The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

POSTSEASON basketball continues for several Bahamian senior men’s national team players in their respective leagues throughout Europe and South America.

Travis Munnings and Sporting Lisboa Benfica have advanced to the semifinal in Portugal’s Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol (LPB).

Benfica completed a two-game sweep of Povoa in the quarterfinal. In game one, Munnings had five points, four rebounds and three assists in his team’s 77-59 win.

In game two, Munnings had a perfect shooting night from the field (5-5) and finished with 16 points and eight rebounds in an 84-67 win. They will advance to face the winner of CAB Madeira and Munnings’ former club UD Oliveirense.

In 28 games this season, Munnings averaged 7.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 61 percent from the field and 34 percent from beyond the arch.

The 6’6” wing is currently in his second season in the LPB. Last year he averaged 12.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game for UD Oliveirense.

Benfica eliminated UD Oliveirense in the quarterfinals of last season’s playoffs.

Benfica looks to finish the local LPB on a high note and claim back-to-back titles after they were eliminated from FIBA EuroCup playoff contention in April. Munnings finished with a team high 19 points and eight rebounds, but Benfica dropped a crucial 89-72 to Sporting CP.

In 14 EuroCup games, Munnings has averaged 8.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

Zane Knowles and Levski Sofia find themselves in an 0-2 hole to Balkan Botevgrad in the semifinal of Bulgaria’s NBL.

In game one, Knowles came off the bench to finish with eight points and four rebounds in an 80-74 loss.

He moved into the starting lineup for game two, and he finished with 17 points and five rebounds in a 76-72 loss.

Game three is set for May 17.

Knowles finished with a dominant 28 point, eight-rebound performance in a 116-74 win over Beroe in the first game of the quarterfinals. His statline was highlighted by his first three-point field goal of his career.

Last season while preparing for the season in Hungary with Zalakerámia ZTE KK, Knowles sought treatment for what he described as a minor hamstring injury when doctors discovered a rare Arteriovenous Fistula (AVF) that required surgery.

In seven games since he has returned to play, he has returned to form with averages of 16.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.

Tavario Miller and Minas Belo Horizonte advanced to the semifinal in Brazil’s Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB) but currently trail Flamengo in their series.

Miller had just three points and three rebounds in the 76-67 game one loss. Minas advanced with a 3-1 series win over Unifacisa in the qaurterfinal. In game one, he finished with six points and five rebounds in an 85-65 win.

He followed with 22 points and seven rebounds in a 90-81 game two loss before 13 points and six rebounds in a 88-85 win.

In the closeout game of the series he finished with 12 points and seven rebounds off the bench in a 75-63 win.

Minas finished the regular ranked third in the league at 25-7.

The team also finished third in the FIBA Basketball Champions League of the Americas with a win over Quisima in the bronze medal game last month.

In his first season with the club, Miller is averaging 11.5 points and seven rebounds per game on 65 percent shooting from the field.