The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

MARK St Fort’s transition to the Japanese B2 League has been a welcome change to the veteran swingman.

St Fort had his most dominant game of the season - 38 points and eight rebounds - to lead the Fukushima Firebonds to a 109-95 win over Ehime OV.

He shot 8-12 from the field, 3-7 from three-point range and was a perfect 13-13 from the free throw line.

The sixth ranked Fukushima improved to 18-18 on the season, ranked sixth in the league standings.

Since he signed with the club in January, St Fort has appeared in eight games averaging 13.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game on 69 percent shooting from the field. He has signed with five different clubs across two leagues in Japan this season.

St Fort began the year in the B1-League with SeaHorses Mikawa but was released after just two games with the club. He went on to sign with the Niigata Albirex where he had his most productive stretch of the season where he was the team’s leading scorer in four games.

Through 12 games he averaged 10.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game on 70 percent shooting from the field and 43 percent shooting from three point range. He then went on to join the Aishin Sea Horses for a brief two-game stint and was released after two games.

Most recently, he spent seven games with the Hiroshima Dragonflies for a seven game stretch.

He spent last season in Japan’s third division, the B3-League with the Saitama Broncos where he averaged 17.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.

In Brazil’s Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB), David Nesbitt and his Minas Belo Horizonte club got back into the win column after their season high 16-game win streak came to an end last month. Following a 96-94 loss to now top ranked Flamengo on January 31, Minas reopened the second half of the season with a 91-70 win over Campo Mourao and an 83-67 win over Pato Basquete to restart their win streak.

Against Campo, Nesbitt finished with 13 points, five rebounds and three assists. He had just four points in limited minutes against Pato.

At 18-2, Minas is just 0.5 games behind Flamengo at 19-2.

In his first year with the club, Nesbitt ranks third on the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game and second in rebounding at 5.9 boards per game. He is also shooting 57.3 percent from the field and 45.3 percent from three-point range.

Nesbitt is tied for the team lead with 34 made three pointers and 50 made free throws.

After an opening night loss, Minas reeled off 16 consecutive wins before their second loss of the season.

This season with Minas marks Nesbitt’s third club in as many years in the NBB. He has also won two league championships during his tenure.

Nesbitt now turns his focus to the Bahamas senior men’s national team and the FIBA AmeriCup qualifiers. He plans to join the team in Puerto Rico for this window’s matchups against the United States (February 19) and Puerto Rico (February 20).