11142018 SPORTS

SPORTS SECTION E

ATP Finals

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2018

Kevin Major Jr wins title at USTA tourney

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

F

or the second straight week, Kevin Major Jr has hoisted a championship trophy won in singles at a USTA tennis tournament.

This time, it came at the Delray Fall Prize Money Open at the ProWorld Tennis Academy in Delray Beach, Florida, where he was the No.2 seed.

Major Jr forced top seed Serge Becerra into submission in the second set as he retired as Major Jr was awarded a 6-1, 3-1 victory.

“This one was a lot harder because I was tired from playing

so much tennis, but I just had to gut it out,” said Major Jr, who is coming off his 2018 UTR/Reel Tennis Open Circuit 9 Tournament victory at the Frank Veltri Tennis Center in Plantation, Florida, a week ago.

Major Jr, 23, won his opening match 6-3, 6-0 over Caleb Strother, who was “much younger than me, but once his energy level died down, I was able to take control of the rest of the match.”

His next victim was No.11 seed Gabriel Hurtado, whom Major Jr wiped away 6-1, 6-0 before he got his first real test in a rematch against lefty Ricardo Pabon in the quarter-finals, only to prevail with a hard-fought 6-1, 6-3 win.

Major Jr’s semi-final match came the same day that he won over Pabon and he was able to “control the match from start to finish” as he won 6-2, 6-2 over No.6 seed Hillel Rousseau.

That set up the showdown against Becerra.

Major Jr said he thought the match “would be harder because on paper, the guy was better than me,” according to the stats.

“He won the first game in the first set, but I won six straight games and I was pretty confident.

In the second set, he again won the first game, but I said I will do the same thing over. I won three games in a row comfortably and I guess he realised that there’s no

way he was going to beat me, so he retired.”

With back-to-back titles under his belt, Major Jr said he is confident going into the rest of the season.

“It feels pretty good to have this kind of success pretty early in my professional career,” said Major Jr, who only turned pro this year. “If you told me this six months ago, I would laugh at you because I really didn’t believe in myself.

“But about two months ago when I went to California and saw the competition and how close I was to being where I want to be in tennis, I’m just going to keep going

SEE PAGE 3

Lashann Higgs erupts for 20, reaches 1,000 career points DENTON, Texas (AP) — Lashann Higgs scored 20 points to reach 1,000 in her career in a matchup of a longtime coach and her mentor.

Higgs and the No. 11 ranked Texas Longhorns prevailed with a 64-54 win over North Texas.

Higgs entered needing 16 points to become the 44th player in school history to reach the career milestone.

North Texas coach Jalie Mitchell played for the Mean Green when current Texas coach Karen Aston was an assistant at the school.

Aston later served one year as UNT’s head coach in 2011-12, tripling the team’s win total from the previous year.

Mitchell was as an assistant for Aston at both North Texas (2011-12) and Texas (2012-15).

This was the first meeting between the two head coaches.

Texas (2-0) scored the opening seven points of the game and it was 23-11 at the end of the first quarter. Texas (2-0) led 34-21 at halftime.

Terriell Bradley led North Texas (1-1) with 18 points.

TEXAS’ Lashann Higgs (10) shoots the ball against North Texas in the second half of Monday night’s NCAA game.

(AP)

ELEVEN TO BE INDUCTED IN NATIONAL SPORTS HALL OF FAME

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net THE Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture is expected to induct 11 more persons into the National Hall of Fame next week, bringing the total to 163 since the inception of the highest honour for outstanding athletes, coaches and officials in 1989.

To be inducted in the Class of 2018 during the ceremonies on Friday, November 23, at Government House by Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling, are the following: Agatha Delancy and Harcourt ‘Coins’ Poitier for golf; Cornel Mickey Williams for lawn tennis; Samuel ‘Sammie’ Symonette - bowling; William ‘Sonny Boy’ Rahming - boxing; Creswell Pratt baseball; Charles ‘Softly’ Robins and Peter ‘Macaroni’ Gilcud - basketball; Edmund Lewis - cricket and posthumously - Arthur Thompson Sr for umpiring and Jann Mortimer for volleyball.

Director of Sports Timothy Munnings said the event is open to the public and they are asking for the public to come out and support the honorees.

“I think it’s another good class. It’s a group of diverse individuals who have been identified by their peers in sports, who feel they are worthy of such recognition,” Munnings said. “This is a representation of who we in the sports world feel deserve special recognition.

Under the theme: “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now, We’re On the Move,” the honorees will get to participate in a series of events to commemorate the occasion.

It will get started 8:30am at the Eva Hilton Primary School, formerly Oakes Field Primary, before they head to the Royal Bahamas Defence Force base for a tour of the facility.

On Friday and next Monday, representatives of the Class of 2018 will appear live on Bahamas at Sunrise. On Sunday at 10:30am, they will worship at Commonwealth Baptist Church, pastored by Bishop

SEE PAGE 3

NPBA: UB Mingoes, Elite make it to the win column THE University of the Bahamas Mingoes and the Basden Elevator Elite won their games in the New Providence Basketball Association’s double header at

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the AF Adderley Gymnasium on Monday night.

While the Mingoes won the feature game 91-71 over the Leno Regulators, the Elite nipped the Caro Contractors Resistance 92-91 in the opener. Here’s a summary: Mingoes 91, Regulators 71 Kemsy Sylvester pumped in a game high 21 points as he shot 9-for-17 from the field and 3-for-6 from the free throw line as the University of the Bahamas rebounded from their homecoming losses over the weekend to win their NPBA season opener.

Sylvester, in 27 minutes and 45 seconds, also pulled down 15 rebounds, dished out six assists,

had four steals and blocked a pair of shots.

Justin Smith scored 17 points with five assists, four rebounds and two steals, Travaughn Nicholls came off the bench with 14 points, eight rebounds and four steals, Ramon Dames had 13 points, three assists and two rebounds and Christoff McKenzie added 11 points and four rebounds.

“It felt good to win,” Dames said. “On the defensive end we were able to force a lot of turnovers and we were able to capitalise on that to pull off the win.”

The Mingoes led 25-15 at the end of the first quarter and they held on for a 38-32 margin at the half. They used a 24-15 rout

to extend their lead to 62-47 at the end of the fourth and they went on another 29-24 tear in the fourth to seal the deal.

Renardo Baillou led Leno with 13 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal. Kenneth Pratt came off the bench with 12 points, Jonathan Carey and Hakeem Walkes both had eight points and Cruz Simon added seven points with eight rebounds.

Elite 92, Resistance 91 Dario McKenzie scored a layup with 15 seconds left on the clock to put Basden Elevator up for good (92-90).

Caro Contractors had a chance to at least tie the score and force overtime with nine seconds on the

clock. But Kamal Murphy missed the first and sank the second free throw to cut the deficit to the final score. McKenzie, in 28:35 minutes, had 23 points with 11 rebounds, four assists, four steals and two block shots.

His brother Tario McKenzie led the attack with a game high 26 points, four rebounds, three assists and as many steals.

Livigi Forbes came off the bench and scored 18 points with two rebounds and two steals.

Simar Rolle added seven points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Basden Elevator led 26-16 at the end of the first quarter, but

SEE PAGE 3

PAGE 2, Wednesday, November 14, 2018

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UB Mingoes’ Oakland Duncan attempts to steal the ball from a United FC player.

UB Mingoes’ Kevin St Fort advances the ball.

Photos: UB ATHLETICS

In the BFA, UB Mingoes top United 2-0 THE University of the Bahamas Mingoes defeated United Football Club 2-0 for the first win of the Bahamas Football Association season as the defending champions look to repeat this season.

Tristian Arnold (mechanical engineering - sophomore) scored in the 20th minute off an assist from James Carey (accounting - junior) to take the early lead in the match at the Roscow A.L. Davies Field on Sunday.

Arnold wasn’t done on the day though. In the 35th minute he assisted on the side’s second goal when Stuart Hanna (tourism management – senior) found the back of the net to go up 2-0.

The match was very physical with both sides wanting

to pull off a win. United had five opportunities in the second half but just could not score a goal. The Mingoes went on to win 2-0 and now have a 1-0-1 win-lossdraw record.

“Even though we got a win I don’t feel proud about it,” Tristian Arnold said. “We had a lot of mistakes on the field and even though this is our second game this is stuff we should have already fixed from last season. Some guys are new on the team so I understand it. We have the potential to win it and compete with the best but we just need to fix it.”

The Mingoes don’t play again until December 2 when the side is scheduled to face Renegades FC 5pm at the Roscow A.L. Davies Field.

UB Mingoes Kevin St Fort gets low to control a pass.

UB Mingoes Trent Davies tries to win a header.

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Wednesday, November 14, 2018, PAGE 3

6TH ANNUAL KIDS ATHLETICS ROAD RACE ON SATURDAY

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

FOLLOWING the successful staging of the second annual Shaunae Miller-Uibo Bay Street Mile over the weekend, the sixth annual Kids Athletics Road Race is set for Saturday.

And when the event gets underway at 10am at the Bahamas Hotrod motor car park, organiser Sherry Francis said they intend to take advantage of the enthusiasm being built for cross country.

Francis, who serves as the head coach of Kids Athletics, said participants will get to compete in age groups from under-7 to open in both the male and female categories.

“We put this event on to help with the conditioning of the track

and field athletes leading into the track season,” said Francis, one of the country’s former premier female distance runners.

“Over the past couple of years, we have noticed an increase in distance running from the younger kids and so we are trying to encourage them to continue in that area,” she said.

Francis said the Bay Street Mile, sponsored by Miller-Uibo, provided a good yardstick for them to use going into their event.

Saturday’s race from the straw market to the Bahamas Football Association’s beach soccer facility attracted over 700 competitors.

“We had a little boy under nine who won his age group category in six minutes and 59 seconds,” Francis said. “For an eight year old to run under seven minutes for a mile already is awesome. We

have to harness these types of performances. That is why we want to continue to hold this event and encourage more athletes to switch from running the sprints to the distance events.”

The event, which has been cemented on the Bahamas Association of Athletic Association’s calendar, is expected to attract competitors from both the schools and the track clubs.

Francis said they also anticipate having a number of competitors, who run in the various local races, to also come out and participate in the event.

“Everybody is looking forward to this event,” Francis stated. “We are expecting at least three to 400 competitors to come out and participate on Saturday. I think there is still a lot of enthusiasm from the Bay Street Mile because some

people thought it was longer than they competed, so they want a do over and this is their time. Who wasn’t pleased with what they ran, can improve their times.”

The under-7 competitors will be running a 400 metre race, under-9 will do 800m, under-11 will do 1,200m and from under-15 and open will contest a mile.

David Ferguson, who provided the chip timing for the Miller-Uibo Bay Street Mile, is expected be on hand to produce the automatic timing so that all competitors will be able to view their performance at the end of the event.

Trophies will be presented to the first three finishers in each age group category and the medals will be distributed from fourth to 10th place. Registration will remain open until race day. The fee is $6 per person.

ELEVEN TO BE INDUCTED IN NATIONAL SPORTS HALL OF FAME NEXT WEEK FROM PAGE 1 Arnold Josey, in Elizabeth Estates. On Tuesday, the honorees will head to HO Nash Primary School at 9am. On Wednesday, they will attend the sitting of the House of Assembly at 10am and at the break in session, they will be feted to lunch at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium with inductees from the previous classes of inductees.

A total of 12 classes have have been held over the past two decades and is comprised of the following: Class of 1989 - Tommy Robinson, Sir Durward Knowles, Cecil Cooke, Andre Rodgers and Elisha Obed.

Class of 2003 - Roderick Simms, Robert ‘Bobby’ Symonette, Sloan Farrington, Charlie Major Sr., Deacon Leviticus Adderley, Kingsley Poitier, Leonard ‘Boston Blackie’ Miller, Tony Curry, Mychal ‘Sweet Bells’ Thompson, Vince Ferguson, Betty Cole and John Sands Class of 2008 - Sterling ‘Robert Lloyd’ Quant, Peter ‘Pa B’ Bethell, Tom ‘The Bird’ Grant, Hubert Wong, Winston ‘Gus’ Cooper, Captain Rolly Gray, Dr. Bernard Nottage, William ‘Yama Bahama’ Butler, Churchill Tener Knowles, Roy Armbrister, Henry Crawford, Ed Armbrister, Betty Kelly Kenning and Fred ‘Papa’ Smith.

Class of 2009 - Perry G. Christie, Bradley Cooper, Florence ‘Flo’ Rolle, Cliff Wilson, Doyle Burrows, Richard ‘The Lion Heart’ Johnson, Dr. Timothy Barrett, Glen Wells, Ed Smith, Errol Bodie, Bob Isaacs, Edwin Davies, Wentworth Forde, Leon ‘Apache’

SEATED (from left to right) are Acting PS Rhonda Jackson, Minister of Sports Lanisha Rolle and Director of Sports Timothy Munnings.

Standing (l-r) are Hall of Famers Sammy Symonette, Peter Gilcud, Crestwell Pratt and Arthur Jr, representing his father.

Photo: Eric Rose/BIS Knowles and Anthony Carroll.

Class of 2010 - Basil Trevor Kelly, Gorman ‘Gomeo’ Brennen; Sharon ‘The General’ Storr; Earl Peter ‘Sweet Pete’ Brown; Leonard John ‘Skeeter’ Dames; Osborne ‘Ank’ Rahming; Carl Rodger Minns; Cynthia ‘Mother’ Pratt; Dudley ‘Dougie’ Smith; Winnifred K.P. Bethell-Russell; Keith Holland Parker; Celestine Wilson-Albury; Percival ‘Andy’ Knowles and Frederick Charles Higgs.

Class of 2011 - John Antonas; Derek ‘Bookie’ Nesbitt; Margaret Albury; Frank ‘Pancho’ Eahming; Godfrey Kelly; Austin ‘King Snake’ Knowles;

Martin Lundy; Gladstone “Moon” McPhee; Arthur Elden; Anita De-GregoryDoherty; Glenroy ‘Flo’ Saunders; Wilfred ‘Suggy’ Culmer; Prince ‘Head’ McIntosh; Sir Gerald Cash and Justice Maxwell Thompson.

Class of 2012 - Cyril ‘Peepsight’ Johnson; Leroy ‘Skinny’ Archer; Dewitt ‘Flash’ Hanna; Lorenzo ‘Dooney’ Lockhart; Leslie ‘Russia’ Cartwright; Edward ‘Eddie’ Ford; Oscar Francis; Keith ‘Belzie’ Smith; Peter Bowe Sr.; Irrington ‘Rinky’ Isaacs; Jesse ‘Butkus’ Ferguson; Dame Bertha Isaacs and Charles Williams.

Class of 2013 - Rev. Enoch Backford; Bernard Livingston Bostwick; Sir

Arlington Butler; Alpheus ‘Hawk’ Finlayson; Roscow A.L. Davies; Maryann Higgs-Clarke; Oswald Moore; C. Leroy P. Mitchell; Harold Munnings; Phil Smith; Dr. Gail NorthSaunders; Garth Rolle; Jacqueline Barnett-Bethel; Dr. Norman Gay; Leroy Archer; J. Barrie Farrington; Osborne Lockhart; Captain Hezron Moxey; Earl Haven; Basil Neymour and Kendal Nottage.

Class of 2014 - Kevin Johnson; Percival ‘Andrew’ Knowles; Edith Powell; Marina McClain; Donnie Martinborough; Ray Minus Sr.; Harcourt ‘Rip’ Rolle; Frederick Robert Sturrup; Daniel Sumner; Franklyn Theodore Roosevelt

Sweeting; Frederick ‘Chicken’ Taylor; Calvin Cooper; Norris Stubbs; Allan Jackson; Wilfred Coakley and Bertram ‘Cowboy’ Musgrove.

Class of 2015 - Linda Woodside-Major; Shonel Ferguson; Kenneth ‘Six’ Francis; Kim O’Kelley; James ‘Jim’ Duncombe; Leslie Miller; Foster Bethell; Judy Lundy; Hubert Dean; Kenneth Rolle; Oralee Fowler; Anthony ‘Bando’ Bostwick; Neville Wisdom; Mizpah Archer and Sidney ‘Butts’ Outten.

Class of 2016 - Evander Freeman ‘The Natural’ Barr; Hugh Bullard; Candace DeGregory; Burket Dorsett; Anthony ‘Poker’

SPORTS NOTES CHESS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS THE prestigious Bahamas National Chess Championship 2018 is scheduled to begin in one week. Eight of the Bahamas’ top players are expected to compete in a seven round-robin style tournament.

This tournament is invitation only as only the winners and top scorers from BCF events held throughout 2018 have qualified, including the Bahamas Junior Chess Champion 2018.

Thanks to the amazing sponsorship of Atlantis, the top players in the country will do battle at the Coral Towers Convention Center, all hoping to be crowned the new national chess champion. Play is set to begin 9am November 17 at the Coral Towers Convention Center, Paradise Island.

“We thank our other sponsors, the Mednet Group, Lindroth Development Company Ltd and the New Providence Development Company Ltd for supporting this top tier event,” said Elton Joseph, the tournament director.

“Few were invited, only one will be victorious.”

ARCHERY: BAHAMAS INVITATIONAL THE Bahamas Archery Association is slated to hold its second annual Archery Invitational 10:30am to 4:30pm on Saturday at St Paul’s Field, western New Providence.

Archers from across the country are expected to compete in the event that will have two age group categories for men and women.

Prizes will be offered to the respective winners at the end of the competition.

Huyler; Ivan Johnson; Nathaniel Knowles; Vicky Knowles-Andrews; Edmondo Moxey; Hattie Moxey; Jason ‘Pegs’ Moxey; Bertram Perigord; Frank Rutherford Jr.; Della Thomas; Sister Annie Thompson; Roosevelt ‘Dog’ Turner and James ‘Jim’ Wood.

Class of 2017 - Leo L. Rolle; Fletcher J. Lewis Jr.; Patricia Elaine Thompson; Edith Louise Turnquest; Rudy Levarity; W.M.J. Godfrey Eneas and Michael ‘Mike’ Sands.

USTA: Major Jr wins championship

RAMON Dames drives to the basket against a Leno player.

UB Mingoes, Elite make it to the win column in the NPBA FROM PAGE 1 Caro Contractors bounced back to even the score 42-42 at the half. The Resistance went up 66-63 at the end of the third, but the Elite used a 29-25 spurt in the fourth to hold on for the win.

Shaquille Outten came off the bench in 19:16 minutes to lead the Caro Contractors with 20 points, five rebounds, four steals and a block shot.

Antonio Hanna contributed 16 points, five

rebounds, three steals, an assist and a block, Murphy finished with 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists, four steals and a block, Marcian Higgins had 13 points, six rebounds and three blocks, Jayson McHardy had nine points and both Tyreke Colebrooke and Shannon Phillips had eight points.

The NPBA is expected to resume play tonight with another double header.

TONIGHT 7pm - Triple K Stampers vs Caro Contractors Titans 8:30pm - Pros vs Caro Contractors Pirates

KEVIN Major Jr (right), with his coach Lawrence Carpio, holds his trophy.

FROM PAGE 1 and ride the wave until the tide changes.”

Today, Major will return home for a break before he heads off to the

Dominican Republic on November 21 to play there for three weeks.

“Hopefully I can do some damage down there,” he said as he looks ahead to stepping up the ladder and playing in two ITF Tournaments.

Major, who is coached by Lawrence Carpio and trains at the LAT

Tennis Academy in Boynton Beach, Florida, will then return home to participate in the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s 2018 Giorgio Baldacci National Tennis Tournament.

He is also expected to compete in the Davis Cup trials at the National Tennis Centre in late December.

PAGE 4, Wednesday, November 14, 2018

RESERVE champion Alexis Osazuwa and Reese’s Pieces.

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SPORTSMANSHIP award winner Mollie McDermott.

SARA Gottberg was co-high point rider.

Horse show rocks in Camperdown THE second horse show of the Equestrian Bahamas 2018-2019 show season took place this past weekend at Camperdown Equestrian Centre.

The show was a two-day event - Saturday’s classes featured the crowd-pleasing speed jumping events, while on Sunday the focus was on Equitation classes which emphasise style and technique.

Riders competed at all levels, from Future Champions in Lead Line right up to the 3-foot level.

The show was judged by Mr Robert Robold, president of the East Coast Hunter-Jumper Association, owner of North Hammock Stables in Merritt Island, Florida, and USEF R-rated judge in Hunters, Jumpers and Equitation.

At the close of the show Judge Robold gave two special awards.

Sara Gottberg and Amalia Good were

ALL smiles courtesy of a future champion. co-winners of the High Point Rider award, given to the rider or riders earning the most points in their division.

Mollie McDermott was the winner of the Tibri Sportsmanship Award - a surprising choice to some as Mollie did not compete in the show. “There were

lots of kids who exhibited sportsmanship this weekend,” said Judge Robold. “Mollie stood out to me because even though she was not riding in the show she came out to support her barn teammates, and to help bathe and care for the horses and put away equipment.

“That is the right kind of attitude for a rider as it shows an unselfish attitude, concern for the welfare of the animal, and a willingness to learn from the ringside. So she was my choice.

“Congratulations to Mollie, Sara, Amalia, and to all riders and trainers on goals achieved, lessons learned, and ribbons won!

A great time was had by all.

The next show of the Equestrian Bahamas competition calendar is scheduled for December 8-9 at Mariposa Stables in western New Providence.

Admission is free and the public is invited to attend.

MORGAN and Jack in action.

HANNAH and Secret in the Novice Medal.

MOBILE

APP

Take us with you Everywhere you go!

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Wednesday, November 14, 2018, PAGE 5

Steelers’ Le’Veon Bell refuses to sign tag, out for 2018

By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer PITTSBURGH (AP) — Le’Veon Bell’s patience on the football field sets him apart.

In a game built on chaos, the star running back rarely hurries or makes hasty decisions.

His ability to put his hand on the back of an offensive lineman while waiting for the hole to open — much like a child sticking close to a parent in a crowded store — helps him make the remarkably difficult at times look remarkably easy.

His career at a crossroads partly of his own making, Bell will have to rely on that patience now more than ever after the two-time AllPro declined to sign his one-year, $14.4 million franchise tender with the Pittsburgh Steelers by yesterday’s deadline, making him ineligible to play for the AFC North leaders or anyone else this season.

The unprecedented move sets Bell up for the potentially big-time payday he has long been searching when he becomes a free agent in the spring, provided there’s a team willing to splurge on one of the league’s more talented if mercurial players.

While TV cameras set up outside the team’s practice facility yesterday to catch Bell if he decided to show up for work for

the first time in nearly 10 months, the 26-year-old never pulled up to the gates, ending — for now — one of the more unusual labour standoffs between a team and a player in the era of free agency.

Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin seemed resigned to Bell’s decision shortly before the 4pm deadline, saying simply “so be it” when asked about the possibility of Bell not returning to the team that selected him in the second round of the 2013 draft and helped mould him into one of the league’s most dynamic threats.

“Even when we don’t understand it, we’re sensitive to it, so we’re not shocked when things happen from a business standpoint, no,” Tomlin said.

The Steelers (6-2-1), who have won five straight to sprint to the top of the division heading into a visit to Jacksonville on Sunday, will turn to second-year back James Conner and reserves Stevan Ridley and rookie Jaylen Samuels to help shoulder the load with Bell out of the picture.

Conner, third in the NFL with 771 yards rushing, remained in the concussion protocol yesterday after leaving last Thursday’s blowout win against Carolina but could practice as early as Wednesday.

All season Tomlin stressed he was focused on the players in the locker room and not the ones

outside it. He hardly seemed bothered by the idea of Pittsburgh’s quest for a postseason berth continuing without Bell.

“That train has left the station,” Tomlin said. “We’re comfortable with how we function, the people at our disposal, the division of labor and our ability to ready ourselves for the challenges.”

The Steelers drafted Bell with the 48th overall pick five years ago, won over by his youth, size and versatility. Along with wide receiver Antonio Brown, Bell became the linchpin in which the Steelers rebuilt themselves on the fly as the franchise’s identity shifted from away from the defence that fuelled three Super Bowl appearances in six years from 2005-2010 toward an offense that ranked among the most explosive in the league.

The makeover relied heavily on Bell, whose patient running style became his trademark while helping Pittsburgh to four straight playoff berths.

Bell is one of only three players in recent NFL history to be franchise tagged in consecutive seasons. The first two — linebacker Karlos Dansby and quarterback Kirk Cousins — played all 16 games during their second seasons under the tag then went and cashed in elsewhere in free agency.

As his profile rose, Bell insisted he wasn’t merely a running back,

pointing to his success as a receiver — he finished 10th in the league with 85 catches in 2017 — as proof that he should be paid far above his peers.

When Bell and the Steelers failed to reach an agreement on a new deal last summer, he said “both sides worked extremely hard” in an attempt to get something done.

When it didn’t happen, he skipped training camp again, just as he did in 2017.

His teammates stressed it was no big deal, confident Bell would show up in time for the regularseason opener.

Only he didn’t. And when preparations for Pittsburgh’s Week 1 trip to Cleveland began without Bell, several Steelers — particularly the offensive line — vented their frustrations publicly.

The anger eased as the weeks passed and Conner thrived in Bell’s absence while Bell remained in Florida, where encounters captured on social media found him riding a Jet Ski or hitting the club.

He returned to Pittsburgh last week and even played some pickup basketball at a fitness centre.

It’s as close to breaking a sweat with the Steelers as Bell will get.

Though the team could use the franchise or transition tag on Bell next spring, it’s more likely he’ll just walk away.

NEW Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) breaks away from Cincinnati Bengals free safety Jessie Bates (30) in the first half on Sunday.

(AP Photo/Gary Landers)

SAINTS ON TOP OF PRO32 POLL, KC STAYS 2ND, RAMS UP TO 3RD

By SIMMI BUTTAR AP Sports Writer NEW YORK (AP) — For the past two months, the rest of the NFL has tried to slow down Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. And no one has been able to figure out how.

The Saints (8-1) rolled to their eighth consecutive victory with a 51-14 pummeling of the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

The Saints kept the No. 1 spot in the latest AP Pro32 poll. They received 10 of 12 first-place votes and 382 points in balloting yesterday by media members who regularly cover the NFL. “Drew Brees has planted himself firmly in the MVP race. With 21 touchdown passes and just one interception — one! — Brees is playing some of the finest football of his awe-inspiring 18-year career,” Newsday’s Bob Glauber said.

The Kansas City Chiefs received the other two firstplace votes and remained at No. 2 with 368 points. The LA Rams were a close third with 366 points.

These two 9-1 teams are scheduled to meet on Monday night in a highly anticipated matchup to close Week 11. The game was originally set to be played in Mexico City, but because of concerns about the playing field at Azteca Stadium after recent rain and several big events, it was moved to the Coliseum in Los Angeles.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, who have won five in a

row, climbed three spots to No. 4. The Steelers (6-2-1) have surged to the top of the AFC North despite the absence of two-time All-Pro running back Le’Veon Bell.

Bell missed a 4pm deadline yesterday to sign his one-year franchise tender and is ineligible to play this season.

The LA Chargers moved up a spot to No. 5. The Chargers (7-2), who have quietly won six in a row, have not garnered much attention despite having one of the top records in the league. Instead, the dominance of both the AFC West rival Chiefs and their neighbours in LA, the Rams, has received most of the headlines. The New England Patriots, who were tied for No. 2 last week, dropped to No. 6 after their 34-10 loss at Tennessee on Sunday. The Titans made a major jump, moving five spots to No. 12. The Patriots (7-3) have a bye this week before facing the NY Jets November 25. The Vikings (5-3-1) moved up a spot to No. 7 during their bye week and return to action on Sunday night at NFC North rival Chicago. The Bears (6-3) rounded out the top 10 for the second consecutive week. The Panthers (6-3), coming off a 31-point loss to the Steelers, dropped three places to No. 8. The Texans (6-3), who have won six in a row after a 0-3 start, are back after their bye and remain No. 9. The Texans on Sunday face NFC Eastleading Washington, which climbed five spots to No. 11.

REAL MADRID HIRES SOLARI AS COACH UNTIL 2021

By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid is done searching for a new coach.

The club said yesterday it is sticking with Santiago Solari, giving him a permanent contract until June 2021.

Solari was appointed as the interim coach about two weeks ago to replace the fired Julen Lopetegui and was rewarded with a longterm deal after leading the team to four straight victories, putting it back on track in the Spanish league and the Champions League.

The 42-year-old Solari is a former Argentina international who played for Real Madrid in the early 2000s.

He had previously coached Madrid’s “B’’ team.

There had been speculation about Antonio Conte and Roberto Martinez as possible replacements for Lopetegui, but Solari gained the club’s confidence — and the approval of fans and players — with his impressive start in charge of the main squad.

Madrid outscored its opponents 15-2 in the four matches under Solari. It had lost five of its last seven games with Lopetegui in command, being outscored 13-4.

Solari was virtually unknown outside of Spain and few saw him as a frontrunner for the Madrid job, but he has always been well-regarded within the club.

He got the demanding Madrid fans on his side by making some popular choices early in his stint, including giving more playing time to Vinicius Junior, the young Brazilian who arrived amid high expectations but had been relegated to the “B’’ team under Lopetegui.

The 18-year-old forward played well every time Solari put him in, showing he was indeed ready to be with the main squad.

Players who had been struggling under Lopetegui also began thriving after Solari took over. Karim Benzema was one of them, scoring four goals in the four victories under Solari.

The French striker had scored only once in the last 10 matches before Lopetegui was fired.

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Wednesday, November 14, 2018, PAGE 7

ZIMBABWE OUT FOR 304, TRAIL BANGLADESH BY 218 ON DAY THREE

Federer beats Thiem to get back on track at ATP Finals

By SAM JOHNSTON Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Roger Federer produced an improved performance to get his campaign for a seventh ATP Finals title back on track with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Dominic Thiem yesterday.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion was still some way from his fluent best, but dropped just six points on serve and took advantage of a wayward display from Thiem to break twice in both sets.

Having lost his opening round-robin match to Kei Nishikori, Federer will likely need to defeat Kevin Anderson on Thursday to improve his 14-1 record of reaching the semifinals at the season-ending tournament.

Anderson thrashed Nishikori 6-0, 6-1 to move to 2-0 earlier, with the lopsided scoreline all but assuring the South African debutant’s place in the last four.

Thiem is facing an opening-round exit at the O2

Arena for a third straight season and will need to defeat Nishikori to have any chance of progressing.

As had been the case in both players’ openingmatch losses on Sunday, unforced errors flowed early on. While Federer was able to compensate with his serve, Thiem was left exposed.

The Austrian’s forehand gifted Federer a break for a 2-1 lead and then his volley came up short to help the Swiss star extend that advantage to 5-2.

Federer, who is chasing a 100th ATP Tour title, started to play more relaxed and seemed content with simply keeping the ball in play and waiting for mistakes. It worked, as another forehand mistake from Thiem put Federer in complete control in the second set.

A backhand up the line set up match point and another volley into the net from the French Open runner-up ended the day’s second one-sided contest.

The 32-year-old Anderson,

ROGER FEDERER, of Switzerland, plays a return to Dominic Thiem of Austria during their ATP World Tour Finals singles tennis match at the O2 arena in London yesterday.

(AP Photo/Alastair Grant) competition’s history until Nishikori won the penultimate game. “Among the best I’ve played,” Anderson

who lost just eight points on serve, was on the verge of completing just the second whitewash in the

said. “I think I did a really good job constantly applying the pressure and not letting up.”

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 69° F/21° C

TAMPA

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Partly sunny and breezy

Partly cloudy with a brief shower

Clouds and sun with a thunderstorm

Some sun with a t‑storm; breezy

Periods of sun, a t‑storm; breezy

Periods of sun, a t‑storm; breezy

High: 87°

Low: 72°

High: 86° Low: 73°

High: 84° Low: 71°

High: 83° Low: 72°

High: 84° Low: 72°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

94° F

78° F

97°-74° F

86°-71° F

87°-72° F

86°-72° 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: 82° F/28° C Low: 78° F/26° C

6‑12 knots

S

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 73° F/23° C

6‑12 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 76° F/24° C

E

W S

E

W

WEST PALM BEACH

N

uV inDex toDay

TONIGHT

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 68° F/20° C

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 74° F/23° C

MIAMI

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 75° F/24° C

6‑12 knots

Statistics are for Nassau through 1 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 87° F/31° C Low .................................................... 76° F/24° C Normal high ....................................... 81° F/27° C Normal low ........................................ 70° F/21° C Last year’s high ................................. 89° F/32° C Last year’s low ................................... 75° F/24° C Precipitation As of 1 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.02” Year to date ............................................... 43.91” Normal year to date ................................... 37.03”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 72° F/22° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2018

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 79° F/26° C

N

KEY WEST

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 76° F/24° C

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

tiDes For nassau High

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

Today

12:02 a.m.

12:23 p.m.

2.2 2.7

6:02 a.m.

6:59 p.m.

0.9 0.8

Thursday

12:58 a.m.

1:16 p.m.

2.2 2.6

6:58 a.m.

7:51 p.m.

1.0 0.8

Friday

1:55 a.m.

2:11 p.m.

2.2 2.5

7:58 a.m.

8:42 p.m.

1.0 0.8

Saturday

2:50 a.m.

3:04 p.m.

2.3 2.5

8:57 a.m.

9:30 p.m.

0.9 0.6

Sunday

3:41 a.m.

3:54 p.m.

2.5 2.6

9:53 a.m. 0.8 10:14 p.m. 0.4

Monday

4:28 a.m.

4:41 p.m.

2.7 2.6

10:44 a.m. 0.6 10:56 p.m. 0.2

Tuesday

5:13 a.m.

5:26 p.m.

2.9 2.7

11:32 a.m. 0.3 11:38 p.m. 0.0

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:26 a.m.

5:23 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

12:11 p.m.

11:23 p.m.

First

Full

Last

New

Nov. 15

Nov. 23

Nov. 29

Dec. 7

CAT ISLAND

E

W

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 79° F/26° C

N

S

E

W

7‑14 knots

S

7‑14 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam claimed his third straight five-for to keep Bangladesh in command of Zimbabwe on the third day of the second test yesterday.

Islam’s 5-107, his sixth career five-for, and a stunning catch ruined Zimbabwe’s hope of a comeback. The visitors were all out on 304-9, trailing by 218 runs when stumps was called. Zimbabwe fast bowler Tendai Chatara was out of the test after straining his left quad muscle on Monday.

Islam was complemented by offspinner Mehidy Hasan, whose three wickets included the prize of Brendan Taylor after the batsman showed rock-solid temperament for his first century in more than five years.

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 78° F/26° C

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 78° F/26° C

N

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 78° F/26° C

S

LONG ISLAND

insurance management tracking map

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

7‑14 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 84° F/29° C Low: 78° F/26° C

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

L

E

W

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 83° F/28° C Low: 79° F/26° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 86° F/30° C Low: 79° F/26° C

N

N E

W

E

W

H

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 78° F/26° C

S

S

8‑16 knots

8‑16 knots

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

Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday:

WINDS SE at 6‑12 Knots ESE at 6‑12 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots NE at 4‑8 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots ENE at 8‑16 Knots SE at 7‑14 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots ESE at 6‑12 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots ENE at 6‑12 Knots NE at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 6‑12 Knots ENE at 8‑16 Knots ENE at 6‑12 Knots ENE at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 4‑8 Knots NE at 8‑16 Knots ENE at 6‑12 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots

WAVES 4‑7 Feet 4‑7 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑6 Feet 4‑7 Feet 3‑5 Feet 4‑7 Feet 4‑7 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 4‑7 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 6‑10 Feet 5‑9 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 3‑5 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet

VISIBILITY 5 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 8 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 8 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 8 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 80° F 80° F 82° F 82° F 81° F 81° F 83° F 82° F 83° F 83° F 83° F 83° F 82° F 82° F 83° F 83° F 83° F 83° F 80° F 80° F 82° F 82° F 82° F 82° F 83° F 83° F

Covering The Bahamas for over 40 years.

NEW PROVIDENCE | GRAND BAHAMA | ABACO | ELEUTHERA | EXUMA

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(BAHAMAS) LIMITED. INSURANCE BROKERS & AGENTS

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PAGE 8, Wednesday, November 14, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Injury-riddled Cavaliers blast the Hornets 113-89

By STEVE HERRICK Associated Press CLEVELAND (AP) — Jordan Clarkson scored 24 points, Tristan Thompson had 21 rebounds and 11 points, and the injury-riddled Cleveland Cavaliers won for the second time this season, beating the Charlotte Hornets 113-89 last night.

The Cavaliers (2-11) broke a five-game losing streak. Cleveland’s first win came against Atlanta on October 30.

Kemba Walker, the league’s third-leading scorer, was held to a season-low seven points and was 2 for 16 from the field.

The Hornets star guard was averaging 27.9 points going into the game.

Rodney Hood scored 16 points for Cleveland, which built a double-figure lead midway through the first quarter and maintained that the rest of the game.

Rookie point guard Collin Sexton scored 16 points and had five assists. David Nwaba scored 18 points off the bench.

Jeremy Lamb scored 22 points for Charlotte.

The Hornets were 33 for 95 from the field and hit 8 of 41 of their 3-point attempts.

Cleveland has seen its injury list get longer while the losses piled up. Forwards Kyle Korver (sore right foot) and Cedi Osman (back spasms) didn’t play yesterday and are the most recent additions.

All-Star forward Kevin Love (foot surgery), starting point guard George Hill (hamstring) and forward Sam Dekker (ankle) have also been sidelined.

The Cavaliers are only a month into the season, but even holding practice is a challenge.

Coach Larry Drew said one of the Cavaliers’ assistant coaches had to fill in at Monday’s session so the team could scrimmage because only nine healthy players were available.

Cleveland’s past three losses were by a combined 12 points. The Cavaliers, who lost to the Hornets 126-94 on November 3, led 63-42 late in the second quarter and were up 67-51 at the half, when Charlotte was 19 for 53 from the field.

The Hornets cut the lead to 78-67 in the third quarter, but scored two points over the final five minutes of the period. J.R. Smith and Nwaba helped Cleveland maintain the momentum by hitting 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions.

The Cavaliers built the lead to 25 points in the fourth quarter.

ETHAN HAPP SCORES 30 AS WISCONSIN PULLS AWAY FROM XAVIER 77-68

By JOE KAY AP Sports Writer

CLEVELAND Cavaliers’ Collin Sexton (2) drives to the basket against Charlotte Hornets’ Jeremy Lamb (3) in the first half last night in Cleveland.

(AP Photo/Tony Dejak) TIP-INS Hornets: Walker, an 87 per cent shooter, missed two free throws in a trip to the line midway through the second quarter.

F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (sprained right ankle) did

not play after being injured Sunday at Detroit. He’s averaging 8.6 points in 13 games off the bench.

F Dwayne Bacon entered the rotation in his spot.

TIP-INS - Cavaliers: Love had surgery Nov. 2 and is still wearing a walking boot on his left foot. ....

Korver doesn’t believe his injury is serious and said that he’d be surprised if he isn’t ready play when

the Cavaliers visit Detroit on November 19. ....

The 37-year-old Korver has been bothered by foot injuries the past two seasons. Drew said Osman likely will miss his third straight game tonight.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Ethan Happ flipped in a one-handed shot, and then drove past a defender for a dunk. With the game at a turning point, the 6-foot10 forward did whatever he wanted and put Wisconsin in control.

Happ followed his triple-double in Wisconsin’s opener with another dominant performance last night, getting 30 points and 13 rebounds as the Badgers pulled away to a 77-68 victory over Xavier in the Gavitt Tipoff Games.

Wisconsin (2-0) opened the second half with an 18-4 run led by Happ, who drove inside for four baskets that set the tone. Xavier didn’t get closer than six points the rest of the way, snapping its streak of 41 straight nonconference victories at the Cintas Center.

“We just knew that we were capable of hitting shots and I was capable of finishing around the rim,” Happ said. “A lot of that didn’t go for us in the first half, but we knew if we stayed the course we’d end up on top.”

Xavier (2-1) hadn’t lost a nonconference game on its home court since a 56-55 defeat against Wofford on December 22, 2012.

It was the third time the teams have played in the last four seasons. The Badgers upset the Musketeers 66-63 in the 2016 NCAA Tournament. Xavier won in Madison 80-70 last season.

Happ was coming off the second triple-double in Wisconsin history during an 85-63 win over Coppin State — 10 points, 11 rebounds, 12 assists. On Tuesday, he scored 18 in the second half as the Badgers blew open a close game .

“The key for us was to hold him down, and we did not do a great job of it,” Xavier forward Zach Hankins said. “We made him take a couple of tough shots, but he had a good night.”

D’Mitrik Trice added a career-high 22 points, making all five of his shots from beyond the arc.

Naji Marshall had a career-high 24 points and 13 rebounds for Xavier. Point guard Quentin Goodin played his second game since returning from a left shoulder injury during practice last month and scored 13 points, favouring the arm at times.

NO. 7 NORTH CAROLINA BEATS STANFORD 90-72 IN 1ST HOME GAME

By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Kenny Williams spent two games missing shot after shot in an unusually cold stretch for No. 7 North Carolina’s senior starting guard and top defensive player.

He tried not to get too frustrated and kept believing the next ones were sure to fall — until they finally did against Stanford on Monday night.

Williams scored 12 points after starting the season by missing his first 10 shots, and UNC dominated the first half to beat Stanford 90-72 in its home opener.

It was a good sign for Williams, whose 0-for-10 shooting start through two games included missing all eight of his 3-point tries. It was an odd stretch for a guy who had improved to a 40 percent 3-point shooter last season and a complementary double-figure scorer, yet he entered this game with just a single free throw in Friday’s win against Elon to his credit.

But he scored on a layup less than 90 seconds in

Monday, then followed with 3 a few minutes later to finally break through.

“It was a big relief,” Williams admitted, even as he tried to shrug off the frustration.

“I wasn’t doing anything different to my shot,” he said. “Like I told you guys, it just wasn’t going in. And that happens sometimes. At some point, it would fall in again.”

Cameron Johnson had 17 points to lead four players in double figures for the Tar Heels (3-0), who shot 60 per cent in the first half to take a 52-26 lead on Luke Maye’s 3-pointer just before the buzzer.

It was a rough start for Stanford (2-1), enough so that coach Jerod Haase burned a timeout after barely 2½ minutes.

“I told the guys, I’m not worried about mistakes,” Haase said. “What I am worried about is any lack of intensity. You could see that in the pace of their cuts. You could see that in how they get open. ... You can see that when they hit the paint and they’re not looking for a teammate. So I would say I could sense

NORTH Carolina’s Leaky Black (1) dunks against Stanford during the first half of Monday’s NCAA college basketball game in Chapel Hill.

(AP Photo/Gerry Broome) that early on and that’s why I called the timeout.”

KZ Okpala scored 16 points to lead the Cardinal, who got no closer than 15 points halftime.

BIG PICTURE Stanford: The Cardinal won at UNC Wilmington on Friday night, part of an opening-month schedule

that has them crisscrossing time zones with stops in the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis and at No. 2 Kansas on December 1.

Haase, a former Kansas player and UNC assistant under Tar Heels coach Roy Williams, acknowledged Friday the slate is “pretty insane” but will prepare

his players for handling road games. Still, this was a reminder of how difficult that can be, with the Cardinal starting 1 for 12 in a first half that quickly got away from them.

“My goal going into this game was just to see our guys compete,” Haase said.

“Offensively and

defensively, especially in the first half, I didn’t feel that we did.”

UNC: The Tar Heels opened the season with wins at Wofford and Elon, marking the first time the programme had opened with two road games since 1986-87. One avenged a stunning December home loss from last year, while the other ended up being North Carolina’s best scoring output since November 2008. That bumped the Tar Heels up a spot in Monday’s latest AP Top 25 poll, then they built a big lead against a team picked to finish ninth in the Pac-12 before coasting to the finish.

IRKED COACH The Tar Heels were in no danger of losing control, though their Hall of Fame coach was frustrated afterward by his team’s second-half play with a big lead. Stanford shot 44 per cent after halftime and got to the foul line 15 times, outscoring UNC 46-38.

“I’m not very happy right now,” Williams said, adding: “The best thing that ever happened to my team is we don’t have practice tomorrow.”