The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine got off to a sluggish start but still managed to roll past the Charles W Saunders Cougars yesterday.

The keenly contested Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools junior boys’ game played at Charles W Saunders saw the Big Red Machine prevail with a 29-23 decision.

With the win, SAC, coached by Donnie Culmer, stayed undefeated at 8-0, while the Cougars, coached by Sidney Forbes, fell to 5-2 with just a few more games remaining in the regular season.

"We got off to a slow start. I don't know if it was because it was cold but we had to pull out some stops and the ball bounced in our favour when we needed it to."

As they prepare for the playoffs, Culmer said they just have to rebound the ball more and run the fast break.

Last year, in his first year coaching the Big Red Machine, they got knocked out of the playoffs by the eventual champions St John's Giants.

The Big Red Machine and the Giants have a make up game, while SAC's final regular season game is against the Queen's College Comets, who are the top contenders this year.

As for the Cougars, coach Forbes said their inexperience caused them the game just as it did in their first loss to the Comets last week. "We just hope we can get it together," said Forbes, whose team also got eliminated in the playoffs last year. "The two games we lost, we beat ourselves. I guess the cold got to us today because we just weren't ready. I know we can do it. We just have to be a little more disciplined."

Scoreless in the first quarter, SAC got their game in high gear in the second as Christian McKenzie got their first basket and they came from a 6-0 deficit to take a slim 10-8 advantage at the half. 

Regaining their composure from the first quarter, Charles W Saunders out-scored SAC 12-8 in the third, thanks to six big points from Chay Turner, for a 24-18 margin going into the fourth. 

Brady Knowles canned a jumper and Mathias Josey hit a baseline three-pointer as the Big Red Machine came back for a 24-23 deficit to start the final period.Both teams traded baskets until SAC slowly pulled away down the stretch, thanks to a couple free throws from Kamdynn Miller as he was fouled going to the basket.

Miller finished with eight to lead SAC. McKinney had six, Josey five and both Donte Culmer and John McSweeney had four, while Knowles added two. 

For the Cougars, Turner had a big game with 13, Belizaire Lubin had four and Joellado Lubin, Adrian Cox and Xavier McAlpine chipped in with two apiece.