18 girls’ long

jump with a leap of 4.59m. Monica Clearly of CI Gibson was second with 4.51m and Melia Burns of CV Bethel was third with 4.17m.

Kendria McGregor of CC Sweeting won the girls’ under-18 javelin with 26.72m. Eltisha Major of CR Walker was second with

26.24m and Gitavia Stubbs of CC Sweeting came in third with 25.35m.

Miracle Hepburn of CV Bethel won the girls’ under-20 high jump with 1.44m. Alexis Miller of Doris Johnson was second with 1.39m and Antol Rodgers’ Makaya

Clarke was third with 1.34m.

Gabrielle Hanna of Government High won the girls’ under-20 discus with a toss of 25.63m. Marvia Curtis of Doris Johnson was second with 25.30m and Menarvinique Chozz Floyd of CR Walker was third with 25.14.

ON THE FAST TRACK: Students compete yesterday on the final day of the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association Junior Track and Field Championships at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium. The CH Reeves Raptors won the title.

Photos: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, February 9, 2017, PAGE 3

ON TRACK: Students compete yesterday on the final day of the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association Junior Track and Field Championships at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

The CH Reeves Raptors won the title.

Photos: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff

RAPTORS ARE GSSSA JUNIOR CHAMPIONS FROM PAGE 1 CH Reeves’ Tonnice Stubbs was second in 2:49.49 and SC McPherson’s Leoshane Johnson came in third in 2:51.71.

“It was very hard, but I couldn’t let my team down,” said Forestal, a 12-year-old eighth grader.

“I just thank God for giving me more strength to run.”

The boys’ under-14 800m was won by Adrianneno Brown of SC McPherson in 2:23.89. HO Nash’s Travis Alleyne was second in 2:24.66 and CH Reeves’ Kevin Barr was third in 2:27.43.

“It was a good race. I enjoyed it. I saw the guy trying to catch me, but I knew I had to pick up my pace,” said Brown, 12.

• Rowlia Joseph of AF Adderley won the under-16 girls’ 800m in 2:35.05. The time erased the meet record of 2:38.70 that was set by Shanique Knowles in 2015.

“I pushed hard to get a lead and to stay ahead,” said 13-year-old Joseph, who repeated as champion.

“When I got on the final lap, I stayed ahead and I pushed hard for the finish line.”

HO Nash’s Ayesha Sylvester was second in 2:41.50 and Nicola Smith of CH Reeves was third in 2:49.90.

And in the boys’ under-18 800, CH Reeves got a 1-2 punch as Anton Pratt won in 2:13.47 and Fredrick

Jonassaint was second in 2:15.39. Jordan Gibson of AF Adderley was third in 2:16.71.

• CH Reeves’ team of Jamal Flowers, Kevin Barr, Lavardo Kemp and Ahmad Evans ran 4:00.62 to win the under-14 boys’ 4 x 400m relay, replacing the previous record of 4:09.78 that was held by CH Reeves.

• AF Adderley’s team of Petranique Conliffe, Brittney Meadows, Cheline Safate and Rowlia Joseph clocked 4:26.92 to win the under-16 girls’ 4 x 400m relay in a record time. The old mark was 4:27.55 that was set by CH Reeves.

• CH Reeves’ Ahmad Evans, in one of the most dominating individual performances, also inked his name in the books in the high jump. He cleared 1.60m and was followed by teammate Don Stuart with 1.48 as they both went over the old mark of 1.47m that was set by Tyrese Swain in 2015.

Deshawn Newbold of LW Young was third with 1.27m.

• Adena Cunningham, also from CH Reeves, got into the record books when she cleared 4.48m to win the girls’ under-6 long jump to erase the previous mark of 4.47m that was set by Craisha Johnson last year.

Diana Dean of AF Adderley was second with 4.33m and D’Sasha Cooper of SC McPherson was third in 4.17m.

GN 1850

PAGE 4, Thursday, February 9, 2017

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BAISS BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS TAKE SPOTLIGHT

SENIOR GIRLS CHAMPIONS: The Jordan Prince William Lady Falcons senior girls’ basketball team won the title.

SENIOR BOYS CHAMPIONS: The Jordan Prince William Falcons senior boys’ basketball team continues to soar high yet again above the remainder of the field in the BAISS with their second consecutive league title. In a thrilling 57-54 finish, the Falcons outlasted the SAC Big Red Machine.

JUNIOR GIRLS CHAMPIONS - The St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine junior girls closed out a two-game sweep of the defending champions Queen’s College Comets with a 37-26 win. Here, the proud girls can be seen receiving their trophy.

JUNIOR BOYS CHAMPIONS: The Temple Christian Suns junior boys’ basketball team capped an undefeated season with a championship title in the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools. The Suns closed out the two-game series with a 39-35 clinching win over the QC Comets at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

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Thursday, February 9, 2017, PAGE 5

Sharp-shooting Michigan routs ‘Tum Tum’ and Michigan State 86-57

By NOAH TRISTER AP Sports Writer ANN ARBOR, Mich.

(AP) — Derrick Walton had 20 points and eight assists, and Michigan rolled to an 86-57 victory over Michigan State on Tuesday night to equal its most lopsided victory over the Spartans since 1948.

The last time the Wolverines beat Michigan State by more was in a 66-33 victory December 4, 1948. Michigan also beat the Spartans by 29 in a 75-46 win in 1996 — in Tom Izzo's first season as Michigan State's coach.

The Wolverines led 55-29 at halftime after shooting 75 per cent from the field — and 8 of 11 from 3-point range — through the first 20 minutes.

Michigan (15-9, 5-6) continued its enigmatic run through Big Ten play. The Wolverines beat Indiana by 30 on January 26, then lost at Michigan State and at home against Ohio State before routing the Spartans (14-10, 6-5) in Tuesday's rematch.

Moe Wagner added 19 points for Michigan, which snapped a five-game losing streak in the series.

Miles Bridges scored 15 points for the Spartans.

As well as the Wolverines played offensively in the first half, they also did a good job disrupting the Spartans on defense, forcing early shot-clock violations that set the tone for the game.

MICHIGAN guard Derrick Walton Jr. (10) defends Michigan State guard Lourawls Nairn Jr. (11) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Mich., Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017. (AP Photo/Tony Ding) Michigan State turned it over 12 times in the first half, enabling the sharpshooting Wolverines to open a huge lead.

D.J. Wilson's dunk capped a stretch of seven consecutive made field

NBA CAPSULES CLIPPERS 119, KNICKS 115 NEW YORK (AP) — Blake Griffin scored a season-high 32 points and the Los Angeles Clippers beat New York 119-115 on Wednesday night after former Knicks star Charles Oakley was ejected and arrested in the first quarter.

DeAndre Jordan added 28 points and 15 rebounds for the Clippers, who rallied from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to snap a three-game losing streak.

Carmelo Anthony had 28 points and Kristaps Porzingis 27 on a night there was plenty of fight from the Knicks — especially Oakley.

The rugged power forward was removed after an altercation with arena security near the seat of Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan.

Anthony played well the day after Phil Jackson took another dig at him on Twitter by referencing an article that was critical of the forward.

Coach Jeff Hornacek acknowledged it may have been a distraction but one he expected the Knicks to play through, and they had a chance to tie before Anthony missed a 3-pointer down 118-115.

Griffin then put it away with a free throw with 5.9 seconds left.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

goals by the Wolverines and put Michigan up 41-24.

That streak ended moments later, but the Wolverines closed the half by making another five straight shots, including Duncan Robinson's 3-pointer from the left

HEAT 106, BUCKS 88 MILWAUKEE (AP) — Hassan Whiteside had 23 points and 16 rebounds, and the Miami Heat extended their winning streak to 12 games with a victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

A lackluster night for the Bucks got worse with 6:34 left in the third quarter when Jabari Parker, part of the team’s young core, left the game with a sprained left knee. Parker hurt the same knee two seasons ago.

James Johnson added 20 points for the Heat. All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 22 points and eight rebounds, while Parker finished with 14 points.

CAVALIERS 132, PACERS 117 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Kyle Korver scored a season-high 29 points and LeBron James gave the Cleveland Cavaliers a second-half energy boost, lifting the defending champs over the Indiana Pacers.

Cleveland has won the first three games on its four-game road trip and six of its last seven overall.

James had 25 points, six rebounds and nine assists and Korver hit 8 of 9 3-pointers. Kyrie Irving had 29 points.

C.J. Miles scored 23 points to lead the Pacers, who ended a season-best sevengame winning streak. Jeff Teague had 22 points and 14 assists.

Indiana led most of the first half and still had a 63-57 edge at halftime. James scored 16 points in the second half while Cleveland rallied.

The Cavs went on a 14-2 run in the third quarter to lead 78-72, extended the margin to 14 at the end of three and never let the Pacers seriously challenge again.

SPURS 111, 76ERS 103 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 32 points, Tony Parker added 18 and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Philadelphia 76ers.

Jahlil Okafor had 20 points and eight rebounds, and Dario Saric also scored 20 for Philadelphia, which has lost five straight games.

The Sixers were again without star center Joel Embiid. The rookie missed his sixth straight game because of a left knee contusion. Philadelphia is 13-18 with Embiid, 5-16 without him.

The Spurs bounced back following a loss at Memphis and improved the NBA’s second-best record to 40-12. After trailing the entire game, the Sixers pulled within 87-85 on a pair of free throws by Okafor with 7:35 left. But San Antonio went on a 16-5 run to put it away.

WIZARDS 114, NETS 110, OT Bradley Beale scored 31 points, John Wall added 23 points and 12 assists, and Otto Porter Jr. had 20 points and 10 rebounds as the Washington Wizards sent the Brooklyn Nets to their 11th straight loss.

Jason Smith scored 15 points and Marcin Gortat added 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Wizards, who won for the eighth time in their last nine games.

Bojan Bogdanovic led the Nets with 21 points. Brook Lopez, who finished with 20 points, fouled out with 1:20 left in regulation as Brooklyn dropped its 13th in a row at home. Porter’s two free throws with 1:21 left in overtime snapped a 107-107 tie and gave the Wizards the lead for good.

corner on the final play.

BIG PICTURE Michigan State: The Spartans hadn't allowed an opponent to shoot over 50 per cent from the field all season. Michigan finished

at 60 per cent. The Spartans play four of their next five games at home, and this was certainly quite a wakeup call after a modest twogame winning streak.

Michigan: The loss to

HAWKS 117, NUGGETS 106 ATLANTA (AP) — Dennis Schroder had 24 points and 10 assists and the Atlanta Hawks held off a late rally by Denver to beat the Nuggets.

The Hawks never trailed and scored a season-high 72 points in the first half. The Nuggets cut Atlanta’s lead to 109-105 on a basket by Gary Harris with less than three minutes remaining.

Following a turnover by Atlanta’s Kent Bazemore, Denver couldn’t take advantage of the chance to pull closer. A three-point play by Paul Millsap, who had 23 points, pushed the lead back to seven points with 1:47 remaining. Schroder made two free throws for a 114-105 lead.

Wilson Chandler led Denver with 24 points.

Denver forward Kenneth Faried left after spraining his right ankle early in the second quarter. He needed assistance leaving the court. The team said X-rays were negative.

PISTONS 121, LAKERS 102 AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Andre Drummond had 24 points and 17 rebounds, and the Detroit Pistons handed the Los Angeles Lakers one more loss at The Palace.

It was the final scheduled appearance at The Palace for the Lakers, since the Pistons are set to move downtown next season.

Some of Detroit’s best memories in Auburn Hills came at the expense of Los Angeles. The Lakers went 0-5 in NBA Finals games at this arena as Detroit took titles at their expense in 1989 and 2004.

The Pistons led 56-50 at halftime and broke the game open in the third quarter.

Detroit went on an 11-0 run to take an 8261 lead.

Jon Leuer scored 20 points for the Pistons, who have won four of five. Tobias Harris added 19 points.

Julius Randle and Lou Williams scored 17 points apiece for the Lakers.

GRIZZLIES 110, SUNS 91 MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Mike Conley scored 23 points, Marc Gasol added 19 and the Memphis Grizzlies took advantage of the Phoenix Suns’ poor shooting.

Memphis held Phoenix to 33 percent shooting while six Grizzlies reached double figures. Memphis won its third straight and sixth in its last seven. Troy Daniels had 14 points for the Grizzlies, and JaMychal Green finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Devin Booker led the Suns with 20 points and Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight each finished with 16 for Phoenix, which lost its eighth in the last nine.

Booker fouled Daniels as he made a 3-pointer with 1:10 left, and the pair exchanged words. It escalated into a skirmish between players on both teams. Six players received technical fouls and three players were ejected, including Daniels.

TIMBERWOLVES 112, RAPTORS 109 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Andrew Wiggins scored 31 points against his hometown team, Tyus Jones hit a 3-pointer with 19.5 seconds left and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Toronto Raptors.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 29 points and 14 rebounds and Wiggins hit 11 of 19 shots to help the Timberwolves snap a four-game losing streak. Minnesota committed just

Ohio State was a low point for Michigan, but the Wolverines bounced back in the best way imaginable. Another loss at home would have put their NCAA Tournament hopes in a very precarious position.

eight turnovers, and Shabazz Muhammad scored 22 points off the bench.

DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points and DeMarre Carroll hit all five of his 3s and finished with 19 points and nine boards for the Raptors, who led by 13 points in the first half. Kyle Lowry added 20 points and Toronto shot 53 percent from the field, but Lowry missed a potential tying 3 at the buzzer.

JAZZ 127, PELICANS 94 NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Joe Johnson scored 27 points, George Hill added 19, and the Utah Jazz extended their winning streak to four games with a victory over the struggling New Orleans Pelicans.

Gordon Hayward scored 17 points in 26 minutes and got the whole fourth quarter off after Utah led by as many as 21 in the third quarter. The Jazz led for all but the first three minutes and were up by as many as 39 in the final period. Rudy Gobert had 10 points and 16 rebounds for Utah, which outrebounded New Orleans 48-37.

Anthony Davis’ offensive production was well below his standard against Utah’s front court tandem of Gobert and Derrick Favors. He scored 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting to go with 10 rebounds six blocks.

Terrence Jones scored 21 points and Jrue Holiday 15 for New Orleans, which has lost five of six.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

PAGE 6, Thursday, February 9, 2017

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ALAVES BEATS CELTA 1-0 TO REACH COPA DEL REY FINAL

Struggling Leicester earns respite by winning the FA Cup replay LEICESTER, England (AP) — Leicester earned some respite amid a difficult spell in its Premier League title defense by beating Derby 3-1 in a fourth-round replay in the FA Cup, with Demarai Gray’s slaloming solo strike clinching victory in extra time on Wednesday.

The English champions, who are languishing near the relegation zone, fielded a starting team filled with fringe players and were held 1-1 by their second-tier opponents after normal time.

Wilfred Ndidi came on at the start of extra time to put Leicester ahead in the 94th minute and Gray — the standout player at King Power stadium — finished Derby off by cutting in from the left, beating two defenders and driving a rising shot high into the net in the 114th.

Leicester will play another second-tier team, Millwall, away in the last 16 on Feb. 18.

Before then, Leicester faces relegation rival Swansea on Sunday, a crucial match that prompted coach Claudio Ranieri to gamble on 10 changes to his lineup against a Derby side led by former England manager Steve McClaren.

Leicester’s victory came a day after the Thai-owned club gave its “unwavering support” to Ranieri in a public show of faith for

MADRID (AP) — Alaves will be playing in the final of a major competition for only the second time in its history after defeating Celta Vigo 1-0 in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.

After the two sides drew 0-0 in the first leg, midfielder Edgar Mendez scored an 82nd-minute winner to give the Basque Country club a surprise spot in the May 27 final against two-time defending champion Barcelona, which edged Atletico Madrid 3-2 on aggregate on Tuesday.

It will be Alaves’ first final since losing to Liverpool in the UEFA Cup, now known as the Europa League.

A four-time runner-up in the Copa, Celta was trying to return to the final for the first time since 2001.

LEICESTER’s players celebrate the goal of Demarai Gray, left, during the English FA Cup Fourth Round replay soccer match between Leicester City and Derby County at the King Power Stadium in Leicester, England, yesterday. (AP) the manager who collected FIFA’s Coach of the Year award just a month ago.

Andy King’s 46th-minute opener for Leicester was canceled out by a deflected free kick from Guin-

ea international Abdoul Camara in the 61st. The teams drew 2-2 last month, setting up a replay.

NICE STAYS IN TITLE MIX WITH 1-0 WIN OVER SAINT-ETIENNE

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN AP Sports Writer PARIS (AP) — Nice’s campaign for the French league title is back on track after a goal from Wylan Cyprien secured a 1-0 victory over Saint-Etienne on Wednesday.

Nice, which lost the Riviera derby 3-0 to league leader Monaco last weekend, moved level on points with second-place Paris Saint-Germain and kept the title race wide open.

Monaco has a three-point lead at the top of the table following a win at Montpellier on Tuesday.

Nice played high up the pitch from the start, pressing SaintEtienne’s center-backs, and was quickly rewarded for its dominance.

Following a good combination of passes in front of the area, Cyprien took his chance from the edge of the box and sent a precise shot past keeper Jessy Moulin and into the top corner after seven minutes.

Nice had all the possession and

came close of doubling its lead five minutes later but, Moulin denied Alassane Plea’s attempt from close range.

Saint-Etienne’s first scoring chance came on the break after 20 minutes, when captain Romain Hamouma sped down the right flank, only to send his shot wide.

The visitors had two good chances after the interval but keeper Yoan Cardinale made excellent saves to secure three crucial points.

LYON 4, NANCY 0 After a bitter loss at archrival Saint-Etienne over the weekend, Lyon vented its frustration on struggling Caen with a convincing win. The result ended a threegame losing run in all competitions for the seven-time champions and lifted them four points clear of fifth-place Saint-Etienne with one match in hand.

Lyon supporters unfurled banners criticizing the lack of ambition from players and officials before kick-off.

Bruno Genesio’s players got the message although they missed a golden opportunity to break the deadlock after Mathieu Valbuena set up Maxwell Cornet in the area with an inspired pass in the 17th minute. Cornet got past a defender but completely missed his left-foot shot.

Striker Alexandre Lacazette was more accurate near the half-hour mark when he connected with a cut-back from Nabil Fekir, only to see his shot in front an open goal cleared by a Nancy player.

Just as he was about to be replaced by Memphis Depay because of an apparent leg injury, Valbuena made the most of his last moments on the pitch. Having collected the ball on the left side of the box, the France midfielder curled a beautiful shot into the opposite corner, giving keeper Sergey Chernik no chance.

Fekir then made it 2-0 with a fine chip over Chernik after playing a one-two with Lacazette. Lyon put the game away in the 54th minute

after being awarded what looked like a soft penalty for a challenge on Depay in the box. Lacazette converted the spot-kick with a shot to the right of Chernik and Depay completed the rout with his first goal since joining from Manchester United.

MARSEILLE 2, GUINGAMP 0 Dimitri Payet scored his first goal for Marseille since returning from West Ham during the winter transfer window, helping the southern club to victory over Guingamp.

It was also Payet’s first start since his move away from the Premier League and the France international celebrated it by scoring with a 25-meter free kick that took a deflection and flew over the Guingamp keeper in the 76th minute.

Bafetimbi Gomis had put the hosts in front with a diving header in the first half.

Marseille remained sixth in the standings, 19 points behind the leaders.

SCHALKE VICTORIOUS IN GERMAN CUP BERLIN (AP) — Schalke defeated SV Sandhausen 4-1 away to advance to the quarterfinals of the German Cup for the first time since 2011 on Wednesday, while third-division Sportfreunde Lotte’s run of upsets continued.

Three goals in an eightminute spell from Alessandro Schoepf, new signing Daniel Caligiuri and Brazilian defender Naldo at the end of the first half set Schalke on its way.

Andrew Wooten pulled one back midway through the second half but Schalke substitute Yevhen Konoplyanka sealed the win five minutes later.

Dutch striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar also came on with four minutes remaining, returning after more than three months out with a right knee injury.

Goals in each half from Jaroslaw Lindner and Kevin Freiberger gave Lotte a 2-0 home victory over seconddivision 1860 Munich.

Juventus wins 2-0 at Crotone, 9-man Milan beats Bologna 1-0

By DANIELLA MATAR Associated Press MILAN (AP) — It was harder than Juventus would have liked, but Massimiliano Allegri’s side won 2-0 at relegation-threatened Crotone to restore its seven-point lead in Serie A on Wednesday.

Juventus struggled to break Crotone down before goals from Mario Mandzukic and Gonzalo Higuain in the second half.

The match had been rescheduled from Dec. 22 because Juventus was involved in the Italian Super Cup, which it lost on penalties to AC Milan.

It took until the 23rd minute for Juventus to have its first shot on target when Paulo Dybala’s effort was saved by Crotone goalkeeper Alex Cordaz.

The visitors went even closer on the stroke of halftime when Cordaz parried Marko Pjaca’s header and Dybala’s follow-up was cleared off the line by Gian Marco Ferrari.

Juventus kept calm and eventually got the breakthrough on the hour when Cordaz parried Kwadwo Asamoah’s header and Mandzukic rushed in to slot home from a tight angle.

Miralem Pjanic was brought on in the 70th minute for Sami Khedira and he set up Juve’s second four minutes later, finding Tomas Rincon who sent a delightful ball through for Higuain to round Cordaz and deposit into the far corner. Pjanic almost got on the scoresheet himself five minutes from time but his volley came back off the crossbar.

BOLOGNA’s Ibrahima Mbaye and AC Milan’s Carlos Bacca vie for the ball during their Serie A soccer match at the Renato Dall’Ara stadium in Bologna, Italy, yesterday. (AP)

BOLOGNA 0, AC MILAN 1 Milan had to play more than half an hour with nine men following two red cards but Mario Pasalic’s last-gasp goal saw it snatch all three points at Bologna.

Pasalic was left with the easiest of finishes in the 89th minute after Gerard Deulofeu, who was in inspirational form, beat one Bolo-

gna defender and slipped the ball through the legs of another to set up the Croatia midfielder from inside the area.

Gabriel Paletta was sent off in the 37th minute for two yellow cards and Juraj Kucka followed him in the 59th after two bookings in six minutes.

Milan had won only one of its previous seven Serie A matches

and fallen from the Champions League spots to seventh place. It is now eight points behind thirdplaced Napoli, which beat Bologna 7-1 at the weekend.

Bologna had its best chance in the 65th but Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who turns 18 later this month, pulled off a fantastic save to deny Ladislav Krejci.

His opposite number, Angelo Da Costa, did well at the other end shortly afterward to keep out Pasalic’s effort from point-blank range. Pasalic had been set up by Deulofeu and the Spain midfielder almost scored directly from the ensuing corner, curling it onto the crossbar.

Milan will be left counting the cost of victory, however, as its in-

jury crisis deepened with Alessio Romagnoli limping off in the first half. It is already without Luca Antonelli and Mattia De Sciglio for around a month, while Giacomo Bonaventura has been ruled out for the rest of the season.

Paletta and Kucka will now face bans, leaving it struggling for Monday’s trip to fourth-place Lazio.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, February 9, 2017, PAGE 7

POLICE RELEASE VIDEO OF KOBE BRYANT MEMORABILIA THEFT ARDMORE, Pa. (AP) — Authorities in suburban Philadelphia are asking for help from the public in identifying two people who stole Kobe Bryant memorabilia from his high school.

Lower Merion Township police released surveillance video of the theft of items from BRYANT (AP) a display case outside the Bryant Gymnasium at Lower Merion High School.

Township police were called Sunday evening after the thieves busted a lock on the display case and took the former NBA star’s framed high school jersey, several pairs of signed Nike sneakers and the 1996 state championship trophy and net.

School officials say the items have little monetary value. The jersey is a replica of the one worn by the Los Angeles Lakers legend as a student.

Anyone with information is asked to call township detectives.

Russia loses 2021 biathlon worlds over doping allegations FIEBERBRUNN, Austria (AP) — The International Biathlon Union announced yesterday that the Russian city of Tyumen will no longer host the 2021 world championships, in the wake of alleged state-sponsored doping around the time of the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Following an extraordinary congress on the eve of the world championships in Hochfilzen, Austria, the sport’s governing body said it had asked the Russian federation to hand back the hosting rights for the 2021 worlds by February 24.

“Otherwise, the (IBU executive board) has decided to annul the award of the IBU WCH 2021 to Tyumen,” the union said in a statement.

The president of the Russian federation, Alexander Kravtsov, told press agency TASS that it would not give up the hosting rights voluntarily and that his federation was “ready to appeal the decision.”

The IBU announcement to move its marquee event from Russia was not unexpected.

Shortly after Tyumen was selected in September last year, IBU President Anders Besseberg told The Associated Press “it’s possible without problem” to strip the Siberian venue of the event if more Russian doping infringements surfaced after revelations of alleged statebacked doping at the Sochi Games.

The IBU Congress had chosen Tyumen to host the competition despite an IOC recommendation to all winter sports federations to “freeze their preparations for major events in Russia” and to find host cities in other countries.

Tyumen gained an absolute majority in the first round of voting, beating rival bids from Pokljuka in Slovenia and Nove Mesto in the Czech Republic.

Officials from several national biathlon federations, including those of the United States, Canada and Norway, publicly criticised the choice of a Russian venue, saying it would send the wrong signal in the wake of a report by World Anti-Doping

Agency investigator Richard McLaren that alleged widespread state-backed doping.

A new host for the 2021 worlds will be chosen next year.

Earlier, two other IBU events scheduled for Russia this season were also relocated — the junior world championships from Ostrov to Brezno-Osrblie in Slovakia, and a World Cup event from Tyumen to Kontiolahti in Finland.

In a separate decision, the IBU also said it would not be tightening its anti-doping regulations immediately, despite a petition signed by more than 150 biathletes and coaches last month.

Last month, many biathletes and coaches signed a petition, calling on the IBU to step up its efforts against doping. They asked for longer bans of up to eight years, higher fines of up to $1 million, and the reduction of start places for national federations with athletes caught doping.

In their letter, which has been obtained by the AP, the

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TONIGHT

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

Mostly sunny

Partly cloudy, a shower; breezy

A lot of sun, breezy and not as warm

Plenty of sunshine

Sunshine and pleasant

Mostly sunny and beautiful

High: 84°

Low: 67°

High: 78° Low: 64°

High: 79° Low: 66°

High: 81° Low: 67°

High: 82° Low: 67°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

94° F

64° F

78°-62° F

81°-64° F

85°-69° F

90°-70° F

ORLANDO

TAMPA

High: 76° F/24° C Low: 50° F/10° 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.

N

almanac

E

W

ABACO

S

N

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 57° F/14° C

8-16 knots

S

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 62° F/17° C

10-20 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 65° F/18° C

E

W S

E

W

WEST PALM BEACH

N

uV inDex toDay

TODAY

High: 79° F/26° C Low: 50° F/10° C

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 62° F/17° C

MIAMI

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 65° F/18° C

7-14 knots

KEY WEST

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 67° F/19° C

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 67° F/19° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2017

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 63° F/17° C

N

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

tiDes For nassau High

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

Today

6:16 a.m.

6:37 p.m.

3.2 2.6

12:44 p.m. -0.5 ---------

Friday

7:07 a.m.

7:28 p.m.

3.2 2.7

12:47 a.m. -0.8 1:32 p.m. -0.6

Saturday

7:54 a.m.

8:16 p.m.

3.2 2.7

1:37 a.m. -0.8 2:18 p.m. -0.7

Sunday

8:39 a.m.

9:02 p.m.

3.1 2.7

2:25 a.m. -0.7 3:01 p.m. -0.7

Monday

9:22 a.m.

9:46 p.m.

2.9 2.6

3:12 a.m. -0.6 3:43 p.m. -0.6

Tuesday

10:04 a.m.

10:30 p.m.

2.7 2.6

3:57 a.m. -0.4 4:24 p.m. -0.4

Wednesday 10:45 a.m.

11:15 p.m.

2.5 2.5

4:42 a.m. -0.1 5:04 p.m. -0.2

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:48 a.m.

6:00 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

4:55 p.m.

5:32 a.m.

Full

Last

New

First

Feb. 10

Feb. 18

Feb. 26

Mar. 5

CAT ISLAND

E

W

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 66° F/19° C

N

S

E

W

6-12 knots

S

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

Statistics are for Nassau through 1 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 88° F/31° C Low .................................................... 67° F/19° C Normal high ....................................... 77° F/25° C Normal low ........................................ 64° F/18° C Last year’s high ................................. 76° F/24° C Last year’s low ................................... 61° F/16° C Precipitation As of 1 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.00” Year to date ................................................. 0.79” Normal year to date ..................................... 1.77”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

biathletes say they “are frustrated that ... the IBU has not strengthened the rules enough to prevent a doping scandal of the magnitude described in the McLaren Report from happening.”

They say “it is now undeniably clear that our current IBU Rules are and were insufficient to deter doping.”

On Wednesday, the IBU said it could not impose longer bans on biathletes caught doping as the sport’s anti-doping rules have to comply with the WADA code.

As for the calls for higher fines and reduced starting spots, the IBU said it will set up a working group to prepare new rules, which could take effect at the start of the 2017-18 season.

There have been previous calls on the IBU for harsher treatment of doping infringements, most notably in 2009 when 20 national federations signed a petition demanding tougher punishments for cases of systematic doping.

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 67° F/19° C

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 70° F/21° C

N

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 67° F/19° C

E

W S

LONG ISLAND

insurance management tracking map

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 67° F/19° C

7-14 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 85° F/29° C Low: 69° F/21° C

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

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 85° F/29° C Low: 68° F/20° C

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 67° F/19° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 85° F/29° C Low: 70° F/21° C

N

E

W

E

W

N

S

S

3-6 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 W at 10-20 Knots NE at 10-20 Knots W at 6-12 Knots NE at 12-25 Knots WSW at 6-12 Knots NE at 12-25 Knots W at 3-6 Knots NE at 10-20 Knots WSW at 7-14 Knots NE at 12-25 Knots WNW at 10-20 Knots NE at 10-20 Knots SW at 6-12 Knots NE at 12-25 Knots N at 4-8 Knots NE at 10-20 Knots NW at 3-6 Knots NE at 12-25 Knots WSW at 4-8 Knots NE at 12-25 Knots WSW at 7-14 Knots NE at 12-25 Knots N at 3-6 Knots NE at 12-25 Knots SW at 7-14 Knots NE at 12-25 Knots

WAVES 4-7 Feet 5-9 Feet 0-1 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 4-7 Feet 1-3 Feet 2-4 Feet 3-5 Feet 4-7 Feet 2-4 Feet 4-7 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-3 Feet 4-7 Feet 4-7 Feet 1-2 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-2 Feet 3-5 Feet

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

WATER TEMPS. 73° F 79° F 77° F 77° F 77° F 77° F 79° F 79° F 75° F 75° F 78° F 77° F 77° F 77° F 80° F 80° F 79° F 79° F 85° F 78° F 76° F 76° F 78° F 78° F 76° F 76° F

PAGE 8, Thursday, February 9, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

O’NEIL MOSS, project manager at Woslee Construction, takes Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson, media members and other officials on a tour of the site of the Andre Rodgers National Baseball Stadium yesterday.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

Touring the site of the new Andre Rodgers National Baseball Stadium

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net WITH an all-Bahamian labour force, the new Andre Rodgers National Baseball Stadium is coming along as the first phase is completed with the columns already erected.

Yesterday, the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, along with the construction partners, took the media on a tour of the construction site adjacent to Government High School.

Minister Daniel Johnson said they want to explain as they go through each stage what is happening and what the next step will be.

“We’re getting back in the business of baseball.

We are building a baseball stadium where we can host international events,” Johnson said.

With more than 220 young Bahamians playing baseball in the United States, Johnson said they would serve as an incentive for the sport.

It’s the largest stadium construction ever undertaken by Bahamians and Johnson said it is being done in a first-class manner.

Michael Foster said while they are building on a high water table area, they have not had any hiccups with the progress they’ve made so far.

“Woslee Construction has done a masterful job in getting us out of the pond,” said Foster, whose AR Concepts company has been responsible for the architecture of the facility.

The columns have been erected to cover the grandstand. “We are tracking and exploring different processes to accelerate the project,” said Oneil Moss, project manager at Woslee.

A VIEW of the site of the Andre Rodgers National Baseball Stadium yesterday.

“There are columns that are up that are not used to be up at this point.”

Moss said they are 35 per cent complete. He said eventually, they would have to go up to 80 feet or eight stories to complete the project.

“Construction is about time and material,” he said.

“We have the material, so we will make the time. And we have the material. With the assistance of the Minister and Foster, we did a lot of the ground work ahead

of time to stay ahead of the game.”

It’s estimated that the construction should be completed by the end of the year. When it’s done, it will seat about 4,500 and there will be parking allocated for at least 200 cars.

The stadium will have its entrance overlooking the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium. It will feature a pond to help beautify the outside.

Inside, there will be a park where spectators can

meet and socialise.

At the southern end, there will be a batting cage where the public can view the players as they warm up.

There will also be a drive up to a corridor where the international players can be dropped off and picked up.

Teddy Sweeting, president of the Bahamas Baseball Federation, said they are very excited about what they’ve seen and heard.

“As you all know with the success that baseball is having right now, in respect to

the amount of young men, who have signed professional contracts to better themselves and their families, we see this growing by leaps and bounds.

“We’ve already had another signing that we will announce very soon. We have another million man baseball player.”

Sweeting said they have been looking forward to the construction of the stadium and World Baseball has already congratulated the Bahamas for constructing the

new facility.

“It’s going to be an exciting time for us,” Sweeting said. “We were gearing up to host an international tournament this year, but we deferred it to next year.

It’s an 18 youth division with 12 countries competing. We are looking forward to that.”

Sweeting said the many players overseas have all expressed their delight in coming back home to compete in the new stadium when it is built.

Royals announce their $16m, 2-year deal for Hammel

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jason Hammel knows he wouldn’t be in Kansas City if tragedy had not struck the Royals organisation.

The 34-year-old right-hander made that clear right from the start.

“I feel like I need to express my condolences to Royals Nation and the Ventura family,” he said, referring to the fatal car crash that claimed pitcher Yordano Ventura in his native Dominican Republic last month. “I truly feel if that unfortunate passing doesn’t happen, you’re not talking to me.”

Royals general manager Dayton Moore said that was precisely the case.

“Obviously we weren’t in the starting pitcher market,” he explained during a news conference to introduce his new pitcher yesterday, “although we’d been an admirer of Jason for a while and knew he was an option out there.

We were very surprised, truthfully, that he remained on the market as well. Once we got over

the shock of Yordano, you have to move forward.

“We have a baseball season to play, a team we’re responsible for, players we’re committed to and a fan base we’re responsible for as well,” Moore added. “So our scouts to a man, our entire front office, said, ‘There’s one guy out there that really makes us better.’”

Hammel will make $5 million this season, $9 million next season and the deal includes a $12 million mutual option for the 2019 season with a $2 million buyout. Hammel can also earn $250,000 if he logs at least 200 innings, a threshold he has never reached over parts of 11 seasons.

Right-hander Alec Mills was designated for assignment to clear space for Hammel on the 40-man roster. The move was mildly surprising given how highly Mills is thought of in the Kansas City system.

Hammel slots into a starting rotation that includes left-handers Danny Duffy and Jason Vargas and right-hander Ian Kennedy, with the fifth spot up for grabs in spring training.

“This deal completes certainly

JASON HAMMEL delivers a pitch in the first inning of a game against the Cincinnati Reds. (AP) our rotation, our pitching staff,” Moore said. “We’ll go to spring training and there will be some spots for competition in the bullpen. We’ll evaluate that. And as we all know, every major league team has to make adjustments to the roster throughout the season.

Hopefully it has nothing to do with health, nothing to do with production.”

Hammel was 15-10 with a 3.83 ERA in 30 starts for the World Series champion Cubs last season, though he was not a part of

the postseason roster. But he said Wednesday that a shoulder problem that lingered into September was not the reason for that decision.

Nor is it a reason anybody should give pause to his signing.

“Yeah, I mean, without going into great length, that was kind of the hold-up with a lot of teams is my guess,” he said. “The fact of the matter is I’m 100 per cent healthy and I have been. I wasn’t on the postseason roster because we had a really good team.”

Hammel is certainly familiar with the Royals. He was teammates last season with outfielder Jorge Soler, who was acquired this offseason in a trade for closer Wade Davis. And he spent last season with second baseman Ben Zobrist, who played for the Royals on their 2015 World Series championship team.

He also was with Oakland when he delivered the pitch that Royals catcher Salvador Perez slapped for the winning hit in the 12th inning of their epic wild-card game in 2014. The hit gave Kansas City a 9-8 victory and spurred a World Series run, while likewise ending the A’s season.

“I made my pitch, as I’ve done a million times in my career, and there’s still been hits off that,” said Hammel, who admitted to hating Perez for “a good 24 hours” after that September night.

“I learned now that I didn’t make him honour the inner half of the plate, because he went out there and got it,” Hammel said.

“I’m very excited to see him not do that to me anymore.”

His deal was negotiated by agents Sam and Seth Levinson.