By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

FIVE days away from competition and the final roster cuts have been made for our women’s national team set to compete at the Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Tournament in Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

The CBC Tournament for women is scheduled for July 8-12, just after the men complete their competition on Saturday, July 5.

The team will feature a cross-section of collegiate players and NPWBA veterans, led by Jonquel Jones of the George Washington University Colonials.

Jones was named Atlantic 10 All-Conference honours when she was named to the second team. She averaged 15.7 points and 11.1 rebounds per game in her sophomore season to help the Colonials finish 23-11 overall and advance to the third round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT).

Another collegiate headliner will be Shanea Armbrister, who earned NJCAA D-1 Women’s Basketball All-America honours after an outstanding freshman year with the Darton State College Lady Cavaliers. She averaged 18.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game to lead Darton to a 23-9 season.

Armbrister also earned the Freshman of the Year Award from the GCAA and 1st Team All-Region 17 honours during the 2013-2014 season.

Also on the team will be NPWBA scoring champion Phylicia Kelly who led the league at 19.5 points per game. She will be joined by Career Builders’ Cheetahs teammate Linda Pierre and Super Value Cybot Queens wing players Tracy Lewis and Taneil Poitier.

Noticeably absent from the roster is WNBA hopeful Waltiea Rolle who opted to focus on the next step in her professional career after she was waived by the Minnesota Lynx just before the start of the season.

The team hosted a scrimmage against the men’s under-15 junior national team last night and will host their second scrimmage of the week 6:30pm Friday at the AF Adderley Gymnasium against the Rhythm Rebels Basketball Club.

In the final stages of training camp, offensive and defensive schemes were implemented.

“It’s been challenging, as far as positions is concerned,” said McPhee-McCuin, who will be assisted by American Brittney Ezell, the head coach of East Tennessee State University Buccaneers women’s basketball programme in Johnson City, Tennessee,Sharon ‘the General’ Storr, Jurelle Nairn, the director of operations and Jimmy Mackey, the strength & conditioning coach.

“We have a fairly good amount of talent at each position and so that’s the reason why we will wait for the final trials to make the final selection of 12. But it’s been very good.”

Women’s teams will include the Bahamas, Barbados, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Jamaica, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Virgin Islands fighting for three spots in the 2014 Centrobasket Championship for Men and Women in Mexico.

The Bahamas will be in Group A with Barbados, the Dominican Republic and the Virgin Islands.?The women are scheduled to begin play July 8 against the Virgin Islands, followed by the Dominican Republic on July 9 and Barbados on July 10 - the final day of the first round.? The playoffs and classification will be contested July 11 and the consolation and championship games are set for the final day of competiton on July 12. 

TEAM BAHAMAS

(Women)

Name: Ashley Moss

Height: 5’10”

Weight: 150 lbs

Position: Forward

No.7

School/Club: Holland College

Name: Britenique Harrison

Height: 6’4

Weight: 187 lbs

Position: Centre

No.11

School/Club: Benedict College

Name: Cedricka Sweeting

Height: 5’5

Weight: 125 lbs

Position: Point Guard

No.4

School/Club: Darton State College

Name: Debinique Knowles

Height: 5’9

Weight: 150 lbs

Position: Guard

No.10

School/Club: Northeast CC

Name: Diasti Delancy

Height: 5’5

Weight: 140 lbs

Position: Point Guard

No.5

School/Club: Bommer G Operators

Name: Jonquel Jones

Height: 6’3

Weight: 160 lbs

Position: Small Forward

No.8

School/Club: George Washington University

Name: Leashja Grant

Height: 6’2

Weight: 210 lbs

Position: Centre

No.14

School/Club: Trinity Valley CC

Name: Linda Pierre

Height: 6’2

Weight: 180 lbs

Position: Centre

No.12

School/Club: Career Builders’ Cheetahs

Name: Philicia Kelly

Height: 5’10

Weight: 158 lbs

Position: Guard

No.6

School/Club: Career Builders’ Cheetahs

Name: Shanea Armbrister

Height: 6’2

Weight: 170 lbs

Position: Guard

No.13

School/Club: Darton State College

Name: Taneil Poitier

Height: 5’6

Weight: 135 lbs.

Position: Guard

No.15

School/Club: Super Value Cybot Queens

Name: Tracy Lewis

Height: 5’10

Weight: 165 lbs.

Position: Small Forward

No.9

School/Club: Super Value Cybot Queens

STAFF

Yolett McCuin - Head Coach  

Brittney Ezell - Assistant Coach

Varel Clark - Assistant Coach

Sharon Storr - Technical Director

Jimmy Mackey - Strength and Conditioning Coach

Jurelle Nairn - Team Manager

Jacquie Neal - Athletic Trainier