POSTED BY: Eurobasket News
(By Dahalia Smith,Nassau Guardian)
The Bahamas men's senior national basketball team is in a must win situation against Trinidad and Tobago today after suffering a 77-73 loss to Jamaica yesterday. A win today will secure a playoff berth at the 20th Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Championships ongoing in Tortilla, British Virgin Islands (BVI).
The national team trailed 19-14 against Jamaica in the opening quarter but was ahead 44-37 by half-time at the multi-purpose Sports Complex. The Bahamians were still in control by the end of the third (60-56) and were looking to build on their nine point lead. But the Jamaicans regrouped and chipped away at a sizable 13 point lead, that The Bahamas team had established in the final quarter, for the victory.
Point guard Alonzo Hinds (183-G, college: Midland CC) led the charge, as he did in the first game, leading with 27 points, two steals, one assist and grabbed two rebounds. Guards Quentin Hall (174-G-77, agency: Promotex, college: Gonzaga) and Torrington Cox (201-F-85) contributed 11 points apiece and forward Jeremy Hutchinson (-C-80) finished with nine points, three rebounds and two blocks.
Assistant coach Mario Bowleg is optimistic about the team's medal chances.
'In the last quarter we gave away a lot of points as our shots stopped falling, however we are now focused on the next game. Trinidad is much larger than us but we know that we can beat any team here, including Cuba. So our intention is to qualify for the playoffs and come home with a medal,' he said.
Hinds believes the team can compete at an even higher level.
Hinds said: 'I am happy with my performance but as a team we could have executed better down the stretch, especially during the last four minutes of the game. They were going to the line a lot but then we missed a lot of shots.
'We were hungry going into that game but that loss definitely woke us up. So in the game against Trinidad and Tobago we should be coming out with more intensity. Right now we are even more anxious to play,' he said.
Former multi-national team player Jeremy Hutchinson said trust is an essential ingredient in today's game against the twin islands.
'It was a very defensive game, we had to play really hard against those big guys,' said Hutchinson after the match. 'Nonetheless the team effort was good and everyone is doing what they need to. I know we can do better in next game. We just needed some shaking up.
'Concerning the team's chemistry it really picked up from the last game we won against Barbados. We just need to trust one another a bit more for when it is time to put that ball in the hole. Also down the stretch if we can practice a bit more patience it should pay off. Other than that, this is one of the best Bahamian senior men's teams that was put together in a long time,' he noted.
The Bahamas won its first game against Barbados 75-73 Tuesday night. The Bahamas is in Pool 'A' along with Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. Teams in Pool 'B' include Cuba, Antigua and Barbuda, BVI, and Bermuda.
A top three finish in the championships would advance The Bahamas to the Centro Basket Championships. The tournament is expected to wrap up Saturday, July 4.
At the last CBC Championships in Jamaica, The Bahamas placed fourth, but was still given an invite to the next level, the Centro Basket Championships, with the sudden withdrawal of the Dominican Republic. At the Centro Basket Championships, The Bahamas lost the bronze medal game to Cuba.
In related news, the 2nd Bahamas Basketball Federation (BBF) Independence Basketball Tournament is on tap to be held from July 9-12. The tourney is expected to feature teams in three different age groups, under-12, under-18 and open. Last year, the College All-stars beat a team out of Grand Bahama for the championship in the men's division. In the women's division, a New Providence based team won the title against the College All-stars.
