w/e 30/03/08 Derby Blaze Past Westminster to Book Appearance in Final! A second appearance in a Final in only their second season of existence! That’s the remarkable achievement of Derby Trailblazers II, after they came back from behind to beat Westminster Warriors in semi-final of the EBL Division Four play-offs. The two sides were locked at 59-all at the end of regulation time, but Derby outscored the visitors 11-3 in the extra five minute period, to book a place in the final, thanks to their 70-62 success over Westminster. Derby started the game with an 8-nil burst on their way to a 21-13 first quarter advantage. They were also dominating the boards at that stage, out-rebounding the visitors 15-8 at the end of the quarter. But Westminster’s stifling defence began to cause problems for the Trailblazers early in the second period, with Derby unable to score from either inside or out. The Warriors netted 13 points without reply in a barren period which saw the Blazers unable to score for nearly seven and a half minutes. Mike McLeod finally broke the rout, with a strong drive to the hoop, in which he also drew a foul from Marvin Addy. But the Derby co-captain failed to convert the bonus shot and Addy quickly replied with a deuce for the visitors. Jake Clulow then found the hoop for Derby before Isaac Omirin scored the final basket of the quarter for Westminster, to give them a 30-25 half time lead. The Trailblazers gradually edged their way closer and closer throughout the third, with Simon Allaway scoring seven of the points in a 13-2 run which put them 41-39 ahead going into what should have been the final stanza. However, Addy and Junior Williams combined well for Westminster in the early stages of the fourth, nudging the Warriors back into the lead. With the scores standing at 47-51 in the Warriors favour, a Westminster time out backfired in dramatic style, providing Derby with the impetus to seemingly find an extra gear. McLeod banked two three-pointers in a 10-nil run to re-establish a six point lead for the Trailblazers. However, consecutive baskets from Papa Kasse and Williams narrowed the gap to one point, with around a minute left to play. Blazers ran the clock before Tim Lascelles drained a high arching two off the glass and Derby thought they were through to the final. However, Addy had other ideas, netting a three-pointer to tie the game from way outside the arc. Derby were left with just a few seconds to try and win the game in the regulation time. Lascelles fired up a three-pointer, but in common with all but one of his long range attempts in the match, if was off target and although McLeod grabbed the offensive rebound, his attempted put back also bounced agonisingly back off the rim. For the first time this season, Trailblazers II were going to overtime. This time, it was Derby who stepped up the defensive intensity. They forced Westminster into a series of turnovers, whilst Allaway took care of the offensive threat, scoring seven of his sides’ thirteen points in the extra period. Coach Jamie Maudsley was relieved to have made it through to the final: “I thought we started off very well, but we ran into a lot of problems in the second quarter,” he said. “We couldn’t run any offences because they did such a good job of denying on the wings. We talked about backdoor-ing them, but we just couldn’t make the passes. We had a lot of turnovers in that spell and I think it’s fair to say that defensively, they’re the best team we’ve played against this season by far. “I think we won the game because our veteran guys stepped up today. A lot of the younger players haven’t been in those kind of situations before, but we’ve worked on end game situations in practice and whenever we really needed a basket in overtime, we got one. “In terms of getting the guys re-focussed, I don’t think I had to do anything. They did it themselves, because they knew the importance of the game and they didn’t want the season to end there. “As for the final, I’m not sure yet. We’ve really been focussing so much on this game, we need to readjust and see who we’ve got and then start making preparations. I’m not even sure who’s going to be able to play, because the division one men have a play-off quarter final the same day down at Worthing and some of our guys play for both teams. “Obviously, the first team comes first, so it might be a case of focussing our game plan around the guys that just play in our team and then whoever else we have on top of that will just be a bonus,” he said. Derby: Allaway 22, Lascelles 14, McLeod 12, Attewell 8 (plus 13 rebounds), Clulow 7, Manghum 3, Cope 2, McGaffin 2, Murray-Slater 0, Richardson 0, Scott 0. Westminster: Williams 23, Addy 11, Kasse 9, Johnson 8, Odumosu 4, Lovelock 3, Garcia 2, Omirin 2, Adams 0, Gibbons 0, Teixeria DNP. w/e 23/03/08 Phoenix suffer Play-Off bluesEBL Division 4 Play-off Quarter Final Derby Trailblazers 97 COSTA Wellingborough Phoenix 46 Wellingborough Phoenix ended their second national league season on Sunday in Derby, as they were sent crashing out of the end of season play offs against Division 4 Champions Derby Trailblazers who had already previously defeated the Wellingborough side twice this season. It was an achievement in itself to reach the play-offs this year after last years debut season ended with Phoenix finishing 10th out of 11, but the attempt to get to the final stages ,after their third place finish this year, was a step too far for the mostly young Phoenix side. The addition of the experienced Jon Stonebridge, Devon Adams and Luke Hutcherson this season had given the team a new steel this year and the opportunity for them to pass on the benefit of their knowledge to the youngsters in the Phoenix squad, which promises much for the coming years, but there was not quite enough to pull off play-off success this year. Derby started the game showing the confidence born by only suffering a single defeat all season, and demoralising Wellingborough early on with a series of 3-pointers, and denying Phoenix any easy baskets with great "help" defence, forcing Wellingborough to score from the free throw line, where they only converted 60% of their opportunities; from the field they struggled to cope with the pressure of the defence, as they went in 32-10 behind after the first quarter. Phoenix stepped up their own defence in the second quarter, keeping Derby to just 15 points, but they were still struggling to get any consistency out of their offence scoring only 11 points of their own as they went in to the half time break trailing 47-21. Wellingborough started the third quarter in better shape scoring 6 without reply, but a series of fouls and technical fouls brought any momentum they generated to a shuddering halt and sent Derby to the free throw line where they ruthlessly stretched their lead putting on a 17-0 run to take the lead past 30, Phoenix sent Derby to the free throw line for a total of 18 attempts in the period, where they showed their class by scoring all 18, to stretch their lead to 77-35 going into the final period. Phoenix had no answers to the Derby onslaught and despite a moral boosting dunk from Daniel Turiccki midway through the final period, came in well beaten at the final buzzer. Daniel Turiccki with 9 points led the scoring, with Mark Gledhill adding 8 and Danny Barrett and Devon Adams chipping in with 6 each in another difficult day for the Phoenix side. Coach Danny Alexis was philosophical after the game "we came up against a very very good side playing at the top of their game today and we had no answers, it showed us the level we need to aspire to, to meet our objectives for the future. Hopefully our young players can learn from the journey we have been on this year and take it to next year with a renewed confidence, because they should be proud of the progress made this season." "We have tremendous strides this year, and to finish third in the strongest conference of the division was a marvellous achievement, of which the players should be proud, and although the final run in has been very hard, when the dust settles on this season I know we will all look back positively at the experience." Phoenix still have a chance of silverware this season in the Peterborough Premiership competition, and face a two legged semi final over the weekend of the 12th and 13th April for a place in the final. w/e 16/03/08
Westminster Warriors
80 COSTA Wellingborough
Wellingborough Phoenix were
confirmed in third place in Division 4 Midlands/South following Saturdays
defeat, but later that night there was good news from of all places Ilkeston,
as Wirral, Wellingborough's rivals for a play-off spot, also lost, as a result
Wellingborough Phoenix were confirmed as play-off contenders for the first
time in their history.
Phoenix started well against Westminster, who ended the season in second place, opening up an early 9-5 lead, showing a stronger competitive defensive edge, but a combination of Westminster showing why they finished second, and Wellingborough committing too many turnovers led to a 18-2 run to close the quarter as the Londoners went in leading 26-13. Wellingborough's woes continued during the second period as the Warriors opened with an 11-2 run to push the lead past 20 as Phoenix struggled to get any offensive threat established, Phoenix continued to miss a number of easy looks at the basket, and to rush their offence as Westminster continued to dominate, stretching their lead to 48-25 at the half time break. After half time, a much more determined Wellingborough side emerged in the knowledge that only a win would guarantee a play-off place, Phoenix did a much better defensive job to slow down the Westminster offence, however they still struggled to score themselves as Warriors stretched their lead to 64-36 going into the final period.
It was do or die in the fourth
period, as Wellingborough put in a terrific effort to get back on terms with
Westminster, after Warriors opened up a 31 point lead, Phoenix went on a charge,
and at one point after a 14-0 run inspired by
Coach Danny Alexis was very down afterwards, with the seasons objective seemingly gone "we can't afford to give the top teams, and Westminster are one of those, a free quarter because they will punish you, we paid the price for switching off defensively, throwing the ball away and missing free throws, three common themes that continue to return against the top sides."
Later, after
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More Silverware for Trailblazers II Derby Trailblazers II 117 (28, 60, 84) Loughborough Student Cardinals 47 (12, 22, 35) Derby Trailblazers II secured the Division Four Midlands/South League Title on Friday night, after an emphatic 117-47 victory over Loughborough Student Cardinals. The League Title is the second piece of silverware won by Trailblazers II this season. They had previously beaten five division three sides on their way to winning the EBL Men’s Shield. Dave Attewell led the Derby team with 22 points and 9 rebounds, whilst Jamie McGaffin added 16 points. Sam Richardson was one of a quarter of Trailblazers players who finished with 12 points, but he also added 10 rebounds to complete a double-double. The bulk of Loughborough’s resistance came from a former Derby player, Nick Holland, who led the Cardinals with 28 points and 7 rebounds. Derby will now look to round off their season in style, by winning attempting to add a third piece of silverware to the Trophy cabinet. On offer is the chance to win the Division Four Play Offs, which will pit the top eight teams from the three regional leagues against each other for the first time. Derby go into the competition ranked as number one seeds, which means they will have home advantage at both the quarter and semi-final stages. And as the finals of the competition are set to be held at Moorways Leisure Centre on April 5th, it means there is another incentive for the club to do well in the competition. Their quarter final tie against Wellingborough Phoenix looks set to be played on Sunday 23rd March at Noel Baker School, tipping off at three o’clock. Confirmation will be posted on-line at www.derbytrailblazers.com as soon as information becomes available. Derby Trailblazers II: Attewell 22, McGaffin 16, Clulow 12, Manghum 12, McLeod 12, Richardson 12, Allaway 9, Murray-Slater 8, Cope 5, Chilton 5, Scott 4. Loughborough: N. Holland 28, Bailey 8, D. Holland 3, Pinchin 3, Falope 2, Twamaji 2, Kelly 1, Branigan 0, Lawson 0, Smith 0. w/e 09/03/08 Mazars West Herts Warriors’ road to the play-offs The Mazars Warriors hopes were buoyant following promotion from the 4th to the 3rd division at the beginning of this season. The Warriors season got off to a positive start by winning their first 5 games, however during the season the Mazars Warriors were hit with a number of key injuries. This left the injury riddled team struggling on throughout the season against toughened opponents vying for the Mazars Warriors scalp. The Warriors battled on to joint 4th spot in the league with two other teams but now needed to win the last 3 games of the season to cement the 4th and final play-off spot. This week saw Mazars Warriors match up against their old team mates and opponents Oxford Brookes. The teams matched up with a weakened Oxford side and the walking wounded Sahr Komba returning for Mazars Warriors with both teams battling for the elusive last play-off spot. Ben Wallis opened up the scoring for the Mazars Warriors with 2 quick points shortly followed by Gillet for Oxford. James Tye followed suit and responded to the Oxford onslaught by adding a further 2 from the corner. Mazars Warriors and Oxford traded points until the last minute of the first quarter where the Warriors stepped up the defence and went on an eight point run with points from Tayo Odulaja and John MacCauley. Mazars Warriors saw that they had Oxford on the ropes and went in for the kill with further points from Odulaja and MacCauley to extend the lead further. The Mazars Warriors run came to an end when Oxford’s outside shooting started to hit the target and the two teams traded hard fought points and long distance three pointers to close out the half at 62-42 to the Mazars Warriors. Oxford knew they had to show their metal to reduce their deficit and came out with all guns blazing. Oxford started the third quarter with a 10-2 run to reduce the gap to 12 points but after re-grouping the Mazars Warriors retaliated with a quick dunk by Odulaja and two successive shots from Rafe Abrook. No matter how much pressure the Mazars Warriors put upon Oxford the Warriors struggled to stop the long distance 3 point shooting by the on form four guard offence of Oxford. Returning from injury, Komba proved critical in the third quarter by maintaining the scoring for the Mazars Warriors and adding 6 points to his personal tally. With the only scoring from Oxford coming from out side of the 3 point line the Mazars Warriors were able to maintain the lead of 86-70. In the fourth quarter Oxford decided to throw all they had at the Mazars Warriors and made a valiant fight back to bring the scoring to 101-95 with exceptional shooting from Stephens and Gillet however the Mazars Warriors defence held true and were rewarded for their hard work with two steals by Luke Patterson to close out the game 109-95. West Herts Scorers: Tayo Odulaja 26, John MacCauley 22, Sahr Komba 15. Oxford Scorers: J Russell 20, M Brutnell 20, N Gillet 19. On Sunday 9th March the on-form Mazars Warriors followed their hard fought win over Oxford by travelling to White Heat (Hackney). Everything was to play for as Mazars Warriors still needed a win to clinch the last play-off spot in the South Division The game started in an upbeat tempo and the two teams were trading baskets and turnovers like they were going out of fashion. The open play and moments of brilliance from the Mazars Warriors during the first half provided moments for the highlight reel as Rafe Abrook and Tayo Odulaja broke free to entertain the crowds(!) with alley-oop, reverse and tomahawk dunks. The Mazars Warriors however were not able to cement their position in the game and could only extend the scoring to close the half in the lead with the scores at 52-41. In the second half the almost telepathic passing in the key between the Mazars Warriors post players; Jock Mackay, John MacCauley and Abrook provided some enjoyable and much needed points. The Mazars Warriors defence failed to stop the constant attacks of White Heat’s L Brown who picked up 9 points in the second half. The return to form of Sahr Komba was instrumental in maintaining the lead for the Mazars Warriors by coming up with jump shots and drives to the basket when needed giving him a personal tally of 16 points for the half. In addition to the effort provided by Komba, the tough defence provided by James Tye and Luke Patterson and the presence of Ritchie Burgess allowed the Mazars Warriors to close out the game with a final score of 101-82. The two wins over the weekend pushed the Mazars Warriors in to the final play-off spot in the E.B.L Division 3 South. Mazars Warriors are home to Brixton Topcats this Saturday at the Parmiters Sports Centre, Watford at 5pm. West Herts Scorers: Sahr Komba 26, Rafe Abrook 18, Luke Patterson 16, White Heat: L Irish 23, C Marston 18, J Bola10. Winning streak comes to an end at Champions electDerby Trailblazers II 100 COSTA Wellingborough Phoenix 62 Wellingborough Phoenix's winning streak ended at 7 with a convincing defeat at the hands of Division 4 champions elect Derby on Saturday. A bizarre series of events followed the game over the weekend with at one point England Basketball's website showing that a series of results elsewhere meant that Phoenix had made it to the end of season play-offs despite their defeat, only to find late on Sunday night the key result had been reported incorrectly. This leaves next weeks away game at current leaders Westminster a must win game to ensure a play-off place. Phoenix started slowly going out to an early 13-2 deficit, before they were were hit by a barrage of 3 - pointers throughout the first quarter, as Derby reinforced the qualities that make them the likely Division 4 champions. Wellingborough struggled to get any offensive momentum going and ended the first quarter 33-16 behind. If Phoenix were to make any impact on the game they needed to start the second quarter well, but Derby had other ideas going on a 11-4 run exploiting the lack of intensity of the Wellingborough defence, a 10-3 surge towards half time seemed to offer some hope, but as Phoenix had conceded their highest first half total this season, going in 61-40 down the writing was on the wall. Derby showed little mercy towards Wellingborough stretching their lead to over 30 points early in the third period behind another 9-0 run, and with Phoenix with nothing more than pride to play for they did have their best spell of the game towards the end of the third period with Michal Wroblewski knocking down 8 points. The final period was little more than a procession with the Wellingborough's fight gone, as Derby relentlessly pushed on to score 100 against Wellingborough for the second time this season. Phoenix need to re-group for the final league game of the season away to Westminster on Saturday, as despite the defeat on Saturday their play-off destiny is still in their own hands. In what is a complicated system, if Phoenix can win on Saturday they will be guaranteed a play off spot as the seventh seed, and thus avoid a first round clash with Derby, some incentive for the Wellingborough squad, defeat will mean having to look elsewhere for assistance, requiring a defeat for any one of 4 other teams playing around the North and South West conferences. Wroblewski top scored for Wellingborough with 12 points, Jon Stonebridge 11 and Luke Lister 10 provided the main support on a difficult afternoon for Phoenix. Coach Danny Alexis was disappointed afterwards "The guys didn't show up to play today, all the progress we had made on the winning run seemed to go out the window as we seemed overawed by what admittedly is a strong Derby side. We need to re-group and get our heads right for a crucial game on Saturday, we played as if we have an inferiority complex when we come up against the top sides in the division, if we are going to achieve everything I believe is possible for this group of players, we have got to show we are no pushovers when we are in the best company." One More Victory Needed For League Title! Derby Trailblazers II 100 (33, 51, 72) Wellingborough Phoenix 62 (16, 40, 54) Derby Trailblazers II 154 (32, 69, 111) College of West Anglia Fury II 27 (11, 14, 22) Derby Trailblazers II moved three steps nearer the Division Four Midlands/South, even though they only played two matches. However, such was the emphatic nature of their victory over the College of West Anglia Fury II on Sunday, the Kings-Lynn based side immediately conceded the return fixture, planned for next Saturday afternoon. That means Trailblazers II are just one match away from adding a second piece of silverware to the Trophy cabinet, to sit alongside the EBL Men’s Shield which they won last month. That final fixture takes place at Noel Baker School this Friday evening, with a 7.30pm tip off. Although Trailblazers are currently tied with Westminster Warriors at the top of the table, Derby have a superior points-difference over the London side, which means they will be crowned champions, providing there are no slip ups on Friday. Mike McLeod top scored for the Blazers on Saturday, as they raced to a 100-62 home victory over Coventry Crusaders, but it was Sam Richardson who stole the show on Sunday, finishing with 34 points and 6 rebounds. Amongst his portfolio were a series of spectacular slam dunks which delighted the home crowd. Derby Trailblazers II: McLeod 20, Attewell 14, Cope 13, Clulow 12, Murray-Slater 11, McGaffin 10, Lascelles 6, Manghum 5, Scott 5, Richardson 4. Wellingborough Phoenix: Wroblewski 12, Stonebridge 11, Gledhill 10, Lister 10, Turiccki 9, Barrett 4, Adams 2, Burton 2, Hutcherson 2, Clarke 0, Fitzsimons 0, Fletcher 0. Derby Trailblazers II: Richardson 34, McLeod 25, Manghum 24, Cope 15, McGaffin 14, Chilton 12, Clulow 9, Scott 8, Murray-Slater 7, Attewell 6. Coll. West Anglia Fury II: Simon 12, Manning 6, Smith 6, Beasley 3. w/e 02/03/08 Phoenix in seventh heavenEBL Division 4
COSTA Wellingborough Phoenix 107
Wellingborough Phoenix put themselves into pole
position for third spot and a place in the EBL Div 4 play-offs with an
outstanding performance at Weavers Leisure Centre of Sunday to overtake
Phoenix started brightly, going up 10-5 early on, before being checked back by a barrage of 3-pointers from Richmond who led by as many as five points, before an inspired 15-3 run to close the quarter, led by 7 points from Devon Adams and a monstrous slam dunk from Daniel Turiccki took Wellingborough into a 31-24 lead after the first period, a lead they would not lose through the rest of the game.
Richmond battled back into contention at the start of
the second behind the Londoners Adeluola who scored 9 of his game high 34 points
to close the gap to a single point before Phoenix restored their grip on the
game with a 13-3 surge to re-open a double digit lead as
If the result was in any doubt,
Wellingborough had shown a certain fourth quarter
vulnerability in recent games, but showed no signs of this when it mattered
most, putting in a 9-0 run to re-establish their 20 point advantage with
Coach Danny Alexis was in fine form after the game "Today we played an outstanding team game, we played with passion and intensity, and most of all the players seemed to relish the importance of the game, that can only bode well as we approach the remaining league games of the season against the top 2 sides. The best thing about today is that I know there is still more to come from this team, and it looks like it is coming together just at the right time."
w/e 24/02/08 Phoenix win again to set up crucial encounterOmega London 67 COSTA Wellingborough Phoenix 70 A hard fought win by COSTA Wellingborough Phoenix at Omega London in their latest EBL Division 4 tie on Sunday, set up a Mothers Day showdown with play-off rivals Richmond London United next Sunday at Weavers Leisure Centre at 3pm. Phoenix started in great shape going out to a 10-5 lead early on, before captain Gary Burton took over, inspiring his side with 14 points in a 19-6 run to take Phoenix into a 33-14 lead after the first period. Phoenix weren't able to keep up such pace in the second quarter as Omega started to came back into the game as they closed the gap to 12 points before a late 6 point surge from Luke Lister opened the gap to 47-31 at half time. Wellingborough kept the initiative through the third period until a 10-0 run from the Londoners at the end of the quarter closed the gap to 58-52. It seemed the Phoenix players were starting to think ahead to next weeks clash, before ensuring a victory was complete. Mark Gledhill kept Phoenix's noses in front with 7 early fourth quarter points as Omega closed to within one point at 64-65 midway through the period, but the Wellingborough defence stepped up to close Omega down at a crucial stage, keeping them to just 2 points in the final 5 minutes, as Wellingborough held on to earn their most important victory of the season to date. After the weekends results Wellingborough's play-off destiny is now in their own hands, and a victory next week against third place Richmond would move Phoenix above their rivals into the play-off places with only two games of the regular season to go. A relieved Coach Danny Alexis was still philosophical at the performance "after such a good start, it looked like our minds started to wander to next weeks game, and we couldn't afford to do that against a difficult opponent, so I am glad we managed to hold on to our lead." Burton top scored with 18 points, Luke Lister with 14 and Devon Adams and Jon Stonebridge both with 11 led the support in a composed win. Phoenix are back in action at Weavers on Sunday 2nd March when they entertain play off rivals Richmond London United at 3pm. w/e 17/02/08 Phoenix hammer local rivalsCOSTA Wellingborough Phoenix 111 Bedford Bulls 55 COSTA Wellingborough Phoenix recorded their fifth straight win, racking up 111 points in the process against local rivals Bedford Bulls in their latest EBL Division 4 tie at Weavers Leisure Centre on Sunday. Phoenix started fast with Devon Adams knocking down 8 early points as Phoenix fled to a 20-3 lead; they put in a very impressive defensive performance in the first quarter keeping Bedford down to just 6 points, Wellingborough eventually going in leading 24-6 after the first period, Daniel Turiccki rounded off the quarter with a superb "alley-oop" dunk from a Chris Fletcher assist. Phoenix started the second period as they left off, opening with a 13-5 run to stretch the lead to 26 points with former Bull Mark Gledhill dominant with 7 quick points. Wellingborough continued to dominate all aspects of the game with Bedford having no answers to Phoenix's full court intensity as the home side went into half time with a 30 point advantage leading 51-21. There was no let up for Bedford after the break with Phoenix putting in another 14-1 run to open the half in style led by a 7 point burst from Danny Barrett ; they followed this with an 11-0 run and as Turiccki sent down his second "alley-oop" dunk from another Fletcher assist, it pushed the lead beyond 50 points, Wellingborough kept the momentum to lead 83-32 after the third period. After an 8 point response from Bedford to open the final period, Phoenix regained total control with a 10 point surge followed up by another 10-0 run rounded off with a superb play from Jon Stonebridge who followed up a giant block at the defensive end, regained possession and drove the length of the court to send down a monstrous dunk over the Bedford defence to send the crown wild. Bedford had no answers as Phoenix held to run out comfortable 111-55 winners. A delighted Coach Danny Alexis was thrilled at the performance "we started well and kept our performance right at the top all game long. We were ruthless and gave Bedford no chances to get into any sort of rhythm. The defensive effort was great with 21 steals which created many easy scoring opportunities. We spread the scoring round the whole team and everyone made a major contribution to the win. We need now to take this intensity and focus into our next game to prove we can play like this against better sides." Gledhill top scored with 19 points, Devon Adams with 14 and Gary Burton with 12 points led the way as every Phoenix player made the score-sheet. Phoenix are in action in London next Sunday and back in action at Weavers on Sunday 2nd March when they entertain fellow promotion hopefuls Richmond London United at 3pm. w/e 10/02/08 Swindon Sonics home game against second placed Bognor Pirates on Sunday ended before a ball was thrown in anger. Bognor arrived without their licences and with England Basketballs strict 'No licence-No play' rule the referees had no alternative but to abandon the game and now a decision will be made by the league as to whether the Sonics will be awarded the game. Sonics next game is at home to Plymouth Marjons Cannons II on Sunday at the Link Centre, jump ball 4.00 pm. Fury no match for dominant PhoenixWest Anglia Fury II 39 COSTA Wellingborough Phoenix 96 A convincing display from COSTA Wellingborough Phoenix sent basement side West Anglia Fury to their 11th straight defeat in EBL Division 4 with a dominant display in Kings Lynn on Saturday. Phoenix started slowly against the inexperienced Kings Lynn side going 5-2 behind before coach Danny Alexis took a time out to re-emphasise the need to avoid complacency against the league strugglers. whatever was said, did the trick as Wellingborough went on a 25-8 run to close the quarter leading 27-13, inspired by 8 early points from Michal Wroblewski.
Wellingborough started the second quarter slowly
again, scoring only 4 points in the first 5 minutes as Kings Lynn started to
attack the basket, leading to Phoenix committing early fouls, however they went
on a 21-0 rampage to close the quarter taking the game way beyond Fury. Danny
Barrett chipped in with 8 points as the strong Wellingborough defence generated
some easy scoring chances, as
After half time the
It was more of the same as Wellingborough remained in
control throughout the final period, and it was left to Kings Lynn old boy
Coach Danny Alexis was frustrated afterwards "we did
a professional job when we got going but failed to display the ruthlessness we
have been looking for, we defended well as the 26 steals showed, and the 21
assists were a testament to how well we passed the ball. There are still many
areas left for improvement, so we'll try to implement these against
Danny Barrett again top scored with 17 points, Michal Wroblewski added 16 and Daniel Turiccki chipped in with 14 as all players got on the score sheet and a great all round display. Phoenix are back in action on Weavers on Sunday 17th February when they entertain local rivals Bedford Bulls at 3pm. w/e 03/02/08 Dan and Dan extinguish the SunsEBL Division 4 COSTA Wellingborough Phoenix 90 Sevenoaks Suns 73 A shorthanded COSTA Wellingborough Phoenix went six points clear of fifth spot in EBL Division 4 with a fine all round team performance at Weavers on Sunday. Phoenix had to re-shuffle the pack at the start, without two key point guards, but the changes paid off as Phoenix went out to an early 18-11 lead, with Jon Stonebridge making his mark with 6 early points, but Wellingborough were struggling to convert their openings as the game remained tight before Daniel Turiccki came into the game with 2 minutes left in the first quarter, and announced himself on the game with 2 monster dunks as part of his 8 point blitz that inspired a 15-2 explosion in the final 2 minutes to open a 33-15 lead after the first period. Wellingborough started the second quarter as they left off, opening up with an 11-0 run to stretch the lead to 29 points, but then seemed to take their foot off the gas as Sevenoaks managed to slow down the Phoenix offence, allowing the Suns to close the gap to 15 points by half time as Phoenix went into the break holding a 52-37advantage. After half time the Suns closed the gap to 12 points before back to back 3-pointers from Danny Barrett re-established an 18 point advantage, but with Wellingborough committing a series of sloppy turnovers it allowed Sevenoaks back into a game they shouldn't have had a sniff of, as they ended the quarter with a 16-4 run over the last 5 minutes to close the gap to 9 points as Phoenix went into the final period leading 70-61. Danny Barrett ensured there would be no close game to contend with, as he lit up burying three more 3-pointers, as Wellingborough pulled away opening a 23 point lead to take the game beyond Sevenoaks, who battled away to the end, but eventually went down 90-73. Coach Danny Alexis was left frustrated after the result "we should have learned the lessons from previous games and put these guys away early, to let them within 10 in the third, made things harder for us than they needed to be. We will go to work this week in training to iron out this tendency to let teams come back at us, when we should take the opportunity to be ruthless. Teams with the aspirations as high us we have, should be able to do that week in week out." Danny Barrett top scored with 24 points, Daniel Turiccki with 17 and Jon Stonebridge with 12 lent the main support; recent new signing Michal Wroblewski showed signs of settling in as he had his first double digit game with 11 points and Devon Adams had a terrific all round game picking up the slack at the point guard position. Phoenix are back in action on Saturday when they travel to Kings Lynn to take on basement side West Anglia Fury, they return to Weavers on Sunday 17th February when they entertain local rivals Bedford Bulls at 3pm. w/e 27/01/08 Loughborough Cardinals 58 COSTA Wellingborough Phoenix 82 COSTA Wellingborough Phoenix consolidated fourth spot in EBL Division 4 with a fine all round team performance in Loughborough on Saturday. Coach Danny Alexis kept faith with the reshuffled starters following last weeks win, and again the start was more positive as Phoenix went into an early 6-3 lead, however the Cardinals bounced back going on a 8-0 run to seize the initiative, showing glimpses on their recent good form in the process, but Wellingborough bounced back to close the gap to 15-16 after the first quarter. The second quarter was a nip and tuck affair with neither side able to break free, the lead kept changing hands, with no lead more than 3 points until the final shot of the half, a 3-pointer from Phoenix's Danny Barrett, which stretched Wellingborough's slim advantage to 36-31 at half time. After half time it was a different story as Wellingborough came out strong going on a 15-0 run to take the game away from Loughborough, Jon Stonebridge and Daniel Turiccki both added 6 points in the run including a monster dunk from the youngster Turiccki to demoralise the Cardinals side further, and when Chris Fletcher hit a 3-pointer to close the quarter the Phoenix lead stood at 21 points, as they went into the final period 62-41 ahead. There were no signs of last weeks fourth quarter jitters as Wellingborough kept in total control throughout the fourth quarter, not allowing the Loughborough side a sniff at getting back into the game, as they stretched the lead further to close the game comfortable 82-58 winners. A delighted coach Danny Alexis said afterwards that "everyone contributed to the win today, in a great team performance, defensively we were fantastic, we shut down their top 3 scorers, and really imposed our game on the opposition." Daniel Turiccki top scored with 12 points, Danny Barrett with 11 and Gary Burton with 10 lent the main support, but with every player making the score sheet it was a true team performance. w/e 20/01/08 Phoenix avenge first day defeat to supply a birthday treat COSTA Wellingborough Phoenix 86 Lambeth Lakers 83 COSTA Wellingborough Phoenix stayed fourth in EBL Division 4 and got their season back on track with a tense win over fifth place Lambeth Lakers in front of a packed house at Weavers on Sunday. The largest crowd of the season enjoyed a birthday treat as the Club celebrated their 20th Anniversary and served up a great game, with Wellingborough looking to avenge their first day defeat in London as the Phoenix victory set the day off in style. Following slow starts in the last 2 games Coach Danny Alexis changed the starting five and got the response he was looking for as Phoenix came out the traps with a much greater intensity than they have shown recently in a high scoring and frantic opening period, as both teams tried to gain the upper hand. It was Wellingborough who gained the initiative on the back of a 15-0 run midway through the first quarter inspired by 11 early points from Luke Lister to open up an 11 point lead, before the Londoners replied with a 8 point burst of their own, closing the gap to just 2 points before back to back 3-pointers from Danny Barrett pushed Phoenix out in front as the sides went into the second period with Phoenix holding a 33-28 advantage. The second quarter showed the defensive qualities of Wellingborough's game, as they put a stop to the high scoring of the first period and kept Lambeth down to just 11 points, as Daniel Turiccki and Chris Fletcher came to the fore with 5 and 6 points respectively as Phoenix went into the half-time break leading 54-39. Following half-time entertainment from two local up and coming artists, Cassie and Ravaun Jones, Phoenix came out as they started the first period, determined to put an end to their losing streak, they stretched their lead to 19 points, the largest lead of the game midway through the third quarter. Wellingborough maintained the advantage to lead 71-54 going into the final period, although the offence was struggling to be as dominant as it was early in the game. Lambeth started the final quarter the better going on an 9-2 run, but Wellingborough responded with 7-3 run to hold a 14 point lead going into the final three minutes, when Phoenix's offensive struggles took hold as they began to look nervous in trying to hold on as Lambeth went on a 15-2 run to close the gap to just two points at 84-82 as they entered the final minute. The Londoners then had an opportunity to tie the scores, as Leon Cameron went to the line for 2 free shots with 56 seconds to go, with the 300+ crowd upping the volume, he could only manage to hit one, closing the score to 84-83. Phoenix went down the other end and Luke Lister was fouled going to the basket, as the pressure mounted both free throws were missed, but a strong rebounding effort from Lister regained the ball only to be fouled again; Wellingborough again missed both free shots, but yet again Phoenix regained the ball, this time Jon Stonebridge came up with a crucial rebound to keep the ball in Wellingborough's possession. As the seconds ran down Stonebridge was fouled and he managed to sink one of his 2 free throws, to stretch the Wellingborough lead to 85-83, following the final shot, Wellingborough with great defensive hustle again regained possession and Devon Adams was fouled and managed to make one of two shots with 3 seconds to go to put Phoenix 86-83 ahead, and despite a desperate full court shot attempt from Lambeth to force overtime, Phoenix held on to record a vital win. An exhausted coach Danny Alexis said afterwards that "today was about heart, and the guys showed it when it mattered most. that Lambeth didn't get a good look at a shot in the final minute was testament to the increased intensity that we showed the whole game. We looked nervous down the stretch, but we shouldn't have been in that position, we need to learn that when we are 19 points up we should not let teams back into the game; saying all that I am delighted with the team performance, and so pleased that we gave the Club and the huge crowd a birthday present of a win today." Luke Lister led the scoring with 17 points, Daniel Turiccki and Mark Gledhill, both with 11 led the support, with Chris Fletcher, Gary Burton and Danny Barrett adding 10 points each in a fine all round display. w/e 13/01/08 Phoenix need to start quickerCOSTA Wellingborough Phoenix 66 Westminster Warriors 91 COSTA Wellingborough Phoenix stayed fourth in EBL Division 4, but are now further away from the leading teams after coming up short against a strong Westminster Warriors side at Weavers on Sunday. In a game between Wellingborough, the league's most potent offence, and Westminster, with the league's best defensive record, something had to give and it was the Phoenix offence that gave way under enormous pressure, as they couldn't find a way round the strong defensive effort from the Londoners. Phoenix again suffered from a slow start, and never got back on terms, the slow start trend is becoming a thorn in the side of the Wellingborough side who have seen the early season optimism to be challenging for the end of season play-offs seem a long way away on the back of three consecutive defeats against the top 3 teams in the division. This was always going to be tough part of the season for Phoenix, and they need to re-establish their credentials with a win against fifth place Lambeth next Sunday at Weavers to get the season back on track. The need to start the game stronger was never better illustrated than against Westminster, after going down 11-2 inside the first 3 minutes, Phoenix never got closer than 6 points during the remainder of the quarter, and subsequently the match, as the offence consistently failed to fire due to numerous unforced turnovers. The Wellingborough side did get going, but despite 4 quick points from Jon Stonebridge, Phoenix went in 13-23 behind after the first quarter. Another large crowd at Weavers tried hard to lift the side as they battled to get back into the game, but the Westminster defence, that has given up an average of only 50 points a game all season was proving too tough a nut to crack, as Warriors went on a 13-2 run to open up a 20 point lead midway through the second period, as Phoenix continued to struggle and eventually trailed 25-42 at half time. After the break and a "dressing down" from coach Danny Alexis Wellingborough produced their best spell of the game, led by 6 early points from Devon Adams, and at one point closed the gap to 13 points, but couldn't maintain the momentum to get back into the game, as Warriors Lovelock scored 11 of his game high 27 points in a three minute spell to take Westminster away again as they led 63-47 going into the final period. Phoenix tried in vain to get back into the game in the final quarter, as Gary Burton ran in 8 of his 16 points, but it was the Westminster side who extended their winning margin to 91-66 at the close. Coach Danny Alexis said afterwards that "I still have faith in the players, but they need to realise that they need to be able to step up their game when it matters against the top teams. When this group realise exactly how good they are, we will be a threat to be taken seriously by all teams we come up against." Captain Burton with 16 points top scored for Phoenix, with Luke Lister adding 12 and Stonebridge 11 in support. Phoenix try to get back on track next Sunday as they face Lambeth Lakers at Weavers at 3pm, be their early to cheer the side on. w/e 06/01/08 Phoenix can't tame league leadersEBL Division 4 COSTA Wellingborough Phoenix 75 Derby Trailblazers II 103 COSTA Wellingborough Phoenix stayed fourth in EBL Division 4, after being blown away by an outstanding shooting performance from league leaders Derby Trailblazers at Weavers on Sunday. Wellingborough went into this key game without a starting player with top scorer from the previous game, Luke Lister, still in China; in addition they were still waiting for international clearance for new 6'10" forward Michal Wroblewski so it meant a readjustment at the start for Phoenix. Phoenix started slowly against a Derby side including six players from their Division One squad, who started the game going out to a 10-2 lead before the Wellingborough side got going, they came back into it closing the gap to trail 18-25 at the break. The league leaders started the second period as they did the first, seeming not to miss a shot as they extended the lead to 21 points as the three point shots rained into the Phoenix basket from all angles. Wellingborough did finish the half in fine style going on a 10-0 run of their own to close the gap to 42-53 at half time. After the break Phoenix maintained their second quarter momentum to close the gap to 6 points at 49-55, but it was Derby who found an extra gear to pull away with a 17-2 run inspired by Division One regular Simon Allaway scoring 11 of his game high 36 points to take the game beyond Wellingborough. Phoenix worked hard to try to get back into the game, but trailed 61-85 after three quarters. With the game gone Wellingborough were able to give some valuable experience to some of their fringe players in the fourth period, as Derby ran out comfortable 103-75 winners. Devon Adams led the scoring for Wellingborough with 18 points, Jon Stonebridge with 15 and youngster Daniel Turiccki with 13 points provided the main support. Danny Alexis was philosophical after the defeat "we lost to the better team today, I am sure we will learn the lessons from today and be able to apply them when we play other top teams; the only disappointment was giving up 100+ points at home, however they did shoot very well.” Wellingborough are back in action at Weavers Leisure Centre on Sunday 13th January 2008 when they welcome Westminster Warriors, doors open at 2.30pm for a tip at 3pm, get there early to cheer the team on in EBL Division 4. That is followed by home game against Lambeth Lakers on the 20th January, when the club celebrates its 20th Anniversary. w/e09/12/07 Phoenix march onEBL Division 4 COSTA Wellingborough Phoenix 107 Omega London 68 COSTA Wellingborough Phoenix made hard work of beating a depleted Omega London as the game was a lot closer than the score line suggests, leaving it late before turning on the style to climb to second place in EBL Division 4 in front of a packed Weavers Leisure Centre on Sunday. Wellingborough started smoothly enough going out to a 9-4 lead early on, Omega came back to tie the score before a 9-2 end to the quarter, left Phoenix seemingly in control leading 22-15 behind Mark Gledhill's seven first quarter points. However it was the Londoners who came our firing in the second period, as Phoenix struggled to get any offensive rhythm. Omega put in an 11-2 run and a 13-2 run to reverse the scores, as Wellingborough went in to the half time break trailing 32-41. After the break Phoenix came out revitalised, and changed their defensive strategy, and started to pressurise the London side into mistakes, Gary Burton scored six early points as Wellingborough closed the gap to 3 points, they could not gain the lead, although they did have the momentum going into the final period 54-58 behind. The full court pressure defence from Wellingborough finally took its toll, after taking the lead with a Danny Barrett 3 pointer, Phoenix piled on an astonishing 16 points in a single minute, to take the game away from Omega, who then paid the price for only turning up with 5 players by going down to only 4 on court as Grzybek fouled out. Phoenix showed no mercy to the visitors as they continued to run in the points with a 24-2 run before finishing off an unprecedented 53 point final quarter with a 3 pointer from Ashley Chambers on the buzzer. Skipper Gary Burton led the scoring with 17 points, as well as 7 assists and 6 steals, Barrett finished with 14 points, Gledhill and Luke Lister chipped in with 12 each. Danny Alexis was please with the win, but frustrated with the performance “I am obviously happy with "the W", but the opposition really exploited some of our weaknesses. Our ball movement wasn't as slick as usual, and we lacked our normal defensive intensity. I am pleased we have moved up the table, and we aim to consolidate that position next week with a better performance.” Wellingborough Scorers (full list): Gary Burton 17; Danny Barrett 14; Luke Lister 12; Mark Gledhill 12; Devon Adams 11; Chris Fletcher 10; Jon Stonebridge 9; Ashley Chambers 7; Dino George 6; John Clarke 4; Luke Hutcherson 3; Daniel Turiccki 2. Phoenix are back in action at Weavers Leisure Centre on Sunday 6th January 2008 when they welcome league leaders Derby Trailblazers, doors open at 2.30pm for a tip at 3pm, get there early to cheers the team on in EBL Division 4. they close their pre-Christmas programme against London United in Richmond next Sunday. w/e02/12/07 Adams inspires Phoenix to hard fought winEBL Division 4 Bedford Bulls 89 COSTA Wellingborough Phoenix 95 COSTA Wellingborough Phoenix kept up the pressure on the leaders in Division 4 and maintained their winning streak with a determined display on Sunday at local rivals Bedford. Wellingborough made it five straight wins, as they had to put in another late surge to defeat stubborn resistance from the Bedford side. Both teams started the first quarter in high scoring fashion, despite 6 early points from Jon Stonebridge Phoenix trailed 27-29 after the first period. Things remained tight during the second period, but it was Wellingborough who got their noses on front with Devon Adams and Gary Burton combining well, as they went into the break leading 53-51. Bedford took back the initiative in the third period, when with the scores tied at 65 they went on an 8-0 run before Phoenix finished strongly to keep the Wellingborough side in contention 71-75 behind going into the final quarter. Phoenix' s greater defensive energy and experience started to tell in the final period, as they maintained the momentum from the third quarter and took the lead midway through the final period. a lead they did not relinquish as they shut down the Bedford offence that had been performing so well early in the game, inspired by a great all round performances from Adams. Devon Adams led from the front with 19 points, Stonebridge also added 19 with Luke Lister and Gary Burton both with 13 providing the main support. Danny Alexis was frustrated with the performance “we let the referees and the surroundings get into our heads today, and that affected our flow, but I am pleased that we showed enough determination and resilience to come through in the final stages.” Wellingborough Scorers (full list): Devon Adams 19; Jon Stonebridge 19; Luke Lister 13; Gary Burton 13; Mark Gledhill 9; Chris Fletcher 9; Danny Barrett 5; ; Daniel Turiccki 4; Luke Hutcherson 3; Ashley Chambers 1 w/e 18/11/07 Phoenix up to third, as run continuesEBL Division 4
COSTA Wellingborough
Phoenix 123
COSTA Wellingborough Phoenix
sent out another message to the rest of Division Four as they continued their
march up the table, taking third spot after a 72 point thrashing of West Anglia
in front of another packed house at Weavers Leisure Centre on Sunday and
consigned
Wellingborough made it three
straight wins, as they put in a devastating performance, never letting the Kings
Lynn side get into any sort of rhythm. Phoenix started well, going out to a 12-6
lead midway through the first quarter with 7 early points from
A 10-2 run to open the second period, put the game beyond Fury, as Wellingborough imposed their running game in style, a superb passing display was allowing Phoenix to score almost at will, a further 16-0 run towards the end of the period was demonstration of this as Wellingborough went into half time leading 55-24.
If Phoenix were good in the
first half, the third period was just awesome, as they sent down 41 points,
Danny Barrett scored early 10 points, and a monster dunk from
Wellingborough knew going into the game that a 60 point win would take them up the table, and they started the final period with the same intensity, Daniel Turiccki opened with a dunk that drew large cheers from the vocal 200+ spectators, as Phoenix showed no signs of letting up despite running the bench players for most of the final quarter they closed with a 14-2 run to stretch the final winning margin to 72 points.
Two players stood out
recording “double doubles” Danny Barrett led the scorers with 25 points, as well
as 10 rebounds, and youngster Daniel Turiccki added 16 points and 11 rebounds,
they were supporting in the scoring charts by 17 from Ashley Chambers, 13 from
Chris Fletcher, 12 from
Coach Danny Alexis was gushing in his praise “we played at the top of our game today; I don’t think that anyone could have lived with us out there, we passed it well, we rebounded well, we looked after the ball well, it was a great all round team performance. We will have stronger tests this season, but it was nice to see a ruthless streak in the players, and the fact that we didn’t let up towards the end of the game, it was testament to the strength in depth available to us, and the support we give to each other.”
Wellingborough Scorers (full
list): Danny Barrett 25; Ashley Chambers 17; Daniel Turiccki 16; Chris Fletcher
13;
Phoenix are back in action at Weavers Leisure Centre on Sunday 9th December, doors open at 2.30pm for a tip at 3pm, get there early to cheers the team on Omega London in EBL Division 4.
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