The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas Select team, preparing for its next window of the World Cup Qualifier this coming weekend, put up the best showing against the University of Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team.

At the end of their four-game series against a variety of teams at Baha Mar yesterday, the Wildcats pulled away from the Bahamas in the second half for an impressive 98-74 decision to remain undefeated as the Bahamas Basketball Federation’s Summer of Thunder came to an end.

After holding onto a slim 41-40 margin at the half, the Wildcats held a 56-52 lead before senior 6-foot, 5-guard Antonio Reeves caught on fire, hitting four three-pointers as he traversed from one side of the court to the other to extend their lead to 70-59 with 11 minutes and nine seconds left in the game.

Although they had built insurmountable leads in the first half en route to blowout victories over the Dominican Republic, the Mexican Pro Team, and Carleton University, just the night before they had their closest encounter with the Bahamas in the finale.

“We were challenged. We played a good Bahamian team with veterans and experience. That was what we needed to see,” said Orlando Antigua, an associate coach to legendary head coach John Calipari.

“It was a quick turnaround from last night to an early game against a very coached and experienced team. We needed some of that out of this trip so that we can go back and watch the film and get ready for the season.”

Antigua said with more than 800 fans coming to the Bahamas from Kentucky to watch the Wildcats play in the Baha Mar ballroom, they knew it would have only been a matter of time before they put together a run to derail the Bahamas.

“It was a great experience. Our team enjoyed themselves, our fans enjoyed themselves,” he said. “When we get back, we will wait for a while and then we will start preparing for the season. But this was a good way to go out with a victory.”

Reeves finished with 22 points to lead the Cats, while 5-9 guard Sahvir Wheeler had 21 points, four assists and two steals and 6-9 forward Jacob Toppin added 20 points with five rebounds and two steals.

After getting off to a great start with 11 points in the first half to keep the Bahamas in the game, Jaraun ‘Keno’ Burrows ended up with 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks.

Kentwan Smith, however, was the top scorer with 18 points and six rebounds.

Dominick Bridgewater, the talented young point guard, produced 12 points, five assists, five steals and three rebounds to help keep the Bahamas in the contest.

Kadeem Coleby had nine points and three rebounds and Isnord ‘Kenny’ Wilkinson came off the bench with nine points as well, two rebounds, two steals and a block.

Moses Johnson, in leading the Bahamas coaching staff, said they ran with the Cats for as long as they could.

“The game went well. The first half we were connecting defensively. We got consistent stops and we got to score,” Johnson said. “In the second half, we just broke down mentally. Defensively, we let one guy hit four threes consecutively.

“We can’t let those lapses get to us when we are playing a good team like Kentucky. But all in all, I think the guys gave a good effort. We hung in there for the most part. It got away from us at the end, but I liked the effort from the team.”

Having the ability to utilise their size, the Bahamas was able to contend with the Cats in the first half. But he noted that it was the tale of two halves, and it just so happened that the game got away from them mentally in the second half.

But one of the positive aspects of the game was the fact that Johnson said with several young players on this squad, it was good for them to get some exposure, especially down the end trailing by 20 (90-70) when he brought in most of the bench before Kentucky did the same thing with 1:31 on the clock and up 94-70.

“I wanted the coaches and the scouts to see some of those younger guys,” Johnson said. “Playing in these types of games bode well for their development, so it was good to get them in there so they could be seen.”

Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis and Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg were among the list of dignitaries in attendance at the games, along with Jeff Rodgers, the sports ambassador in the Ministry of Tourism and Eugene Horton, president of the BBF.

The focus for the Bahamas men’s national team will now switch to the next window of the World Cup Qualifier at 8pm on Thursday, August 25 when they host Venezuela with National Basketball Association player Chavano “Buddy” Hield of the Indiana Pacers being joined by Phoenix Suns’ Deandre Ayton and Kai Jones of the Charlotte Hornets.

“We are asking everybody to come out,” said Johnson of the game that will be played in the same venue. “We have our three NBA players for the first time, so it’s going to be really intense and it’s going to be really exciting for us.”

The Bahamas, playing out of Group E, will then travel to Argentina for their next game on Monday, August 29.

The Bahamas is currently sitting in sixth place, although tied with fifth place Panama with a 2-4 win-loss record.

Canada is out front undefeated at 6-0, while Venezuela and Argentina are second and third respectively, both at 5-1. The Dominican Republic is in fourth at 4-2.

The Bahamas will close out play in the home-and-away series of games when they play Panama on Thursday, November 10, Argentina on Sunday, November 13, Venezuela on Friday, February 24, 2023 and Panama on Monday, February 27, 2023.