SPORTS SECTION E
NFL MONDAY
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016
Bears win, Page 13
Champ Stuart 3rd in AFL with .375 batting average By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net CHAMP Stuart continues to deliver impressive performances for the New York Mets organisation in the Offseason Arizona Fall League. Competing for the Scottsdale Scorpions, Stuart currently leads the team and is third in the AFL with a .375 batting average. He is also tied for second in the league in stolen bases with five. In 32 at-bats in nine games, Stuart also has an on-base percentage of .412 and a slugging percentage of .531 with two doubles and one home run.
Heading into last roots news outlet, night’s matchup risingapple,com. “If against the Peoria Stuart can right the Javelinas, Stuart ship in Binghamwas also in the midst ton next season, he of a six-game hitting could find himself in streak. Triple-A Las Vegas “Although it’s a by the middle of the small sample size, season and could Stuart is facing some potentially be an of the best pitching option for the Mets prospects in baseshould they need a ball. So these results fill-in outfielder at are encouraging. So some point.” he’d immediately Stuart continued CHAMP STUART be the fastest runhis rise in the New ner on the Mets and York Mets organisaone of the fastest in baseball if tion as a centre fielder, when he he winds up in the big club,” said was named to the Scorpions rosDanny Abriano of Mets grass- ter for the AFL.
The Scorpions have MLB affiliations with the Mets, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels. “Obviously it’s a privilege and honour to be here with the Mets. I’m just happy to be here, to put on a uniform again and be playing ball again. To play among the best in the minor leagues, it’s really fun right now,” Stuart told Adam Rubin of ESPN. The Arizona Fall League attracts many of the top prospects in the minor leagues. In 2016 he had a season of several milestones, including an appearance as a pinch runner in the final Grapefruit League game for
the Mets in spring training and a stellar season with the Port St Lucie Mets in Single-A Advanced which led to a Double A call up with the Binghamton Mets. Through 114 games in both leagues, Stuart hit .240 with 34 RBI and eight home runs. He has also totalled an on-base percentage of .319, slugging percentage of .349 an OPS of .663 and 40 stolen bases. This summer, Stuart was one of 10 Bahamian players to compete for Team Great Britain at the World Baseball Classic Qualifier in Brooklyn, New York. During the tournament, he hit .467 with an PS of 1.233, OBP of .500, with three RBI and 11 total bases.
Winning start for ‘Tum Tum’ and Spartans By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net
T
he Michigan State Spartans got an early start on the exhibition season and Spartans fans had an opportunity to get a first look at the 2016-17 version of the programme. Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn Jr finished with eight points and two assists in the No.9 Spartans’ 93-69 win over the Northwood Timberwolves at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan. Nairn, the junior point guard, played 23 minutes, shot 3-9 from the field, including an encouraging 1-2 from beyond the arch. “We just got to get in, watch a lot of film and see what we can do a better job at. The coaches will break the film down, we’re gonna break the film down and just try to get better as much as we can,” Nairn said. Freshman forward Miles Bridges led the Spartans with 33 points and eight rebounds on 12 of 14 shooting from the field, while Nick Ward added 19 points off the bench. The Spartans shot 32-57 (56.1 per cent) from the floor for the game, including 9-of-18 from beyond the arc. Bridges knocked down the first nine shots he took, including 17 first-half points on a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor. Northwood cut the lead to 10 with just under eight minutes remaining, but MSU closed the game on a 23-9 run to pull away and secure the victory. Michigan State tallied 22 assists on 32 made field goals, led by freshman Cassius Winston, who provided nine helpers. Winston also added nine points. MSU forced 14 turnovers, leading to a 19-3 edge in fast break points and dominated the paint with a 47-24 advantage down low. In his assessment of his team’s first exhibition performance, Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo highlighted Nairn’s improvement and his role among the Spartans’ guards. “This team was a little smaller than the ones we’ll be playing in a week and-a-half. I didn’t think it was bad. I don’t think Tum (Nairn) can take nine shots. He was three-for-nine, and has been shooting it a lot better. But (Matt) McQuaid has to get some of those, (Eron) Harris has to get some of those, and even Cassius (Winston) has to get some of those. We have to define the roles a little bit better here. It was just one of those things where I think Tum feels like they’re going to sag off of him. We didn’t run a lot of things today. We have some packages that will exploit people that do that to Tum,” Izzo said. “Does it help us quite as much? I don’t
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WOMEN’S NATIONAL VOLLEYBALL TEAM IN FIVA WORLD QUALIFIER By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
MICHIGAN State’s Tum Tum Nairn (11) puts up a layup against Northwood’s Jarel Woolridge during the first half of an NCAA college basketball exhibition game on Thursday in East Lansing, Michigan. (AP)
FOLLOWING the success of the men’s national team in Martinique, the Bahamas Volleyball Federation is hoping that the women’s national team will duplicate the feat when they travel to the Cayman Islands. The team, coached by Jason Saunders, will compete in the FIVA World Qualifying Round November 1114 as they compete against teams from Guadeloupe, Bonaire and the Cayman Islands. Last month, the men’s team, coached by Convance Mortimer, returned from their version of the tournament with the top spot after beating Martinique and Aruba. Prince Wilson carted off the most valuable player award and was named the best receiver and best scorer, while Byron Ferguson was the best blocker, Jamaal Ferguson was the best spiker and Renaldo Knowles was the best digger. The women’s team, consisting of a mixture of young and experienced players, is made up of the following: Laval Sands, Kelsie Johnson, Davia Moss, Melinda Bastian, Shantia Simon, JeNae Saunders, Eugunie Adderley, Britney Bonamy, Avoni Seymour and new team members Courtney Stevens, Latavia Braynen and Sari Albury. Braynen, 16, and Albury, 15, are both high school sensations and even though they are not expected to be among the team leaders, coach Saunders said he ex-
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NPSA boss Henry Dean: ‘Truckers were no match for Hitmen’ By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net WITH the crowning of its men’s champions on Saturday, the New Providence Softball Association brought down the curtain on the first-year presidency of Henry Dean. Immediately after the C&S Hitmen completed a three-game sweep over the defending champions Commando Security Truckers in the Banker’s Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex, Dean called for a “fan appreciation give-away” for the spectators present. Dean, who had replaced out-going president Godfrey Burnside at the beginning of the season, said it was the best way for his executive team to show their gratitude
for what has been an “unbelievable” year. “We recognise that the Hitmen are a team with a bunch of young guys,” Dean said. “Their youth proved superior, but we thought that the experience would have been able to wear them down a little, but that didn’t happen. The Truckers were no match for the Hitmen.” From the manner in which they executed their pre-game routine, arriving to the park at least two hours ahead of their scheduled game, Dean said he knew that they were the more prepared team for the post-season. “They deserve this win,” he said. “They proved to be the superior team in the league this year and we congratulate them. I believe that they will carry this momentum straight through the
DARREN STEVENS (right), manager of the C&S Hitmen, receives the 2016 NPSA championship trophy. round robin and national championship.” The Hitmen, by virtue of being crowned the new NPSA champions, will get the opportunity to join the Johnson’s Lady Truckers in competing in the Bahamas Softball Federation’s National
Round Robin Tournament this weekend at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex. The federation is anticipating that the championship teams from Grand Bahama, Eleuthera and Abaco will be in town to compete against the Hitmen for the men’s
national title, while the Lady Truckers will get to face Grand Bahama and Andros on the ladies’ side. In the meantime, Dean also congratulated the Truckers for another stellar job in getting to the final. The Truckers and the Hitmen battled right to the end of the regular season before the Hitmen emerged as the pennant winners. Now they’ve added the NPSA title, their second since winning it for the first time two years ago. The Hitmen, however, have never hoisted the BSF championship trophy. But Dean said if they can bring that same level of enthusiasm that they brought to the park for the NPSA postseason, they could finally win it this year. If they do, they would become the triple crown champions.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, November 1, 2016, PAGE 11
Cowboys nation, Dak is the future so embrace it Where do I begin this week? So many big stories in the world of sports, and possible developments on the horizon that could change the sporting landscape across several fronts. • Here’s a few that caught my eye. ‘Dak the Ripper’ It’s a wrap Cowboys fans, Tony Romo officially lost his job Sunday night in overtime of the Eagles vs Cowboys game, when Cowboys QB Dak Prescott hit TE Jason Witten (Romo’s BFF and on field security blanket) for the game-winning touchdown. I’ve been lobbying for it, and said Prescott should keep the job regardless of Romo’s status. (See previous SMM columns on the aforementioned topic). So once and for all, you bleeding heart Romo fans, let it go!! It’s a done deal, the posturing and stalling tactics have begun, with Jerry Jones working his usual magical spin on the whole situation. See below the latest news from Texas: ARLINGTON — Quarterback Dak Prescott will remain the Cowboys starter for at least another week, according to franchise owner Jerry Jones. Jones said that he expects Prescott to start next Sunday at Cleveland with veteran Tony Romo still not in a position health-wise to be considered to dislodge Prescott and resume his
SPORTS NOTES TRACK COLLEGE RECRUITMENT ST Thomas University in Miami, Florida, will hold a recruitment exercise for both academic and athletic prospects 2-4pm Sunday at RM Bailey Secondary High School. Interested coaches and parents are urged to contact Lyndale Lewis at 325-0170 or text 376-8587 for more details. SOFTBALL NPOTSA ACTION THE New Providence Oldtimers Softball Association continued its regular season action over the weekend with a couple of games at the Archdeacon William Thompson Softball Park, Southern Recreation Grounds. Here’s a summary of the
SPORTING
MISCHIEF
& MAYHEM BY INIGO ‘NAUGHTY’
ZENICAZELAYA
COWBOYS QB Dak Prescott (4) fights off pressure from Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham (55) before throwing a pass in the first half of Sunday’s game in Arlington, Texas. (AP)
NEW Orleans Pelicans guard Buddy Hield, of the Bahamas, poses for photos during their NBA basketball media day in New Orleans on September 23. The NBA began its season on Tuesday night, with international players making up one-quarter of the league. (AP) starting role. Jones made the comments late Sunday following the Cowboys’ dramatic 29-23 win over the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium, Dallas’ sixth-straight win under Prescott. Romo returned to
practice last week in limited fashion for the first time since suffering a fractured bone in his back in a preseason game at Seattle. Jones also was quoted as saying: “My opinion is that we would want him to have
games played: Original Crusaders 14, All-Star Truckers 1: Mike Knowles had a perfect 4-for-4 day with a run batted in (RBI) and scored three times for the winners. Greg Gardiner out-duelled Kermit ‘Shaft’ Mackey on the mound for the win. Coors Light 14, Corner Boys 4: Tommy Stubbs was 3-for-4 with three runs scored in the win. Ivan Hanna was the winning pitcher and Harold ‘Banker’ Fritzgerald got tagged with the loss. Lone Rangers 13, KC Construction 3: Henry Cooper went 3-for-4 with a RBI, scoring three times in the win. Val Munroe got the win and Johnny Armbrister suffered the loss. The Sharks 15, Coors Light 9: Robin Shepherd went 3-for-4 with a homer, two RBI and three runs scored in the win. Foster
Dorsett was the winning pitcher and Ivan Hanna got the loss. FOOTBALL Lyford Cay International School (LCIS) will host its annual KPMG Football Fest on Friday, the fifth year the tournament has been held. The KPMG Football Fest brings together nearly 100 student athletes from four different Caribbean countries, including the Bahamas, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands and Jamaica, for two days of competitive sport, fun and cultural exchange. The opening ceremony, which will feature a team parade with national flags, kicks off the event on Friday from 8.15am-8.40am followed by a 13 and under football tournament with matches featuring players who represent five schools from around the Caribbean through to 4.30pm.
WOMEN’S NATIONAL VOLLEYBALL TEAM IN WORLD QUALIFIER FROM PAGE 10 pects for them to fit in with the more seasoned players. However, Saunders said although they will be without the services of some top local and collegiate players, he anticipates that they will perform exceptionally well in the Cayman Islands. “I am a little disappointed that we are unable to carry some of the young ladies who are off to college,” Saunders said. “But I guess it’s nothing much you can do about it. Some of them can’t get off from school and there’s
not enough money to bring them home. “We also have a couple players at home who are injured, sisters Sherice Bain and Krystel Brown and Shantia Moss. Those three ladies are all injured.” Saunders said the players have been working out and he expects that they will make some waves at the tournament and eventually join the men in advancing to the next round of play. “Our strength will be on our back court defence and our power hitting,” Saunders said. “Our weakest area will be our middle. But I expect us to do very
well in this tournament and move on. “Even though the team is not as strong as I think it can be, I still think that we will perform very well. I think the girls practicing now are doing a wonderful job of it. They understand how we want to play the game. I think once we stay focused and do those little things, we will be okay.” The team will be out to join the men in qualifying for the next round of World Championships. The men beat Martinique and Aruba to set the stage for the Bahamas when they played in Martinique October 20-25.
WINNING START FOR ‘TUM TUM’ AND THE SPARTANS FROM PAGE 10 think in competition, but I think our guys learned tonight too that they can’t get caught up in the lights or the crowd. You wouldn’t get that if it was a scrimmage. Maybe the perfect world - one of each? We’ll get a lot out of this film.” Michigan State is featured in the preseason poll for the fifth consecutive season and the No. 9 ranking is the highest since the 2013-14 team entered the season as the second-ranked team in the country. The Spartans will face three Top 15 opponents in November. They have a potential matchup with No. 14 Louisville in the Battle 4 Atlantis, and the Spartans have never played four Top 15 opponents in any
month during the regular season. As a sophomore, Nairn battled a nagging plantar fasciitis injury all season long but missed just seven games, while ranking among the national leaders in assist-toturnover ratio (7th, 3.78). In 28 games played last season, Nairn averaged 2.8 points and 3.3 assists per game. Prior to the injury, Nairn started all 18 games at point guard and averaged 4.1 points and 4.5 assists in 24.1 minutes per game. MSU closes out exhibition play after hosting Saginaw Valley State at Breslin Center at 7pm on November 2. The regular season begins on Friday, November 11 in Honolulu, Hawaii when the Spartans take on No. 11 Arizona in the Armed Forces Classic.
more strength work done,” Jones said of Romo. “He’s really doing well. Probably as well as at any time last year as far as strength in his back is concerned. But he’s got some more work to do.” I’ve been watching the Cowboys long enough to know Jerry Jones ‘speak’ when I hear it, decoded what Jerry is really saying is this: I will stall on making a decision until I have to, as long as it isn’t broken, no need to fix it. Get used to it Cowboys fans, and Romo loyalists, just as Dak has ripped opposing defences apart during the Cowboys’ six-game winning streak, he has also ripped the starting job from Tony Romo and label of ‘losers’ off the franchise. Dak is the future, sometimes change is good Cowboys nation, in this case it is, embrace it!
NBA Growing Pains In catching the opening weekend of the NBA, it’s safe to say there will be some growing pains and high expectations for our hometown boy Buddy Hield. After opening the season as the favourite for NBA Rookie of the Year, Heild got off to a rough start scoring 4, 2 and 8 points respectively as the Pelicans start off 0-3. Relax, it’s still a long way to go in the NBA season, and I see Buddy making the adjustments to his game that will allow him to develop into a legitimate NBA star. It’s not just Buddy with the growing pains in the NBA. My Lakers will also have their pains but unlike last season, this season’s campaign is more like a right of passage, paying dues, all while getting valuable playing time, allowing
them to grow as a unit. Despite a 1-2 start, the young Lakers are infinitely more competitive than last season, clearly having bought into Luke Walton’s plans for the way forward. My gut tells me that about the same time next season, we won’t be having the whole ‘growing pains’ convo about my Lakers, instead we will be talking about how young and talented they are, and how Walton has them winning. Until next week, I will leave you with this: “If you are afraid of failure, you don’t deserve to be successful.” - Charles Barkley • Naughty presents ‘Mischief and Mayhem in da AM’ from 6am to 10am, Monday to Friday and ‘The Press Box’ sports talk show on Sunday from 10am to 1pm, on KISS FM 96.1. Comments and questions to naughty@ tribunemedia.net
PAGE 12, Tuesday, November 1, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
BANGLADESH WEST INDIES PUTS ON RESOLUTE BATTING DISPLAY AGAINST PAKISTAN SPIN TO FIRST TEST WIN OVER ENGLAND DHAKA (AP) - Offspinner Mehedi Hasan claimed a Bangladesh Test record 12 wickets in a match as his side secured a first-ever win against England - a comfortable 108-run victory - to level the two-game series on Sunday. Mehedi took six for 77 in the second innings to rip through England, who lost all 10 wickets in the post-tea session in their pursuit of 273 runs to win. Left arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan complemented Mehedi’s effort with four for 49, including three wickets in four balls, to help the side earn the victory inside three days. “It is a very big achievement in Bangladesh’s Test cricket history,” said Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim. “It came against a very good England side but there will be a time when we will win a series 2-0 against any big team. This is a start.” England captain Alastair Cook made 59 and Ben Duckett scored 54 as they kept the side unscathed before lunch, reaching 100 without loss. “Very hard (to explain),” Cook said. “We possibly showed our inexperience in those conditions, even though I as out there experiencing it - it was amazing the difference before tea and after tea. You lose a couple of wickets, then men come round the bat, crowd gets into it - being able to deal with and get through it - you know it doesn’t last forever, but that half an hour, 40 minutes is crucial, and we just weren’t good enough to be able to get through.” Mehedi struck with the first ball of the final session, dismissing Duckett with a delivery that kept low. From then on Bangladesh never looked back. Only Stokes apart from Cook and Duckett reached double figures as Mehedi and Shakib made inroads at regular intervals. “From the time we knew England were coming, we planned to make wickets that would help our spinners and trouble the English batsmen. Here our bowlers executed our plans and the batsmen did well too, which made this win possible,” Mushfiqur added. Mehedi fittingly ended the match with the wicket of Steven Finn to claim five or more wickets in an innings for the third time in his first two Tests, finishing with 12 for 159 in the match. He also eclipsed left arm spinner Enamul Haque Junior’s 18 wickets to be the highest wicket-taker (19) in a series for Bangladesh. Bangladesh earlier set England a 273-run target to win after being bowled out for 296 shortly after lunch. Opener Imrul Kayes made 78 while Mahmudullah scored 47 to give Bangladesh a fighting chance of levelling the series on an increasingly turning, deteriorating wicket. Legspinner Adil Rashid claimed four for 52 and fast bowler Ben Stokes three for 52. England now move on to India for a five-Test series in which they can expect a more strenuous examination of spin bowling.
KRAIGG Brathwaite was in sight of a fifth Test century as a resolute batting display kept the West Indies in contention in the third and final Test against Pakistan in Sharjah yesterday. After bowling out Pakistan for 281, West Indies recovered from 38 for three to finish the second
day on 244 for six with opener Brathwaite unbeaten on 95. Supported by Roston Chase (50) and Shane Dowrich (47), Brathwaite held firm against probing bowling and a slow outfield, keeping his patience and composure throughout his 206-ball innings. With Chase and Dowrich,
Brathwaite added 83 runs for the fifth and sixth wickets and West Indies closed the day 37 short of Pakistan’s first-innings total with four wickets in hand. That was a better outcome than they might have expected after a tumultuous morning session in which five Pakistani wickets fell
for 64 runs in 7.5 overs. Younis Khan, captain Misbah-ul-Haq and Sarfraz Ahmed all made half centuries after opener Sami Aslam provided the foundations with 74. For West Indies, Devendra Bishoo finished with four for 77. Pakistan won the first two Tests, by 56 runs and 133 runs.
Aguero’s return: Man City star back for Barcelona rematch By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer MANCHESTER, England (AP) — There’s no way Pep Guardiola will be leaving out Sergio Aguero this time. Aguero was on the bench at the start of Manchester City’s 4-0 loss at Barcelona in the last round of Champions League matches, leaving many to question the sense in Guardiola omitting possibly his best player for such a big match against his old club. Guardiola did it for tactical reasons, using playmaker Kevin De Bruyne in a withdrawn striker role to give City an extra body in midfield. Even if the tactic worked well at first — the game only really changed after City had goalkeeper Claudio Bravo sent off after 53 minutes with the score at 1-0 — Guardiola was widely criticised. For the return match at City today, Aguero will be back in City’s team. “But I’m not going to tell you in which position he’s going to play,” Guardiola said, jokingly. Aguero gave a reminder of his finishing ability with two excellently taken goals in a 4-0 win over West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League on Saturday. That ended a six-game run without scoring for Aguero, although he was a substitute in three of them. Guardiola has been asking Aguero to do more than just score goals this season, urging the Argentina striker to work harder to help the team in defensive situations and also to believe in himself more. “I want to help Aguero to achieve his huge qualities as much as possible,” Guardiola said yesterday. “I want to build up Sergio’s quality, and also his mentality.” The win over West Brom also ended City’s six-game winless run and it was ideal timing, given Barcelona and its superstar strike force of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar heading to Etihad Stadium with nine points from a possible nine in Group C. Only a draw is needed to secure the Spanish side’s 13th straight participation in the knockout stage. City is in second place, five
MANCHESTER City’s Sergio Aguero takes a shot during the English Premier League match against West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns in West Bromwich, England, on Saturday. (AP) points behind Barcelona and one ahead of Borussia Moenchengladbach. “If we want to qualify,” City forward Nolito said, “we have to win this one.” Barcelona’s most pressing concerns are in defence, with left back Jordi Alba and centre backs Gerard Pique and Jeremy Mathieu all out. Luis Enrique will probably field a makeshift defence of Lucas Digne, Samuel Umtiti, Javier Mascherano and Sergi Roberto. Midfielder Andres Iniesta is also injured for the match. Messi has scored back-toback hat tricks in the Champions League, against City and Celtic, to lead the competition with six goals despite missing a match because of injury. • Here are some things to look out for today: GROUP A Paris Saint-Germain and Arse-
nal are tied with seven points and can both qualify with two group games to spare — if one wins and the other does not lose today. PSG travels to Basel and will be counting on Edinson Cavani adding to his haul of seven goals in the last six games. The Uruguay striker has 14 goals in all competitions — the most in Europe along with Messi. PSG was flattered by the 3-0 winning margin over Basel two weeks ago, while Arsenal went even better with a 6-0 home victory at Ludogorets. For the return match in Bulgaria, Arsenal should have in-form winger Theo Walcott back from a hamstring injury. GROUP B It’s not going well for Napoli. The Italian team has lost four of its past six matches, including a 3-2 defeat at home against Besiktas, today’s opponent, in the Champi-
FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi in action during the Spanish La Liga match between FC Barcelona and Granada at the Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain. (AP)
ons League. Napoli still leads the group with six points, one more than Besiktas and two above Benfica, which hosts Dynamo Kiev. The Portuguese side won 2-0 in Ukraine two weeks ago. GROUP C Moenchengladbach isn’t just looking for a home win over Celtic today. The German side will also be hoping that Barcelona takes points off Man City so it can climb to second place and have a real chance of advancing at the expense of City. With games to come against Barcelona and at City, Celtic realistically needs to beat Moenchengladbach to stand a chance of a third-place finish and qualification for the Europa League. GROUP D Bayern Munich’s early-season wobble looks behind the team before today’s trip to PSV Eindhoven. A run of three winless games was a concern before Bayern beat PSV 4-1 in Munich, and it has had three more wins since. Indeed, Bayern coach Carlo Ancelotti has suggested the dip in form may help avoid complacency for players who are so used to winning. Bayern will qualify for the last 16 with a win, provided group leader Atletico Madrid also avoids losing to winless FC Rostov at home. Atletico is one of only three sides with a 100 per cent record in the competition so far — along with Barcelona and Leicester — with Yannick Carrasco grabbing the goals in 1-0 wins over Bayern and Rostov. The Belgium winger also struck twice in Atletico’s 4-2 win over Malaga on Saturday. Anything other than Atletico and Bayern’s early progression over sides with only a point each would be a surprise.
Vettel loses Mexico podium place after penalty MEXICO CITY (AP) - Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo has been awarded third place at the Mexican Grand Prix after race officials penalised Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel for a potentially dangerous move that allowed him to keep position. Vettel had been awarded third only after Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was hit with a five-second penalty for leaving the course and returning with a position advantage in a late-race duel between the two Formula One drivers. But about two hours after the podium ceremony, race officials penalised Vettel 10 seconds for a defensive move he made against Ricciardo the penultimate lap. Vettel’s move to cut off Ricciardo on his left on lap 70 was deemed an potentially dangerous “abnormal change of direction”. Race officials noted that drivers had been warned about such
manoeuvres prior to the United States Grand Prix a week earlier. The penalty promoted Ricciardo from fourth to third, Verstappen fourth and Vettel fifth. The Mexico race threw more heat into an already spicy rivalry between Red Bull and Ferrari, with penalties, drivers bumped from the podium and plenty of cursing. At 19, Verstappen has stormed through his second Formula One season with his first career victory, five more podium finishes and aggressive moves that have drawn complaints from other teams - notably Ferrari - and safety warnings from race officials. That success helped push Red Bull past Ferrari into second place in the team championship, piling more frustration onto a disappointing season for the Italian team. The latest flare-ups started
when Vettel and Verstappen were battling for third place on Sunday behind the dominant Mercedes cars. Vettel tried to pass Verstappen heading into a turn after the long straight at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Verstappen swung wide through the grass and held position but the German was furious that Verstappen made an illegal move. The Red Bull team even advised Verstappen to yield position to the Ferrari. Verstappen ignored the call. Vettel cursed in his car radio and shouted, “He has to let me go! Move! Move for God’s sake!” He also uttered expletives aimed at Charlie Whiting, the Formula One Race Director, when his team told him of the official’s decision not to order Verstappen to yield. After the chequered flag, Vettel drove up beside Verstappen
and wagged his finger. Verstappen responded by shaking his fist. Yesterday, Vettel apologised for his outburst. Formula One officials have warned drivers such moves would be punished, prompted in part by Ferrari’s previous complaints about Verstappen. “I was frustrated by that,” Ricciardo said. “We know Max’s moves have been a bit questionable. That was the same case today with Seb. Don’t get me wrong, I love racing, I love racing hard and even a bit of contact. But this whole moving under braking, you don’t move after you’ve been outfoxed.” Verstappen, however, was seething over being penalised. He took some pointed shots at Vettel, a four-time world champion who has not won this season. “He’s a very frustrated guy, shouting on the radio like a child,” Verstap-
pen said. Vettel said Verstappen should “calm down” on the track. “I think he’s a great kid. He’s fast, he’s pushing, he’s redefining the limits, not in a negative way, but in terms of playing with the car,” Vettel said. “He’s a skilled kid. I like him in general. I think some of the moves on track he needs to learn. He needs to calm down. I think he’s ultimately hurting himself more than he’s helping himself.” Leading positions: Drivers: 1 N Rosberg, 349 points; 2 L Hamilton, 330; 3 D Ricciardo, 242; 4 S Vettel, 187; 5 K Raikkonen, 178; 6 M Verstappen, 177. Constructors: 1 Mercedes, 679 points; 2 Red Bull, 427; 3 Ferrari, 365; 4 Force India, 145; 5 Williams, 136. Remaining races: Nov 13: Brazilian Grand Prix. Nov 27: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, November 1, 2016, PAGE 13
Bears earn 20-10 win over Vikings RAPTORS TOP THE NUGGETS TORONTO (AP) — DeMar DeRozan had 33 points and Kyle Lowry made a couple key baskets late to finish with 29 points, helping the Toronto Raptors beat the Denver Nuggets 105-102 last night. Danilo Gallinari, Will Barton and Emmanuel Mudiay each had 16 points for Denver, and Jusuf Nurkic added 13 points and a career-high 18 rebounds. DeRozan is the first Raptor ever to start a season with three straight 30-point games, and his run is one short of Mike James’ stretch from 2006 for the longest run at any point in the season. Lowry hit a tiebreaking 14-footer with 1:36 remaining, then made it 105-102 with 45 seconds remaining on a driving layup.
HAWKS BEAT KINGS FOR 3-0 START ATLANTA (AP) — Dwight Howard had 18 points, Kyle Korver and Dennis Schroder scored 17 points apiece, and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Sacramento Kings 106-95 last night for their first 3-0 start in five seasons. Every Atlanta starter scored in double figures, and the Hawks held Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins in check after he averaged 30 points in the Kings’ first three games. He finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
CHICAGO Bears defensive end Akiem Hicks (96) celebrates his sack on Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford (8) with Sherrick McManis (27) during the first half of last night’s game in Chicago. The Bears beat the Vikings 20-10. (AP)
Bulls rout the Nets 118-88 in road opener, improve to 3-0 By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Jimmy Butler scored 22 points, Dwyane Wade had 12 in the first road game of his career not played for Miami, and the Chicago Bulls improved to 3-0 by beating the Brooklyn Nets 118-88 last night. The Bulls had seven players in double figures, with Wade becoming the last of them when he left Bojan Bogdanovic behind with a crossover and was fouled on a drive to the basket in the fourth quarter. Nikola Mirotic had 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Taj Gibson added 14 points and 11 boards for the Bulls. After home victories against Eastern Conference playoff teams Boston and Indiana to open the season, the Bulls easily handled their road opener, leading by as many as 33 points. Bogdanovic scored 15 points and Jeremy Lin had 14 for the Nets, who fell to 1-3. Butler made all five shots as the Bulls built an 18-point lead after one quarter that grew to 25 in the second. Chicago led 93-66 after three quarters, leaving the crowd with little to cheer in the fourth beyond Wade’s smooth moves. The Nets’ first three games had all been decided by single digits — they had actually outscored opponents 328-326 despite starting 1-2 — but they were never in this one after the opening minutes. Butler and Gibson were a combined 9 for 9 in the first quarter as the Bulls got a number of easy baskets while playing at the quicker pace they are using since adding Wade and Rajon Rondo to their backcourt. TIP-INS Bulls: G Michael CarterWilliams injured his left knee in the first half and did not return. ... The Bulls have won four straight in Brooklyn, tied with Miami for the longest current win-
BULLS guard Isaiah Canaan (0) and Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Harris fight for a loose ball during the first half of last night’s game. (AP) ning streak. Nets: Coach Kenny Atkinson said guard Randy Foye, who hasn’t played yet because of a strained right hamstring, was “progressing well.” Also sidelined was backup guard Greivis Vasquez, who felt soreness in his right ankle Saturday at Milwaukee. Atkinson said he was day to day. ... The Nets fell to 6-7 on Halloween. They haven’t won on the holiday since beating the Bulls in 2007. LOPEZ LEDGER Robin Lopez improved to 8-6 against twin brother Brook. The two, who rarely speak when playing each other, didn’t even acknowledge each other in the moments before the opening tip. Brook stood with his back to Robin before beating him to win the jump. VALENTINE’S DAY Rookie Denzel Valentine, the college player of the year last season at Michigan State, scored his first NBA points with a
3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter after replacing Wade. BROOK’S BACK TO BACKS Brook Lopez, who has battled foot problems during his career, sat out Saturday in Milwaukee on the second night of a backto-back but Atkinson was vague when asked about the plan. “There’s an overall plan and then on a game-togame basis you might have to adjust that depending on a lot of things,” he said. “To get into specifics like that is a little difficult but we like the plan we put in place. Again, Brook’s on board, we’re on board.” UP NEXT Bulls: Visit Boston on Wednesday. The Bulls beat the Celtics 105-99 on Thursday at home in their season opener. Nets: Host Detroit on Wednesday in the second game of a four-game homestand.
THE STANDINGS
PAGE 14, Tuesday, November 1, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
RISING SOCCER stars from the Breezes and Manta Rays football clubs can be seen in action on Saturday. Photos: Nicole-Paris McDowall/BahamasLocal.com
YOUTH SOCCER SCORES SATURDAY
SUNDAY
Breezes vs Manta Rays OCTOBER 22
Saunders finishes with one catch for 19 yards in Seminoles’ 37-34 loss to No.3 Tigers By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net AFTER being shut out against Wake Forest in week seven, Mavin Saunders was back on the stat sheet for the Florida State Seminoles last weekend in yet another tough loss for the programme. Saunders finished with one catch for 19 yards in the No.12 Seminoles’ 37-34 loss to the No.3 Clemson Tigers Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida. He provided the first completion of the game for Seminoles quarterback Deondre Francois on the very first offensive possession for FSU. Clemson’s Heisman candidate quarterback Deshaun Watson led Clemson with 430 yards of total offence, including a 34-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Leggett for the game-winning score. “That game was a heavyweight fight. They’re going to throw haymakers, we’re going to throw haymakers,” FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher said. “We kept going at each other. We had an opportunity to seal it back up or win it at the end and we didn’t get it done. Guys battled. They played hard, left their guts on the line. They played very hard, but we’ve got to play better.” FSU dropped to 5-3 overall, and 2-3 within the Atlantic Coast Conference. They will travel next week to visit the North Carolina State Wolfpack in another ACC matchup. On the season, the soph-
MAVIN SAUNDERS omore tight end has six receptions for 116 yards, equalling his career high of six receptions set as a freshman last year. He leads the team with an average of 19.3 yards per reception. After seeing action sparingly in the first three games of the season, Saunders saw increased minutes against USF when he caught his first pass of the season, a 12-yard reception. In the following game Saunders finished with three catches for 74 yards, both career highs, in the Seminoles’ 37-35 loss to the unranked North Carolina Tar Heels. He caught one pass for 11 yards the following week against Miami which marked his third consecutive game with a reception and saw that streak come to an end against Wake Forest.
He remains second to Ryan Izzo among numbers for tight ends with 13 catches for 155 yards and a touchdown. Earlier this season, Fisher said he expects the redshirt sophomore and Bimini native to become an even greater part of the game plan as FSU implements more double tight end sets. “Mavin is getting better and better. He’s really grinding, he’s getting better and better and doing better. He has a chance to be a really good player, he just needs to keep working. I hope the light came on for him and a lot of them. When you start to have success and realise what you can do then you have a lot of plays in the game,” Fisher said. “Mavin [because of his] athleticism, as he learns to be a really good football player, Mavin can do anything that he wants to.”