The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

In a complete turnaround from game one, the Bahamas men's national basketball team protected home court and emerged with a dominant win over Mexico in game two in the first window of FIBA AmeriCup Qualifiers.

The Bahamas allowed just eight points in the third and led by as much as 23 en route to a 76-59 win last night at the Atlantis resort to even the series at 1-1.

The youngest player on the roster, Dominick Bridgewater, 19, scored 15 off the bench to lead four Bahamians in double figures. D'Shon Taylor scored 14, Mychel Thompson finished with 11 points and eight rebounds, Travis Munnings scored 10 and David Nesbitt added nine. Kino Burrows also scored eight off the bench. Jaron Cornish finished with four points, four rebounds and six assists.

Francisco Cruz led Mexico with 21 points, Omar De Haro scored 13 and Marco Ramos finished with nine. The Bahamas led for 36 minutes and the lead reached as much as 23 when Bridgewater banked in a three then dished an assist to Michael Carey on the ensuing possession for a fastbreak layup and a 63-40 advantage. Mexico responded with a 17-4 run and cut the deficit to just 10 on a Cruz corner three.

Nesbitt grabbed an offensive rebound and made a layup in traffic to end the Mexican run and the drought for Team Bahamas to make the score 69-57 with just over three minutes left to play. Thompson scored the last seven points for Team Bahamas with a putback, driving layup and three pointer as the shot clock expired with 38 seconds left to play for the game's final score.

The Bahamas had a much improved shooting night from last Thursday's game in Guadalajara, Mexico. In the 75-61 loss on the road they shot just 32 per cent from the field and just 5-26 from beyond the arc. In last night's win at home, they improved those numbers to 44 per cent from the field, including nine threes and also went 13-16 (81 per cent) from the free throw line.

Mexico scored on their first two possessions with a fade-away from Ricardo Calatayd and three pointer from Cruz but the Bahamas got back-to-back jumpers from Taylor and Nesbitt to keep pace. Taylor followed with a putback dunk to give the Bahamas their first lead of this window.

Bridgewater converted a three-point play to give the Bahamas a 14-9 lead but Mexico would eventually come within one on a pair of Cruz free throws (14-13).

The Bahamas got jumpers from Munnings and Burrows on consecutive possessions and a pair of free throws from Bridgewater for a brief 6-0 run. Calatayd scored on a driving layup on Mexico's final possession but the Bahamas led 20-15 after one.

Nesbitt opened the second quarter with a three pointer but Mexico answered on the next possession with a three from Arim Solares. It started a 7-0 run for Mexico that saw them pull within one (23-22). Cornish brought an end to the run with his driving layup and after another Ramos jumper, Taylor made a three for a 28-24 Bahamas lead.

The Bahamas added another three from Munnings and Thompson scored four points late to take a 38-30 lead at the half. The Bahamas held Mexico to just eight points in the third as their lead reached double figures for the first time.

Taylor's pair of free throws gave the Bahamas a 10 point lead - 42-32 at the 7:06 mark. Cornish followed with a floater and dished an assist to Burrows for a baseline dunk and a 46-32 lead.

The lead got up to 16 when Burrows made a floater for a 51-35 advantage with 3:39 left in the third.

Taylor gave the Bahamas a 20-point lead when he successfully capitalised on a technical foul and made the free throw for a 58-38 lead headed into the fourth.

The Bahamas is currently second in Group D at 1-1 with the advantage over Mexico on point differential. The USA leads the Group at 2-0 while Puerto Rico is 0-2.

The Bahamas will continue play in Group D against the US in game one of the second window on November 27.