Sports

Several Bahamians Through To Sweet 16

U.S.A. – The second round of the NCAA Tournament is in the books and we’ll recap which Bahamian players and coaches are moving on.

Published

2 days ago

March 24, 2025

10th Year Seniors

U.S.A. – The second round of the NCAA Tournament is in the books and we’ll recap which Bahamian players and coaches are moving on.

In the men’s tournament, Mikhail McLean and his third seeded Kentucky Wildcats are on to the Sweet 16 for the 45th time in program history after an 84-75 win over sixth seeded Illinois last night at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.

McLean serves as assistant coach on a completely revamped coaching staff and a roster that returned zero scholarship players from last year.

Kentucky faces second seeded Tennessee Friday, march 28 at 7:39pm in Indianapolis, Indiana.

In the women’s tournament, Coach Yo, Rhema Collins and ole miss are through to the sweet 16 for the second time in her tenure at the helm in Oxford, Mississippi.

Fifth seeded Ole Miss defeated the fourth seeded Baylor Bears 69-63 Sunday night at Foster Pavilion in Waco, Texas.

They will go on to face the Spokane Region’s top seed – the UCLA Bruins on Friday, March 28

The time has yet to be determined.

Back to the men’s tournament, and also in the Midwest Region, Bryan Clarke – assistant strength coach for top seeded Houston saw his cougars advance to the Sweet 16 for the sixth consecutive year.

Houston faces fourth seeded Purdue on Friday, March 28 at 10:09pm

It wasn’t all wins for the Bahamian contingent, VJ Edgecombe and the Baylor Bears ran into perhaps the most efficient shooting team in the tournament – the Duke Blue Devils.

Edgecombe scored 16 but the bears were eliminated by the Blue Devils 89-66 at the Lenovo Center.

The season also concluded for Fredrick King and the Creighton Blue Jays in an 82-70 loss to the top-seeded Auburn tigers, Saturday evening at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.

Track & Field

There may not be an overall winner at the National High School Track and Field Championships – but the SAC Big Red Machine won more divisions than any other school.

The Big Red Machine captured five of the eight contested divisions at the meet, which concluded Saturday night at the original Thomas A. Robinson Stadium.

SAC took first place in the u15 girls with 143 points, the u15 boys with 133, u17 boys with 139, u20 girls with 191, and the u20 boys with 146.67 points.

The only schools and divisions that prevented the sweep were – the Queen’s College Comets who won the Under 13 girls division with 114 points and the under 17 girls division with 199.50 points.

Grand Bahama’s Sister Mary Patricia Russell, won the under-13 boys division with 83 points.

NJCAA Basketball

After the first round of the Men’s Division I NJCAA Tournament, one Bahamian is through to the second round while the other was eliminated in a heartbreaker.

Brent Moss and the Barton Community College Cougars advanced to the second round with a 92-62 win over Brunswick Community College.

Moss finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists.

The defending national champions are back on the court tomorrow at noon to face eighth seeded Daytona State College.

Willis Mackey Jr and Chiploa College were eliminated 79-78 with a loss to Monroe.

Mackey completed his first season, and officially began his coaching career as an assistant coach on the staff of the juco powerhouse.

Track & Field

For the first time since he withdrew from the Paris Olympics with an injury, Steven gardiner was back on the track.

Gardiner opened his outdoor season at the Hurricane Invitational, in Miami, Florida – winning the 300m in 31.98 seconds.

Also competing at the meet – Charisma Taylor took first place in the 100m hurdles in 13.11 seconds.

Hurricanes sophmore thrower Calea Jackson finished third in the discuss with a throw of 45.18m

Also on the pro circuit, Anthonique Strachan competed at the velocity fest 16 in Jamaica.

She finished third in the 100m in 11.46 seconds.