The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

FOR the third time in the 2014 edition of the Bahamas Basketball Federation’s Summer of Thunder series, a local team has topped a visiting NCAA programme.

The CTG Knights defeated the Whitman College Fighting Missionaries 103-92 at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium on Tuesday night.

The Knights, led by CR Walker Knights’ head coach Trevor Grant, featured a cross-section of collegiate and local talent on its roster which overmatched the small Division III school from Walla Walla, Washington.

Jamal Rose led the Knights with 30 points, a game high 13 rebounds and a game high four blocks. He was one of five Knights to reach double figures in scoring. Donathan Moss, who plays collegiately at the University of Prince Edward Island in Canada, finished with 20 points, six rebounds, four assists and five steals. Jason Mitchell finished with 16 points and seven rebounds, Jackson Jacobs scored 13, Van Hutchinson added 10 points and six assists, while Prince Braynen added eight points and six assists.

Whitman was led by a game high 36 points from Matt Mounier, who also added eight rebounds. Evan Martin finished with 16 points and seven steals, Jackson Clough and Dominic Clippi each finished with 13 points while Tochi Oti chipped in with eight.

Whitman took advantage early in the first quarter and ended the period with five straight points from Mouiner to take a 23-18 lead. A closely contested second quarter featured five ties and five lead changes as the Missionaries clung to a one-point lead at the half.

Tied at 48 with under one minute left to play, Jacobs gave the Knights a lead with a layup only to have Mounier respond with a three pointer that just beat the buzzer for a 51-50 lead.

CTG outscored Whitman 27-24 in the period and took a lead into a quarter for the first time, 77-75.

The Missionaries tied it at 81 early in the fourth when Martin made a pair at the line.

The Knights responded with an immediate 11-0 run to take control of the game for good.

Jacobs sparked the run at the 6:51 mark with a layup, followed by a jumper from Mitchell, a fast-break dunk from Moss, a pair of free throws from Rose, layup from Levarity and was finally capped with another layup by Rose.

Martin ended the Knights run at the 3:50 mark when he split a pair at the line.

It would spark a Whitman run of their own to come within two, 94-92, but Lippi missed the go ahead three pointer with 1:27 left to play and they would pull no closer. The Knights closed the game on an 8-0 run.

This year, the Providence Storm have recorded two wins over visiting teams. They defeated the Alabama State University Hornets, 88-76 and followed with a shocking 84-83 win over the North Carolina Tar Heels.

In the 2013 edition, local teams achieved unprecedented success, when they totalled three wins in the summer-long series against NCAA programmes.

On opening weekend, the Commonwealth Bank Giants stunned the Manhattan University Jaspers 88-82.

The Giants won their second game of the series when they followed with a 77-74 win over Bradley University.

In the other win for Bahamian teams, The Mailboat Cybots topped Hampton University, 85-79.

Coach John Calipari and the University of Kentucky Wildcats headlined this year’s event that also featured 13 other NCAA teams, including the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, coached by Roy Williams.

Others included the Ohio State University, University of Mississippi, University of Tennessee Chattanooga, Northern Arizona University, Portland State University, Louisiana Tech University, Whitman College, Alabama State University, University of Cincinnati, University of Pittsburgh, Morehouse State University, and Sanford University.

Local teams included the Grand Bahama All-Stars, the Commonwealth Bank Giants, the Real Deal Shockers, Bahamas All-Stars the Providence Storms, PJ Stingers, Street Legends All-Stars, the Knights, IBA Elite, Atlantis All-Stars and the Pyramid Food Rockets.

The Summer of Thunder concludes August 25.