The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE action is starting to heat up in the Elite Girls Basketball League.

The league, which got started three weeks ago to provide more opportunities for the local high school girls, had an interesting slate of games played inside the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium between the six participating teams.

The Lucayan Aces, coached by Tamaro Butler, split their games, but head coach Butler said he was still pleased with what he saw from his players.

“We’ve been progressing. That’s the purpose of the tournament to get these girls to play,” Butler said. “It’s a good thing that they are doing, to get these girls to play a lot more.

“You can practice all day, but it’s when they can go out there and execute what they’re learned in practice and then come back and correct the things that they didn’t do right. So this is a good thing.”

Butler said there are a number of areas that he was able to analyse where his team is at and when they return, they will be a lot better after ironing out some things in practice.

St Augustine’s College head coach Annie Moultrie said their Chi-Town team lived up to their potential. She also coached the Seattle Storm team, which had a little more work to do.

“I’m thankful to Mr Turnquest for having this league,” Moultrie said. “It’s all about the development of women’s basketball at the same time, so I am truly grateful that these girls will get the opportunity to play a lot more games.”

In one of the games, Moultrie had her two teams playing against each other. She took the opportunity to give some instructions to the more developed Chi-Town team, while she sat on the bench coaching the Storm team. “I sat with the younger team to work with them,” she said. “I gave the older team their instruments and just allowed them to play. But at the same time, I still got to scrutinize what they both did and they both got it from me when they messed up.”

Abel Joseph, one of the coaches of the Elite Basketball Club, said they couldn’t ask for anything more from their Storm, Mercury and Liberty teams that he and organizer Ryan Turnquest coached.

“I think the league is going good so far. It’s a work in progress and I have no problems assisting the young girls,” Joseph said. “When Ryan called me to assist, I was ready. I think this is going to be a big thing in the future. We have a bunch of young talent to work with.”

Turnquest said the tournament is now stacked with six teams, having added a younger team of girls to participate this week.

“This is a development league and over the next few weeks we will continue to provide the opportunity for them to play and get to see what level they are at,” Turnquest said.

He noted that there will be no action this weekend, but the competition will resume over the weekend of November 11-12 when they will engage in the opening of the New Providence Basketball Association where their affiliate Discount Distributors Rockets will be participating.

Results of games played:

CI Gibson Sparks 40, Lucayan Aces 10: Jada Francis led a balanced attack with 17 points; Vincinique Dames and Dominique Rolle both added seven and Darinique Mackey contributed six and Sterva Fenelus finished with four in their lopsided win. Sanni Nixon and Tayla Smith scored five and four points respectively in the loss.

Elite Mercury 34, SAC Chi-Town 33: Teanna Gibson exploded for 20 and Geraniqua Bethel chipped in with 10. Naveah Albury had 17 and Dor-Rae Scott helped out with nine, but it wasn’t enough for the losers.

Lucayans Aces 27, Elite Storm 6: Tayler Smith’s eight and Michalaya Joseph’s six were good enough to pull off the win. Frantesia Newbold was the bright spot for the losers with three.

Elite Mercury 25, CI Gibson Sparks 24: Geraniqua Bethel canned 17 and Shararia Cummings came up with seven to lead the winners. In the loss, Jada Francis powered through for 12 and Dominiqua Rolle added eight, but they fell short.

Elite Liberty 39, Lucayans Aces 26: The 1-2 punch from Shennell Stewart with 17 and Ricarra Beadle with 14 helped to secure the win. Sanni Nixon had nine and both Andica Curtis and Tayler Smith chipped in with five in a losing effort,

SAC Chi-Town 36, Elite Storm 12: Naveah Albury led the way with 16, Azzaria Marshall had six and Dior-Rae Scott followed with five in the win. Faith Burns had five in the loss.

Elite Liberty 38, Elite Mercury 23: Both Reyamah Greene and Ricanna Beadle produced 10 points apiece to pave the way for the winners. Teanna Gibson also had 10 and Gereniqua Bethel eight in the loss.

Elite Liberty 44, Elite Storm 17: Ricanna Beadle came through with 20 and Kanisha Capron finished with seven in the win. Frantesia Newbold had six, Katre Moss four and Kiara Knowles three in the loss.