SPORTS SECTION E
MONDAY, APRIL 16, 2018
NPBA
Champions, Page 2
A silver to remember
By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net GOLD Coast, Australia — The men’s 4 x 400 metre relay team of Ojay Ferguson, Teray Smith, Stephen Newbold and Alonzo Russell added another silver to make the Bahamas’ total medal tally of four as the athletic competition closed out in the Carrara Stadium at the XXI Commonwealth Games on Saturday night. Their season’s best time of three minutes and 01.92 seconds trailed Botswana, anchored by 400m champion Isaac Makwala in a split of 44.54, for the gold. Jamaica, anchored by Javon Francis in his split of 44.54, picked up the bronze. Out of the entire field of runners, Russell produced the fastest split of 44.52 as he almost went toe-to-toe with Makwala on the home stretch after he moved up from third spot on the exchange from Newbold, who split 45.31. Smith and Ferguson both split 46.0. In the end, the Bahamas finished with its best showing ever at the games with a gold from Shaunae Miller-Uibo in the women’s 200m and two more silver from Jamal Wilson and Jeffery Gibson respectively in the men’s high jump and 400m hurdles. That placed the Bahamas in 13th place on the athletic medal chart behind Trinidad & Tobago. Overall, the Bahamas was 21st in all of the sports combined at the games, which for the first time featured the para-Olympic athletes, who competed in seven disciplines. The games, on the whole, was considered one of the best and most competitive ever held with Australia taking advantage of their home court with a dominating performance. As anticipated, the Bahamas was expected to provide some of the fireworks on the final day in the relays and the men’s 4 x 400m team certainly lived up to its billing.
GIANTS, HIGH FLYERS Men’s 4x400 team on the medal podium TAKE TITLE By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE New Providence Basketball Association concluded its 2017-18 season with champions crowned in both divisions over the weekend. Division I Commonwealth Bank Giants – 96 Rockets – 85 Giants win series 3-1
Ferguson, a late replacement for Steven Gardiner, who opted not to travel here to compete, opened up as he did in the heats the night before with the qualifying team of Russell, Michael Mathieu and Ramon Miller in 3:04.62, and put the Bahamas in 2nd place on the first exchange. “I feel good. I came a long way. I finally got to prove myself and got a medal so I’m really thankful that I got to run with these guys again,” Ferguson said. “I’m just happy and thank God.” Smith, coming off his individual appearance through the semi-final of the men’s 200m, said he felt good running with the team, considering that he has ran a number of 1,600m relays for the Tigers at Auburn University up until his final season last year. “This is my first major championship medal so I feel very good about it,” said Smith, now a professional athlete training in the same camp with Gardiner and Jeffery Gibson where they added Blake
THE BAHAMAS’ men’s 4x400m relay team embrace as they celebrate after winning the silver medal at Carrara Stadium during the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Australia, on Saturday, April 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Bartlett to win a 4 x 400m relay in Orlando last month. “I just went out there to hold my own and help these guys and try to keep it in a good position to give it to our anchor Alonzo. Newbold and Ferguson did a wonderful job so I’m excited that we came out with the silver medal. We have a lot to be thankful for.” Newbold, mourning the death of his uncle, Gordon Newbold, said it was just
an awesome race. “I’m just glad the father pulled us through the race,” he said. “I would like to thank him for the opportunity to come out here and support our country and support our families. We had an awesome team. New fresh legs and everything. It was great.” After running a sensational anchor leg that had the crowd on its feet roaring as the final event in the stadium took place, Russell
said he was too lost for words to describe the feeling that he felt. It was an improvement on the team’s performance the day before in the semi-final. The team of Ferguson (46.2), Russell (45.4), Mathieu (46.63) and Miller (46.34) was bumped up from fourth to third in the last of two heats after Australia was disqualified. It
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AFTER losing game three, the Giants recovered from the only blemish on an otherwise perfect season to close out the series in five games on Saturday night. D’Shon Taylor scored a game high 27 and shot 13 of which came from the free throw line on just 14 attempts. Michael Bain Jr had 21 points and six steals, Tehran Cox scored 12 and David Taylor scored 10. Tomeko Moxy led the Rockets in scoring for the first time this series with 24 points. Cordaro Pinder scored 18, Livingston Munnings had 16 points and 12 rebounds and Lyndrick Storr scored 10. The Rockets led by as much as seven in the opening quarter with Moxey’s three-pointer to go ahead 16-9. Bain brought the Giants within two late in the quarter, but the Rockets tacked on a pair of Munnings free throws and a Pinder three-pointer for a 27-22 lead. Storr’s layup early in the second half gave the Rockets a 35-29 lead, but a 7-1 run for the Giants capped by a Kevin Hinsey three pointer tied the game at 36. Tied again at 41, the Giants got scores from Ishmael Curtis and Tehrad Rahming. Storr would make a three and Curtis’ final field goal of the quarter gave the Giants a 47-44 lead at the half. The Giants broke the game open in the third quarter with a 14-0 run over the course of the first 2:30 of the period.
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MACKEY: ‘I HAD HIM, BUT I COULDN’T CONTROL MY BREATHING’ COLLIE 11TH By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net GOLD Coast, Australia — Rashji Mackey gave it a gallant effort, but he didn’t have the stamina at the end to pull off the win in his men’s freestyle 86kg match against the older and more
PLAYOFFS, Page 3
experienced Kevin Wallen from Jamaica at the Carrara Sports Arena 1 at the XXI Commonwealth Games on Saturday. On the final day of competition in wrestling, 32-year-old Mackey suffered a 3-1 decision to 48-yearold Wallen in the round of eight. “I had him, but I couldn’t control my breathing,” said an exhausted Mackey following the match. “I was hoping to come here and fight in the finals to get the silver or the gold, but I just wanted to get through my first match. He was good, long arms. That was what stopped me.” Wallen, however, didn’t have the energy after that match and he subsequently lost his quarter-final match in a 4-0 shutout at the hands of Alexander Moore of Canada. “He was a lot tougher than I thought he would be,” said Wallen of his 11-10 technical decision over Mackey. “He’s a young guy and I’m an old guy. I could probably be
OVERALL IN TRIPLE JUMP By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
Having started competing at the age of 15, Wallen has been a household name in the Caribbean and his “love for the sport and my
GOLD Coast, Australia — After taking a chance taking off on his left jumping foot in the preliminaries two days before, Latario Collie went back to the right foot in the final and although he improved on his performance, he finished 11th in the men’s triple on Saturday’s final day of competition at the XXI Commonwealth Games. The 24-year-old Collie popped a leap of 15.90 metres on his third jump,
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JAMAICAN Kevin Wallen and Rashji Mackey (right) at the XXI Commonwealth Games on Saturday. his dad and then some, but he was good. There were a few things that he needs to clean up, but I think he can be a force if he continues to wrestle. This is what we are looking for in the Caribbean.”