Virgin Islands, Bahamas stay hot in FIBA CBC Women’s Championship

The race for the FIBA Women’s Centrobasket Championship 2026 berths is heating up, and on Day three of the Caribbean Basketball Confederation Women’s Championship in Guyana, the Virgin Islands and The Bahamas delivered knockout performances to maintain their perfect trajectories.

Both nations secured dominant wins at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, showcasing the depth of talent necessary to finish in the top three and secure their tickets to the next round of qualifying.

Virgin Islands 84, Suriname 33

The Virgin Islands (2-0) continued their early run of perfection, making light work of Suriname (0-3) in a blowout victory.

The Virgin Islands’ offense was humming, displaying impressive balance as five different players hit double-digit scoring. Taylor Jones once again led the charge, draining three triples en route to a team-high 18 points.

Jones received heavy support from J-Naya Ephraim (14 points) and Natalie Kleeman-Day (13 points), with Anisha George (11) and Imani Tate (10) also contributing.

The real story, however, was the relentless dominance on the glass.

The Virgin Islands absolutely owned the paint, collecting a staggering 57 total rebounds—a decisive advantage that allowed them to control the tempo from tip-off. Kleeman-Day and Keshara Romain each snagged nine boards.

Chiniqua Pengel battled hard for Suriname, posting 12 points, four rebounds, and four steals in the loss.

Bahamas 88, Jamaica 56

The Bahamas (2-1) emphatically improved their record, riding an incredible individual performance from their floor general to hand Jamaica (1-1) their first loss of the tournament.

Point guard Valerie Nesbitt delivered a performance for the ages, becoming the first player in the Championship to record a triple-double. Nesbitt finished her spectacular 35 minutes of action with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists, rounded out by six steals.

The Bahamian Big Three was simply unstoppable. Alongside Nesbitt, Valicia Demeritte went off for a game-high 25 points, while Lashann Higgs poured in 23 points. In total, this elite trio accounted for an astounding 77% of The Bahamas’ offense.

Despite the defensive pressure, Christeina Bryan managed a strong outing for Jamaica, posting 15 points and eight rebounds, with Carissa Robinson adding 13. (Modified FIBA Press Release)

Up next on Saturday (November 15)

• Virgin Islands vs. Jamaica – 4:30 p.m. (local time)
• Guyana vs. Suriname – 8:30 p.m.