03262018 sports

SPORTS SECTION E

TENNIS

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MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2018

Jones returns home after stint in the WCBA

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

JONQUEL JONES

FREEPORT, Grand Bahama – For basketball superstar Jonquel Jones, the importance of representation of Bahamian women at the elite levels of the sport will continue to pay dividends as a younger generation has more examples of success to look to for inspiration.

Back home following her stint in the Women’s Chinese

Basketball Association, Jones took in some of the action at the Bahamas National High School Basketball Championships and cited the inclusion of the senior girls’ division as a signal of the growth of the local game.

“I’m excited to watch basketball here in the Bahamas from the point where it developed since I was younger. I think the growth has been awesome, really really good,” she said. “For me growing up I had coach Yo (Yolett McPhee McCuin) to look up to

and the person who I strived to be like. I think the girls nowadays have more people in those positions that they can really look to and try to be like or pattern themselves after. I think when you have those multiple role models it really helps out a lot.”

Jones cited Lashann Higgs of the Texas Longhorns as the most recent example after her Longhorns advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

“I think the game is going to get better, as we go through time

we are going to see more and more Bahamian athletes do big things with this sport,” she said.

“It’s already happening but I’m just really excited to see what the game of basketball is going to do for the Bahamas and how these players are going to develop in the future.”

Jones led her Shanxi XR Flame to the finals of the WCBA where they lost in a three-game sweep against the top-seeded Beijing

SEE PAGE 3

Final matchups set

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

T

he final matchups have been decided, setting the stage for a night of thrilling finishes at the 2018 Bahamas National High School Basketball Championships.

In the Senior Girls’ division, the Doris Johnson Mystic Marlins and the Jordan Prince William Falcons will meet to decide the national title for the second consecutive year.

And in the Senior Boys’ division, the Tabernacle Falcons will face off against the Sir Jack Hayward Wildcats in a rematch of the Grand Bahama Secondary Schools Athletic Association Championship.

The Wildcats were the last team to advance after a pair of wins yesterday at the St George’s Gymnasium. They defeated the CC Sweeting Cobras 38-31 in the quarter-finals and returned just hours later to clinch a championship berth with a 47-29 win over the Anatol Rodgers Timberwolves in the semi-finals.

Jalen Hall had his best performance of the tournament last night with 15 points to lead the Wildcats to the title game. McKell Bethell had 12 points and 12 rebounds while Tremaine Ferguson had 16 rebounds.

The Wildcats outrebounded the T’Wolves by 24, creating second and third shot opportunities possession after possession.

Jack Hayward lost their first game of the tournament 46-45 to the Mystic Marlins but rebounded with wins over Teleos, St George’s, Jordan Prince William and the Cobras.

Tabernacle has been the most dominant senior boys’ team in the island nation and their path to the

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IN the Senior Boys’ division, the Tabernacle Falcons will face off against the Sir Jack Hayward Wildcats in a rematch of the Grand Bahama Secondary Schools Athletic Association Championship. championship has featured three wins by an average of 19.6 points per game. They opened play with a 42-18 win over Eight Mile Rock, followed by a 29-28 win over St George’s and a 60-36 blowout win over the T’Wolves to advance to the championship.

In the Senior Girls, both teams advanced with lopsided semifinal wins over teams out of Grand Bahama at the St George’s Gymnasium last night. The Mystic Marlins became the only

programme to appear in three consecutive championship games when they defeated the Bishop Michael Eldon Warriors 54-39 in the first semi-final.

Mystic Marlins head coach Kevon Spence said his team made history by becoming the only team to accomplish the feat of three trips to nationals. “We give God thanks for this opportunity, no matter who we face we just try to keep them groomed and ready for moments like this. We are arduous

in our preparation and we will want to play to our strengths,” he said. The Falcons advanced with a 56-38 win over St George’s.

The Jaguars led 12-4 at one point before the Falcons went on a 14-0 run to take control for good.

In 2017, the Lady Falcons routed the Mystic Marlins 52-30 in the title game. “On any given team any team can win,” Spence said.

“Last year they blew us out the water and we are excited to face them again and return the favour.”

GATEWAY ACADEMY TO FACE AGAPE CHRISTIAN IN TITLE GAME TONIGHT

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE finale in the Family Island Division of the Bahamas National High School Basketball Championships will feature another matchup between league champions out of Bimini and Abaco.

Page 5

STRACHAN: ‘I WANTED TO PROVE TO EVERYBODY THAT I WAS FAST ENOUGH’

The defending champion Gateway Academy (Bimini) will face off against Agape Christian School (Abaco) tonight to decide the 2018 title at the St George’s Gymnasium.

Agape scored a 75-66 win over Patrick J Bethel last night to advance to the first national final.

Oswald Meadows (33) and Wilton Chermise (23) combined for 56 points to lead Agape to the win. Michael Adderley scored 10 and Regan Roberts finished with nine. Dremiko McIntosh led Patrick J Bethel with 19.

Agape head coach Stephan Johnson said the championship berth was another milestone in a landmark season for his programme. “This one is special because last year we finished second in Abaco and they told us we were not good enough to come to Nationals. This year we beat Patrick J Bethel for Abaco’s Championship and they still brought them here to Nationals

even though they finished second.

So, it feels good to show that we are the best team in Abaco,” he said.

They opened the tournament with a blowout win over Long Island (53-16). In game two they suffered a 58-47 loss in their first matchup against Patrick J Bethel. They rebounded with a 57-42 win over Central Eleuthera and 62-56 win over South Andros to advance to the semi-finals.

Johnson discussed his team’s journey through the tournament and what they will have to do to dethrone Gateway.

“We started off well, we won that first game of the tournament against Long Island by a lot and I was interested to see how we would respond when we got tested.

We lost to that same team PJB but we followed with wins over Central Eleuthera and South Andros to work our way back to the championship. In that first game against PJB we didn’t play with heart and

we didn’t listen. They played with heart in the semis because we were down by 15 and we came back to win,” he said. “Against Gateway, we have to take care of the ball.

We know they force turnovers. We know they beat PJB by 20 because they forced turnovers, so if we take care of the ball we have a chance.“ Gateway has run through the tournament field relatively untested to this point, winning their three games thus far by 30, 21 and 17 points.

They opened with a 66-36 win over Central Eleuthera, followed by a 42-21 win over San Salvador and an 81-64 win over PJB. Gateway won the 2017 championship after another undefeated run through the tournament, capped by a 56-43 win over PJB. They opened with a 51-30 win over North Andros, followed by another dominant 52-30 win over Long Island. They advanced to the title game with a 43-30 win over Central Eleuthera.

IN the same year that she duplicated her feat as the Austin Sealy winner for the most outstanding performance at the CARIFTA Games, sprinter Anthonique Strachan went on to pull off the 100/200 metre double at the IAAF World Junior Championships to earn the year-ending IAAF Female Rising Star of the Year.

It was a year that was supposed to propel Strachan to international stardom on the professional ranks, following in the footsteps of Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie, the previous Bahamian Austin Sealy winner in 1995 in the Cayman Islands who went on to enjoy a successful career.

Capped with a series of injuries, including undergoing a few minor surgeries, Strachan has struggled to get back on the podium as she made her transition from the junior to the senior ranks. The year 2012 would have been termed her best year, starting with her dominance at her final appearance at CARIFTA Games in Bermuda.

As she added the 200m title to her collection of the 100m crown for the second consecutive year in Bermuda, following her accomplishments the year before in Kingston, Jamaica, Strachan also won her final match-up with Shaunae Miller-Uibo, who emerged as the Austin Sealy winner in 2013 here at home.

“I remembered when I first won it in 2011, it came after I was supposed to run the two events on the team in 2010 in the Cayman Islands, but I did the 200m,” Strachan said. “I came back the next year in Jamaica to win it all. I wanted to prove to everybody that I was fast enough and capable of making any team.

“And when I did it again in 2012 in Bermuda, I knew that I was ready to be the best, not just at CARIFTA but at the World Juniors because I wanted to prove to everybody that I should have been on the team that year. It was a great year for me.”

With the CARIFTA Games returning to the Bahamas for the eighth time this weekend at the

SEE PAGE 3

PAGE 2, Monday, March 26, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

High Flyers rout Stampers 82-57, Rockets top the Mingoes 77-72

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net THE Breezes High Flyers and the Rockets both took a 2-0 lead in their New Providence Basketball Association best-of-five semi-final playoff series at the AF Adderley Gymnasium Saturday night.

While Breezes pulled off a 82-57 rout over the Triple K Stampers in the division II opener, the Rockets held off the University of the Bahamas Mingoes 77-72 in the division one feature contest.

On Friday, the other series were played with the Aliv Buckets pulling even with the Caro Contractors Resistance in the division II opener with a 83-68 rout and the Commonwealth Bank Giants stayed perfect on the season with a 85-82 decision over the PJ Stingers in the opener of their division one encounter.

• Here’s a summary: Rockets 77, Mingoes 72 Centre Livingstone Munnings led a balanced scoring attack with 19 points in 30 minutes and 38 seconds as he shot 8-for-13 from the field and 3-for-5 from the free throw line. He also had seven rebounds, three steals and three block shots.

Swingman Tomeko Moxey had 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists, point guard Lerecus Armbrister had 15 points, six rebounds, six assists, two steals and a block and Eugene Bain had 11 points, 17 rebounds and four assists. Both Rashad Saunders and Kevin Wright Jr added six points.

After both teams scored 15 points apiece in the first quarter, the Rockets went up 22-20 at the half before the University of the Bahamas went on a 18-14 spurt to go up 38-36 at the end of the third. However, the Rockets outscored the Mingoes 26-19 in the fourth to secure the win.

In 37:39 minutes, forward Kemsy Sylvestre poured in a

game high 36 points as he connected on 14-of-21 from the field and 8-of-22 from the foul line. He also had 10 rebounds, three steals, two blocks and an assist.

Centre Justin Munroe had eight points and as many rebounds, guard Ramon Dames had eight points, four rebounds, four steals, three assists and a block, forward Brian Jennings had five points, seven rebounds and two steals and guard Donovan Dean came off the bench with five points as well. Point guard Justin Smith was held to just two points with five rebounds and three assists.

High Flyers 82, Stampers 57 Guard Jeremy Neely exploded for a game high 35 points, shooting 13-for-22 from the field, 3-for-5 from the three-point arch and 3-for-4 from the free throw line to lead Breezes. Neely also pulled down seven rebounds, dished out six assists and had four steals.

Forward Dale Davis had 15 points and 16 rebounds, two steals and a bock, forward DeVontee Gibson 10 points, six rebounds, five blocks and three steals, point guard Shontoin Pratt had six points. six rebounds, four assists and three steals and guard Delano Forbes contributed five points.

Breezes opened the first quarter to go up 23-18 and extended it to 47-27 at the half. By the end of the third, they were up 64-44 and they used a 18-13 spurt in the fourth to seal the win.

In a losing effort, Johnley Noel scored 23 points on 9-for-26 from the field, 3-for-11 from the threepoint line and 2-for-4 from the foul line in 34:01 minutes as he also had nine rebounds.

Mark Campbell had 10 points and eight rebounds, Michael Turnquest had five points and four rebounds and Nathaniel Jean, Rodley Seraphin and Cameron Strachan all had four points.

Giants 85, Stingers 82 Guard Michael Bain in 31:18 minutes, led four Commonwealth

ON THE REPLAY: In the division one feature contest, the Rockets held off the University of the Bahamas Mingoes 77-72.

Bank players in double figures with 25 points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block.

Forward D’Shon Taylor had 19 points, nine rebounds, four blocks, two steals and two assists, guard Darstyn Baker had 12 points, two rebounds and two assists off the bench, Gameliel Rose had 11

points, seven rebounds and three assists, centre Tehrad Rahming scored just two points, but pulled down 13 rebounds and blocked three steals and guard David Taylor came off the bench with six points and 10 rebounds. The Giants trailed 20-19 at the end of the first quarter, but went up 40-39 at the half and they extended it to

65-60 after three periods. Even though PJ’s used a 22-20 spurt in the fourth, it wasn’t enough to stop Commonwealth Bank.

The Stingers, in a losing effort, got 23 points from Randy Williams as he shot 8-for-15 from the field, 3-for-5 from the three-point line and 4-for-5 from the foul line in 35:03 minutes to go along with four steals and three rebounds.

Devon Ferguson had 19 points and eight rebounds, Salathiel Dean had 18 points, 18 rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block, Henry Rolle came off the bench with nine points and Mario Pickstock had seven points and five rebounds.

Bucket 83, Resistance 68 Playing the entire 40 minutes, forward Dylan Musgrove exploded for 30 points on 9-for16 from the field, 1-for-5 from the three-point line and 9-for-11 from the foul line with 16 points, three steals, two assists and a block .

Forward Rashad Ingraham had 21 points and 14 rebounds, Akeil Bullard 13 points and six rebounds, guard Anwar Neilly six points, six assists and five rebounds and guard Levonne Moxey chipped in with six points.

For Caro Contractors, Quemah Gibson, 34:42 minutes, was 5-for13 from the field, 1-for-7 from the three-point line and 9-for-13 from the charity stripe for 20 points with 11 rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in the loss.

Kamal Murphy had 15 points, five rebounds and five assists, Marcian Higgins had 13 points and five rebounds, Cormardo Seymour had eight points, 10 rebounds and two blocks, Matthew Davis had five points, four rebounds and four assists and Shannen Philips added five points.

TONIGHT 7pm - Aliv Bucket vs Caro Contractors Resistance - Division II 8:30pm - PJ Stingers vs Commonwealth Bank Giants Division one

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, March 26, 2018, PAGE 3

Team Bahamas in church, athletes get their uniforms for CARIFTA

GO TEAM BAHAMAS: The track and field team can be seen worshipping at Evangelistic Temple with senior pastor Vaughn Cash yesterday morning. The athletes also received their uniforms for the CARIFTA Games.

ANTHONIQUE STRACHAN: ‘I WANTED TO PROVE TO EVERYBODY THAT I WAS FAST ENOUGH’ FROM PAGE 1 Thomas A Robinson National Stadium, Strachan had some words of advice for the 80 members who will be carrying the Bahamian flag over the Easter holiday weekend.

“Just go out there and do what your coach tells you to and don’t be pressured by it,” Strachan said. “It’s going to be a wonderful experience for the athletes who will be competing for the first time and just because of the fact that it will be home.

So enjoy every moment of it.”

Unfortunately, Strachan won’t be home to watch as she did in 2013 when MillerUibo followed her as the sixth Bahamian to win the prestigious Austin Sealy award, joining the list that was started by Maryann Higgs in 1978 here at home; Lavern Eve with the first back-to-back feat in 1982 in Jamaica and 1983 in Martinique and Pauline Davis in giving the Bahamas the first of three-peat performance in 1094 here at home as well.

Strachan, 24, will be in the Gold Coast, Australia for the 2018 Commonwealth Games April 4-15. In fact, Strachan should have already been ‘Down Under’ getting acclimatised to and continuing her training regime with the Jamaican national team.

Since last November, Strachan has been in Jamaica training in the MVP Track Club at the University of Technology. But after she didn’t get her electronic visa waiver in time to travel to Australia, she had to remain behind in Jamaica.

“I’ve been training with the

ANTHONIQUE Strachan receives her IAAF Rising Star award from Marie Jose Perec (left). athletes who have been left behind in Jamaica because I didn’t get to travel with their team so I could continue my training there in preparation for the games,” said Strachan, who at the time of the interview had just received her visa.

Strachan is now preparing to leave Jamaica today and should get into Australia on Wednesday, ahead of the start of the games. Hopefully, she feels it will give her sufficient time to get acclimatised and ready to compete in the 200m and on the women’s 4 x 100m team.

“It’s almost 30-40 hours of flying to Australia so the Jamaican team left early to get over the jetlag and compete in one of two meets before the games start,” Strachan said. “As a part of their training camp, I was going to be included in what they did if I had gotten the visa in time.

“I haven’t ran any race for the year because when they had a meet earlier this year, my hamstring was acting up and I had to come home to renew my passport, so I haven’t had a chance to compete yet.”

Strachan, who joined Sheniqua ‘Q’ Ferguson

in the MVP camp that is led by Jamaican Olympic and world champions Elaine Thompson and Yohan Blake, said after moving from Auburn University where she trained previously with Bahamian Henry Rolle, the environment in Jamaica has been more conducive for her to prepare for the remainder of what promises to be an exciting future. “I get to train with Elaine and what people don’t know is that she is a beast,” Strachan said. “Rain or shine, she’s out there training every day.

She works so hard that it is unbelievable. It just makes you want to go out there and train harder than I have done in the past. “You are in a world class atmosphere where they pay more attention to what you are doing.

So it makes you feel like if they can do it, I can go out there and become the next world class athlete that excels in the sport. I think I was lacking that atmosphere in Auburn. To see that I’m training with a world champion, who is ranked number one in the world, I know now that I can do it too.”

Coming off the slight hamstring injury, Strachan

Jonquel Jones returns home after WCBA stint FROM PAGE 1 Great Wall. In game one, Beijing outlasted Shanxi with an 84-81 win. Jones finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocked shots. In game two, Jones added another doubledouble with 20 points and 15 rebounds but her team suffered an 82-55 loss.

Game three was a blowout loss (85-63) and Jones finished with six points and six rebounds.

“China was a great experience and just another opportunity for me to grow my game, another opportunity for me to put the Bahamas on the map. It didn’t end with a championship but we achieved so many things,” Jones said.

“It had been a long time since that team had made it to the championship so we were happy to get back there, happy to show that we were a contending team

and happy to make a mark on the WCBA.” Jones came off a season full of milestones for the Sun. The second-year forward was named to the All-WNBA Second Team after she averaged a double double, set the league’s single season rebounds total, was named an AllStar and was awarded as the WNBA’s Most Improved Player. She finished the year averaging 15.5 points and 11.9 rebounds per game - a dramatic increase from her rookie season when she averaged 6.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

Her record-setting total was 403 rebounds for the season. She also added 20 double doubles.

The Sparks finished the regular season with a record of 26-8, and the league’s top mark of 16-1 at home.

Jones’ historic season included several individual milestones, including becoming just the second player in league history to

record three 20-rebound games in a single season.

Expectations will be even higher for both Jones and her team headed into the 2018-19 season.

“The main thing this year is I’m just really comfortable in my position, comfortable with my teammates. We’re really excited about our growth as a team in general. From the first time when I came to Connecticut to what we’ve been able to do last year so we’re coming into it ready to meet the expectations and to go above and beyond.”

Back in the United States, Jones’ Connecticut Sun will open the 2018 season by hosting a two-day preseason event involving the Dallas Wings, New York Liberty and Los Angeles Sparks May 7-8 at Mohegan Sun Arena.

The Sun will close out the preseason on Friday, May 11, hosting the Atlanta Dream at 7pm in Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport.

said she’s eager to get into Australia to start her quest to get back to the prominence when she was coming out as a Rising Star of the IAAF in 2012. She said she has learnt a lot of life changing lessons that helps her to live up to the expectations that were ahead of her.

“Man makes plans, but it has to be the will of God for those plans to become a reality,” Strachan stated.

“I believe that God was preparing me for what is to come, so I’m going to continue to put my trust in him to take me through the future for whatever he has in store for me.”

Not putting any pressure on herself, Strachan said she just wants to go to Australia and prove that she can and is still a contender in women’s sprints and with the environment that she’s in, she’s comfortable that she will be able to accomplish her lofty goals.

“This is going to be my first 200m for the year, so I’m not putting too much expectations on myself,” Strachan said. “I’m just going to go out there and try to progress through the rounds and hopefully I try to get into the final. If I can achieve that goal, I would be very satisfied.”

At the games, Strachan will also have relay duties with Miller-Uibo, TyNia Gaither, V’Alonee Robinson and triple jumper Tamara Myers. “I always like to represent our country in the relays,” Strachan said.

“So I’m looking forward to running with this team.

I think we should be very well.”

As for the rest of the 21-member team, including 19 from track and field, Strachan said it’s small, but she is confident that they will perform very well in Australia. She’s just excited to be a part of another national team at a global event.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, March 26, 2018, PAGE 5

NEWMAN LEADS KANSAS PAST DUKE 85-81 IN OT FOR FINAL FOUR BID

By LUKE MEREDITH AP Sports Writer

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Kansas is going back to the Final Four.

It’s hard to argue that Duke shouldn’t be headed there as well after the most riveting show of the NCAA tournament.

Malik Newman and the top-seeded Jayhawks got past their Elite Eight road block yesterday, knocking off second-seeded Duke 85-81 in overtime to clinch the programme’s first trip to the Final Four since 2012.

Newman scored all 13 of the Jayhawks’ points in OT and finished with a careerhigh 32 to lead Kansas (31-7).

The Jayhawks will face fellow top seed Villanova on Saturday in San Antonio — the site of KU’s last title over Memphis in 2008 — after snapping a two-game losing skid in the regional finals.

“Everything we’ve been through...we do it for moments like this,” Kansas star Devonte’ Graham said.

“Especially after the last two years, getting over the hump. It just feels (perfect).”

This was college basketball at its best, two blue bloods trading blows for 45 minutes in what was

arguably the best game of March so far, one that featured 18 lead changes and 11 ties.

Had Grayson Allen’s bank shot to end regulation gone half an inch in a different direction, it might be Duke heading to South Texas.

But it didn’t, and instead the Jayhawks are moving on. “It was an honour to play in this game,” said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, who remained tied with UCLA legend John Wooden with 12 Final Four performances. “I think both teams were deserving of winning.”

Newman, a redshirt sophomore who came on late this season, drilled his fifth and final 3 from the corner to make it 81-78 with 1:49 left. Newman followed with four straight free throws, and the Jayhawks’ defense stiffened enough to knock the favored Blue Devils out of the tournament.

Trevon Duval scored 20 points, two shy of a career high, for Duke. Freshman star and future lottery pick Marvin Bagley added 16 points and 10 rebounds in what could have been his final game for the Blue Devils (29-8), who fell shy of their first Final Four trip since winning the national title in 2015.

Allen had 12 points for the Blue Devils, but the senior’s try at the regulation buzzer went in and then out and then off the rim before spinning away to force overtime.

“I was trying to drive right, he cut me off. Went back left. Their big stepped into help. I had to get a shot up over him. I tried to bank it in and it about went in,” said Allen, who finished his brilliant career with 1,996 points.

THE BIG PICTURE Kansas: This might be the unlikeliest of coach Bill Self’s three Final Four squads. They are not stacked with obvious future NBA starters and they lost three times at home this season. But the Jayhawks banded together to win the Big 12’s regular season and conference titles and now the Midwest Region. By doing so, they proved to their coach that they were hardly soft — a claim that Self had made often earlier in the season. And with the final buzzer about to sound and the outcome suddenly in focus, Self clenched both of his fists and lifted his arms in the air for a celebration years in the making.

Duke: The Blue Devils might see four of their freshman stars bolt for the

KANSAS’ Devonte’ Graham (4) holds the trophy after defeating Duke in a regional final game in the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament yesterday. Kansas won 85-81 in overtime.

(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) NBA Draft, an expected exodus led by Bagley, a likely top-five pick. Duke will also lose Allen, one of the best players in school history. Don’t cry for Coach K, who has four five-star recruits committed to join the program next year.

But this season will likely be remembered as a lost

opportunity — and for that Allen shot that went agonizingly out of the rim.

PIVOTAL MOMENT Duval was a revelation in the opening half, scoring 13 points to give the Blue Devils a 36-33 lead that at times felt like it could’ve been bigger. But

the Jayhawks opened the second with a 13-3 run, forcing Duke to answer quickly.

The Blue Devils did just that, time and time again, until it had the lead in the final minute. But Kansas senior Svi Mykhailiuk drilled a 3 with 25.7 seconds left in the second half to knot the game at 72-all.

Rockets roll to 60th victory, cruise past the Hawks 118-99 HOUSTON (AP) — James Harden had a triple-double with 18 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds in three quarters and the Houston Rockets rolled to their 60th victory, beating the Atlanta Hawks 118-99 last night.

It was the second straight game where the Rockets never trailed after a rout of New Orleans on Saturday night that set a franchise record for wins in a season. The NBA-leading Rockets have won nine straight and became the 18th team in NBA history to reach 60 wins in the 74th game of the season.

Houston was up by 24 at halftime and the Hawks cut into the lead with a solid third quarter, but never really threatened, allowing Harden to watch the final quarter from the bench for the second night in a row.

Taurean Prince scored 28 and Isaiah Taylor had 26 for the Hawks, who have lost three in a row and nine of their last 10.

Harden, who had 12 assists by halftime, had his fourth tripledouble this season and the 35th of his career.

CAVALIERS 121, NETS 114 NEW YORK (AP) — LeBron James had 37 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Brooklyn Nets for their fifth straight victory.

James kept up his latest sensational stretch by going 14 for 19 from the floor.

He reached 2,000 points in a season for the 10th time, joining Karl Malone and Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history to do that.

Kevin Love added 20 points and 15 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who came in averaging 122.5 points during the streak and just about reached that even with a slow start.

Former Cavs guard Joe Harris scored a career-high 30 points for the Nets, who lost their third straight.

BUCKS 106, SPURS 103 MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from an ankle injury to score 25 points, and the Milwaukee Bucks held on in the final few minutes after building a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter against the San Antonio Spurs.

Antetokounmpo added 10 rebounds to pick up his 37th double-double of the season.

The Spurs trailed by 15 points with 8 minutes left before rallying to get within three with 35 seconds left on Pau Gasol’s putback.

Eric Bledsoe missed a 3-pointer on the other end for the Bucks.

San Antonio rushed down court to get one last shot off, but Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton blocked Dejounte Murray’s 3-point attempt from the right wing with 3.7 seconds left.

The loss snapped the Spurs’ sixgame winning streak. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 34 points.

ROCKETS guard James Harden, right, drives past Hawks guard Damion Lee (8) in the first half last night.

(AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith) CELTICS 104, KINGS 93 SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Terry Rozier scored a seasonhigh 33 points and nearly matched the Celtics’ franchise record for 3-pointers, Jaylen Brown made consecutive buckets to break open a close game in the fourth quarter, and Boston held on to beat the Sacramento Kings.

Making his sixth start in place of injured All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving, Rozier shot 12 of 16, including 8 of 12 on 3s, in the rookie’s most impressive game of the season. Rozier, who had been averaging 16.2 points in Irving’s absence, also had five rebounds and three assists. The eight 3s were one shy of the Celtics’ single-game record of nine shared

by Isaiah Thomas and Antoine Walker.

Brown had 19 points in his return after missing two weeks with a concussion.

Buddy Hield scored 24 points for Sacramento.

JAZZ 110, WARRIORS 91 OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Rudy Gobert had 17 points and 15 rebounds and the Utah Jazz pulled away from the undermanned, injury-plagued Golden State Warriors in the third quarter on the way to a victory.

Quinn Cook had 17 points and eight assists as defending champion Golden State played without its four injured All-Stars and was forced to use yet another makeshift starting lineup. Before the game, Warriors coach Steve Kerr ruled out Stephen Curry for the

first round of the playoffs because of a sprained left knee — while Curry vowed to do everything in his rehab power to prove Kerr wrong and return sooner.

Donovan Mitchell scored 21 points for the Jazz, coming off a four-point overtime loss at San Antonio on Friday. Joe Ingles added 14 points with four 3-pointers, eight assists and six rebounds.

PACERS 113, HEAT 107, OT INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Victor Oladipo had 23 points and five assists to help the Indiana Pacers clinch a playoff berth.

Thaddeus Young had 22 points, nine rebounds and five steals, and Bojan Bogdanovic added 18 points and eight rebounds for the Pacers, who secured their seventh appearance in the postseason in the last eight seasons.

Tyler Johnson made five 3-pointers and finished with 19 points, James Johnson had 15 points and nine rebounds, and Bam Adebayo added 14 points for the Heat, who split the fourgame season series.

Miami coach Erik Spoelstra missed the first game of his career, leaving Indianapolis on Saturday after learning his wife Nikki was entering labor. Assistant coach Dan Craig filled in and Spoelstra is expected to return for Miami’s home game against Cleveland on Tuesday.

KNICKS 101, WIZARDS 97 WASHINGTON (AP) — Trey Burke scored 19 points in his first start in exactly three years,

leading eight players in double figures as the New York Knicks defeated the wavering Washington Wizards.

Courtney Lee added eight of his 13 points in the fourth quarter to send the Wizards to a third straight loss. It’s the second three-game skid of the season for Washington and both have come in the latter portion of a 26-game stretch without All-Star point guard John Wall, who underwent surgery on his left knee in late January. Wall returned to fullcontact practice on Saturday.

Bradley Beal scored 14 points, but shot just 5 of 17 for Washington, which led only once after the early stages of the second quarter.

Otto Porter Jr. added 13 points and 10 rebounds as the Wizards remained in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, but lost for the eighth time in their last 12 games.

CLIPPERS 117, RAPTORS 106 TORONTO (AP) — Lou Williams scored 26 points against his former team, Tobias Harris had 20 and the Los Angeles Clippers overcame an 18-point first-quarter deficit to beat the Toronto Raptors.

Montrezl Harrell scored 19 points and Milos Teodosic had 15 as the Clippers boosted their playoff hopes by winning for the second time in seven games and snapping a three-game losing streak north of the border. Austin Rivers scored 11 points and D’Andre Jordan had 14 rebounds to help the Clippers wrap up a four-game road trip on a winning

note. Los Angeles went 2-2 on the trip, and has won 13 of 20 on the road.

Jonas Valanciunas had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors, who dropped to 30-7 at home, the best mark in the NBA. It was a tough night for Toronto All-Stars DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. DeRozan scored 11 points, making three of 12 field goal attempts. Lowry had 11 points and eight assists, shooting 4 for 9.

TRAIL BLAZERS 108, THUNDER 105 OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — C.J. McCollum scored 34 points to help the Portland Trail Blazers edge the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Damian Lillard scored 24 points, and Jusuf Nurkic added 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who swept all four games with the Thunder this season. Portland doubled its lead to games over the Thunder for third place in the Western Conference.

Russell Westbrook led the Thunder with 23 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.

Steven Adams had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Jerami Grant added 17 point.

Oklahoma City got possession trailing by two with 18.5 seconds remaining.

Oklahoma City’s Carmelo Anthony got trapped in the corner and forced his way through before turning the ball over.

Westbrook fouled Portland’s Al-Farouq Aminu with 7 seconds to play. Aminu made the first free throw and missed the second, giving the Thunder one more chance. Anthony missed a 3-pointer as time expired.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, March 26, 2018, PAGE 7

Venus rallies past Kiki Bertens at the Miami Open

By STEVEN WINE AP Sports Writer KEY BISCAYNE, Florida (AP) — When Venus Williams slammed a forehand winner on the final point to win a seesaw marathon yesterday, she had enough energy left to spin in delight at the net, a triumphant fist leading the way.

Some 21 years after her Key Biscayne debut, wins at the Miami Open remain something to celebrate.

Williams squandered an early lead, fell behind late and then overcame three match points to rally past Kiki Bertens in the third round, 5-7, 6-3, 7-5.

Williams blew a 5-0 lead in the first set and was down 5-3 in the third set. But she swept the final four games, holding serve at love for the victory. “It didn’t look good sometimes,” Williams told the supportive crowd. “But that’s why you keep playing until the last point. And that’s why I love this game.”

The match took nearly three hours on the hottest

day of the tournament so far, and the 37-year-old Williams now must recover quickly to next play defending champion Johanna Konta. The No. 11-seeded Konta advanced with much less drama, beating No. 22 Elise Mertens 6-2, 6-1.

In men’s play, No. 5 Juan Martin del Potro extended his winning streak to 13 matches by eliminating No. 26 Kei Nishikori 6-2, 6-2.

Del Potro won his first Masters 1000 title last week at Indian Wells.

No. 2 Marin Cilic swept Vasek Pospisil 7-5, 7-6 (4).

No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov lost to Jeremy Chardy 6-4, 6-4.

Williams regrouped after a disastrous opening set, which she was four times a single point from winning.

In the final set she erased two match points at 5-3, and another in the next game.

The stadium was nearly full by the finish. Williams, who lives in South Florida and has long been a favourite with Key Biscayne fans, said they kept her going.

“I felt everybody behind me,” she told them. “My

VENUS Williams returns to Kiki Bertens during the Miami Open yesterday. (AP) Williams, who is seeded No. 8, won the tournament way back in 1998, 1999 and 2001. Last year she reached the semi-final, and

opponent played well. I had a lot of chances; she had a lot of chances. I hope it was really entertaining for you all.”

this year she outlasted her sister, eight-time champion Serena Williams, who was upset in the first round. “I love it here,” Venus said.

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 65° F/18° C

TAMPA

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Partly sunny and pleasant

A showers or two; breezy late

Mostly cloudy and breezy

Intervals of clouds and sunshine

Mainly cloudy

Cloudy

High: 83°

Low: 67°

High: 80° Low: 67°

High: 80° Low: 66°

High: 81° Low: 67°

High: 82° Low: 67°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

94° F

63° F

80°-64° F

80°-66° F

81°-65° F

82°-70° F

almanac

E

W

ABACO

S

N

High: 75° F/24° C Low: 67° F/19° C

6-12 knots

S

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 70° F/21° C

7-14 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 68° F/20° C

E S

E

W

WEST PALM BEACH

W

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

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

N

uV inDex toDay

TONIGHT

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 67° F/19° C

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 64° F/18° C

MIAMI

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 71° F/22° C

6-12 knots

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 77° F/25° C Low .................................................... 61° F/16° C Normal high ....................................... 80° F/26° C Normal low ........................................ 66° F/19° C Last year’s high ................................. 79° F/26° C Last year’s low ................................... 69° F/20° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.00” Year to date ................................................. 6.79” Normal year to date ..................................... 4.22”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 67° F/19° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2018

High: 76° F/24° C Low: 70° F/21° C

N

KEY WEST

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 69° F/21° C

E

W

4-8 knots

S

6-12 knots

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

3:55 a.m.

4:24 p.m.

2.9 2.4

10:27 a.m. 0.1 10:36 p.m. -0.1

Tuesday

5:00 a.m.

5:29 p.m.

2.9 2.5

11:30 a.m. -0.1 11:42 p.m. -0.2

Wednesday 6:00 a.m.

6:28 p.m.

3.0 2.7

12:26 p.m. -0.3 ---------

Thursday

6:54 a.m.

7:21 p.m.

3.1 2.9

12:41 a.m. -0.4 1:16 p.m. -0.4

Friday

7:44 a.m.

8:10 p.m.

3.1 3.0

1:36 a.m. -0.5 2:03 p.m. -0.6

Saturday

8:31 a.m.

8:56 p.m.

3.0 3.1

2:26 a.m. -0.6 2:47 p.m. -0.6

Sunday

9:16 a.m.

9:40 p.m.

2.9 3.1

3:14 a.m. -0.6 3:30 p.m. -0.6

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

7:08 a.m.

7:24 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

2:44 p.m.

3:29 a.m.

Full

Last

New

First

Mar. 31

Apr. 8

Apr. 15

Apr. 22

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 77° F/25° C Low: 70° F/21° C

High: 77° F/25° C Low: 70° F/21° C

N

High: 79° F/26° C Low: 71° F/22° C

S

LONG ISLAND High: 78° F/26° C Low: 71° F/22° C

L

E

W

insurance management tracking map H

High Today

High: 77° F/25° C Low: 69° F/21° C

N

S

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

tiDes For nassau

CAT ISLAND

E

W

“This was my first big win. I have a lot of great memories. I hope I can get another win this year. You never know.”

4-8 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 77° F/25° C Low: 72° F/22° C

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

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 77° F/25° C Low: 73° F/23° C

High: 77° F/25° C Low: 72° F/22° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 81° F/27° C Low: 73° F/23° C

N

E

W

E

W

N

S

S

8-16 knots

8-16 knots

marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT

H

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 NE at 7-14 Knots ENE at 10-20 Knots NE at 4-8 Knots ENE at 10-20 Knots NE at 6-12 Knots NE at 10-20 Knots NE at 8-16 Knots NE at 10-20 Knots NNE at 4-8 Knots NE at 10-20 Knots NNE at 7-14 Knots ENE at 10-20 Knots NE at 6-12 Knots NE at 10-20 Knots NE at 8-16 Knots NE at 10-20 Knots ENE at 7-14 Knots NE at 12-25 Knots NE at 7-14 Knots NE at 12-25 Knots NE at 3-6 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots NE at 8-16 Knots NE at 10-20 Knots NE at 4-8 Knots NE at 10-20 Knots

WAVES 2-4 Feet 5-9 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-3 Feet 2-4 Feet 6-10 Feet 2-4 Feet 3-6 Feet 1-3 Feet 5-9 Feet 1-3 Feet 4-8 Feet 1-2 Feet 3-5 Feet 2-4 Feet 3-6 Feet 1-3 Feet 4-7 Feet 3-6 Feet 6-10 Feet 1-2 Feet 3-6 Feet 1-3 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 5-9 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 7 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. 77° F 76° F 76° F 76° F 76° F 76° F 78° F 78° F 74° F 74° F 76° F 76° F 76° F 76° F 79° F 79° F 78° F 78° F 77° F 77° F 72° F 72° F 77° F 77° F 76° F 76° F

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