The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE Toledo Rockets opened a week of NCAA basketball at the inaugural Baha Mar Hoops with the first win in the series of tournaments.

The Rockets tipped off the “Nassau Championship” with a 98-86 win over the Charlotte 49ers yesterday at the Baha Mar Convention Centre.

Setric Milner Jr scored a game high 27, Ryan Rollins scored 22 and RayJ Dennis scored 21 to lead the Rockets to a 3-1 record and hand Charlotte their first loss of the season.

In game two, the Tulane Green Wave scored a 90-87 overtime win over the Drexel Dragons. Jaylen Forbes led Tulane with 30 points and 11 rebounds while Kevin Cross scored 21. Melik Martin led Drexel with 27 points and Xavier Bell scored 20.

The seven-team “Nassau Championship” includes mid-major NCAA Division I programmes.

Formally known as the Islands of The Bahamas Showcase, the field is headlined by Bahamian Ahmard Harvey and his Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. The remainder of the field also includes Jacksonville State and Valparaiso. All “Nassau Championship will be broadcast on FloHoops.”

On today’s schedule, Charlotte and Drexel tipoff at noon followed by Tulane and Toledo at 2:30pm.

Harvey and the Chanticleers will face the winner of the Valparaiso and Jacksonville State game tonight at 8pm.

Coastal Carolina was originally scheduled to open play against Valparaiso but a change in the schedule pushed CCU back to a Tuesday start against the winner of Jacksonville State and Valparaiso.

The game was once again pushed back after a heavy rain storm moved through the area and the roof started leaking over the playing facility.

The “Bahamas Championship” will feature four elite programmes played November 25-27 and led by the Maryland Terrapins, Richmond Spiders, Mississippi State and the Louisville Cardinals.

The “Pink Flamingo Championship” will also be played November 25-27 and will feature several elite women’s programmes led by the defending NCAA National Champion - Stanford Cardinal.

Six of the seven participating teams have played in last season’s NCAA Tournament.

Other teams include Maryland, North Carolina State, Indiana, Washington State, Miami and South Florida.

All seven games of the Pink Flamingo Championship will be broadcast on FloHoops.