SPORTS SECTION E
MONDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2017
Coach Evans fired amid FBI investigation into bribery By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net
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mid an FBI investigation into bribery and corruption surrounding college basketball, Lamont Evans has been fired as an associate head coach by Oklahoma State University. Evans, an Eleuthera native, was one of 10 people - including four NCAA assistant coaches named by federal prosecutors in the scandal that has rocked college basketball. Evans is accused of accepting over $20,000 to “exert his influence over certain student athletes” at Oklahoma State and dating back to his previous coaching stop at South Carolina. He was arrested last week and eventually released on a $50,000 bond. He will also appear in a
New York court on October 10 for his next hearing. OSU initially suspended Evans once his name was released among the persons suspected of committing the infractions. “We are cooperating with federal officials. We have been in contact with the NCAA and will provide additional information as it becomes available. OSU takes seriously the high standards of conduct expected in our athletic department and does not tolerate any deviation from those standards,” the athletic department said in an official statement. Evans was set to enter his second season on the staff of head coach Brad Underwood. He joined the Cowboys following previous stints with the South Carolina Gamecocks and Kansas State Wildcats.
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LAMONT EVANS, an assistant basketball coach at Oklahoma State University, leaves the federal courthouse following a court appearance in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, September 27. Evans is facing federal charges in conjunction with a wide probe of fraud and corruption in the NCAA. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
NFL
Week 4, Page 3
CAC BODYBUILDING CHAMPIONSHIPS CANCELLED By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net DUE to the passing of Hurricanes Irma and Maria and the devastation left behind in the region, including host Mexico that was hit by two earthquakes, the Central American and Caribbean Bodybuilding Championships was cancelled over the weekend. But Joel Stubbs, president of the Bahamas Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation, said they have already secured an event in Canada that some of the local bodybuilders will be able to participate in from an individual perspective rather than as a national team. “We had a meeting with the heads of the federations of the CAC region and it was decided to cancel the CAC
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Jonquel Jones on the All-WNBA 2nd Team ELITE TENNIS By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE postseason accolades continue to roll in for Bahamian WNBA superstar Jonquel Jones. Jones was named to the AllWNBA Second Team as the league continued to roll out its postseason awards. It concludes a season where the second year Connecticut Sun forward averaged a double double, set the league’s single season rebounds total, was named an All-Star and was awarded as the WNBA’s Most Improved Player. Joining Jones on the second team are Nneka Ogwumike, and Chelsea Gray of the Los Angeles Sparks along with Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury. “Truly honoured to be acknowledged with a group as accomplished and well-rounded as this,” Jones posted on various social media accounts. The All-WNBA First Team is headlined by league MVP Sylvia
Fowles of the Minnesota Lynx. She is joined on the team by Tina Charles of the New York Liberty, Skylar Diggins-Smith of the Dallas Wings, Candace Parker of the Los Angeles Sparks and Maya Moore of the Minnesota Lynx. Jones 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. In the season opener on May 13, she finished with eight points and 20 rebounds against the Atlanta Dream and had a
JONQUEL JONES 23-point, 21-rebound performance against the Chicago Sky on May 28. She finished with 14 points, a career high 22 rebounds and career high six assists in an 86-76 win over the Washington Mystics in August. Charles was the previous record holder with 398 rebounds and was the only other player to
record three 20-rebound games in a single season. Charles set the record in 2010 as a rookie with the Sun. In that season, she averaged 15.5 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. Jones also became the seventh player to average 11 rebounds in a season. She is also just the seventh player in league history to average at least 15 points and 11 rebounds in a season. Jones’ improvement also coincided with the Sun’s rise as a team. In 2016, they finished the season 14-20, 5th in Eastern Conference, and missed the postseason despite a dramatic midseason turnaround. This season, the Sun improved to 21-13 and clinched a top four seed in the playoff standings.They were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs with an 88-83 loss to the Phoenix Mercury. Jones continued to be a record setter in her playoff debut with 19 points and 15 rebounds, the second most rebounds in a WNBA playoff debut.
PROGRAMME SET FOR TUESDAY LAUNCH By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net FROM the time he retired in 2016, former touring pro Mark Knowles said his intention was to come home and contribute to the sport of tennis. Now is the ideal time. On Tuesday, Knowles will launch his Mark Knowles Elite Tennis Programme that will be a part of the Albany Tennis Academy. The academy was opened this month and is powered by Lleyton Hewitt with Grant Doyle as the Director of Tennis.
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Eugene McMinns named Subway Player of the NPSA Game in Axemen’s 33-14 victory over Mounties POSTSEASON By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE Acadia Axemen returned to the field following a bye week and Eugene McMinns returned
Preseason, Page 5
to form as one of the team’s leading playmakers. The senior wide recevier was named the Subway Player of the Game in the Axemen’s 33-14 win over the Mount Allison Mounties. He finished with three catches for 67 yards and one touchdown. He was also a factor on special teams with three kickoff returns for 80 yards and four punt returns for 44 yards. McMinns is one of three Bahamians on the Axemen roster along with Arrien McDonald and Shelton Williams. McDonald had a season high three tackles and returned one punt for 19 yards. Williams also saw time on the offensive line. The Axemen improved to 3-2 and surpassed their win total from last season. “The culture on the team is very detailed and we are learning new stuff. Our mindset is ‘the game is over and on to the next
EUGENE MCMINNS one’. We try not to get caught up in the hype,” McMinns said. The Mounties looked to repeat their lopsided win from week one
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of the season and took an early 14-3 lead. The Axemen clamped down defensively and did not surrender a score the remainder of the way. Early in the second quarter, McMinns would haul in a 34-yard touchdown pass to trim the deficit 14-10. The Axemen would go on to score three touchdowns in the quarter and take a 24-14 lead at the half. Through five games, McMinns leads the team with 20 receptions and is second in yards (236) and touchdown catches (two). As a return specialist he has a 23.6 yard average on kickoff returns and 17.2 yard average on punt returns. He is also the team leader in all purpose yards with 932 and an average of 186.4 per game. The Axemen will travel to face Bishop’s Gaiters in their next game at 3pm on October 7. Acadia scored a 27-10 win when the teams faced off October 2.
STARTS THIS WEEK By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
THE New Providence Softball Association closed out its regular season over the weekend and will now get ready for the start of the post season in the Banker’s Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex on Tuesday night. In the much anticipated match-up that completed the men’s series on Friday night, the pennant winning BTC Elite Warriors blasted the Commando Security Truckers 13-3. It was the only game played as the ladies’ games that night and Saturday were defaulted.
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