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Devynne Charlton BTC ambassador

By TENAJH SWEETING

The women’s 60 metres hurdles world indoor record holder

Devynne Charlton has inked a $30,000 endorsement contract with BTC to serve as the company’s brand ambassador. The monumental announcement was made at Charlton’s alma mater - St Augustine’s College - in front of pupils, relatives and friends yesterday morning.

The women’s 60m hurdles world indoor champion spoke about how it felt to partner with BTC after her second consecutive gold medal feat

at the 2025 World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China.

“It feels great because when I think about coming up in track and ﬁeld, BTC was always such a great ﬁnancial support from the CARIFTA Games to the World Relays.

“They invest in Bahamians, and sports in particular, so to now be a part of that family is a great feeling,” she said.

In addition to the oneyear partnership with BTC, anytime the Olympian returns home she will have the luxury of seeing her face plastered next to a congratulatory message on a BTC billboard near SAC on Prince Charles. “Now

Kaiwan Culmer soaring again

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN jumping sensation Kaiwan Culmer got a conﬁdence booster with his season opening victory in the men’s triple jump at the Florida State University Relays at the Mike Long Track in Tallahassee, Florida.

The 28-year-old Culmer, now in his second year training under the supervision of Bahamian Olympic bronze medallist and national record holder Leevan “Superman” Sands, soared 53-feet, 10 1/2-inches or 16.42 metres from a short approach of 12 steps on his second attempt at the meet.

The performance over the weekend came after he fouled his first attempt. He then passed his third and fouled his fourth attempt before he closed out his final two jumps with 53-10 ¼ (16.41m) on his fifth and 53-7 ½ (16.34m) on his sixth.

With Sands in his corner for the second consecutive year, Culmer said he’s in the right atmosphere to improve since he graduated from the University of Nebraska in 2018.

“There were a lot of positives from the meet. My coach had me jump from a short approach, and this was the furthest I’ve ever gone from a 12-step runup. “That tells me that as

I transition back to my full 18-step approach, bigger distances are on the way. Technically, I’ve been implementing some things that Leevan has been teaching me, and they’re helping me extend my jumps without having to ﬁght for it as much.”

Sands, in commenting on the Bahamian connection, said he is very impressed with Culmer’s transformation.

“Considering when he came to me last year, he hasn’t done a PR in ﬁve years. I thought he did pretty good last year when he jumped 55-1 (16.79m), improving from 54-2 1/2 (16.52m) in 2018,” Sands said.

“I think he’s been progressing steadily and getting better and better and faster on the runway. His technique is a lot better too. I think he’s going to jump even further this season because he’s faster than he was last year.”

In preparation for this season, Sands said he’s been working a lot more on Culmer’s speed and technique and he’s conﬁdent that he has the potential to jump at least 17 metres this year.”

Culmer, whose sister Kenya Culmer was an outstanding high jumper, said his performance at the meet was just what he expected.

“I was expecting to be in that range, though I’d be lying if I said I didn’t

THE Windsor School junior girls and Lyford Cay International School (LCIS) junior boys pulled off clean sheets to claim the championship hardware at the 2025 Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) Soccer Championships yesterday at the Roscow AL Davies

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AS they continue to prepare for their seventh straight CARIFTA Swimming Championships title, Bahamas Aquatics has announced a slight change in the composition of Team Bahamas heading into Trinidad & Tobago.

The association has announced that coach Cameron Bruney will not be travelling anymore as an assistant coach and swimmer Tiah Seymour will replace Alissa Ferguson in the girls’ 13-14 age group. Despite the changes, head coach Travano

McPhee said the team is still geared up to successfully defend their title at the competition, scheduled for April 19-22.

“Team Bahamas is looking very sharp in the water,” said McPhee following its second team practice session on Saturday at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex. “The closer we get to travel day the more focused they are becoming. Team spirit is very high in both Nassau and Freeport as we prepare for a seven-peat.” McPhee will be travelling along with Jasmine Gibson as the assistant coach.

LEEVAN ‘Superman’ Sands, left, and Kaiwan Culmer.

MONUMENTAL MOMENT: BTC unveiled a congratulatory billboard for world indoor record holder and newest BTC brand ambassador Devynne Charlton yesterday morning on Prince Charles near her alma mater St Augustine’s College.

Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr

nouncement was made

Devynne Charlton inks $30,000 endorsement contract with BTC

every time I am driving past SAC I am gonna see this and it is just a reminder of where I started and what I am trying to continue to do,” she said.

Charlton has received all of her ﬂowers since returning home from the World Indoors where she ran a blistering season’s best of time of 7.72 seconds in the women’s 60m hurdles to repeat as the world indoor champion for the second straight year.

She was just the third hurdler since Americans Nia Ali and Lolo Jones to repeat as a gold medallist in the event.

Sameer Bhatti, BTC’s Chief Executive Ofﬁcer (CEO), spoke highly of the company’s partnership with the two-time world indoor champion.

“This partnership reafﬁrms BTC’s unwavering commitment to supporting and empowering the limitless potential of our youth. We are proud to support our athletes and celebrate their remarkable achievements.

like Tonique Williams, the Golden Girls, the Golden Knights, Ariana Vanderpool-Wallace, Shaunae Miller-Uibo and Anthonique Strachan,” Bhatti said.

Mario Bowleg also praised Charlton for her latest accomplishment and BTC for seizing the opportunity to partner with the heroic Olympian.

“When I think about Devynne and her success I think of a striving, dedicated, committed, determined and desirous athlete who has gone through ups and downs in her athletic career.

“I have seen and watched Devynne over the past eight to nine years – and when she got injured I almost thought that we would never see her again… Devynne’s determination to press forward and seek to reach the goal that she desires is a prime example for you young students here today. As the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, I stand here very proud of Devynne,” Bowleg said.

to invest in young people [because] as we invest in young people we invest in the future of our nation.

“I say again BTC thank you and continue moving forward in helping persons like Devynne and those who will come behind to be successful.”

Charlton also took the opportunity to give a special shoutout to SAC for always supporting her and her many accomplishments over the years.

“I am almost always blown away by the support I get from SAC. They continue to support me and it is always great to go do what I do and then come back and be able to celebrate with the people who helped me to get there.

“When I think about where I started and the foundation that I built here at SAC, it is always emotional to reminisce and think about. I just wanted to be able to come here and offer a few words of encouragement to the kids,” she said.

“Just last year we were the title sponsors of the BTC World Athletics Relays 2024. In 2021 we announced our endorsement deal with Steven “Speedy” Gardiner and over the years we have supported athletic icons

Charlton was a part of a ﬁve-member contingent that picked up a single gold medal at the 2025 World Indoor Championships earlier this month. FROM PAGE E1

“I want to take this opportunity to thank BTC for being a responsible corporate citizen who decides to make sure they continue

Triple jumping sensation Kaiwan Culmer soaring again

FROM PAGE E1

hope for a personal best,’ he said. “But, at the end of the day, it was what God allowed, and I’m grateful for the progress.”

While he competed mainly against collegiate athletes with Jaden Lippett, a freshman at Florida, taking second with distant leap of 51-2 ¾ (15.61m), Culmer said he would have liked to be a bit more competitive, but it was still a good experience. This weekend, Culmer will be competing at the Florida Relays in Gainesville, Florida where he will be competing against a stronger ﬁeld.

“This time, I’ll be jumping from my full approach,

so I expect to add about half a metre to last week’s performance,” he projected. Culmer, one of the top senior jumpers in the country, also has a lifetime best of 23-2 1/2 (7.07m) in the long jump.

He has represented The Bahamas at several international meets, including the Commonwealth Games and the NACAC Championships.

But his main goal this year is to make the team that will represent The Bahamas at the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, from September 13-21. The 43-year-old Sands, the last Bahamian to succeed at a global

international competition in the triple jump with his silver at the Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada in 2015, said Culmer has the potential to carry on the legacy.

“That’s the goal for him, but I’m trying to see if he can hit the big jumps early so that he can get into the big meets,” said Sands, who also won bronze at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, the 2003 World Championships in Paris, France and the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England.

“With the big meets, he can get more points. So that’s the goal to get him ready for the World Championships.”

THE WOMEN’s 60 metres hurdles world indoor record holder Devynne Charlton has inked a $30,000 endorsement contract with BTC to serve as the company’s brand ambassador. The monumental an-

at Charlton’s alma mater - St Augustine’s College - in front of pupils, relatives and friends yesterday morning.

Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr

KAIWAN Culmer goes through a jump routine as Olympian and coach Leevan “Superman” Sands looks on.

‘COACH YO’ AND OLE MISS LADY REBELS GO TO THE TRANSFER PORTAL

COMING off an historic Sweet 16 run, Ole Miss women’s basketball head coach Yolett McPheeMcCuin looks to continue to climb new heights in the 2025-26 season, as she announced the addition of Latasha Lattimore - a forward from Virginia - on Monday.

“Tash is a dynamic human being and talent,” said Coach Yo. “She committed to coach Quentin Hillsman out of high school and it’s really cool to see them reunite! I’ve always loved her game and I’m excited to mentor her in the last stage of her collegiate career!”

As a redshirt senior at Virginia, Lattimore was a standout performer for the Cavaliers, averaging a near double-double with 14.3 points and a team-leading 8.2 rebounds per game.

Additionally, Lattimore will be a vital defender in the paint for the Lady Rebels, as she tallied an impressive 69 total blocks this season, which ranks 18th-best in the nation.

Prior to her time at Virginia, Lattimore spent two standout seasons at Miami.

In her ﬁrst year with the Hurricanes, the Toronto, Ontario, native appeared in nine games and averaged 7.7 points and 3.2 rebounds per game before sustaining an injury to cut her season short.

During the 2023-24 season, Lattimore came in clutch in many games for the Hurricanes, including a 12-point performance in Miami’s ACC Tournament second-round win over North Carolina.

Lattimore began her career at Texas where she played in all 32 games

and helped the Longhorns advance to the Elite Eight. As a true freshman, Lattimore totalled three double-digit scoring outings and averaged 3.2 points and 2.8 rebounds in 10.3 minutes of action per game.

Coming out of Royal Crown and Crestwood Prep,

Lattimore was recognised as the No. 38 prospects in the class of 2021, according to espnWHoopGurlz. She was named the topranked Canadian player and the sixth-best forward in the 2021 class per ESPN.

Averaging 16.9 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game in her ﬁnal year of competition, Lattimore helped guide Crestwood Prep to back-to-back OSBA Championships. Additionally, she played on the Canadian U23 Women’s National Team at GLOBL JAM in 2022 and was invited to compete with

LANEY-HAMILTON UNDERGOES MENISCUS SURGERY BUT NEW YORK LIBERTY HAS ‘A SOLID LINEUP’

By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer

NEW York guard Betnijah Laney-Hamilton had surgery on her left knee to repair an acute meniscus injury earlier this month, the Liberty announced Monday.

Laney-Hamilton is expected to be sidelined for ﬁve-to-six months.

She played two games at

FROM PAGE E1

for children under 12. The categories include 12-and-under, 13-17, 18-39, 40-59 and 60-and-over for male and females.

Trophies and medals will be presented to the top ﬁnishers in all categories.

“Come one, come all as we celebrate” is the call for all physically challenged, families, churches and all civic groups.

For more information, persons can contact Votebcp242@gmail.com, telephone 242-524-1798 or log onto www.bcppaerty.org

BASEBALL/ SOFTBALL RELOADED

INVITATIONAL THE Reloaded baseball and softball programme for boys and girls is scheduled to hold its fourth invitational tournament April 18-21 at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex. The event, organised by Stephen “Bishop” Beneby, is being sanctioned by the Bahamas Baseball Assocation, headed by Clarence “CJ’ McKenzie and will be sponsored by Pro Youth Foundation.

Unrivaled, the new 3-on-3 league, before suffering the injury. She had a minor procedure on her right knee last July and was out for roughly six weeks before returning to help the Liberty win the ﬁrst WNBA championship in franchise history.

The surgery was performed at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

It will feature baseball teams for boys and softball teams for girls from Grand Bahama and New Providence.

It’s also anticipated that some teams from the Family Islands will also be in New Providence to participate.

BASKETBALL PEACE ON DA STREET FAMILY NIGHT

PLANS are underway for the staging of the Peace on Da Streets’ Basketball Classics’ Road to 30 years of existence.

The event, being organised by the Hope Center under the theme “Shooting hoops instead of guns,” will be held from July 14-19 at the Michael ‘Scooter’ Reid Basketball Center.

The highlight of the event will be the Family Night, scheduled for Sunday, July 20 at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium when the ﬁnals in all of the divisions will take place, starting at 3pm. There will also be the Mr Ship It Three-point shootout and the Joe’s Slam Dunk Contest.

The night will conclude with the exciting Clergy versus Politicians matchup. Lots of prizes, including round trip tickets, will be up for grabs.

New York recently re-signed guard Marine Johannes, who missed last season to prepare for the Paris Olympics with the French national team.

The Liberty also traded for Natasha Cloud in the offseason.

Even with Laney-Hamilton recovering, the Liberty have a solid lineup with Cloud, Sabrina Ionescu, Leonie Fiebich, Breanna

SPRING FLING

INVITATIONAL

THE Fast Track Athletics Club is scheduled to hold its 4th annual Spring Fling at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex May 16-17.

The event is open to competitors from throughout The Bahamas.

The action is slated to begin at 5pm on Friday, May 16 and at 10am on Saturday, May 16. It promises to provide fast competition, perfect prep for championship season and an unmatched island atmosphere in Grand Bahama.

The entry fee is $5 for children and $10 for adults. For more information on the meet, persons can email fasttrackmanagement00@ gmail.com

PICKLEBALL FEDERATION

EXHIBITION

THE Bahamas Pickleball Federation is scheduled to hold a Pickleball Exhibition on April 5 at the Mall at Marathon next to John Bull from noon to 4pm. Admission is free, but space is limited. The event is being sponsored by Domino’s Pizza, the Mall at Marathon, the Sports Center and High Noon Sun Sips.

Stewart and Grand Bahamian Jonquel Jones. Laney-Hamilton averaged 11.8 points, 4.2

rebounds and 3.3 assists while playing in 28 games last season. She was drafted in 2015 by Chicago before also playing in Connecticut, Atlanta and Indiana before coming to New York in 2021.

Team Canada U19 team trials, but was unable to participate due to an injury sustained earlier in the year.

Lattimore is the ﬁrst transfer in the 2025-26 Rebel class and will join incoming freshman Lauren Jacobs as a newcomer to Oxford.

MISSISSIPPI head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin directs her team during the ﬁrst half against UCLA in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament on Friday, March 28, 2025, in Spokane, Washington.

(AP Photo/ Young Kwak)

EVEN with Laney-Hamilton recovering, the Liberty have a solid lineup with Cloud, Sabrina Ionescu, Leonie Fiebich, Breanna Stewart and Grand Bahamian Jonquel Jones, second from left. (AP)

Klay scores 13, Kai has 7

BUT NETS BEAT MAVERICKS 113-109 TO WIN CONSECUTIVE GAMES FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE ALL-STAR BREAK

DALLAS (AP) — Keon Johnson scored 24 points and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Dallas Mavericks 113109 on Monday night to win consecutive games for the ﬁrst time since the All-Star break.

D’Angelo Russell added 18 points and 11 assists for the Nets (25-51), who last won two in a row during a three-game winning streak from Feb. 7-12. Playing without leading scorer Cam Johnson, who has a

back injury, Brooklyn rallied from a 10-point deficit midway through the fourth quarter with a 12-0 run. Daniel Gafford scored 17 points in his first game since Feb. 10 for the Mavericks (37-39), who were trying to reach .500 for the first time since March 10. Klay Thompson contributed 13 and Kai Jones scored seven. Anthony Davis had 12 points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes in his first

home game since being injured Feb. 8 in his initial Mavericks appearance following the trade that sent superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Davis returned last week and played three road games. The Mavericks are ninth in the West, a halfgame ahead of 10th-place Sacramento.

Takeaways Nets: They ﬁnished 8-7 in road games against the

West and overall are better on the road (14-26) than at home (11-25).

Jalen Wilson and Drew Timme played before hometown fans. Wilson, from Denton, Texas, scored 12 points. Timme, from Richardson, had nine points in his third game after signing with Brooklyn last Friday.

Mavericks: Dereck Lively II, out since Jan. 14 with an ankle stress fracture, could return this week.

Key moment Nic Claxton scored on a reverse layup with 47 seconds left and was fouled, the 51.7% free-throw shooter completing the three-point play for a 111107 lead.

Key stat The Nets hit 20 of 51 3-pointers to the Mavericks’ 10 of 30.

Up next The Mavericks will host Atlanta tonight. The Nets will begin a four-game homestand Thursday against Minnesota.

HORNETS BEAT JAZZ TO SNAP 5-GAME LOSING STREAK

By The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C.

(AP) — Miles Bridges had 26 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists and the Charlotte Hornets defeated the Utah Jazz 110-106 on Monday night to snap a ﬁve-game losing streak.

Mark Williams added 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Hornets, who held the Jazz to 41% shooting.

Keyonte George had 20 points and Brice Sensabaugh added 19 points on ﬁve 3-pointers for the Jazz.

The Hornets (19-56) led by 14 points in the ﬁrst half after hitting 11 of 22 3-pointers, but the Jazz battled back to tie the game late in the third quarter on a 3-pointer by George.

Utah pulled even multiple times, but could never get over the top and take the lead.

The Jazz (16-60) have lost six straight and have the league’s worst record.

PACERS 111, KINGS 109

INDIANAPOLIS (AP)

— Aaron Nesmith scored 17 of his 24 points in the second half, Obi Toppin added 19 and Indiana rallied from a 16-point deﬁcit in the second half to beat Sacramento.

Tyrese Haliburton had 18 points and 11 assists against his former team for the Pacers. Jarace Walker scored 15 points.

DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 31 points and eight assists. Former Pacers centre Domantas

Sabonis had 25 points and 16 rebounds.

Zach LaVine ﬁnished with 20 points for Sacramento, which led 76-60 midway through the third quarter.

CLIPPERS 96, MAGIC 87

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard and Norman Powell each scored 21 points, Ivica Zubac added 18 points and 20 rebounds and Los Angeles beat Orlando.

James Harden added 20 points and six steals for the Clippers, who won for the 11th time in 14 games.

Paolo Banchero led Orlando with 26 points. Franz Wagner added 21 points for the Magic, who shot 39% and lost for the eighth time in 10 home games.

HEAT 120, WIZARDS 94

WASHINGTON (AP)

— Bam Adebayo had 28 points and 12 rebounds, Tyler Herro added 27 points and Miami rolled past Washington for their ﬁfth consecutive victory. The Heat (34-41) became the third team in NBA history to immediately follow a losing streak of at least 10 games with a winning streak of at least ﬁve games. The 2021-22 Houston Rockets lost 15 straight and then won seven in a row, and the 2017-18 Chicago Bulls lost 10 straight before winning seven in a row.

Pelle Larsson and Terry Rozier each scored 15 for Miami, which has gotten

each of its last ﬁve wins by at least 10 points. Jordan Poole had 35 points in 29 minutes for the Wizards. Poole hit seven 3-pointers, raising his season total to 228 and eclipsing the franchise record of 223 by Bradley Beal in 2016-17. Tristan Vukcevic added 14 off the Washington bench.

CELTICS 117, GRIZZLIES 103 MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)

— Jayson Tatum had 25 points and 14 rebounds, Al Horford scored 26 points and Boston swept a sixgame road trip for the ﬁrst

time in franchise history with a win over Memphis. Victories at Utah, Portland, Sacramento, Phoenix, San Antonio and Memphis eclipsed the previous road win streak of ﬁve in February 1973.

The run also helped Boston tie a franchise record with 32 road wins, accomplished in 1972-73 and 1974-75) and trailing Chicago (33, 1995-96) and Golden State (34, 2015-16).

Kristaps Porzingis added 19 points as Boston won its ninth straight and closed out a 13-1 March.

Ja Morant scored 26 points, Santi Aldama 21 and

Jaren Jackson Jr. added 20 points and 15 rebounds as the Grizzlies closed within seven points with three minutes left, but couldn’t complete the comeback in losing for the sixth time in seven games.

THUNDER 145, BULLS 117

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai GilgeousAlexander had 27 points and 12 assists in just 27 minutes, and Oklahoma City rolled to a victory over Chicago for their 10th straight victory.

Isaiah Joe came off the bench to make eight 3-pointers and lead

Oklahoma City with 31 points. Jalen Williams scored 23 points for the Thunder, who led by 43 points and shot 53% from the ﬁeld and 53.5% from 3-point range. Oklahoma City, which improved to 63-12, won 15 straight earlier this season.

Josh Giddey had 15 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds in his return to Oklahoma City. Jevon Carter came off the bench to make ﬁve 3-pointers and lead the Bulls with 17 points.

LAKERS 104, ROCKETS 98

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Luka Doncic had 20 points and nine assists, and Gabe Vincent added 20 points on six 3-pointers in Los Angeles’ victory over Houston. LeBron James ﬁnished with 16 points and eight rebounds for the Lakers, who solidiﬁed their hold on fourth place in the Western Conference.

Dorian Finney-Smith also scored a season-high 20 points and hit six 3-pointers while Los Angeles sent second-place Houston to only its second loss in 14 games. After James hit two free throws with 11.1 seconds left to put the Lakers up 102-98, he soared across the key to block Alperen Sengun’s layup attempt. Dillon Brooks then missed a 3-point attempt to seal the Lakers’ 29th home victory. Amen Thompson scored 20 points and Brooks had 16 for the Rockets, who had won three straight.

CHARLOTTE Hornets centre Mark Williams (5) dunks against Utah Jazz forward Kyle Filipowski (22) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C.,

DALLAS Mavericks guard Klay Thompson, center, looks to pass the ball to Mavericks forward Kai Jones, left, while guarded by Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton (33) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 31, 2025, in Dallas, Texas. (AP Photo/ Albert Pena)

MAVERICKS guard Klay Thompson.

MAVS forward Kai Jones. (AP Photos/Albert Pena)

Paige Bueckers carries UConn to record 24th women’s Final Four with 78-64 win over USC

By ANNE M PETERSON AP Sports Writer

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP)

— Paige Bueckers and her UConn teammates didn’t cut down the net after securing a trip to the Final Four, even though a ladder was set up and ready to go.

The reason was simple: The Huskies aren’t done yet.

Bueckers carried UConn to its record 24th national semiﬁnal in the women’s NCAA Tournament, scoring 31 points Monday night in a 78-64 victory over Southern California, which couldn’t overcome the loss of injured star JuJu Watkins.

UConn (35-3) heads to Tampa, Florida, to face overall No. 1 seed UCLA on Friday.

Freshman Sarah Strong added 22 points and 17 rebounds for the secondseeded Huskies, who have won a record 11 NCAA titles, all under coach Geno Auriemma.

Their most recent championship was in 2016, the

last of a run of four straight. “We’ve got a whole lot of heart, and a whole lot of toughness about us. And we play together as a team.

We’re super well-connected,” Bueckers said.

“I feel like every team that I’ve played on, we’ve been super well-connected. But just the way we’ve been through so much adversity as individuals, as a team, how much it’s brought us together, how much it’s made us stronger.”

Rayah Marshall scored 23 points and 15 rebounds for top-seeded USC (31-4), which also lost to UConn in the Elite Eight last year when Watkins was a freshman.

Fans undoubtedly anticipated a rematch between Bueckers and Watkins when the brackets were announced, but the matchup lost some luster when Trojans’ star guard tore an ACL in the second round and needed surgery.

While the Trojans got past Kansas State in the Sweet 16 without Watkins, they had a tougher challenge against UConn and Bueckers, the likely No. 1 overall pick in next month’s WNBA draft.

UConn led by 19 points in the third quarter, but USC got within 51-46 going into the fourth.

Bueckers and Azzi Fudd made consecutive 3-pointers that extended the Huskies’ lead to 62-48. Avery Howell’s 3-pointer

closed the gap to 70-61 with 1:04 left, but the Trojans got no closer.

After scoring just two points in the opening quarter, Bueckers had 11 points in the ﬁnal period.

“None of it would happen without the team, and everything that goes into a performance,” she said.

“So just trying to lead with what the game is calling for, lead with what we need at that moment, at that time, whether it’s passing, rebounding, scoring, just trying to do whatever it takes to win.”

Bueckers, a senior, earned AP All-America honours and was the Big

East player of the year for the third time. The only thing left for her to achieve is a national title after she and the Huskies were beaten in the Final Four last year by Caitlin Clark and Iowa. She has averaged 35 points in her last three March Madness games, including career highs of 40

points and six 3-pointers in the Huskies’ 82-59 rout of Oklahoma in the Sweet 16. USC was seeking its first Final Four appearance since 1986 and first title since going back-to-back in 1983 and ‘84. The Trojans led early before Strong made backto-back jumpers for the Huskies to pull in front 12-11. Bueckers didn’t get her first basket until nine minutes into the game.

With Bueckers off to a slow start, Strong took over, nailing a 3-pointer that gave the Huskies a 21-13 lead. Bueckers hit a 3 to give the Huskies a 39-25 lead at the half. Another 3 by Bueckers gave UConn a 47-30 lead before USC responded with an 11-0 run.

“I think there was never a point where this team gave up, so making that run was huge,” the Trojans’ Talia von Oelhoffen said. “Coming out of halftime, we just needed to have a good third quarter, but just felt like we couldn’t get stops when we needed to at critical moments during runs. So, credit to UConn and the adjustments they made and getting big shots.”

Honouring JuJu

Just like in the Sweet 16, USC’s players had a small Watkins Funko Pop with them. The doll was tucked in a shoe in Watkins’ place during the national anthem, then on the Trojan bench during the game.

UCONN players from left, Azzi Fudd, Ashlynn Shade, Paige Bueckers, KK Arnold and Kaitlyn Chen pose with the trophy after a game against Southern California in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament Monday, March 31, 2025, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

‘Team Bahamas is looking very sharp in the water’

CARIFTA SWIMMING CHANGES: TIAH SEYMOUR REPLACES ALISSA FERGUSON,

CAMERON BRUNEY NOT TRAVELLING

FROM PAGE E1

Allan Murray is still the open water coach.

The team manager is Celestial Darville and the female and male chaperones are Therell Smith and Melvin Rolle.

The team is comprised of the following:

Female swimmers

Age Category 11-12

- Sienna Campbell, Skarlette Donaldson, Isabella Munroe, Taylen Nicolls and Semaiah Rolle.

Age Category 13-14

- Isabella Cuccurullo, Saleste Gibson, Siann Isaacs, DNDN McKenzie, Violet Saralegui, Kimaya Saunders, Tiah Seymour and Skyler Smith.

Age Category 15-17 - TiaIsabella Adderley, Lelah Lewis, Mia Patton, Elle Theberge, Zoe Williamson and Elyse Wood.

Male swimmers

Age Category 11-12 - Kai Bastian, Logan Comarcho, Da’Kari Cooper, Nitayo Knowles and Dexter Russell.

Age Category 13-14

- Christon Joseph, Alexander Murray, Trace Russell, David Singh, Kaylan Williams and Issac Wright.

POOLSIDE: Head coach Travano McPhee said the team is still geared up to successfully defend their title at the CARIFTA Swimming Championships, scheduled for April 19-22 in Trinidad & Tobago. “Team Bahamas is looking very sharp in the water,” he said following their second team practice session on Saturday at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex.

Male swimmers

OPEN WATER TEAM

Female swimmers

Age Category 14-15Gillian Albury, Samirah Donaldson and Madison Fox.

Age Category 16-18Madison Gilbert, Alanna Murray and Erin Pritchard.

Age Category 15-17Tristen Hepburn, William Farrington, Ellie Gibson, Ayrton Moncur, Donald Saunders and Caden Wells.

Age Category 14-15 - Lauchlan Menzies, Trace Russell and Kaylan Williams.

Age Category 16-18 - Kevin Johnson Jr, Malcolm Menzies and Myles Saunders.

McPhee said the team captains have done an excellent job with team

building exercises before training on Saturday where all swimmers in their respected age groups came together as one to help build on team chemistry.

The female team captains are Elle Theberge, Tia Isabella Adderley and Mia Patton. The male captains are Will Farrington, Aryton Moncur and Caden Wells.

Photos by Nikia Charlton

WINDSOR, LYFORD CAY TAKE BAISS JUNIOR SOCCER TITLES

CHAMPIONSHIP PEDIGREE:

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ﬁrst game of the day.

In the junior boys’ matchup, the Lyford Cay International School (LCIS) Dragons blanked the St Andrew’s Hurricanes, the former champions, 5-0 to emerge as the new title holders.

Windsor vs Queen’s College

The game was decided from the ﬁrst half as Windsor asserted their dominance early on.

Isabelle Kennedy, who accumulated seven goals, scored four times in the ﬁrst half to give Windsor a 4-0 cushion before the second half of play.

She spoke about her performance against the Comets’ defence. “I am feeling really proud of my team and I am really happy that we have won this year. Personally, I wasn’t expecting that but I am really glad with how I did and I am just really happy,” Kennedy said.

With the score at 1-0, Kennedy was all alone when she scored inside the penalty box to secure the brace and a 2-0 advantage.

She connected on her third and fourth goals at the 11th and 29th minutes to give Windsor a 4-0 deﬁcit moving into the second half.

In the second half, Windsor continued the scoring frenzy and Kennedy picked up right where she left off.

After Windsor nailed an early goal for a 5-0 lead in the second half, Kennedy launched a difﬁcult shot from the left side of the pitch to further put a dent in the scoreboard 6-0.

She put the nail in the cofﬁn with her seventh goal at the 22nd minute of the

second half to put away QC Comets.

Windsor head coach Katie Roach was overjoyed to witness her school win the junior girls’ crown after not making it to the championship last season.

“We had a phenomenal season this year. We were undefeated in the regular season with a clean sheet. We went into the playoffs, another clean sheet and then we just came out

victorious with another clean sheet.

“This was three years in the making, congratulations to QC, we lost to them three years ago. We didn’t make the championships last year and this year we brought it home so I am very proud of the girls,” coach Roach said.

She shared her message to the team in the ﬁrst half.

“I know with junior girls there are a lot of nerves. They obviously don’t present it but I know it’s going on underneath but I know whenever we get ahead they relax and play Windsor ball. I said girls let’s be aggressive, let’s ﬁnish, and then you could relax and play organised ball like we practiced,” she said.

Emma Haller also scored a goal in the game at the 26th minute.

St Andrew’s vs Lyford Cay Lyford Cay, the 2024 soccer national champions, cracked the seal open early in the ﬁrst half.

The Dragons got on the board when Mathias Bournas was on target for a swift kick within the net area at the 10th minute.

The next two goals came from Dirk Simmons at the 18th and 26th minute.

He picked up his ﬁrst goal of the championship game just a few steps outside of the 18-yard box to shift the score to 2-0. Simmons followed up the play with a brace after he scored on a free kick due to a foul.

The Dragons were right on the mark for their fourth

goal of the ﬁrst half when Angus Nixon ﬁred at the 33th minute. The newly-crowned champions were in the driver’s seat 4-0 at halftime.

Head coach Dan Weightman expressed how it felt to hoist the title at the end of an up and down season.

“We feel great. It is always awesome to win a championship. These boys played really well today, it was a decisive win and you do not always get that in a championship. Every single player contributed to the win today and getting us this far so I am really proud of the boys,” he said.

He discussed his message to the team after they went up 4-0 at the intermission.

in the

for the

and

“We play to the end. This is a good team, we tied them early in the season and all respect to St Andrew’s. We wanted to play to the end and I don’t know if we ever thought it was over. At halftime when we were up a couple goals we knew that was only half the game and they needed to keep playing and keep the intensity up. They did and I am just really proud of them for that,” he said. Simmons clinched the

the

and

The Lyford Cay International School Dragons junior boys dethroned the St Andrew's Hurricanes with a 5-0 victory to emerge as the newly crowned champions.

hat trick

second half

Dragons’ ﬁfth

ﬁnal goal of

BAISS soccer postseason. Windsor

the Lyford Cay Dragons will look to double up on their success tomorrow as the senior portion of the 2025 BAISS Soccer Championships kicks off at 4pm at the same venue. The Dragons are scheduled to face the QC Comets in the senior girls’ division while Windsor takes on the St Andrew’s Hurricanes in the senior boys’ matchup. The matchups begin at 4pm.

THE WINDSOR School junior girls completely demoralised the Queen’s College Comets 8-0 in the ﬁrst game of the day. In the junior boys’ matchup, the Lyford Cay International School (LCIS) Dragons blanked the St Andrew’s Hurricanes, the former champions, 5-0 to emerge as the new title holders. Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr