The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN players continue to excel in men’s NCAA Basketball Division I as conference play gets underway.

In the Southeastern conference, Tavario Miller and the No.15 Texas A&M Aggies currently lead the conference with a 14-2, 4-0 record.

Miller scored three points and grabbed six rebounds in the Aggies 71-68 win over the Florida Gators Tuesday night. On the season, he is averaging 2.4 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.

A&M’s perfect record in SEC play is its best league start since going 4-0 to open Big 12 play in 2006-07. The Aggies are 10-0 at home this season and their seven-game winning streak is the longest since winning 13 straight in 2010-11.

The Aggies look to continue their streak against the Georgia Bulldogs 2pm Saturday.

In the Big 12, the Texas Longhorns’ Shaquille Cleare is making the most of his opportunities with starting centre Cameron Ridley sidelined with an injury.

The Longhorns lost a close finish (58-57) to the TCU Horned Frogs but Cleare finished with new season highs of eight points and seven rebounds in 23 minutes.

In the first game with Ridley sidelined, Cleare set a then season high with six rebounds in just 12 minutes in a 71-66 loss to UConn.

The junior forward is averaging 2.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game and the Longhorns have a 9-6 record on the season.

Cleare was limited to just six minutes Tuesday night and scored two points as the Longhorns defeated No.14 Iowa State 94-91 in overtime.

In the American Athletic Conference, Danrad “Chicken” Knowles, reached double figures in scoring for the second time this season and keyed the Cougars to a fifth consecutive win. He finished with 13 points and four rebounds in just 17 minutes as the Cougars won 63-45 over Tulane.

Knowles  is currently averaging 5.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. They improved to 13-2 overall, 3-0 in the conference.

Head coach Kelvin Sampson said his goal is to keep his team focused on the remainder of the conference schedule despite the promising start.

“If this was a three-game conference race we would be in good shape, but we have 15 more games. It is January and we have been at it pretty good,” he said.

The Cougars faced the Cincinnati Bearcats last night but the results were unavailable up to press time.

In the Northeast Conference, Mike Carey Jr and the Wagner Seahawks have already tied last season’s win total less than halfway through the season.

With their latest win, 76-59 over the Sacred Heart Pioneers, the Seahawks improve to 10-5 overall while moving into a five-way tie for first place in the conference with at 3-1. He finished with eight points and three rebounds in just 19 minutes.

Carey, the Junior JuCo transfer, is averaging a near double double with 9.4 points and a team high 8.6 rebounds per game.

Last week Thursday, in the first nationally televised game of his career, Carey finished with 10 points, 15 rebounds and four assists in a 65-56 win over Bryant in a game broadcast live on CBS.

Wagner will look for its fourth straight win tonight when the Seahawks take on the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds at home at 7pm.

In the Big South, senior forward Tristian Curtis is putting up the best numbers of his career as a senior for the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers despite the team struggling at 8-8 and currently on a two game losing streak.

Playing just over 24 minutes per game, Curtis is averaging 7.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, all career highs.

Coastal returns home to the HTC Center to face Presbyterian College 7pm tonight.