10022018 SPORTS

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SPORTS SECTION E

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2018

MLB

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By RENALDODORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

MCPHEE-MCCUIN HOSTS HER FIRST OFFICIAL PRACTICE AS HEAD COACH OF THE REBELS By RENALDODORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net COACH Yolett McPheeMcCuin hosted her first official practice as head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels women’s basketball programme. Ole Miss opens the season with a home exhibition with LeMoyne-Owen on November 2, with the regular season slated to begin at home against Norfolk State on November 6. “I thought the energy of the group was great. I thought they came out and everyone was excited and locked in,” McPheeMcCuin said. “Obviously there is a lot we need to implement and work on but, for the most part, I felt like they controlled the controllables, which is their attitude and their effort.” She was named last April after turning around a Jacksonville programme that had only won 20 games twice in its history prior to her arrival. “In my opinion, everyone is a newcomer because everyone is trying to get better. This is a new system for all parties involved. I’m just looking forward to growing with them and getting them to build chemistry on the floor, and that will happen over time.” Ole Miss women’s basketball will be featured on national TV during six Southeastern Conference contests. All six games will be broadcast on SEC Network, with two coming at home at The Pavilion at Ole Miss on January 6 (Arkansas) and January 20 (Florida), with the other four coming on the road on January 13 (Kentucky), January 27 (Mississippi State), February 18 (Georgia) and February 24 (Arkansas). “Anytime there is a new programme, there is a curiosity that’s out there,” McPhee-McCuin said.

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JUDO: WORLD JUNIORS SET FOR ATLANTIS THIS MONTH

TRAVIS MUNNINGS, above and below left, competes for Team Bahamas in FIBA Basketball World Cup China 2019 Qualifiers.

Munnings and Warhawks hope to contend in Sun Belt By RENALDODORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

W

hen Travis Munnings returned to the University of Louisiana-Munroe Warhawks for his senior season, head coach Keith Richard knew the roster would rely heavily on the Grand Bahama native if they hope to contend in the Sun Belt. The Warhawks opened practice Sunday at Fant-Ewing Coliseum in Monroe, Louisiana, and Munnings’ presence was the main talking point for Richard on the afternoon. “I’m really proud of Travis. He has gotten better every year, freshman, sophomore junior seasons. All-Conference selection last year, second team. He has really worked on his game since he’s been here and he’s improved again for his senior year,” he said. “He’s looked just like you want a senior returning AllConference player to look in the summer and in our preseason practices. We need him to play well this year for us to have a good season.” After testing the market and facing evaluation from scouts and coaches, Travis Munnings withdrew from the NBA Draft and decided to return to the Warhawks. Munnings was named a Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA) Men’s College Basketball Team Third-team selection to add to his postseason accolades. As a junior, he averaged 15.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. He was previously honoured as Second-team All-Sun Belt Conference selection and won Sun Belt Player of the Week. En route to winning Conference Player of the Week honours, Munnings averaged 21 points and 5.5

rebounds while helping ULM to a homecourt sweep over UT Arlington (84-71) and Texas State (79-71). He also made 9-of-21 three pointers (41 per cent) during that two-game stretch. Munnings led the team in both scoring and rebounding and is a member of the 1,000-point club. As a freshman, the 6’6” forward averaged 7.2 points and 5.4 rebounds and increased those numbers to 13.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game as a sophomore. “Travis is having an outstanding career. What I hope for him is that we’re really good his senior year.” Calvin Anderson, a senior guard and another Grand Bahama native, also enters his senior season with the programme. Last year, ULM finished 16-16, 9-9 in the Sun Belt and reached the

conference tournament quarterfinals. They won eight of their last 11 regular-season games and extended their season with a berth in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament, where they lost to Austin Peay in the first round. “We’ve finished in the top half of the Sun Belt three of the last four years and that’s what you want to do with any programme is consistent winning,” Richard said. “Obviously, the goal is to go to the NCAA Tournament, win your league and do all those things, every team in every league has that goal and hopefully we can do that this year. “At the very least, you would like to establish a programme that is consistently winning, finishing in the top half of your league.”

IN approximately two weeks, the international judo community will descend on the Bahamas as the island nation hosts the sport’s elite talent from around the world. A total of 510 judokas, including 295 men and 215 women from five continents and 81 countries, are expected to compete at the World Junior Judo Championships in the Imperial Ballroom at the Atlantis resort October 17-21. The Bahamas has registered a 14-member team of nine men – Jevon Bethel, Desmond Bootle, Davante Sweeting, Andrew Munnings, Dre Hall, Desmondo Bootle, Lyle Sherman, Daleon Sweeting, Larry Marshall - and five women – Jasmine Russell, Mya Beneby, Breanna Major, Raven Pennerman and Sasha Ingraham. Team members most recently competed at the Ocean State Judo Championships in Providence, Rhode Island, and won the best team trophy. “We have some things to work on, but we are right where we need to be to have success at the Jr World Championships,” said Oneysi Pons, head coach of the national team. The World Junior Judo Championships will be the largest sport tournament ever held in the Bahamas in terms of numbers and diversity of countries. “It is time to support this team,” says D’Arcy Rahming Jr, high performance director of the national team. “The championships are upon us and the athletes have trained hard and the results are showing. But they need the support to carry them over the edge.” He added: “We have never had a team this good and this well-prepared.” Rahming also serves as the judo head coach for the University of Bahamas Mingoes, which features several national team members on its roster. “They are training right now for the World Junior Championships,” he said during UB Media Day. “Many of the UB team will be competing at the tournament and we are very proud of them. These guys are training at a very high level and they are the best

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Knights strike gold in St Lawrence Invitational Tournament By RENALDODORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE Niagara College Knights, with several Bahamian players on their roster, were back on the floor for the preseason as they prepare to contend in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association. Van Hutchinson Jr, Kevin Cooper, Stephone Augustine, Livingstone Bromwell and the Knights have gone 3-1 thus far, including the gold medal at the St Lawrence Invitational Tournament. They began with a 68-63 loss to the Centennial Colts. Hutchinson finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds, Cooper added 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Augustine made his debut with four points and eight rebounds. Game one of the SLC Invitational was a 78-67 win over the Algonquin Thunder. Hutchinson had 23 points, seven rebounds

and four assists, Cooper scored 15 and Augustine finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds. In game two, the Knights won 99-78 over the Vanier Cheetahs. Hutchinson went off for 28 points, eight rebounds and four assists, Cooper had eight points and nine rebounds and Bromwell scored 17 with seven rebounds. In the gold medal game, Niagara won 80-74 over St Lawrence. Hutchinson again stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocks while Cooper had five points and three rebounds. Hutchinson, who played much of last season recovering from an ankle injury, will be looking to lead the Knights back to the playoffs in his third season. Despite the injury setback, the 6’5” guard averaged 16.9 points, 10.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game and led the Knights in several statistical

VAN Hutchinson Jr (right) with his father. categories. “If I was able to put those numbers up injured, I’m excited for what I can do now because this is by far the best I’ve felt since I stepped foot in Canada so the expectations are very high this year,” he said. “From what I’ve seen at workouts and tryouts we have a group of guys coming in hungry and as a team we look forward to making some noise.” Last season, they concluded the OCAA Championship with an 89-83 win over the Lambton

Lions in the tournament’s consolation final and did not qualify for the OCAA Championships. In 2016, the Knights finished fourth in the OCAA tournament and did not advance to the National Championship. They finished the threeday event in fourth place after losing in the bronzemedal game and were forced to play without Hutchinson for the duration of the tournament after losing him to an ankle injury. That season, he led

the team in scoring at 14.6 points, 10 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. The team finished in second place in the OCAA West and were also ranked No. 4 in the OCAA national rankings for the majority of the second half of the season. “Every year has been a growing process,” Hutchinson said. “Last year was different because I had that injury at the end of year one and I dealt with that all year. I’m healthy now so I’m really looking forward to big things from myself and from my team. The Knights are a combined 38-16 over the last three seasons. Hutchinson and Cooper are a part of a strong Bahamian connection at Niagara that last season also included Jordan Wilson and Jarrad Richardson. This year the team welcomed incoming players and fellow Noble Preparatory Alumni, Bromwell and Augustine.

“We head to Canada as a brotherhood and that’s the way we keep it,” Hutchinson said. “We basically treat it like fraternity brothers. We’re family, so with us together we’re even more excited for the season as a unit. I’m ready, everyone’s ready and we’re just excited to get it going right now.” In July, Phil Mosley was announced as the new head coach of the Niagara Knights men’s basketball programme. Mosley is the 12th head coach in Knights men’s basketball history. Most recently he spent 2017-18 as the first chair assistant under interim head coach Mike Hurley. “The programme itself, every year I’ve had a different head coach, different system, so it was a constant learning process. We also had a new athletic director so the whole department had changes.” The Knights begin the season October 19 against the Redeemer Royals.


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