02272017 sports

SPORTS SECTION E

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2017

BUDDY

Kings, Pg 5

RATTLERS TO FACE FALCONS IN GRAND FINALE TONIGHT

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

The USA held on for a 2-0 lead to complete the first period.

In the first two minutes of the second period, the Bahamas blew a couple of golden opportunities to score when both Gary Williams and team captain Gavin Christie drew USA’s goalie Christopher Toth out of the post, but neither were able to score on their consecutive respective touches.

With about four minutes left in the period, Lesly St Fleur got his chance to increase his goal scoring tally for the Bahamas as he had goalie Toth right on his side in front of the net, but his shot was a little too high.

Then with 20.2 seconds left, USA’s captain Lewie Valentine was charged with a hand ball.

THE CI Gibson Rattlers survived three tough matches against the New Providence champions last night to book their ticket against the highly favoured Tabernacle Falcons in tonight’s final of the 35th Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

The Rattlers, runnersup in the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association’s championships, prevailed with a 5943 rout over the defending tournament champions CC Sweeting Cobras, then they outlasted the GSSSA champions Anatol Rodgers Timberwolves 68-60 that ended in a big brawl before they finished with a 67-64 win over the BAISS champions Jordan Prince William Falcons.

“It was very difficult.

Last night they said we would have played one, but they made a change,” said Rattlers’ coach Kevin ‘KJ’ Johnson after their clincher over Jordan Prince William. “We were mentally tough and we were prepared to fight the battle. We did and our goal was to get to the championship and just execute.”

Against another champion, Tabernacle Academy, who won the Grand Bahama title, Johnson said he’s confident that his Rattlers will still have enough left in the sting for the grand finale that starts at 9pm.

“These young men have been running hard after a stunning loss to CC Sweeting in the government schools championships,” he said. “They were determined to get in shape for this type of game and we did it.”

The Falcons, coached by Kevin Clarke, will be well rested, having secured their berth in the final on Saturday night when they handed Jordan Prince William another heartbreaking loss, 70-68.

SEE PAGE 2

SEE PAGE 4

NESLY JEAN (far right) in action against the USA yesterday.

Photo: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff

Bahamas suffers 4-2 loss to USA

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

B

efore another jam-packed Malcolm Park beach soccer stadium, the Bahamas suffered a 4-2 loss to the United States of America yesterday and ended up in sixth place in the CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship.

Although they fell short, leading goal scorer Lesly St Fleur said they gave it their best.

“It was a great tournament. It prepares us good, but we still have more work to do,” said St Fleur about the tournament, which prepares the Bahamas to host the FIFA World Cup in April at the same venue.

“The World Cup is going to be a pretty higher level, so we have to be ready.”

Panama tops Mexico in final as Bahamas finishes in 6th As the World Cup looms on the horizon, St Fleur said they hope to come back and put on a good show for the Bahamian fans. He admitted that they have a lot of work to do, but they just have to go back to the drawing board and get ready to compete.

“I felt great for our home fans to cheer us on and I hope that they continue to cheer us on,” he said. “I hope that they come out in the World Cup and continue to support us.”

St Fleur, however, said he felt he could have performed a lot better, although he posted 11 goals and was in the running for

the golden boot. “I have plenty work to do, but I will be ready for the World Cup,” he said. “In El Sal-

vador, I had 11 goals and so to come right back here and keep on scoring goals and to help build up the team momentum, it feels good.”

The USA broke the ice at 8:44 in the first period when Oscar Reyes got in a header from the left corner past goalie Torin Ferguson, who got the starting nod for the second straight game.

With 3:37, Nesly Jean tried to get the ball back to Ferguson but Alessandro Canale sneaked up on Jean and caught Ferguson too far out of the goal post to boot in the second goal for the USA.

Charlton falls just short of a triple feat for Boilermakers

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net IT was another spectacular showing for Bahamians at the Big Ten Indoor Championships as Danielle Gibson won the triple for the Penn State Lions and Devynne Charlton fell just short of a triple feat for Purdue University Boilermakers to lead the way on Saturday in Geneva, Ohio.

Inside the Spire Institute, Gibson captured the women’s triple jump title with her mark of 43-feet, 4-inches (13.25m) to become just the second Penn State athlete to win the event at the conference meet joining Chi-Chi Aduba who won the event in 2003 with a mark of 44’-1.50” (13.44m).

“Beyond what I expected, the competition in the Big Ten has progressed so much from my freshman year,” Gibson told The Tribune.

“You are not only competing against girls in your conference, but some of the

top people in the nation.

“Competition was stiff, but that’s the way I like it because victory feels so much better knowing you had to work for it and that it wasn’t given o me.”

The senior closed out her indoor career by finishing sixth in the long jump with 18-0 1/2. (5.50m).

“Overall my performances were good and I’m very proud of myself,” Gibson summed up. “I know the distances were not my best, but I felt as though I competed and that was a message my coaches always try to drive home to me.”

Meanwhile on the track, Charlton had an exceptional meet, winning both the 60m and 60m hurdles and then finishing off the day as the runner-up in the 200m.

She started with the 60m dash, an event she has finished runner-up the last two years, winning in a time of 7.26 seconds, breaking her own school record by 0.04 of a second. It was the No.10 time in the country

DEVYNNE CHARLTON with her medals won in the Big Ten Indoor Championships.

this year and the fastest at the Big Ten Championships since 2012 and tied for the fastest by any woman in the Big Ten since that 2012 race.

Fellow Bahamian Keianna Albury, a sophomore at Penn State, was third in the race in 7.43.

“I felt good about my performances with two new personal best times and a tie for another,” Charlton told The Tribune. “But I think I enjoyed the 60m the most.

I was second two years in a row and I’m happy that I was able to come away with the win in my senior year.”

With her family in the stands cheering her on, Charlton came back 40 minutes later and successfully defended her title in the 60m hurdles, this time with Bahamian national outdoor record holder Pedrya Seymour from Illinois in the race as they ran sideby-side.

Charlton, beaten by Seymour earlier this year, had to come from behind as she

leaned across the finish line in 7.97 seconds, tying her own Bahamian indoor national, school and facility record from last year’s Big Ten meet, edging her Bahamian Illinois arch-rival by 0.01 of a second.

Charlton’s time ranks No. 2 in the NCAA this season and is the fastest by any woman in the country since January 28 when Oregon’s Sasha Wallace ran her nation-leading 7.91-seconds time.

Charlton is one of seven women in Big Ten history to win consecutive Big Ten 60m hurdles titles. She is one of just two to win the 60m dash and 60m hurdles at the same Big Ten Championships and the first since 2012. Charlton is the only woman in school history to win the 60m hurdles Big Ten title.

Seymour, unavailable for comments, had to settle for second in 7.98, tying her personal best performance.

SEE PAGE 4

PAGE 2, Monday, February 27, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Bahamas falls 5-3 to Guadeloupe in quarter-finals

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net BEFORE a packed crowd at the newly built facility at Malcolm Park at the foot of the Sir Sidney Poitier Bridge on Friday night, the Bahamas suffered a heartbreaking 5-3 loss to Guadeloupe in the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship.

Even with more Bahamians lining the bridge and hundreds locked out in their effort to get into the stadium, the host team found themselves trailing on three occasions but battled back to even the score at 3-3 after two periods. However, Theo Gelas struck a pair of goals late in the third period to complete his hattrick and secure the win for Guadeloupe which advanced them to

a semi-final against Mexico on Saturday night.

The Bahamas, coming off three straight impressive victories to win group A in the round robin segment, were left to take on Trinidad & Tobago to determine which of the spots between fifth and eighth they would end up playing for on Sunday when the week-long tournament comes to a close.

“We started off a little shaky in the first period, but I felt as if we regained our composure in the second and third periods, but some good playing by Guadeloupe held off our strong attack,” said Bahamas’ goalkeeper Ivan Rolle. “Anytime you are playing in sand, it’s difficult, but we trained hard and we tried to stick to our game plan as much as possible.”

Rolle, who had his most dif-

ficult match so far in the tournament, said the Bahamas would have preferred to be playing in the semi-finals, but they hope to come back and finish the tournament on a strong note just as they started on Monday.

“We were expecting to finish as least top four in this tournament, so it’s very heartbreaking,” Rolle, who was distraught at the final whistle, pointed out. “We want to use this tournament as a stepping stone to really show the world that we are ready to play at this level.”

Rolle was referring to the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup that will take place at the same facility in April. By virtue of being the hosts, the Bahamas have already qualified.

As they use this tournament as a stepping stone to the more prestigious one ahead, Rolle said he was encouraged when he looked

up and saw the tremendous support they received from the Bahamian public as the stadium was packed to its 3,000 capacity and people lined the Sir Sidney Poitier bridge to watch from outside as they couldn’t get in.

Each time Guadeloupe scored in the first two periods, the Bahamas answered until Gelas put the game away for good in the third.

Damien Granchi-Constant, the Guadeloupe captain, took advantage of a loose ball to volley in from long range over Rolle after four minutes but Gary Joseph levelled 30 seconds later after some neat footwork. But within two minutes Gelas nodded in his first at the far post from a throw-in to put Guadeloupe in front and then Lesly St Fleur saw his penalty brilliantly saved by the goalkeeper, who had an excellent match.

Sebastien Hell, joint top scorer in

the tournament with St Fleur going into the game, gave notice of his threat by hitting the post just before the end of the period.

Joseph struck again early in the second to even the score at 2-2 but three minutes later, the imposingly physical Hell rose above the Bahamas defence to head Guadeloupe in front 3-2.

St Fleur, having a sensational tournament, finally got through to tie the score at 3-3 just before the end of the period - his ninth goal of the event.

In the third period, the deadlock was broken when Gelas escaped onto a long ball forward and then punished confusion in the Bahamas defence at a corner to slide in at the far post with four minutes to go. Joseph fired in a free kick as the clock ran down on the Bahamas but the goalkeeper made another fine diving save.

BAHAMAS SUFFERS 4-2 LOSS TO USA FROM PAGE 1 On the penalty kick, St Fleur put the Bahamas on the scoreboard with his 11th goal in the tournament for a 2-1 deficit as the crowd roared their approval.

And with 2.5 on the clock, St Fleur was awarded another penalty kick, but this time it went long as the USA held onto their 2-1 lead to complete the second period.

To start the third, 10:20 into the period, Joseph made an errant pass to Ferguson in front

of the goal and Nicolas Perera was on the attack for the shot into the net and a 3-1 lead for the USA. But on the next play, Christie got the free kick to cut the Bahamas’ deficit to 3-2.

The Bahamas got another break at 7:44 as Valentine got ejected leaving the USA short one player for two minutes.

“It’s beach soccer, it’s played rough,” St Fleur said about the physicality of the game.

“Sometimes you get out of hand and the judges pick up some things. We just have to

be careful in the World Cup.” However, at 6:50, Jean was hit with a yellow card and the Bahamas failed to cash in on the USA’s inefficiency before they got back to full strength.

All things even, Toth goggled the ball in front of Christie before he booted in a goal near the half court line for a 4-2 lead for the USA. With another three minutes left, St Fleur got a pass to Christie, whose shot was deflected wild by Toth in the goalpost. At 1:31, Joseph was hit with a green card.

ON THE REPLAY: Team Bahamas suffered a 4-2 loss to USA yesterday.

Photos: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff

BAHAMAS HOLDS OFF TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 5-2

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE FINAL RESULTS FRIDAY Placement matches Barbados 5 Turks & Caicos Islands 2 Belize 6 US Virgin Islands 4 (after extra time) Canada 2 Costa Rica 2 (Costa Rica win 3-2 on penalties) Guyana 6 Antigua & Barbuda 4 Quarter-finals El Salvador 5 Jamaica 0 United States 4 Panama 6 Mexico 5 Trinidad & Tobago 1 Bahamas 3 Guadeloupe 5 Saturday Placement matches Turks & Caicos Islands 4 US Virgin Islands 1 Belize 6 Barbados 2 Canada 6 Antigua & Barbuda 1 Costa Rica 5 Guyana 2 United States 6 Jamaica 2 Bahamas 5 Trinidad & Tobago 2 Semi-finals Panama 2 El Salvador 2 (Panama win 2-1 on penalties) Mexico 3 Guadeloupe 0 Sunday 15th place playoff: Barbados 3 US Virgin Islands 1 13th place playoff: Belize 9 Turks & Caicos Islands 4 11th place playoff: Antigua & Barbuda 8 Guyana 6 9th place playoff: Canada 5 Costa Rica 6 7th place playoff: Jamaica 3 Trinidad & Tobago 9 5th place playoff: Bahamas 2 United States 4 3rd place playoff: El Salvador 7 Guadeloupe 2 Final: Mexico 2 Panama 4 • The finalists qualify for the World Cup in Nassau from April 27 to May 7.

DESPITE being outsized and eventually outmanned on the pitch on Saturday, the Bahamas held off Trinidad & Tobago 5-2, highlighted by two impressive goals from captain Gavin Christie and one each from tournament leading scorer Lesly St Fleur and Gary Joseph, in the CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship.

With the win in the playoff round at the Malcolm Park Beach Soccer Facility at the foot of the Sir Sidney Poitier Bridge, the Bahamas clinched a match against the United States - who won the title in Nassau in 2013 - in their final game of the week-long tournament for fifth and sixth places in the standings in the field of 16 nations.

Bahamas Coach Alexandre Soares, assisted by Stephen Bellot, said the team is coming into its own and performing at the level that he expects them to, going into the FIFA World Cup in Nassau in April as the host of the 16 nations coming in.

“Every day, every game is important for the ranking,” Soares said. “Every game we win, it’s important for us as we prepare for the World Cup.” Soares said they face a very competitive team on Sunday in the US, who they defeated during a trip to Europe when they prepared for this tournament, but he admitted that they will have to perform at their best if

they intend to come out on top again.

The game with Trinidad & Tobago started as a defensive battle as neither team was able to capitalise on numerous attempts to score in the scoreless first period. Just before the break, the Bahamas received a scare when Dwayne Forbes was clipped on his head by Trinidad & Tobago’s Lemuel Lyons and he needed medical attention after he came off the field by team physician Eugenia Patton.

Three and a half minutes into the second period, Joseph’s shot hit the outside of the right post. With the goalkeeper pulled out of position midway through the period, Joseph tried to get a quick pass into Christie, but the keeper managed to get back in time to prevent the Bahamas from scoring.

However, with 5min 45sec remaining in the period, Joseph broke away from his defender and fired in the first goal and the celebrations began. Shortly after, the crowd went wild as St Fleur broke away from his defender, got a pass into Forbes and with Christie anxiously waiting in front of the post, he slipped a shot into the corner of the net to make it 2-0.

Forbes came back to start the final period and just over four minutes in, Christie powered past a defender and after drawing the goalkeeper out, was able to boot in his second goal to push the Bahamas lead to 3-0. However, in the build up, Forbes got another head in-

jury and had to leave the game.

The game got physical halfway through the third period when goalkeeper Torin Ferguson attempted to snatch the ball from Trinidad & Tobago’s pesky David McDougall. He got a little roughed up and Nesly Jean came to his rescue, but both received a yellow card from the referee.

A minute later, Ferguson sent a long pass to St Fleur, who found the back of the net on a reverse kick to make it 4-0. It was St Fleur’s tenth goal of the tournament, the most by any player.

Trinidad & Tobago eventually got on the scoreboard thanks to Jesse Bailey’s shot up the middle against Bahamas’ number two keeper Ferguson, who was given the start over Ivan Rolle, and with 1min 38sec left, Lyons fired a free kick up the middle to make it 4-2.

As the game started to wind down, one of Trinidad & Tobago’s coaches was ejected for arguing the calls.

Then with 50 seconds left, Kyle Williams was ejected after Trinidad & Tobago’s Lyons was awarded a free kick. Williams had attempted to defend what he felt was an aggressive foul on Jean.

The Bahamas ended up with three players on the field of play. With 33 seconds left, Forbes was fouled and had to leave the game as Joseph came in and from the free throw, he drilled the ball past Trinidad & Tobago’s goalkeeper, completing a 5-2 win.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, February 27, 2017, PAGE 3

With UB, ‘one certainly expects a level of improvement’ in collegiate athletics SYNONYMOUS with colleges and universities the world over is collegiate athletics.

One can’t mention Duke University without making note of the Blue Devil’s triumphs on the hardwood under head coach Mike Krzyzewski. No matter the name or value of the institution, make mention of it and the athletic triumphs and/or failures are sure to follow not so long after.

Here in the Bahamas, with the advancements of tertiary level education, from the College of The Bahamas to now the University of The Bahamas, one certainly expects a level of improvement in the area of collegiate athletics.

Well, this week in the Fourth Quarter Press, we delve into the vision and direction of Kimberley Rolle, the athletic director at the University of The Bahamas.

The Vision Rebranding, improved school spirit, formal links with both the National Sporting Academy and the National Sporting Authority; links to international and local sporting bodies to ensure top-tier competition and development opportunities; and even plans to seek and procure corporate by-in to ensure continued development – all initial steps in the grand plan of Rolle, who insisted that it was time for the UB, like many of those other schools, to have a sporting platform not only to brag about but one capable of building a legacy.

While sports was only

FOURTH QUARTER PRESS

BY RICARDO WELLSedia.net rwells@tribunem

KIMBERLEY ROLLE, the athletic director at University of The Bahamas. mentioned as component to a component last November during the school’s official Charter Day celebration, it was Rolle this past week using an adage adopted from her mother to best describe just how big of a component athletics will now become, saying in brief, it was time for the institution to put its “money where your mouth is.”

The Process “But this brand identity is an important link to our overall development because it is something that connects our students, faculty, staff and administrators; our alumni community to the University,” stated Rolle last week during UB’s semi-annual “media information meeting” held on campus at the institution’s hospital training restaurant, Choices.

Today marks the official re-launch of the College of The Bahamas ‘Caribs’, with the team officials adopting

“HERE IN THE BAHAMAS, WITH THE ADVANCEMENTS OF TERTIARY LEVEL EDUCATION, FROM THE COLLEGE OF THE BAHAMAS TO NOW THE UNIVERSITY OF THE BAHAMAS, ONE CERTAINLY EXPECTS A LEVEL OF IMPROVEMENT IN THE AREA OF COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS.” the moniker, the University of The Bahamas ‘Mingos’.

Instituted under the umbrella of capital works, the University of The Bahamas’ sporting programmes has progressed rapidly over the last year.

This rebrand comes tied to the idea that UB, under Rolle, could cultivate beneficial partnerships with both the National Sports Authority – the organisation that oversees and manages many of the nation’s foremost sporting facilities; and the National Sporting Academy – an institution being designed to identify, enrol and development many of the nation’s pre-

mier sporting talent.

This is where the investment is needed.

This is where UB has to not only say it wants more, but show through investment and support that it is ready to build its brand.

“Over the past three years, very specifically, the athletics department has really worked consistently and hard at solidifying our athletic teams and really building a cadre of student athletes and coaches that the university and all of its stakeholders can be proud of,” added Rolle.

According to her, the level of success now expected has to take a gigantic step

forward.

She added that for that level of success to be experienced and sustained, officials must now step up and show that if the effort is supplied by coaches and athletes, it is matched through facilities and resources put forth by UB. “We are now starting to attract some good talent to the university and our teams are consistently becoming more and more competitive,” she said.

Rolle said top coaches from across the country that are still based here have now started to see UB as the perfect training ground to develop the nation’s next generation of stars.

That is the idea seen in both the soccer and track and field programmes at UB. Of the soccer programme, Rolle said the team has “gone from the basement to the pent house” in a little over a year.

Of the track programme, well the team is just weeks removed from scorching top level competition at the inaugural Purdue University indoor track and field meet.

The level of success in these two areas have many believing that UB, if guided and resourced properly, could in a short period of time, build a successful collegiate athletic programme.

The End-Game To every warrior, a battle is needed.

“Obviously there are no other colleges or universities here for us to compete athletically against, so the

NAIA, particularly the Sun Conference, presents a very attractive option for us,” said Rolle.

According to the NAIA’s website, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, is a governing body of small athletics programmes that are dedicated to characterdriven intercollegiate athletics. The site went on to state that since 1937, the NAIA has administered programmes and championships in proper balance with the overall college educational experience.

It added that the studentathlete is the centre of all NAIA experiences. Each year more than 60,000 student-athletes have the opportunity to play college sports at NAIA member institutions.

Recently, the University of The Bahamas formally wrote the NAIA to indicate interest in aligning itself with the collegiate body.

As a result of that letter, the NAIA has amended its laws and procedures to allow entry to tertiary institutions outside of the United States and Canada. Now while this doesn’t guarantee UB a spot, it puts the process of inclusion on the front-burner, indicating to all involved that an end goal is in sight.

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

— Martin Luther King Jr

JACOBI BAIN FALLS SHORT IN HIS FIRST TENNIS EUROPE TOUR UNDER-14 FINALS

JOANNA EVANS in action at UT’s Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center on Saturday.

Olympian Joanna Evans and Longhorns win their 5th straight league title

JACOBI BAIN with his coach.

BAHAMIAN junior tennis player Jacobi Bain lost 5-7, 6-3, 5-7 in his first under-14 boys singles on the Tennis Europe Tour at the International Championships of Romania yesterday.

The 13-year-old Bain was beaten by No.2 seed Oliver Sabo.

On Saturday, Bain advanced to his first Tennis Europe under-14 finals with a 6-2, 6-4 win in the

semi-final.

The No.6 seed Bain pulled off a 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7) win over qualifier Petr Nesterov on Friday.

Also, Bain teamed up with Bogdan Boclinca, the No.4 seed, in doubles where they lost to Filip Mandovic and Sabo.

Bain now heads to Sweden this week to play in Tennis Europe Boys’ U-14 category 1 event where he is in the main draw.

BAHAMIAN Olympian Joanna Evans had another spectacular showing over the weekend for the No. 2 Texas Longhorns as they completed an unblemished run through the Big 12 Championships, winning their fifth consecutive league title at UT’s Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center on Saturday.

Sophomore Evans claimed her second consecutive league title on Saturday in the 1,650 freestyle at 16:05.11, well under the 16:13.39 that won her the 2016 Big 12 title.

The performance came after Evans toppled a 25-year-old school mark in the 500yard freestyle on Friday.

Evans kicked off the night by breaking the long-standing school mark in the 500-yard free, where she was victorious in 4:36.97.

The swim broke the previous school mark of 4:37.73 set by Olympian Erika Hansen at the 1992 NCAA Championships. It also took down the Big 12 mark of 4:37.81 set by Texas A&M’s Cammile Adams at the 2011 Big 12 Championships.

Last year, Evans represented the Bahamas, placing 13th in the 400m freestyle (4:07.60), 23rd in the 800m freestyle and 37th in the 200m freestyle (2:01.27).

JOANNA EVANS Over the weekend, the Grand Bahamian native helped Texas win its 15th Big 12 title with 991 points while Kansas took second with 683.5 points. Iowa State placed third with 591.5 points and West Virginia placed fourth with 581.5 points. TCU took fifth at 434.5.

RBDF CHALLENGE CUP REGATTA ALL SET THE Royal Bahamas Defence Force Challenge Cup Regatta is back. It’s scheduled for March 31 to April 2 in Monatgu Bay. The event is a C Class Regatta and expected to participate are the Aliv WG Thunderbird, San Sally, Sweet Island Gal, H20, King & Knights, Flash, Whisper, Irene Good Night, Revolution, Jacobs Ladder, It Ain’t Right and Lady Eunice.

There is also expected to be a surprise entry that organisers intend to reveal later.

“We are expecting three days of very competitive sailing during the day,” said Lynden Johnson, one of the local organisers. “The evenings will be equally exciting with the live entertainment.”

PAGE 4, Monday, February 27, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Charlton falls just short of a triple feat for Boilermakers FROM PAGE 1 “Pedrya really pushed me the last few hurdles,” Charlton said. “She had a good race. We both tied our PRs and I’m excited to see how we both compete at Nationals in two weeks (March 10-11 in College Station).”

Forty minutes after earning her second gold of the day, Charlton was back in the starting blocks for the 200m dash. She entered the race with a season-best time of 23.91 seconds and a personal best of 23.64 seconds.

But she went on to run a PR time of 23.53, which ranks second in school history, just 0.05 of a second behind the school record. It took the fourth-fastest time in the country of 22.83

by Brittany Brown, a junior at Iowa, to keep Charlton from winning a third event in just under an hour and a half.

Charlton’s finish is the highest-ever by a Boilermaker in the 200m dash at a Big Ten Indoor Championships.

“In the 200m, I knew that since I was to Keianna’s outside, I would have to get out hard and keep pushing toward the end because she’s a strong finisher and she would be coming,” Charlton added.

Albury finished fourth in 23.69 after running 23.55 in the preliminaries to get into the final.

Another Bahamian, Carmiesha Cox, also in her senior year at Purdue, suffered a hamstring pull as she coasted through the preliminaries of the 200m in 24.16. She also missed running the final of the 60m after running 7.36 in heat.

On the men’s side, Kinard Rolle, a sophomore at Purdue, clocked 47.11 for 11th overall as he missed a trip to the final.

ILLINOIS runner-up Pedrya Seymour (left) and Purdue’s champion Devynne Charlton pose together after receiving their medals.

ACC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS In South Bend, Indiana, Henri Delauze finished fourth in the men’s 400m final in a personal best of 46.82 for the University of Miami as he also moved up one step into second place in their school history.

Delauze, in his junior year, also ran the second leg for the Hurricanes men’s 4 x 400m relay team that was eighth in the final in 3:12.70, a time that ended up being the fifth fastest in Miami’s history.

On the field, Bahamian freshman Celine Thompson, also representing the Hurricanes, was tied for sixth in the women’s high jump Bailey Weiland, a junior at Georgia Tech after they both cleared 1.65m.

PENN State’s triple jump champion Danielle Gibson (left) and 60m fourth place finisher Keianna Albury pose above.

SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS At home in Auburn, Alabama, senior Teray Smith ran 20.93 for fifth place in the men’s 200m.

The Bahamian Olympian, who ran 20.92 to qualify fifth in the preliminaries, is ranked No.14 nationally with a time of 20.75 that he clocked at the Tiger Paw Invite.

Grand Bahamian native Teray Smith ran the second leg of the Tigers men’s 4 x 400m as they placed seventh in 3:08.51.

Xavier Coakley, Smith’s team-mate at Auburn where they are trained by Bahamian assistant coach Henry Rolle, just missed getting into the final of the men’s 60m hurdles. He placed ninth in the preliminaries in 7.95.

On the women’s side, Jenae Ambrose placed tenth in the women’s 200m in 23.71,but it wasn’t enough to get the sophomore into the final.

CI GIBSON RATTLERS TO FACE FALCONS IN FINALE TONIGHT FROM PAGE 1 • Here is a summary of the elimination games played on Saturday and Sunday: Rattlers 67, Falcons 64: Tyrell Butler scored on a lay-up to put CI Gibson up by one and on a Jordan Prince Williams turnover, Terrance Storr put the icing on the cake when he broke away for a two-handed slam dunk just before the buzzer sounded as they celebrated with their fans.

Butler finished with 17 points, five rebounds, five steals and three assists. Asher Scavella also had 27 points with seven rebounds and four steals; Storr had 16 points and Deon’ta Tinker contributed nine.

Frantwoin Newton led the Falcons with a game high 20 points and 10 rebounds. Sherman Marshall had 11 points and six rebounds; Wilfred Ferguson also had 11 points and Adam Johnson chipped in with 10 points, eight rebounds, six steals and four block shots.

Falcons 70, Falcons 68: With 15 seconds left on the clock, Franco Miller canned a pair of free throws to seal the deal for Tabernacle Academy on Saturday night.

While Miller hit the winning two free throws to finish with 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds, D. Regis Cooper had a side high 18 points and six rebounds for Tabernacle Baptist.

Both Alfredo Brown and Seandre Todd contributed nine points and Shamell Greene chipped in with eight points.

For Jordan Prince Williams, Adam Johnson pumped in a game high 23 points with 10 rebounds, six block shots, five steals and

three assists before he cramped up and couldn’t finish the game late in the fourth quarter.

Frantwoin Newton had 22 points and six rebounds; Wilfred Ferguson had 13 points and Sherman Marshall added 10 points.

Rattlers 68, Timberwolves 60: A bench clearing brawl resulted in the GSSSA champions Anatol Rodgers conceding defeat with about 20 seconds left on the clock.

CI Gibson, playing their second game of the day, was awarded the victory as they advanced to the semifinal.

Terrence Storr came up with 23 points and four rebounds to lead the Rattlers. Asher Scavella had 19 points with 10 rebounds; Derrio Saunders added 10 points with six assists,five rebounds and four steals.

Dominic Bridgewater canned a game high 32 points with 12 rebounds, five steals and three assists to pace Anatol Rodgers as they got eliminated. Jayson McHardy had nine points and Kirklyn Farrington added seven points.

Rattlers 59, Cobras 43: CI Gibson ousted the defending champions CC Sweeting as Terrance Storr exploded for 32 points five rebounds and four steals to almost single handedly secure the win.

Asher Scavella was their next best scorer with eight points and 11 rebounds.

Marco Beckford finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Cobras. Both Ricardo Mathieu and Brandon Strachan had six points. Strachan also had eight rebounds and four assists.

Timberwolves 63, Jaguars 58: Anatol Rodgers eliminated St

George’s as Tayson McHardy led the attack with 20 points and four rebounds.

Dominic Bridgewater had 18 points seven assists and five rebounds and Devon Bonaby had 12 points.

The Grand Bahama Jaguars had a balanced scoring attack with Davonte Jennings scoring 17 points; Howard Hinzey had 16 points and 16 rebounds; Ahmad Harvey had 11 points and eight rebounds and Tericko Moss added 10 points with eight rebounds, but it wasn’t enough.

Cobras 40, Knights 30: The defending champions CC Sweeting kept their hopes alive as Brandon Strachan came up with 18 points and nine rebounds as they cut through the big CR Walker lineup for the win.

Marco Beckford added 11 points. Kriston Munroe didn’t score, but he pulled down 10 rebounds.

Denero Lightbourn had 14 points and Cassius Turnquest helped out with eight for CR Walker as they were eliminated.

Comando Seymour also didn’t score, but he had a game high 12 rebounds.

Stingers 40, Wildcats 34: Tricio Moss scored 14 points, Deonte Jennings had 10 points and eight rebounds; Ahmad Harvey 10 points and five rebounds and Kyle Smith 10 points, four steals and three rebounds to pace St George’s to victory in an allGrand Bahama match-up.

For Sir Jack Hayward, Trimaine Ferguson came up with nine points and 12 rebounds as they got eliminated. Sherico Anderson also had nine points and Clevon Clarke had eight points and five rebounds.

Falcons 55, Timberwolves 51: In a match-up of the two New Providence champions that was delayed until the organizers dealt with a protest over an illegal player, Jordan Prince Williams emerged Frantwoin Newton exploded for a game high 24 points and seven rebounds.

Adam Johnson scored 16 points with three rebounds and two block shots and Sherman Marshall had seven points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Dominic Bridgewater had 17 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals for Anatol Rodgers. Devon Bonaby had 10 points and five rebounds and Devanno Whitfield had nine points and 10 rebounds.

Falcons 47, Rattlers 33: In a showdown between two undefeated teams, Grand Bahama’s Tabernacle Academy got the better of the deal as Franco Miller came up with a game high 13 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Seandre Todd had 11 points and three rebounds and Alfredo Brown had nine points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals.

CI Gibson got 10 points and 12 rebounds from Asher Scavella and Tyrell Butler, Derico Burrows and Domnick Burnside all had five points. Burnside also had seven rebounds and four blocks.

Knights 47, Marlins 44 In a rematch between the New Providence-Abaco Central schools from the second day of competition, CR Walker prevailed again as Comando Seymour powered inside for a game high 15 points and 23 rebounds.

Cassius Turnquest had 10

points, six rebounds and three steals; Denneko Lightbourn had six points; both Omar Rolle and Tre Greene had five points and Deangelo Elsee only had four points, but he got six rebounds and five blocks.

Jason Petit had 10 points, five rebounds and four steals as the Marlins got eliminated. Deneko McIntosh added seven points, six rebounds and five steals.

Abaco Central got 10 points, five rebounds and four steals from Jason Petit and Dremeko McIntosh added seven points with six rebounds and five steals.

Cobras 51, Stingers 46: In a rematch of last year’s championship, CC Sweeting proved that they were still a little better than their Grand Bahama counterparts as Brandon Strachan scored 15 points with eight rebounds and five steals. Anthon Williams had nine points and 12 rebounds.

Jaguars 56, Magicmen 32 Howard Hinzey had 11 points and 10 rebounds as St George’s ousted Government High. Ahmad Harvey added 10 points and 10 rebounds.

For the Magicmen, who ran out of tricks, Mario Nairn scored 10 points and Pedro Knowles eight points.

Wildcats 33, Bluejays 32 In a showdown of two Grand Bahama teams, Sir Jack Hayward sent Eight Mile Rock packing as Mickell Bethel scored 11 points and 11 rebounds. Clevon Clarke and Jalen Hall both had six.

Jordan Smith scored 14 points with 11 rebounds to lead the Bluejays. Their next best scorer was Delano Dean with just points.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, February 27, 2017, PAGE 5

HORNETS centre Frank Kaminsky III, centre, grabs a rebound against Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield, left, during the second half of Saturday’s game. (AP)

KINGS guard Buddy Hield shoots during a workout before the Kings play the Denver Nuggets on Thursday. (AP)

‘Buddy Buckets’ off to good start in first two games for the Kings (AP) — ROOKIE guard Buddy Hield scored 15 points with two assists and a rebound over 26 minutes in Saturday’s 99-85 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.

And in Thursday night’s 116-100 win against the Denver Nuggets, Hield provided 16 points with an assist, a steal and six rebounds in 26 minutes.

In his first two games in a Kings uniform, Hield has accumulated a total of 31 points on 11-of-20 shooting in 52 minutes.

The 55.0 per cent shooting is an encouraging sign from a rookie scorer who shot 39.2 per cent from the field through his first 57 games as a Pelican. It is likely that he’ll see more than the 20.5 minutes per game he was getting with the Pelicans.

Against the Hornets, Hield played his second game with the Kings since being acquired from New Orleans in a trade for DeMarcus Cousins. The Hornets went ahead late in the first quarter and led the rest of the way for their second win in 14 games. The Kings never got going offensively, and Charlotte led by 23 points in the second half while ending their 12game road skid.

Marvin Williams scored 16 points and Nicolas Batum had 15 for the Hornets, who had squandered fourth-quarter leads in losing their three previous games.

“It’s been disappointing. But we’ve still got a lot of guys in this locker room who want to win,” Marvin Williams said. “We have the right attitude and we’re confident we can turn this thing around.”

Ben McLemore led the Kings with 18 points and Anthony Tolliver and Tyreke Evans had 11 points each. Sacramento had won five of its previous six games but trails eighthplace Denver by 1 1/2 games.

Against the Nuggets, Newcomer Tyreke Evans had 15 for the Kings, and Seldom-used rookie Skal Labissiere had a season-high 12 points and Ben McLemore 10.

“We don’t have a superstar presence, so we need everybody to step up and kind of fulfill their role,” said Darren Darren Collison, who had 15 points and 10 assists. “Eve-

rybody needs to chip in one way or another and I thought tonight we did a good job of that.”

Gary Harris made five 3-pointers and had 23 points for Denver. Wilson Chandler had 18 points and 10 rebounds, Will Barton scored 16, Danilo Gallinari had 15, and Jameer Nelson 12.

Denver relinquished the lead late in the first quarter and never led again. The Nuggets have lost two straight overall and five of six on the road, where they are 10-19 this season.

“A lot of their guys know they are going to get a chance to play now and they want to prove they can win without DeMarcus,” Denver coach Michael Malone said. “I knew (not to take them lightly). They beat Boston without Cousins. They were a lot more aggressive and completely dominated this game.”

Their fifth victory in six games moved the Kings within a halfgame of Denver for eighth place in the Western Conference. The Nuggets have dropped five straight to the Kings, including two this season.

“We really wanted that win, just not only for the start of the second half, but we have a goal,” CauleyStein said. “We’re trying to make that eighth spot. So that’s one down and 24 (games) to go.”

Minus Cousins, the Kings are lacking a legitimate go-to player.

Yet it didn’t seem to matter as the Kings received contributions from numerous players. Eight players scored eight or more points and Kings shot 52 percent. The Nuggets never had an answer defensively, especially against Cauley-Stein.

“He (Cauley-Stein) was a threat.

He’s a good player and played a good overall game,” Gallinari said.

“He was rolling to the basket and capitalizing on jump shots, too. He played a good game, but I thought his team played a good game as well.”

Typically a struggling first-half team, the Kings shared the ball, hustled at the defensive end, and used 11 unanswered points to take a 61-44 lead into intermission. The Kings outscored Denver 32-18 in the second quarter.

KINGS guard Buddy Hield goes to the basket against Denver Nuggets centre Mason Plumlee, behind, during the second half of Thursday’s game in Sacramento, California. The Kings won 116-100. (AP)

KINGS guard Buddy Hield (right) talks with teammate Ben McLemore as they work out before their game against the Denver Nuggets. (AP)

KINGS guard Buddy Hield dribbles around Kings assistant coach Elston Turner during a work out before their game against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday. (AP Photos)

PAGE 6, Monday, February 27, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

ITALY GIVE ENGLAND A FRIGHT IN SIX NATIONS RUGBY SIX Nations Championship favourites England were given a huge scare by Italy yesterday before five second-half tries saw them extend their winning run to 17 international matches.

Italy had led 10-5 at halftime at Twickenham, a combination of an extraordinary tactic at the breakdown and the hosts’ ineptitude threatening a huge upset.

But two quick tries after the break from Danny Care and Elliot Daly calmed nerves, and although Michele Campagnaro’s bullocking try cut England’s lead to 17-15 with 20 minutes remaining, another from Ben Te’o and two from replacement wing Jack Nowell spared England’s blushes.

Those tries meant Eddie Jones’ men also picked up a bonus point from the 3615 victory, which may prove critical in the final championship standings.

But this tenth successive Six Nations win felt any-

thing but a celebration, with Owen Farrell off form on the occasion of his 50th cap and Jones’ replacements again required to come to their coach’s rescue.

Italy allowed points aplenty to slip through missed kicks. England had been completely thrown

by Italy’s novel tactic of not committing any men to the breakdown beyond the initial tackler, meaning no ruck was formed and so the offside became irrelevant.

It meant Italian defenders could stand between England’s half-backs, creating initial confusion both in white-shirted ranks and in the stands.

Captain Dylan Hartley and James Haskell were both left asking referee Romain Poite to explain the laws of the game to them, the Frenchman testily telling them to ask their own coach.

Jones was unimpressed with the tactic. “Congratulations to Italy; strategically they were smart today. But

it’s not rugby so let’s be serious about it, it’s not rugby today. No one likes to see rugby not played in its proper form. We are going to have to go out and train now because we haven’t played rugby today.” He sympathised with the supporters, who were equally bemused. “If you’ve paid for a ticket then ask for your money back,” he said.

Italy coach Conor O’Shea offered no excuses for his side’s approach, saying they had not come to London “to make up numbers”.

“But you’re playing against a brilliant team who are on-form and they worked their way through it,” he added.

While a second consecutive Grand Slam remains a possibility for England, the visit of in-form Scotland in a fortnight represents a serious threat to their title hopes and their bid to equal New Zealand’s world record of 18 successive victories .

A spirited second-half

THE STANDINGS

England

Ireland

Scotland Wales

France

Italy

P W L F A Bns Pts

3 3 3 3 3 3

3 2 2

1 1

0

0 1 1 2 2 3

76 104 72 62 47 32

47 46 57 57 54 132

1 2 1 1 1 0

13 10 9 5 5 0

REMAINING FIXTURES: March 10: Wales v Ireland. March 11: Italy v France, England v Scotland. March 18: Scotland v Italy, France v Wales, Ireland v England.

ENGLAND’s Ben Te’o scores his side’s fifth try yesterday during the Six Nations rugby union match against Italy at Twickenham stadium in London. (AP) performance at Murrayfield earned Scotland their first Six Nations win over Wales since 2007 on Saturday and keeps their hopes of the championship alive.

For all their superior physicality in the first half, Wales led only 13-9 at the interval, Liam Williams rounding off a slick move for their sole try.

Scotland were dominant thereafter, with Tommy Seymour and Tim Visser crossing for tries and standoff Finn Russell earning 19 points with his kicking. For Wales, though, it was a second loss in three matches in this year’s campaign and coach Rob Howley, who praised Scotland’s “clinical” play in possession, conceded their championship hopes were over The arrival of flanker Hamish Watson for the injury-hit Scots made a huge difference as the home side

scored 20 unanswered second-half points.

“We realised we were watching them play rather than playing ourselves,” Vern Cotter, the Scotland coach, said. “I’m very proud of that response. The boys went out and started taking the game to the Welsh team. We were more assertive and organised in the second half. We applied pressure and got over the line with well-scored tries.

“It means we’re still in the competition and we can get back to work on Monday and prepare for Twickenham.”

Ireland kept their hopes of a third Six Nations title in four years alive by recovering from an early deficit to beat France 19-9 in a bruising encounter in Dublin on Saturday. Two Camille Lopez penalties put France 6-0 up but Conor Murray’s converted try edged Ireland

into a one-point lead.

Fly half Johnny Sexton, back after injury, added two penalties and a drop goal in a keenly contested second half, with Lopez and replacement Paddy Jackson trading late penalties.

Joe Schmidt’s men, beaten in their first match in Scotland, now face Wales away and England at home.

They remain unbeaten at home in the Six Nations during the tenure of coach Schmidt, a run stretching back to 2014, and they will go into their next game in Cardiff on March 10 with confidence.

France left the Aviva Stadium empty-handed and next host Italy before a final-day trip to Cardiff.

France displayed glimpses of the much-heralded revival under their coach Guy Noves but showed signs of tiredness throughout the second half.

Svitolina wins Dubai and will debut in the top 10

By SANDRA HARWITT Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Elina Svitolina of Ukraine is set to debut in the top 10 after winning her second title of the season at the Dubai Tennis Championships on Saturday.

Svitolina dominated Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-2 in the final that started two hours late because of rain.

“It’s big relief, because I knew that if I win this match, I’m gonna be top 10,” Svitolina said. “There was extra pressure. (And) when I was warming up, added even more pressure because they announced it. It didn’t help.”

Svitolina earned her final berth by knocking out topseeded Angelique Kerber in a three-set semifinal.

The Dubai tournament is the most prestigious title of the six that Svitolina’s won.

The previous five were lowerlevel WTA events, including the Taiwan Open this month.

She is on a 12-match winning streak.

Svitolina has won both times she’s played against Wozni-

acki, although the first at the Miami Open last year was a much harder victory.

Both players were content to remain fastened to the baseline in Dubai, but Svitolina’s firepower set them apart.

“I kind of felt like I ran out of steam a little bit and she took advantage of that,” Wozniacki said. “She stepped it up a little bit, and that was kind of that.

“Obviously, it’s frustrating when you see what you want to do out there and you just can’t do it.”

Svitolina took advantage of her second match point by shutting down Wozniacki with a blistering backhand that painted the sideline.

Beyond losing her serve at love in the second game of the second set, Svitolina saved the other three break points she faced.

This was Wozniacki’s second consecutive final in as many weeks, but she also left without the winner’s trophy from Doha last week. She was now 25-19 in career finals.

“I can take a lot of positives with me from this week,” Wozniacki said. “I’m hoping for a good season.”

ELINA SVITOLINA, of Ukraine, holds the trophy after she defeated Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark in the final match of the Dubai Tennis Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Saturday. (AP)

Leonard scores 25, leads Spurs to 119-98 rout of Lakers

By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points and the San Antonio Spurs routed the Lakers 119-98 yesterday in Los Angeles’ first home game since Magic Johnson took over the franchise’s basketball operations.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 16 points for the Spurs, who have won four straight and nine of 11.

Pau Gasol added 15 points against his former team, and the Southwest Division leaders had little trouble with the Lakers, who have lost four straight and 15 of 19.

Five days after owner Jeanie Buss put Johnson in charge of basketball operations, the Lakers’ dismal season still hasn’t changed much, although new Lakers acquisitions Corey Brewer and Tyler Ennis got limited playing time.

Rookie Brandon Ingram scored a season-high 22 points as the Lakers fell to 19-41, ensuring their fourth consecutive non-win-

ning season.

One more defeat will clinch the Lakers’ longest stretch of losing seasons since 1961, the former Minneapolis Lakers’ first year on the West Coast.

Jordan Clarkson scored 19 points and D’Angelo Russell had 18 for the Lakers, who have lost their first two games since Buss dismissed general manager Mitch Kupchak and her brother, Jim. Johnson made no pregame speech to the Staples Center fans who have watched the worst four years in franchise history.

Jeanie Buss watched the game from her usual spot in the second row, while Kupchak’s normal seats were empty.

the second unit’s offensive fuel.

Brewer scored five points in his first home game, while Ennis played eight minutes and hit a late 3-pointer in his Lakers debut.

SPURRED ON The Spurs have won eight straight over the Lakers, surpassing their 2004-06 run for their longest winning streak in the series between these longtime Western Conference rivals.

San Antonio also has beaten the Lakers seven straight times at

Lakers: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar received a standing ovation at halftime when the Lakers honoured him for his social activism. ... The game was just the Lakers’ second home game in February and their third home game in five weeks. After playing eight of their previous 10 on the road, they began a four-game homestand.

TIP-INS Spurs: Gasol played 20 minutes in his second game back from a 15-game absence with a broken left hand. Gasol, who won two NBA titles in Los Angeles, got a warm ovation from Lakers fans. ...

USC product Dewayne Dedmon had 11 points and nine rebounds.

The Spurs’ unlikely starting big man is another product of LA’s far-flung suburbs, growing up in Lancaster.

SPURS’ LAMARCUS ALDRIDGE, left, has his shot blocked by Lakers’ Brandon Ingram in the first half yesterday in Los Angeles. (AP) Staples Center.

Leonard, who grew up 60 miles east of Staples Center in Moreno Valley, scored 19 points in the first half while the Spurs streaked to a 21-point lead.

AFTER LOU In the Lakers’ first home game since trading leading scorer Lou Williams to Houston for a draft pick, Clarkson excelled off the bench in Williams’ usual spot as

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, February 27, 2017, PAGE 7

Ibrahimovic’s double wins League Cup for Manchester United

By ROB HARRIS AP Global Soccer Writer LONDON (AP) — Zlatan Ibrahimovic powered in a late header to win the League Cup for Manchester United yesterday, sealing a 3-2 victory over Southampton after a two-goal lead was thrown away by Jose Mourinho’s side.

It was Ibrahimovic’s second goal in the final after putting United ahead from a free kick, taking the 35-year-old Swede’s tally to 26 goals in an incredible first season at United where his performances have more than lived up to the swagger.

That bravado was flaunted on the Wembley Stadium pitch amid the celebrations.

Asked by a television reporter if something special was unfolding at United, Ibrahimovic replied: “I came. That’s special.”

The free summer transfer window recruit ensured Mourinho became the first manager in United history to win a trophy in his first season, adding to his three League Cup triumphs with Chelsea. “(It) is quite a sense of relief,” Mourinho said.

United’s fragile defence, though, nearly contrived to throw

away the chance of glory. Although Jesse Lingard extended United’s lead in the 38th minute, Southampton fought back with goals either side of halftime from Manolo Gabbiadini.

But as Southampton pushed for its first major trophy since beating United in the 1976 FA Cup trophy, Ibrahimovic produced the bullet header in the 87th minute from Ander Herrera’s cross.

Now Ibrahimovic has won a major trophy in a fifth country after honours in France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands.

Although Wayne Rooney went up to collect the trophy as captain, that was his only role at Wembley. The 31-year-old forward was forced to watch from the bench as his older teammate produced an ageless, match-winning contribution.

“This is what I came for, I came to win and I am winning,” Ibrahimovic said. “I have to keep going because the more I win, the more satisfied I get.”

The striker didn’t cost United any transfer fee when he joined in the summer transfer window as a free agent after leaving Paris Saint-Germain.

He sought another final challenge, even in the twilight of his

vid de Gea in the 11th minute only for referee Andre Mariner to harshly penalise Ryan Bertrand for being offside when the Southampton defender wasn’t interfering with play.

Compounding the frustration was Ibrahimovic putting United in front eight minutes later by curling a free kick around the defensive wall past outstretching goalkeeper Fraser Forster.

United at the back, though, was living dangerously, and allowing far too much space for Southampton to push for the equaliser. De Gea sprang into action to block a low shot from James WardProwse and he used his legs to deny Dusan Tadic.

United leading by one goal wasn’t reflecting this contest, but Southampton fell further behind from another lapse.

Lingard was given so much time and space that he could take a touch to control Marcos Rojo’s pass before slotting past Forster.

Adding to strikes in the FA Cup final and Community Shield in 2016, Lingard now has three goals in three Wembley appearances.

Game over? Southampton had other ideas, sensing United’s fragile defence was ripe for exploiting.

And in first-half stoppage time,

ZLATAN Ibrahimovic lifts the trophy after winning the English League Cup yesterday. (AP) career, rather than an easy-pay day in an inferior league.

“You appreciate winning more the older you get, it’s all about winning and collecting trophies,” he said. “This is my 32nd trophy.

Wherever I have been, I have won.”

It was Southampton which had the ball in the net first, though.

Gabbiadini beat goalkeeper Da-

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 65° F/18° C

TAMPA

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Partly sunny, a shower; breezy

Partly cloudy

Partly sunny

Sunny much of the time

Partly sunny

Variable clouds with a few showers

High: 85°

Low: 69°

High: 85° Low: 70°

High: 86° Low: 70°

High: 85° Low: 69°

High: 83° Low: 67°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

87° F

70° F

89°-71° F

92°-74° F

94°-75° F

97°-63° F

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

N

almanac

E

W

ABACO

S

N

High: 81° F/27° C Low: 65° F/18° C

12-25 knots

S

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 69° F/21° C

10-20 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 81° F/27° C Low: 73° F/23° C

E

W S

E

W

WEST PALM BEACH

N

uV inDex toDay

TONIGHT

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 66° F/19° C

Gabbiadini produced the goal he had been denied earlier in the final.

Rojo was exposed again at left back as Ward-Prowse whipped in a cross that was met by Gabbiadini, who put the ball through De Gea’s legs.

United’s halftime response was to replace Juan Mata and place Michael Carrick as the shield in front of its defence.

But the Southampton goal threat persisted after the break, with Nathan Redmond’s volley turned wide by De Gea and Claude Puel’s team levelled from the resulting corner. Gabbiadini swivelled past Smalling to strike low into the net to make it five goals in three games since joining from Napoli.

There would be no hat trick as Gabbiadini was substituted and watched from the bench as Ibrahimovic had the final say as extra time was looming.

But it is United now on course for a treble, still in contention for the FA Cup and Europa League.

The bigger target, though, is returning to the Champions League through winning the Europa League or by finishing in the Premier League’s top four. United is currently sixth.

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 69° F/21° C

MIAMI

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 72° F/22° C

8-16 knots

Statistics are for Nassau through 1 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 88° F/31° C Low .................................................... 66° F/19° C Normal high ....................................... 78° F/25° C Normal low ........................................ 64° F/18° C Last year’s high ................................. 79° F/26° C Last year’s low ................................... 62° F/17° C Precipitation As of 1 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.00” Year to date ................................................. 0.83” Normal year to date ..................................... 2.74”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 69° F/21° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2017

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 66° F/19° C

N

KEY WEST

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 74° F/23° C

High

E

W

10-20 knots

S

10-20 knots

Low

Ht.(ft.)

8:09 a.m.

8:31 p.m.

3.0 2.9

1:58 a.m. -0.6 2:28 p.m. -0.6

Tuesday

8:51 a.m.

9:16 p.m.

3.0 3.0

2:43 a.m. -0.6 3:10 p.m. -0.7

Wednesday 9:35 a.m.

10:04 p.m.

2.9 3.0

3:31 a.m. -0.6 3:53 p.m. -0.7

Thursday

10:22 a.m.

10:55 p.m.

2.8 3.0

4:21 a.m. -0.5 4:39 p.m. -0.6

Friday

11:13 a.m.

11:51 p.m.

2.6 2.9

5:15 a.m. -0.3 5:30 p.m. -0.5

Saturday

12:10 p.m.

-----

2.5 -----

6:14 a.m. -0.1 6:26 p.m. -0.4

Sunday

12:52 a.m.

1:13 p.m.

2.9 2.3

7:19 a.m. 0.0 7:29 p.m. -0.3

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:34 a.m.

6:11 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

7:18 a.m.

7:27 p.m.

First

Full

Last

New

Mar. 5

Mar. 12

Mar. 20

Mar. 27

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 66° F/19° C

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 74° F/23° C

N

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 68° F/20° C

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LONG ISLAND

insurance management tracking map

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 68° F/20° C

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Ht.(ft.)

Today

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 66° F/19° C

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

tiDes For nassau

CAT ISLAND

E

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

10-20 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 83° F/28° 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: 84° F/29° C Low: 67° F/19° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 84° F/29° C Low: 70° F/21° C

N

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12-25 knots

12-25 knots

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

Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday:

WINDS E at 10-20 Knots E at 10-20 Knots E at 10-20 Knots E at 10-20 Knots E at 10-20 Knots E at 12-25 Knots E at 12-25 Knots E at 12-25 Knots E at 10-20 Knots E at 12-25 Knots ESE at 12-25 Knots ESE at 10-20 Knots E at 10-20 Knots E at 12-25 Knots E at 12-25 Knots E at 10-20 Knots E at 12-25 Knots E at 12-25 Knots E at 10-20 Knots E at 10-20 Knots E at 12-25 Knots E at 10-20 Knots E at 12-25 Knots E at 12-25 Knots E at 10-20 Knots E at 12-25 Knots

WAVES 4-7 Feet 4-8 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-6 Feet 3-6 Feet 4-7 Feet 3-6 Feet 4-7 Feet 3-5 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 3-6 Feet 4-7 Feet 4-7 Feet 4-8 Feet 3-6 Feet 4-7 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 4-7 Feet 4-8 Feet 4-7 Feet 4-8 Feet

VISIBILITY 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 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 74° F 74° F 79° F 79° F 77° F 77° F 84° F 83° F 79° F 79° F 80° F 80° F 77° F 77° F 71° F 70° F 79° F 79° F 80° F 80° F 79° F 79° F 77° F 78° F 78° F 78° F