JamRockers suffer narrow defeat to Bahamas

Jamaica's senior men's basketball team suffered a narrow 99-96 defeat to The Bahamas in the FIBA Americas World Cup Qualifiers at the National Indoor Sports Complex last evening.

The Jamaicans, known as the JamRockerz, had only themselves to blame for the loss after leading 81-77 at the end of the third quarter. They struggled badly in the final period, committing several unforced turnovers that The Bahamians capitalised to secure the comeback victory.

Chase Audige led Jamaica with 27 points, while Kofi Cockburn added 20. Franco Miller produced a game-high 32 points for The Bahamas.

SLOW START

Jamaica started slowly and trailed 14-8 in the early exchanges. However, with four minutes remaining in the opening quarter, the home side increased the tempo and rallied to take a slim 28-26 lead at the end of the first stanza.

The Bahamas responded strongly in the second period, racing to a 38-28 advantage with just over five minutes left in the quarter, leaving Jamaica struggling offensively. Audige, however, scored 10 of his 19 first-half points in that period to pull the hosts back into contention.

He received solid support from Cockburn, who dominated the paint with 15 points, as Jamaica edged into a 55-53 lead at halftime. Miller led The Bahamas with 18 first-half points.

Jamaica committed seven turnovers in the first half compared to eight by their opponents. The hosts also recorded seven assists, while the Bahamians had 11 across the first two quarters.

Both teams battled intensely in the third quarter, but Jamaica managed to extend their advantage slightly to lead 81-77 heading into the final period, before their late-game struggles allowed The Bahamas to snatch the win.

Jamaica will next face Canada at the same venue on Sunday. The top three teams from the group will advance to the second round of the Americas Qualifiers, where they will be placed into two groups of six. From those groups, the top three teams will qualify for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup, while the two fourth-place finishers will contest a playoff for the final spot.