UK HealthCare announced as presenting sponsor of Kentucky-Utah game at T-Mobile Arena

LAS VEGAS – UK HealthCare’s Markey Cancer Center will be nationally recognized when Kentucky plays Utah on December 18 at T-Mobile Arena. The seventh-annual event in Las Vegas benefits Coaches vs. Cancer, an initiative spearheaded by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (www.nabc.com) and the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org), and is managed by Lexington-based sports marketing firm bdG Sports.

“Being a presenting sponsor of this event provides us the opportunity to showcase and honor one of our other nationally-ranked Kentucky teams — the UK Markey Cancer Center, the only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer program in the Commonwealth,” said Dr. Mark Newman, UK executive vice president for health affairs.

Funds raised by Coaches vs. Cancer directly benefit American Cancer Society’s research programs. ACS is currently funding 10 grants in Kentucky totaling more than $4 million, including more than $2.8 million with the University of Kentucky Research Foundation. In addition to research, ACS locally provides education on cancer prevention and early detection, free rides to treatment through “Road to Recovery” and free/reduced lodging for those in treatment through Hope Lodge Lexington and hotel partners across the state.

“We’re so grateful to our friends at UK HealthCare’s Markey Cancer Center for their partnership with the American Cancer Society in the fight against cancer,” said Erica Kellem Beasley, American Cancer Society executive director for Kentucky. “Their support of Coaches vs. Cancer helps to further raise awareness and funds for this important initiative that impacts so many lives.”

Kentucky, 6-1 on the season and ranked No. 8 nationally, will head west for an extended trip. After the Utah game, the Wildcats will play top-10 foe Ohio State three days later also at T-Mobile Arena. Utah currently sports a 6-2 record but owns wins over Minnesota and BYU in the past two weeks. Tip-off for the game in Vegas is set for 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT.

“We are excited to welcome UK HealthCare as a partner as we support Coaches vs. Cancer and the American Cancer Society,” said Brooks Downing, CEO of bdG Sports. “This event has grown into such a tremendous platform to showcase the best in college basketball under the Coaches vs. Cancer banner. As a Kentuckian, I am honored that we can now showcase the great work being done at the Markey Cancer Center as well.”

Kentucky and Utah have a long history in the sport, dating back to the 1944 NIT. Between 1993 and 2005, the teams met in the NCAA Tournament six times, with Kentucky winning all six games. In 1998, the “Comeback Cats” rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to beat the Utes in the NCAA Championship game. Last year, UK beat Utah 88-61 at Rupp Arena.

In addition to the game, Coaches vs. Cancer will be a beneficiary of GolfBlue on Friday, Dec. 20 at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas. The famed course, which played host to “The Match” between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson a year ago, will be provide a challenge for golfers traveling in from the Bluegrass and local sponsors. Foursomes and individual playing positions are still available with information on www.bbnvegas.com or by emailing [email protected].

Tickets can be purchased at AXS.com, t-mobilearena.com or by calling 888-9AXS-TIX. For complete information, visit www.neonhoopsvegas.com or on social media at @NeonHoopsLV. Kentucky fans can also visit www.bbnvegas.com or follow @BBNLasVegas for full info on the week’s events.

Gonzaga beats Purdue for Gulf Coast Showcase women’s crown

ESTERO, Fla. – The #22/21 Gonzaga women’s basketball team claimed the title of the Gulf Coast Showcase with a 63-50 victory over Purdue on Sunday evening inside Hertz Arena in Estero, Fla. The title was the fourth nonconference tournament title in program history, and the first under Head Coash Lisa Fortier.

“It’s really exciting; I’m really happy for these guys,” Fortier said. “I thought they played really well the last two days and certainly today. [They] overcame really good shooters, really big players, the best shot-blocker in the country, really fast athletes and a bunch of different stuff. We had foul trouble intermittently, we had different players step up—we had a different high scorer every game. I’m really happy with their efforts. They played so hard and made big plays.”

Stanford wins Greater Victoria Invitational presented by the City of Langford

VICTORIA, British Columbia (AP) – Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer’s willingness to give youth a chance paid off Saturday night.

Again relying on a predominantly young lineup, No. 3 Stanford won the Greater Victoria Invitational tournament championship with a 67-62 victory over No. 10 Mississippi State.

“We have a very young team,” VanDerveer said. “People really stepped up and it was very exciting.”

La Salle wins Gulf Coast Showcase men’s title with overtime win over South Alabama

ESTERO, Fla. – Led by an MVP performance from sophomore Ed Croswell, the La Salle University men’s basketball team took home the Gulf Coast Showcase championship with an 81-76, overtime victory over South Alabama at Hertz Arena on Wednesday evening.

Croswell scored 18 points and added 12 rebounds while senior Isiah Deas scored a team-high 21 points for the Explorers, who held an 11-point halftime lead but saw the Jaguars fight all the way back and build an 11-point lead of their own with 8:46 left.

Colorado beats Clemson for MGM Resorts Main Event championship

LAS VEGAS — McKinley Wright had a steal and two free throws in the final 10 seconds Tuesday night to lead Colorado to a 71-67 win over Clemson in the MGM Main Event championship game at T-Mobile Arena.

Tad Boyle’s No. 21 Buffaloes improved to 5-0 with the win while Clemson dropped to 5-2.

The Buffs rallied from a 12-point deficit in the second half and led by six with 2:36 to play before the Tigers closed the gap to two, 69-67, with 1:45 to go. After the two teams traded misses, Wright finally came up with his steal with 10 seconds on the clock and was fouled with six remaining.

Liberty crowned The Islands of the Bahamas Showcase champions

Liberty was crowned the Islands of the Bahamas Showcase Champion after pulling out the 62-49 victory over Kansas City. The win over the Roos was the Flames’ eighth win this season, becoming the first team in Division I to reach the eight-win mark. Freshman Kyle Rode was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player while Scottie James was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Three nationally ranked teams headline Greater Victoria Invitational presented by the City of Langford

VICTORIA, B.C. – Three of the top teams in NCAA Division I basketball are preparing to make the trek to the inaugural Greater Victoria Invitational presented by the City of Langford to be played at CARSA Gymnasium next week, Nov. 28-30, on the campus of the University of Victoria. 

All three are unbeaten as Stanford, 4-0, leads the trio, with a No. 3-ranking behind No. 1 Oregon and No. 2 Baylor. The Cardinal just defeated No. 23 Gonzaga earlier this week. Mississippi State, which played in the last two NCAA Final Fours, is off to a 3-0 start and ranks #10 in the nation. The explosive Lady Bulldogs have averaged 123 points per game in their last two wins over Murray State and Troy.  Syracuse, also 3-0, is preparing to play top-ranked Oregon at home before making the trek from New York to British Columbia.

“It’s impressive to have a community like Greater Victoria embrace a major women’s college basketball tournament like it has done leading up to this event,” said Brooks Downing, the CEO of bdG Sports, the Kentucky-based event organizer. “But they’re about to find out just how good these teams really are. The 2020 NCAA champion may be in this eight-team field.”

The bracketed tournament tips off on Thursday, Nov. 28 with Green Bay taking on Bowling Green at 11 a.m. PT, followed by Miss. State vs. San Francisco at 1:30 p.m. The evening session begins at 5 p.m. with Syracuse vs. Houston and the first-round nightcap features Stanford battling California Baptist at 7:30 p.m. The semifinals will start at 5 p.m. on Friday and the championship game will be played at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. All eight teams will play three games in Victoria.

“This tournament has created a buzz in the city that we haven’t seen in quite some time,” said Howard Kelsey, a BC Sports and Canada Basketball Hall of Famer and tournament partner. “With the recent FIBA announcement as well, the Greater Victoria Invitational is in a perfect spot to capitalize on the excitement this city has for basketball.”

Along with the three full days of games, the City of Langford and tournament organizers will play host to a youth clinic that will feature 90 girls from the Langford community and the California Baptist Women’s Basketball team. Clinic participants will have the chance to run drills with the California Baptist team and learn from its coaches.

“We’re thrilled to be partnered with the City of Langford and to provide such an incredible experience for these girls who aspire to be champions in their own right,” said tournament partner, Dave Munro.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets are priced on a per session basis at $20 CAD for endzone, $35 CAD for sideline and $125 CAD courtside (approximately $15, $27 and $95 USD respectively). Tickets can be purchased at www.victoriainvitational.com or vikestickets.universitytickets.com.

Group discounted tickets are available and can be purchased by emailing Max Winebrenner at [email protected]. Discounted rates are $15 for endzone and $10 for sideline.

#23 Colorado, Unbeaten TCU lead MGM Resorts Main Event Field

LAS VEGAS – Colorado, which has started the season 3-0 and earned a Top-25 ranking for the first time in six seasons, leads a highly competitive field in the sixth-edition of the MGM Resorts Main Event, to be played Nov. 24/26, 2019 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The tournament is being played on a weekend for the first time and tips at 5 p.m. PT Sunday and the Heavyweight Bracket features the Buffaloes taking on Mountain West-foe Wyoming followed by TCU vs. Clemson at 7:30 p.m.

Colorado opened with wins over conference-mate Arizona State in China, San Diego and battle-tested UC Irvine. The Buffaloes are ranked #23 in the AP poll, its first ranking in six seasons. TCU has started the season 4-0, beating UC Irvine as well on a RJ Nembard three-pointer with 3.3 seconds remaining.

“What’s most impressive about our 2019 lineup is the quality of coaches we have with these four teams,” said Brooks Downing, CEO of bdG Sports, the event organizer. “Jamie Dixon is 22-1 in November at TCU, Brad Brownell is one of the most successful coaches to ever lead Clemson, Tad Boyle has led the Buffs into the Top 25 again and Allen Edwards continues to build a respectful program at Wyoming.”

ESPN2 will televise the TCU-Clemson clash as well as the championship game on Tuesday, Nov. 26, which will be played at 8:30 p.m. PT, following the consolation game at 6 p.m.

The Middleweight Bracket features three games which this year will be played on the college floor at Ed Clark High School in Las Vegas. The action tips on Sunday at noon PT with UC Irvine versus Detroit. Louisiana then takes on Detroit on Monday at 1 p.m. and the action concludes on Tuesday with UC Irvine versus Louisiana at 1 p.m.

Tickets for the Heavyweight Division can be purchased at AXS.com or by calling 888-9AXSTIX. Ticket information and hotel room information for the MGM Resorts Main Event can also be found at www.mgmresortsmainevent.com and on social media at @NeonHoopsLV.

Evansville, Liberty headline third annual The Islands of the Bahamas Showcase

NASSAU, The Bahamas – Evansville, which toppled No. 1-ranked Kentucky last week, and Liberty, a Cinderella-team from the this past year’s NCAA Tournament, headline a highly competitive field when the third-annual Islands of the Bahamas Showcase tips off at Baha Mar on Friday. The eight-team men’s NCAA Division I tournament features some of the top mid-sized programs in the nation.

“This is not just a trip to an incredible destination location, but an opportunity for these teams to play quality competition on a neutral court as the new season gets underway,” said Brooks Downing, founder of bdG Sports whose company manages this event, along with the two Korn Ferry Tour professional golf tournaments in Exuma and Abaco each January. “Several of these teams are likely to win their conference and compete in the NCAA Tournament come March, and because they’re talented, many bigger schools refuse to schedule them, making an event of this caliber all that more important.”

That wasn’t the case with upstart Evansville, which is located in southern Indiana and who was coached by former Kentucky Wildcat Walter McCarty, who in just his second year as a head coach, led the Aces to the surprising upset of his alma mater in their famed facility of Rupp Arena 10 days ago. Evansville, now 3-1 on the season, will open the tournament Friday night at 8:00 p.m. against East Carolina, which is based in Greenville, North Carolina.

“I’m pretty happy with what we’re doing right now, I really am,” McCarty told his local newspaper, the Courier & Press. “As long as we keep building, keep learning, and hopefully keep putting Ws in that column, it’s going to be a good thing.”

Liberty, which is located in Lynchburg, Virginia, finished the 2018-19 season winning the Atlantic Sun Conference and advancing to the NCAA Tournament where it upset No. 5-seed Mississippi State.  The Flames will play Morgan State, based in Baltimore, Maryland in the first round. Morgan State just defeated George Washington this past week, and Milwaukee already owns a win over Kansas City, which just this season changed its name from UMKC. Those teams are on the opposite side of the bracket this weekend.

There will be four games per day, 11 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. as each team is guaranteed three games, win or lose. The seventh place, fifth place, third place and championship games will be played on Sunday. Admission is $15 per day or $40 for a tournament pass. Parking is located in the Baha Mar Convention Center Parking Lot.

For the past two years, the tournament has housed its teams at the new $4.3 billion resort, the largest in the Carribbean, and played its games at Kendal Isaacs National Gymnasium. Given the damage that Hurricane Dorian created on Sept. 1 to the islands of Grand Bahama and Abaco in the northern Bahamas, the gym is still being utilized as a storm shelter for displaced residents. Baha Mar agreed to play the tournament in its New Providence ballroom.

The event typically generates more than 1,000 room nights and significant economic impact through tourism. All 12 games will be streamed live on FloHoops.com.

The full schedule is below:

Friday, Nov. 22

  • 11 a.m. – Liberty (5-0) vs. Morgan State (2-2)
  • 2 p.m. – Rice (4-1) vs. Milwaukee (4-1)
  • 5 p.m. – Kansas City (2-3) vs. George Washington (1-3)
  • 8 p.m. – Evansville (3-1) vs. East Carolina (1-3)

Saturday, Nov. 23

  • 11 a.m. – Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser
  • 2 p.m. – Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Loser
  • 5 p.m. – Semifinal: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner
  • 8 p.m. – Semifinal: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner

Sunday, Nov. 24

  • 11 a.m. – Seventh Place Game
  • 2 p.m. – Fifth Place Game
  • 5 p.m. – Third Place Game
  • 8 p.m. – Championship Game

2020 Bahamas Great Abaco Classic to be played at The Royal Blue Golf Club at Baha Mar

NASSAU, The Bahamas – bdG Sports, an international sports management company, announced today that the 2020 The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic will be moved to Royal Blue Golf Club at Baha Mar due to Hurricane Dorian’s impact on Great Abaco.

The Korn Ferry Tour tournament, which features 132 professionals vying in the year-long series to earn their PGA TOUR card, will be played Jan. 16-22 in its traditional role as the second event of the new season, following The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic, which is played the week before at Sandals Emerald Bay.

“We look forward to welcoming The Great Abaco Classic to The Royal Blue Golf Club in January,” said Graeme Davis, President, Baha Mar. “Everyone at Baha Mar is committed to the recovery and rebuild of the Abacos and we knew how important it was to keep this tournament in the beautiful nation of The Bahamas until its return to Great Abaco.”

Hurricane Dorian created catastrophic damage as a Category 5 hurricane – the strongest storm to ever hit The Bahamas – when it slammed into the Abacos on Sept. 1. The Abaco Club, where the event has been played the past three years, officially re-opened this month, but the hurricane took aim on Marsh Harbour, the island’s largest town, and left nearly every home and business damaged. Progress on rebuilding Abaco is underway, as evidenced by the reopening of Maxwells last week, one of the island’s only grocery stores. But the island needs time to recover before housing nearly 500 visitors for a week, which includes golfers, caddies, tournament officials, broadcast production staff, and fans.

Of the relocated tournament, Bahamas Minister of Tourism & Aviation, the Hon. Dionisio D’Aguilar remarked, “In ensuring that the Great Abaco Classic takes place, in spite of the devastation to its original venue, Abaco, our partners, the PGA TOUR and bdG Sports, have shown genuine commitment to The Bahamas and our people, a gesture which we deeply appreciate. The relocated Great Abaco Classic will find a welcome home at Baha Mar’s Royal Blue Golf Club and will certainly live up to the reputation it has established as Abaco’s premier golf tournament.”

The resort destination of Baha Mar is situated across 1,000 acres along the north shore of New Providence Island, in Nassau, the capital of The Bahamas. Baha Mar is home to three iconic hotel brands, Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, SLS Baha Mar and Rosewood Baha Mar, as well as a collection of unparalleled offerings and experiences including the largest casino in the Caribbean; over 40 restaurants, bars, and lounges; luxury shopping, and more.  The Royal Blue Golf Club at Baha Mar is the first and only Jack Nicklaus design in The Bahamas. Spanning nearly 7,200 yards, Royal Blue Golf Course’s front nine features water-lined fairways and glimpses of the Atlantic Ocean, while the back nine navigates dense jungle until the island green at the par-3 16th hole on Lake Cunningham.

“Korn Ferry Tour President Alex Baldwin and her team at the PGA TOUR were adamant about making the necessary investments to ensure this tournament happened,” said Brooks Downing, Chief Executive Officer at bdG Sports. “And thanks to the tremendous support of both Mr. Davis and Minister D’Aguilar, we are going to utilize this platform to make sure that the Abaco rebuilding effort remains front and center.”

As in years past, and mirroring the Great Exuma Classic, the event is played using a unique Sunday-Wednesday format, allowing for maximum exposure while also appealing to the guests who can participate on the weekend in the official pro-am, scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 18.

With the change, the event will officially be called “The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at Baha Mar.” And in addition to the global exposure, proceeds from the event will be donated to relief efforts in Abaco.

Bahamas Showcase Basketball Moved to Baha Mar

The Islands of the Bahamas Showcase, an NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament, has been moved from Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium to the Baha Mar Convention Center, organizers announced today.

The eight-team tournament, now in its third year in Nassau, is scheduled to be played Nov. 22-24, 2019, but has been relocated given that Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium has been serving as a shelter for a number of people from Abaco and Grand Bahama who were displaced by Hurricane Dorian. The Category 5 hurricane hit the northern Bahamas on Sept. 1, damaging a large number of homes and businesses with gusts up to 220 mph, sea surge that rose to 24 feet and more than 48 inches of rain in some areas.

“With the national gymnasium serving a greater purpose, we are fortunate that Baha Mar was in a position to welcome this event at the resort on the same dates,” said Brooks Downing, CEO of bdG Sports, the event owner and operator. “For the prior two years, we have housed our eight participating teams at Baha Mar, so our teams will love the convenience of a stay-and-play model. We’re also fortunate that Baha Mar has recently made an investment and plans to do more basketball programming at the resort, so the move has been seamless.”

The resort played host to the Memphis men’s basketball program in August, as it played games there on a foreign exhibition tour.

“Basketball, both collegiate and professional, is close to the hearts of many Bahamians, and teams from the U.S. have been some of the strongest supporters of Baha Mar since the resort first opened,” said Graeme Davis, President, Baha Mar. “We could not pass up the chance to partner with Ministry of Tourism to Showcase and continue to host this incredible event at home in the Bahamas.”

The tournament’s first-round action on Friday, Nov. 22, will feature Liberty vs. Morgan State, Rice vs. Milwaukee, UMKC vs. George Washington and Evansville vs. East Carolina. The semifinals and consolation will follow on Saturday with the championship, third-place, fifth-place and seventh-place games on Sunday.