12112018 SPORTS

SPORTS SECTION E

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2018

NFL

Page 5

Johnson to square off with Lemieux this Saturday ‘HEAVY IS

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

B

ahamian pro boxer Tureano Johnson is expected to step back into the ring for the first time in just over 15 months.

Johnson (20-2, 14 KOs) is set to face David Lemieux (40-4, 34 KOs) of Canada on Saturday, December 15, at Madison Square Garden in New York City in a 12-round middleweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Eye of the Tiger Management.

The co-main event is slated to take place on the undercard of the Canelo Alvarez and Rocky Fielding bout for the World Boxing Association Super Middleweight title, broadcasted live on DAZN. Alvarez (50-1-2, 34 KOs) is coming off a career-defining win over IBF, IBO, WBA, WBC middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (38-1-1, 34 KO) last September in Las Vegas, Nevada. Both Johnson, 34, and Lemieux, 29, look

to reclaim positions Stevens. Both losses in the spotlight as occurred in the final contenders. “This round. current fight is a Following a loss great opportunity to Billy Joe Saunfor me to prove ders last December, that I am able to Lemieux scored fight the best and wins over Karim I deserve to be a Achour and Gary world champion.

O’Sullivan.

David is an incred“I’m extremely ible opponent with ready and looka very elaborate ing forward to my record that speaks next fight against for itself,” said [Tureano] JohnJohnson. son,” Lemieux said “He’s a very in a press release. strong puncher, but “I didn’t take a TUREANO JOHNSON I have learned some break since my new techniques that last fight because will give me the upper hand.”

I thought that I would be facing In his last appearance, Johnson Canelo. Training camp has been was stopped in the 12th and final great. Johnson is a solid opponent. round by then unbeaten Serhiy I’m ready for an explosive perforDerevianchenko of Ukraine in mance and a great victory to end their IBF middleweight eliminator the year in a great way.” in August 2017 at the Buffalo Run Johnson was preparing to reCasino in Miami, Oklahoma. enter the ring last month against His only other loss was a con- Curtis Pearson, however both sides troversial decision to Curtis could not finalise an agreement.

Johnson was originally intended to face Golovkin while a contender for the IBF middleweight title in 2015 but the fight never took place for a myriad of reasons.

For the second time within the past three-year span, Johnson will re-enter the ring following a prolonged hiatus.

Prior to the Derevianchenko fight, Johnson returned to the ring in May 2017 after being sidelined for nearly a year and-a-half with a second round knockout over Fabiano Soares. It was Johnson’s first fight under Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions stable since making the switch in September 2015, a move that was expected to send him on the fast track to an eventual title shot and prominence in the division.

He injured his shoulder in a unanimous decision win over Irishman Eamonn O’Kane in 2015.

With the win, he became the mandatory No.1 contender. He further damaged the rotator cuff just ahead of his original scheduled fight with Golovkin.

We are the champions!

THE HEAD THAT WEARS THE CROWN’

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

WHEN the NBA schedule was released, we (because I’m making all of you a part of this) circled December 4 as the day we would literally witness a new historic chapter in Bahamian basketball.

December 4th came… and that feel-good story lasted about 10 minutes.

Kosta Koufos made what seemed like his 10th awkward floater of the night to give the Kings a 27-6 lead in the first quarter, and a chorus of boos reigned down from the crowd in Talking Stick Resort Arena.

At that point, I think we all realised this game wasn’t going to be anything like we thought it would be.

I have a fundamental belief that objective journalism is overrated and no member of the Bahamian media was in Talking Stick Resort Arena that night for objectivity.

Ostensibly, we were there to cover the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings, but even writers living on the west coast don’t gear up for an early December matchup between the ninth and 15th ranked teams in the Western Conference.

What we really intended it to be was a celebration of

SEE PAGE 3

CARTWRIGHT AND LIONS FINISH AS RUNNERS-UP

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

MINISTER of Agriculture and Marine Resources Michael Pintard (standing centre) made the winner’s presentation to the crew of New Legend, the Class A champion in the Best of the Best regatta. Also pictured are Minister of Foreign Affairs Darren Henfield (standing second left) and Minister of the Public Service and National Insurance Brensil Rolle (standing third right). The regatta, staged in Montagu Bay from December 3 until the weekend, drew hundreds of enthusiastic spectators who came out to watch the Bahamian sloop sailors.

NEW SUSAN CHASE, Class B champions can be seen during the Best of the Best regatta closing ceremony on Sunday in Montagu Bay. Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources Michael Pintard, standing centre-left, and ministry officials, presented the awards.

SEE MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE 2 Photos by Patrick Hanna/BIS

HIS senior season ended just short of the ultimate team goal, but Michael Cartwright is already looking ahead to the complement of his recruitment process and NCAA decision.

Cartwright and the Champagnat Lions finished as runners-up after a 28-20 loss to the North Florida Christian Eagles in the Florida High School Athletic Association State Championships Class 2A State Championship game.

“Not the ending I wanted but I just want to say thanks to my teammates for a great season. Through all the adversity we’ve faced as a unit but we never gave in,” he posted to Facebook.

“Thank you for the experience. But now it’s on the next step in my life. University of … Here I come.”

The Lions, the defending 2A state champions, had nearly a complete roster overhaul headed into this season and reverted to the role of underdogs in the division for much of the season. They concluded the season with four consecutive wins to earn a trip to the state title game.

SEE PAGE 3

PAGE 2, Tuesday, December 11, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

‘Best of the Best’ regatta rocks Montagu Bay

ED SKY placed 3rd. #2295

RUNNING TIDE finished 2nd. #1609

NEW LEGEND, Class A Champion. #2308

NEW SUSAN CHASE, Class B Champion. #2148

NEW SLAUGHTER, Class C Champion. #2020

Photos by Patrick Hanna/BIS

LONESOME DOVE placed 3rd. #2136

EUDEVA finished in 2nd place. #2111

IT AIN’T RIGHT, last year’s champion, finished 2nd. #2036

COBRA finished in 4th place. #2122

XENA took 3rd place. #1978

CRAZY PARTNER had a 4th place finish. #2043

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, December 11, 2018, PAGE 3

Hats off to Cooper and Cowboys!

MY Dallas Cowboys wouldn’t be, winners of five straight games, one victory away from locking down an NFC East title and the accompanying playoff berth, if it weren’t for Amari Cooper. Period!

It seems more and more each week that the Cowboys actually fleeced the Raiders in that blockbuster trade.

No receiver with a first round grade in this year’s NFL Draft is even close to

filling Cooper’s shoes. Since arriving in Dallas, Cooper has produced at an All Pro level - 40 receptions for 642 yards and six touchdowns.

Well worth this year’s first round pick.

If you add his numbers from the Raiders’ 22 receptions for 280 yards and one touchdown. For a grand total of 62 receptions, 922 yards and seven touchdowns, for the season.

The Cowboys outgained the Eagles by 320 yards,

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BY INIGO ‘NAUGHTY’ ZENICAZ

held the ball for 22 more minutes and converted 53 per cent of their third downs to Philadelphia’s 11 per cent.

Dak Prescott is as steady and resilient as they come.

A player more resilient than spectacular.

Prescott is as tough as nails.

However, bet me Dallas wouldn’t own the NFL’s longest active winning streak at five games, if the Cowboys wouldn’t be one victory away from locking down an NFC East title and the accompanying playoff berth, if it weren’t for Amari

Cooper. Dallas can officially win the division with a win next week against the Colts in Indianapolis.

• Naughty presents ‘Mischief and Mayhem in da AM’ from 6am to 10am, Monday to Friday and ‘The Press Box’ sports talk show on Sunday from 10am to 1pm, on KISS FM 96.1.

Comments and questions to naughty@tribunemedia.net

DALLAS Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper. (AP)

‘Heavy Is The Head That Wears The Crown’ FROM PAGE 1 Bahamian basketball at the highest level. A showcase of Bahamian excellence from Buddy Hield and Deandre Ayton as sports again vaults us in a stature on an international level.

Writers plan leads. God laughs.

What it eventually turned into was an indictment of Ayton under the hyper scrutiny that the No.1 pick in the NBA Draft usually undergoes. He finished with 10 points and nine rebounds, just short of his 14th double double of the season. Modest numbers for someone that averages 16 and 10, but the game just didn’t pass the “eye test” and everyone took notice.

What made it look worse was the fact that his backup Richaun Holmes was heralded for providing the effort and intensity Ayton failed to bring to the arena against the Kings.

Holmes finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds but his activity was different.

He was assertive, he was active, he fouled out in 22 minutes while Ayton didn’t block a shot or commit a foul in 20 minutes.

Disappointment is solely a product of expectations. The Suns front office expected more on this particular night. I think everyone did.

“We were talking to Ayton, we talked to a lot of guys. He’s one of the guys.

I can use Ayton as a positive example when it comes to transition defence and effort in transition. So I think that definitely he can do better when it comes to reaction and hustling back and teach him the first three steps. He was nothing but a truck in the field, but he wasn’t the only guy. He didn’t come ready to play and there were just some other guys who showed up better prepared, more focused, played harder and it’s a process for a young

BAHAMIANS Buddy Hield and Deandre Ayton in action as the Sacramento Kings hit the hardwood against the Phoenix Suns on December 4.

player,” Suns head coach Igor Kokoskov said. “Ayton is a rookie, he’s going to hit a wall, he’s going to have bad games and we’re still here to support him and coach him and teach him.

He’s still our future, nothing changes off one game.

He didn’t play an impressive game by any means but Deandre is our guy.”

The Suns were missing leading scorers Devin Booker (23.5 ppg) and TJ Warren (17.7 ppg) from the lineup, which seemed like the perfect situation for Ayton to assert himself offensively, but his words from shootaround seemingly set the tone for his play.

“It’s more on my plate with them out. I know that, but this is a team game.

I’m a player that goes into rhythm and scores on effort plays. I don’t just go out there and start to hunt shots because that’s not my personality, he said. “Me protecting the rim and rebounding, it’s as much as I can give to control what I can control, but the rest of my teammates got it.”

They didn’t have it, not even close.

The body language was weird. It was off. So was the game.

Suns legend and Fox Sports Arizona analyst Tom Chambers was one of the strongest voices to criticise Ayton’s effort, calling him “soft.”

It didn’t help that on the opposite bench, Buddy was on pace for one of his best games of the season. Hield scored 20 points in just 18 minutes and set the tone for the Kings to outscore the Suns 36-9 in the first quarter en route to the win.

From the morning shootaround the vibe around the players was different. As usual, Buddy was the last one to leave and will literally shoot jumpers until the Kings staff has to physically force him off the floor. On the other side, when asked if he received any advice from Buddy on

Ole Miss ladies end 5-game losing streak, Bahamians struggle in NCAA Division I

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net OLE Miss Women’s Basketball finally ended a five-game losing streak.

However, other Bahamian players and their programmes across NCAA Division I continued to struggle over the weekend.

Yolett McPhee-McCuin, head coach of the Rebels, led Ole Miss to a 74-51 win over the Savannah State Tigers on Saturday to improve to 4-6 on the season.

McPhee McCuin credited the Rebels’ improved play on the boards and sharing the basketball.

“I think the most noticeable stat is the 62 rebounds we had, and the 21 assists.

Usually when our assist count is high like this, we have a lot of success.

“We were sharing the ball, and we just really wanted to come out and have a better game than we did in our last outing,” she said.

“We’re not capable of 62 a night, but we’re definitely capable of being aggressive on the glass the way we were.”

After a 3-1 start to the season, the Rebels lost five consecutive games prior to the matchup against the Tigers.

“It was not so much about beating Savannah State,” McPhee-McCuin said. “It was about us showing to our fans and ourselves that we are a team that is on a journey to get better, and we will continue to do that as long as we bring effort.”

In the America East Conference, Jaron Cornish and the Stony Brook Seawolves lost just their second game of the season with a 71-69 loss to the Brown Bears. Cornish finished with eight points, eight rebounds and five assists.

“It was a weird game today. It really came down to the hustle plays and 50/50 balls. To lose by two the way we played, it came down to one possession where we could’ve done something different.

But Brown, the way they played, they deserved to win today,” Stony Brook head coach Jeff Boals said.

Travis Munnings and the Louisiana-Munroe Warhawks closed out a

five-game road trip with an 83-60 loss to Ole Miss.

Munnings finished with a team high 17 points, including 2-4 three-point shooting.

The Warhawks now host their next four games at home in the Fant-Ewing Coliseum.

“For the past month, we’ve played against teams that play different styles of basketball, and that’s a good thing. Now, we get to go home for the next four games and focus on getting better as a basketball team.

This is time self-evaluation. What have we done well over these first seven games? What do we need to improve upon? We have faced a wide assortment of packages over these first seven games,” Warhawks head coach Keith Richard said. “This was a game of toughness, and we didn’t win the toughness battle.

Other games have presented other issues and challenges. These next 10 days will be important for us to regroup and see where we can improve moving forward.”

In their second game of the homestand, the Warhawks will host Nathan

Bain and the Stephen F Austin Lumberjacks.

Bain had a season high nine rebounds in a season high 34 minutes in the Lumberjacks’ 96-93 overtime loss to Louisiana Tech. Bain also added five assists despite going scoreless from the field.

Bain grabbed his own rebound off a missed free throw and eventually got the ball to teammate Davonte Fitzgerald whose basket forced overtime.

Radshad Davis and the Texas-Arlington Mavericks are in the midst of a six-game losing streak, their latest a 63-61 loss to North Texas.

Davis’ potential gametying contested effort from close range just rimmed out as the final buzzer sounded.

Charles Bain and the Robert Morris Colonials are also on a three-game losing streak, but Bain has been posting productive numbers over that timespan. He finished with nine points in a 74-71 loss to Siena.

Over the past three games, the sophomore forward has been averaging 11.7 points per game.

handling the pressure of his rookie season, Ayton flatly replied “nah.”

There was no interaction between the two pregame, on the court, postgame, nothing to indicate that these were two players from a country where NBA success is completely disproportionate to its population and lack of basketball development at the grassroots level. Nothing to indicate that these were the only two members of an exclusive fraternity within an already exclusive fraternity of basketball players.

The body language was weird. It was off. So was the game.

Their stories will always be connected but their journeys are undoubtedly different but we need them to “sell this fight” a bit more. There’s no Connor McGregor in this…but

OPINION there should be.

Buddy is in a different space right now, but wasn’t always this way. This is the context we need when we consider Ayton’s “struggles” as a rookie. Buddy’s been through adversity, he’s three years into his career, he’s already had a change of scenery, he’s a father.

Unfulfilled expectations of being the perfect complimentary piece to Anthony Davis and the life of a rookie got the better of him many times during the New Orleans tenure. There was that natural feeling of inadequacy any rookie would have traded about 40 games into their NBA career.

Ayton was the country’s first one and done. He had to learn the business of basketball earlier than anyone should have to. He was heralded as the “Best 8th Grader In America” just a little over a year after he was formally introduced to the game at the Jeff Rodgers camp.

I don’t know how anyone can possibly live up to those

expectations, I can’t even get a column in before deadline. It also explains the disparity in our pay scales.

He was also accustomed to winning. Now he’s in a situation where he’s losing by historic margins on a nightly basis and it exacerbates every story in the headlines.

“Ayton comes off the bench for the first time” “Ayton exchanges words with Devin Booker following loss to Blazers” Veterans want out of Phoenix as much as the Bahamian voting populous ALWAYS wants the opposition party.

This team may not reach 10 wins by All-Star break and it’s led by a pair of players whose combined age is just a few months older than Vince Carter.

There’s a long way to go in this process, but for all of his shortcomings, this is the one place we need to practice patience, nuance, and subjectivity.

It has to start with him, and we have to rally and follow suit.

The same way we stood

by Buddy as he struggled to find his voice and find his shot, we rally behind Ayton as he develops into the leader the Suns and my column ideas need him to be.

This was just the first meeting between the two teams this season. The Suns will also host game two on January 8 so we have another shot at this. In fact, given the trajectory of their careers, we have several shots at this.

What I selfishly want, what we all want is the best for both players, the country to have its perfect moment, and a feel good story that resonates and perhaps turns into a film or documentary (I should be played by either Michael B Jordan or Chris Hemsworth, no other options.)

I also want that moment not to be ruined by Kosta Koufos.

CARTWRIGHT from PAGE 1

Prior to the season, Cartwright - the 6’ 7” 300 pound offensive lineman re-entered the recruitment cycle when he de-committed from the University of Indiana Hoosiers.

“I would like to thank Indiana for recruiting me during my recruitment process and the entire Indiana coaching staff for making me feel like family the whole time,” he announced via social media.

He originally announced his commitment to join the Hoosiers last July but according to Cartwright, the second chance at recruitment gives him an opportunity to “re-evaluate everything and to make the best decision for me as a person, player and most importantly a student.”

In the month of May alone, he received a new slate of eight offers from the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, Kent State Golden Flash, UCF Golden Knights, UAB Blazers, Georgia State Panthers, Temple Owls, UMass Minutemen and Nebraska Cornhuskers.

He previously received offers from the Tulane Green Wave, FIU Golden Panthers, Indiana Hoosiers, Marshall Thundering Herd, FAU Owls, Southern Mississippi Eagles, Arkansas

Pine Bluff Golden Lions and the Pittsburgh Panthers.

Last season, the Lions won their second Class 2A FHSSA state title 24-7 over eight-time state champion Jacksonville University Christian.

Cartwright, a former student at Aquinas College, has also blossomed into a three-sport star for the Lions. On the basketball court he averaged 12.6 points and 15 rebounds per game and in athletics, he became the school’s first multiple district champion in the shot put.

Cartwright was also a member of the Bahamas’ 2016 Caribbean Basketball Confederation under-16 team that won gold in the British Virgin Islands.

PAGE 4, Tuesday, December 11, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Embiid, 76ers beat Pistons 116-102 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid scored 24 points in his return to the lineup after a one-game absence, and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Detroit Pistons 116-102 on Monday night.

Jimmy Butler, who had 38 points to lead Philadelphia to a 117-111 victory in Detroit on Friday, exited in the first half with a strained groin and did not return.

Luke Kennard finished with a career-high 28 points and Andre Drummond had 21 for the slumping Pistons (13-12), who have dropped five straight after five consecutive wins. Detroit was missing Blake Griffin, 10th in the NBA in scoring. Griffin was rested after the Pistons hosted New Orleans the previous night.

Embiid was given his own night off to rest on Friday after the 7-foot-2 star grew frustrated with his role following three straight sub-20-point performances.

Ben Simmons and Furkan Korkmaz each scored 18 points for the Sixers (19-9).

CELTICS 113, PELICANS 100 BOSTON (AP) — Marcus Morris Sr. had a season-high 31 points, making three quick 3-pointers to start the second half, and Jayson Tatum scored 21 to lead a depleted Boston lineup to its sixth straight win. With Kyrie Irving, Al Horford, Gordon Hayward and Aaron Baynes all ill or injured, Jaylen Brown scored 19 points and firstround draft choice Robert Williams III had career highs of seven points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes.

Anthony Davis scored 41 points for New Orleans, which was playing back-toback games after beating the Pistons in Detroit on Sunday.

PACERS 109, WIZARDS 101 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Myles Turner had 26

PHILADELPHIA 76ers’ Joel Embiid, left, hangs from the rim after a dunk past Detroit Pistons’ Glenn Robinson III (22) during the first half last night in Philadelphia.

(AP Photo/Matt Slocum) points, 12 rebounds and five blocks, and Indiana held on for its season-high fourth straight victory.

Bojan Bogdanovic scored 22 points for the Pacers, who nearly blew a 25-point lead. Darren Collison had 10 points and 17 assists.

Bradley Beal scored 30 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. had a season-high 23 for the Wizards, who played without injured All-Star guard John Wall.

of his first five shots in the first half. Bogdan Bogdanovic and Marvin Bagley III added 16 points apiece as Sacramento closed out a 3-1 road trip.

Chicago led by as many as 14 in its ninth loss in 10 games. The Bulls were coming off a franchiserecord 133-77 loss to the Boston Celtics on Saturday.

Zach LaVine led Chicago with 19 points, and Lauri Markkanen had 13.

KINGS 108, BULLS 89 CHICAGO (AP) — De’Aaron Fox scored 23 of his 25 points in the second half, helping Sacramento rally for the win.

Fox went 8 for 11 from the field after missing each

BUCKS 108, CAVALIERS 92 MILWAUKEE (AP) — Eric Bledsoe had 20 points and 12 rebounds, and Milwaukee made 15 3-pointers in the win.

Malcolm Brogdon scored 18 points on 8-of-12

shooting for the Bucks, who rested Giannis Antetokounmpo on the second night of back-to-back games. He was ruled out about an hour before the game with neck soreness.

Cleveland’s Tristan Thompson had 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting and added six rebounds, but left in the third quarter with a left foot injury. Jaron Blossomgame had 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Larry Nance Jr. scored a team-high 16 points.

THUNDER 122, JAZZ 113 OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Paul George scored 31 points and Dennis Schroder added 23, helping Oklahoma City to the win.

Steven Adams had 22 points for Oklahoma City in the first meeting between the teams since the Jazz eliminated the Thunder in six games in the first round of last season’s playoffs.

Oklahoma City star Russell Westbrook was 4 for 18 from the field, but finished with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

Donovan Mitchell battled foul trouble much of the game but led the Jazz with 19 points.

Rudy Gobert recorded his 23rd double-double of the season with 13 points and 14 rebounds.

MAVERICKS 101, MAGIC 76 DALLAS (AP) — Harrison Barnes scored 19

points, rookie Jalen Brunson added a career-high 17 and the Mavericks cruised to the win.

Brunson got the start at point guard in place of injured Dennis Smith Jr. (right wrist sprain). He has scored in double figures in each of the Mavs’ last three games.

Luka Doncic had 11 rebounds and a seasonhigh nine assists to offset a 2-for-11 shooting performance, finishing with seven points. Dwight Powell had 16 points for the Mavericks.

Jonathon Simmons had a season-high 18 for the Magic and Aaron Gordon scored 10. Orlando played without Evan Fournier, who missed the game for personal reasons.

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Tuesday, December 11, 2018, PAGE 5

Seahawks on brink of playoffs after 21-7 win over the Vikings

By TIM BOOTH AP Sports Writer SEATTLE (AP) — Bobby Wagner blocked Dan Bailey’s field goal attempt midway through the fourth quarter, sparking the Seahawks to two late touchdowns and a 21-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings l;ast night, Seattle’s fourth straight victory.

Chris Carson followed the blocked kick with a 2-yard TD run with 2:53 left, and Justin Coleman provided the capper with a 29-yard fumble return touchdown 18 seconds later.

What was an ugly and mostly forgettable first three quarters turned into a Seattle party in the fourth as the Seahawks (8-5) moved to the brink of wrapping up a wild-card spot in the NFC. One win in Seattle’s final three games — including matchups with lowly San Francisco and Arizona — should be enough to put the Seahawks into the postseason.

Minnesota (6-6-1) twice had scoring chances in the fourth quarter when it was still a one-score game but was turned away each time.

Minnesota’s chances of winning the NFC North took a major hit, but the Vikings still hold the No. 6 spot in the NFC. Wagner has been one of the top linebackers in the NFL this season, but it was a debatable special teams play that made the difference. The question was whether his leap over the line of scrimmage was legal to block Bailey’s 47-yard field goal attempt with 5:38 left. Wagner’s jump through a gap in Minnesota’s offensive line was fine, but it appeared he used his teammates to gain leverage, which allowed him to come through and block the kick.

SEATTLE Seahawks’ Justin Coleman, right, brings down Minnesota Vikings’ Laquon Treadwell after a pass reception by Treadwell in the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 10, 2018, in Seattle.

(AP Photo/Ted S Warren) A flag was initially thrown but was picked up by the officials.

Seattle took possession and Russell Wilson immediately scrambled 40 yards deep into Minnesota territory. Five plays later, Carson scored and Seattle finally had a cushion.

Two plays after that, Jacob Martin sacked Minnesota’s Kirk Cousins and the ball popped to Coleman, who weaved his way for the clinching touchdown.

Cousins threw a 6-yard touchdown to Dalvin

Cook with 1:10 remaining, but Seattle recovered the onside kick.

Wilson had one of the worst passing games of his career, completing 10 of 20 for career-low 72 yards and a baffling interception late in the first half, one of the many mistakes by Seattle that allowed Minnesota to hang around.

But Seattle’s ground game was outstanding against one of the better run defences in the NFL. The Seahawks finished with 214 yards rushing, led by 90 yards from Carson.

Minnesota hung around despite failing to run a play in Seattle territory until there was 4:16 left in the third quarter. Cousins was 20 of 33 for 208 yards, most of that coming late. But he failed to get the Vikings into the end zone from inside the Seattle 5 while trailing 6-0 early in the fourth quarter.

The Vikings had firstand-goal at the Seattle 4 but turned the ball over on downs with 9:06 remaining. Two short runs and an incompletion brought up fourth-and-goal at the 1,

and Cousins’ pass for Kyle Rudolph was knocked away by Bradley McDougald. Bailey’s field goal was blocked on Minnesota’s next drive.

Sebastian Janikowski hit field goals of 37 and 35 yards to account for all of Seattle’s scoring until the closing minutes.

REACHING 100 Minnesota fell to 0-6 when allowing its opponents to run for at least 100 yards. The Vikings came in to the week giving up 99 yards per game on the

ground, good for seventhbest in the NFL. Seattle had 136 yards rushing in the first half.

OTHER CENTURY MARK Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen tied Cris Carter as the fastest Minnesota player to reach 100 receptions in a season, both accomplishing the feat in 13 games. Carter did it in 1994 when he finished the year with 122 catches. Thielen is the first Minnesota receiver to get to 100 catches since Randy Moss in 2003.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, December 11, 2018, PAGE 7

India gets its 1st test match win in Australia since 2008

By TRISTAN LAVALETTE Associated Press ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Rishabh Pant equalled a world record as top-ranked India held off a beleaguered Australia lineup by 31 runs yesterday to secure its first test match victory Down Under since 2008.

India dismissed Australia for 291 with two balls remaining in an extended penultimate session on day five to win an engrossing, low-scoring contest.

Set 323 runs to win, Australia’s lower-order provided gritty resistance to edge toward the target with the last three wickets adding 104 runs before the hosts were bowled out after 119.5 overs. India shared the wickets around with Ravichandran Ashwin (3-93), Jasprit Bumrah (3-68) and Mohammed Shami (3-65) claiming three each.

Pant equalled a world record for wicketkeepers with 11 catches for the test. Cheteshwar Pujara

was man-of-the-match after scores of 123 and 71.

“We were down and out at lunch on day one. His belief, grit and determination kept us in the game, he brought us back beautifully,” India captain Virat Kohli said of Pujara’s contribution. It was the first time India had won a seriesopener in Australia.

The second test in the four-match series starts Friday in Perth, and Kohli is confident India can carry momentum across to Australia’s west coast.

“It’s a very special feeling. having never done it in Australia — to take the lead first up,” Kohli said.

“It’s obviously a very good achievement on the team’s part and something we’re looking forward to build on .... something that for us is a huge, huge boost.”

The Adelaide test appeared over when Pat Cummins fell at 259-9, but No. 10 Nathan Lyon and No. 11 Josh Hazlewood defied India’s flagging attack with a last-wicket partnership of 32 runs.

Shami delivery to be caught behind.

Cummins batted with the concentration and application often lacking from Australia’s top-order batsmen, with his 121 balls faced the second most in the innings. His innings ended when he edged Bumrah to captain Virat Kohli, who glared at the crowd after snaring the first slip catch.

Paine said he was proud of Australia’s fight but lamented squandering an early position of dominance, when India were 19-3 on the opening morning.

“We made India work hard and that was pleasing but it was a huge missed opportunity,” he said. “It’s going to be a tight series and an arm-wrestle ... we’re looking forward to Perth.”

Australia’s top order was missing former captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner for a test on home soil for the first time since the pair was suspended following a balltampering scandal in South Africa in March.

INDIA’S VIRAT KOHLI, centre, celebrates with his teammates yesterday after defeating Australia by 31 runs to win the first cricket test.

(AP Photo/James Elsby) dismissed on his first delivHazlewood (13) was caught at first slip off Ashwin, ery after lunch, throwing his sparking jubilation from wicket away with a miscued pulled shot off Bumrah. He India’s players.

Lyon finished 38 not out made 41 after aggressive batting in the morning sesfrom 47 deliveries.

“Our fast bowlers bowled sion and required treatment with great heart and we on his troubled right index knew they wouldn’t throw finger.

Cummins (28) and an in the towel,” Kohli told reporters. “We expected attacking Mitchell Starc them (Australia’s lower- (28) combined to frustrate India with an eighth-wicket order) to fight.”

Australia’s slim chances partnership of 41 runs. appeared to nosedive when Starc’s breezy knock ended captain Tim Paine was when he edged a wide

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 59° F/15° C Low: 39° F/4° C

TAMPA

TONIGHT

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Overcast and windy

Cloudy

Mainly cloudy

Some sun, then clouds with a shower

Mostly cloudy with spotty showers

Variable cloudiness with showers

High: 73°

Low: 61°

High: 77° Low: 67°

High: 80° Low: 68°

High: 82° Low: 68°

High: 82° Low: 66°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

70° F

60° F

76°-64° F

79°-68° F

84°-63° F

79°-64° F

High: 61° F/16° C Low: 42° F/6° C

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: 68° F/20° C Low: 65° F/18° C

12-25 knots

S

WEST PALM BEACH High: 65° F/18° C Low: 49° F/9° C

12-25 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE E

W

FREEPORT

High: 66° F/19° C Low: 51° F/11° C

N

S

E

W

High: 67° F/19° C Low: 61° F/16° C

MIAMI

High: 67° F/19° C Low: 51° F/11° C

10-20 knots

Statistics are for Nassau through 1 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 79° F/26° C Low .................................................... 75° F/24° C Normal high ....................................... 79° F/26° C Normal low ........................................ 67° F/20° C Last year’s high ................................. 73° F/23° C Last year’s low ................................... 67° F/19° C Precipitation As of 1 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.03” Year to date ............................................... 44.40” Normal year to date ................................... 38.86”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 73° F/23° C Low: 61° F/17° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2018

High: 72° F/22° C Low: 67° F/19° C

N

KEY WEST

High: 70° F/21° C Low: 61° F/16° C

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

tiDes For nassau High Today

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

10:14 a.m.

10:39 p.m.

2.8 2.1

3:54 a.m.

4:46 p.m.

0.2 0.2

Wednesday 10:56 a.m.

11:25 p.m.

2.7 2.1

4:37 a.m.

5:29 p.m.

0.3 0.3

Thursday

11:40 a.m.

-----

2.5 -----

5:24 a.m.

6:14 p.m.

0.5 0.4

Friday

12:15 a.m.

12:27 p.m.

2.1 2.4

6:15 a.m.

7:00 p.m.

0.7 0.4

Saturday

1:07 a.m.

1:17 p.m.

2.1 2.3

7:10 a.m.

7:47 p.m.

0.7 0.4

Sunday

2:01 a.m.

2:10 p.m.

2.2 2.3

8:09 a.m.

8:35 p.m.

0.7 0.3

Monday

2:54 a.m.

3:03 p.m.

2.4 2.3

9:08 a.m.

9:23 p.m.

0.6 0.1

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

High: 76° F/24° C Low: 69° F/21° C

N

S

E

W

12-25 knots

S

12-25 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

uV inDex toDay

6:45 a.m.

5:21 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

10:08 a.m.

9:15 p.m.

First

Full

Last

New

Dec. 15

Dec. 22

Dec. 29

Jan. 5

CAT ISLAND

E

W

The lack of experience was telling on a ground where Smith scored an unbeaten 162 and Warner hit two centuries in the previous test in Adelaide against India in 2014.

Australia’s main batting hopes when Australia resumed on Monday at 104-4 - Shaun Marsh and Travis Head - were dismissed before lunch. Head made 14 and the underpressure Marsh fell for 60 from 166 balls late in the session.

Ishant Sharma broke through with a sharp bouncer, hitting the shoulder of Head’s bat and getting an edge to gully.

Marsh reached a halfcentury with a pull to the boundary off Ashwin, his first time passing 50 in the fourth innings of a test.

India won its first test in Adelaide since 2003, when it beat a Steve Waugh-led Australia by four wickets.

India’s last test match win in Australia was during the 2007-08 series, and it has never won a test series Down Under.

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 77° F/25° C Low: 70° F/21° C

High: 76° F/24° C Low: 70° F/21° C

N

High: 73° F/23° C Low: 65° F/18° C

E

W S

LONG ISLAND

insurance management tracking map

High: 79° F/26° C Low: 72° F/22° C

12-25 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 82° F/28° C Low: 75° F/24° C

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

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 79° F/26° C Low: 73° F/23° C

High: 79° F/26° C Low: 74° F/23° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 83° F/28° C Low: 75° F/24° C

N

E

W

E

W

N

S

S

10-20 knots

4-8 knots

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

Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday:

WINDS NW at 12-25 Knots NE at 8-16 Knots NW at 12-25 Knots ENE at 10-20 Knots NW at 10-20 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots SW at 4-8 Knots NE at 12-25 Knots NW at 12-25 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots NW at 12-25 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots NW at 12-25 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots NW at 4-8 Knots NE at 10-20 Knots N at 10-20 Knots NE at 10-20 Knots S at 6-12 Knots NNE at 8-16 Knots NW at 12-25 Knots ENE at 10-20 Knots N at 10-20 Knots NE at 10-20 Knots NW at 12-25 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots

WAVES 4-8 Feet 5-9 Feet 3-5 Feet 1-3 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-6 Feet 1-2 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-6 Feet 3-6 Feet 4-8 Feet 4-7 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-2 Feet 3-6 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 3-5 Feet 5-9 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 2-4 Feet 3-5 Feet

VISIBILITY 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 13 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 13 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 78° F 78° F 78° F 78° F 78° F 78° F 82° F 82° F 79° F 79° F 80° F 80° F 79° F 79° F 82° F 82° F 82° F 82° F 82° F 82° F 78° F 78° F 81° F 81° F 79° F 79° F

Covering The Bahamas for over 40 years.

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PAGE 8, Tuesday, December 11, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

THIS image provided by Sports Illustrated shows the cover of the December 17-24, 2018, issue featuring the Sportsperson of the Year, the Golden State Warriors NBA basketball team. The three-time NBA champion Warriors are the fourth team to receive the honour, the magazine announced yesterday.

(Mark Hammermeister/Courtesy of Sports Illustrated via AP)

Golden State Warriors named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year

By JOE REEDY AP Sports Writer THE three-time NBA champion Golden State Warriors are the fourth team to be honoured as Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year.

The Warriors join the 1980 US hockey team, the 1999 US Women’s World Cup soccer squad and the 2004 Boston Red Sox as the other team honorees.

Sports Illustrated announced the winner yesterday, and editor-in-chief Chris Stone said they have been thinking of some way to honour the Warriors during their run of three titles in four years. He also acknowledged that there were a couple years where Steph Curry has been in the conversation.

“There is something transcendent about the team where the sum of their parts was apparent from the beginning,” Stone said.

“What they have built into a dynasty is a function of empirical success. They’re really a generational team.

I don’t know if, in my

THE Golden State Warriors celebrate after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-85 in Game 4 of the NBA Finals to win the title in Cleveland on June 8. The three-time NBA champion Golden State Warriors are the fourth team to be honoured as Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year, the magazine announced yesterday.

(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) lifetime, there has been a team where the pieces have blended so beautifully together.”

Stone also said that the Warriors’ honour is more about the celebration of the organisation doing

something unique over an extended period while the other teams were honoured for what they did in a certain

year. Alexander Ovechkin, who led the Washington Capitals to their first Stanley Cup title, Tiger Woods

and LeBron James also received consideration, but Stone said the Warriors felt like the favourite when they repeated as NBA champions.

“In the same way they play, they seem to speak in a single voice,” Stone said.

“The unity of message with the Warriors is the same way we refer to LeBron and his answering some of the hard questions. They did it forcefully, but also civilly, in a way that helps advance conversations.”

The Warriors will receive the award during a ceremony in Los Angeles today that will air on NBCSN on Thursday.

“This is an incredible honour and one that certainly signifies our Strength in Numbers philosophy as a team and organisation,” Warriors President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Bob Myers said.

“Our success is due to the contributions of every single player, coach and staff member in our organisation; for Sports Illustrated to recognise this unique dynamic is truly special.”