17/02/08; 10/02/08; 02/02/08; 27/01/08; 20/01/08; 13/01/08; 09/12/07; 18/11/07; 11/11/07; 04/11/07; 28/10/07; 21/10/07; 14/10/07; 07/10/07
w/e 30/03/08 BIRMINGHAM TOO SHARP FOR NORTHANTS “MOULTON” Junior Men’s Play Offs 2nd Round Northants “Moulton” 64 -73 City of Birmingham I The hopes of the Northants “Moulton” junior men were dashed thanks to an appalling second quarter which saw them outscored 22-4 by City of Birmingham. The team recovered magnificently in the third period and actually took the lead but the effort took too much out of the Moulton based team and they eventually slipped to a 9 point defeat. The main concern for the “Moulton” coaching staff going into the game was the fact that the team hadn’t practiced together for two weeks because of college holidays. This was all too apparent in the opening exchanges with “Moulton” team looking as if they had only just met. Luckily C.O.B. were only a little more efficient missing a number of easy scoring opportunities and at the end of the first quarter “Moulton” had somehow eased out to a 14-10 lead. The second period of play saw both teams change their defensive strategies with “Moulton” trying to contain Birmingham with a match-up zone defence while the West Midlanders increased their man to man intensity. It was the latter tactic which proved more successful with “Moulton” committing a number of turn-overs giving Birmingham easy scoring opportunities. C.O.B. won the quarter 22- to take a 32-14 half time lead. “Moulton’s” half time talk was all about pride and the team responded splendidly in the third period, none more so than Mark Gavin who poured in seven personal points. An 11-zero run stunned Birmingham and unbelievably “Moulton” had recaptured the lead at the end of the quarter at 45-44. Needing to maintain their effort “Moulton” were guilty of numerous errors at the start of the final period of play and C.O.B. moved ahead 73-64. With four minutes to play the home side were given a life-line. A Birmingham player was called for a foul and argued with the referee and was given a technical foul. This mean “Moulton” would have four free throws and possession of the ball, an opportunity to score six points. In the event they missed all four free throws then gave the ball away without even getting off a shot. This was to be “Moulton’s” last opportunity of getting back into the game and C.O.B. held on for a 73-64 win and a place in the 3rd Round of the Play Offs. In the nine point defeat, Jermayne Laing battled hard for his 15 points, Leon Henry contributed 10 while Johnny Yates and Mark Gavin both scored 9 points. All ten of the “Moulton” players will now concentrate on college based competitions beginning this weekend with the National College Championships in Nottingham. w/e 16/03/08 NORTHANTS “MOULTON” MOVE INTO 2ND ROUND OF THE PLAY OFFS Junior Men’s Play Offs 1st Round Northants “Moulton” 82 – 45 Worcester “Wolves” Having secured second place in the Midland Premier Division with their win over Leicester “Cannons”, Northants “Moulton” enjoyed home advantage against Midland Regional team Worcester “Wolves”. The county boys completed a straight forward win despite being guilty of missing numerous scoring opportunities in the fourth quarter by which time “Wolves” were looking extremely tried. The “Moulton” win was based on their first half defensive play which forced Worcester into numerous errors resulting in easy scores. By half time the home side had jumped out to a 50-21 and during the final two periods of play Coach, John Collins was able to adopt a five off, five on policy. In that second half “Wolves” switched to a zone defence and to their credit stuck to their task and showed a great deal of determination. In the 37 points win all ten “Moulton” players contributed to the scoring Leon Henry leading the way with 19 points, and he was well supported by Jerrmayne Laing with 17. In the 2nd Round “Moulton” will face Midland Premier League side City of Birmingham to have beaten the Northants “Thunder” junior men on two occasions this season.
w/e 09/03/08 SUPER “MOULTON” SECURE HOME PLAY OFF BERTH Junior Men’s Midland Premier Division Leicester Beauchamp “Cannons” 63 – 68 Northants “Moulton” For the past two years Beauchamp College in Leicester has been a fortress for the “Cannons” cadet and junior men’s side. This season “Cannons” have won every home game including a win over Midland Premier Division leaders Derby “Trailblazers”. This meant that last Sunday’s win for the Northants “Moulton” junior men was doubly significant first, it broke “Cannons” home court domination but secondly it earned “Moulton a home game in the 1st Round of the Play Offs. A few weeks ago “Moulton” comfortably beat “Cannons” but the county boys knew this would be a much tougher affair. The game plan was simple, be confident and try to keep errors down to a minimum. The win came on the back of big performances from key players and despite four appalling errors which might have cost them the game. The first quarter was an even affair which “Moulton” dominated thanks to their aggressive ‘trapping’ zone defence. Leading 20-15 with three seconds of the period remaining “Moulton” then committed the first of their three key errors. Looking for the last shot of the quarter “Cannons” worked the ball into a shooting position. The “Moulton” defence failed to react and “Cannons” Gareth John drained a three-pointer. To compound the error “Moulton” tried to inbound the ball quickly in an attempt to get off the last shot. The inbound pass was intercepted and Nathan Weaver three up a ‘hail Mary’ which scored to tie the scores up. Coach, John Collins faced a dejected team during the break between quarters but he stressed that his team had dominated the first quarter and should get the events of the last three seconds out of their minds. The second quarter was a close run thing with “Moulton” easing out to a 35-27 lead before “Cannons” responded with a 6-zero surged so “Moulton” led by two at the break. This season has seen some abject third quarter performances from “Moulton” so the half time break was very much a matter of urging the team to keep their focus and play with passion. The team responded magnificently and hit “Cannons” with a 13-4 run which was to prove decisive. Off guard Jermayne Laing spearheaded this charge with a number of penetrating drives to basket and when he failed to score Dan Shaw was on hand to take the rebound and convert. “Cannons” stemmed the tide but at the end of the period “Moulton” were leading 55-45. “Cannons” needed victory to guarantee them a Play Off place and staring defeat in the face they came out for the final quarter with a very aggressive man-to-man pressing defence. Initially this rattled the “Moulton” ball carriers who were guilty of turning the ball over and “Cannons” got the score back to 59-56 but a time out calmed the situation. “Moulton” were then guilty of their third and fourth major errors of the game. First they committed a needless foul sending “Cannons” to the free throw line, then with the clock more important than scoring they took a hurried shot which missed. Luckily for them “Cannons” made only one of their free throws and Jake Wyatt was on hand to tip in the missed shot. “Cannons” were now forced to foul in the hope that “Moulton” would miss free throws but the Northants team held out for a vital win which earns them second place in the Midland Premier Division and a home berth in the 1st Round of the Play Offs. In the 68-63 win Jermayne Laing top scored with 24 points. He was well supported by Leon Henry with 13 points while Dan Shaw had his best game of the season so far scoring 10 points and pulling down 12 rebounds before he rather unluckily fouled out. Coach, John Collins is now faced with the ridiculous situation of possibly playing the 1st Round of the Play Offs without key players. Four of his Moulton College based players are residents and will be travelling home on Thursday for the start of the Easter break.
JUNIOR MEN CLOSE WITH A BATTLING LOSS Junior Men’s Premier Division North York “Vikings” 97 – 89 Northants “Thunder” The Northants “Thunder” junior men closed their injury hit season with an eight point loss to York “Vikings” last Saturday. Once again the team travelled light-handed with just seven players and in the end that was to prove decisive as fatigue played a major factor in the defeat. “Thunder” made a slow start to the game after their long journey and was guilty of some sloppy defeat as they allowed York’s perimeter shooters time to get off shots and by the end of the quarter the home side had established a 33-20 lead. There was however, one encouraging sign for “thunder2 and that was the ease with which they beat York’s attempted press defence. By the end of the first quarter “Thunder” had established their rhythm and were playing with more intensity. This was carried into the second quarter with the county boys able to exploit “Viking’s” slow defensive transition. “Thunder” too ht period 27-21 to reduce the deficit to seven points at54-47. York started the third period in very aggressive mode and after just four minutes had extended their lead to 17 points and “Thunder” looked as if they might be on the wrong end of a heavy defeat. To their credit they re-grouped and by the end of the quarter had got the deficit back to 11 points at 80-69. This effort was continued in the final period of play and the York lead was reduced to just seven points but the home side held on to take the win. In the 97-89 defeat Alexander Stewart had a fin game scoring 21 points. He was well supported by Leome Francis and Richard Higgins with 19 and 17 points respectively while Robert Pearson and Micahel James also scored in double figures. w/e 02/03/08 BOYS UNDER 18 NATIONAL LEAGUE - SOUTH CONFERENCE HARINGEY WARRIORS 94 SOUTHEND SWIFTS 83 The last game of a busy day saw Southend Swifts under 18 boys team take on Haringey Warriors, the team two places ahead of them in 3rd place. The teams had played the closest of matches earlier in the season with Haringey taking a one point victory. Southend made an excellent start taking a 10-4 lead with Sam Green particularly effective. They kept in front at 14-9 but 10 straight for Warriors took them ahead and they held on to lead 21-16 at the end of the first quarter. The hosts made an excellent start to the second period but good work from Ben Tipper kept his team in contention. Six unanswered points took Haringey 10 ahead but Liam Denning was showing superb control for Southend and his three-point shot at the half time buzzer kept his team in contention as they trailed just 43-38 at the midway interval. Warriors again showed a greater resolve, making a 9-2 run that took them 12 ahead before another Denning three-pointer and four straight from Joe Hart reduced the deficit down to seven. The home side again replied strongly scoring an excellent 21 points in a six minute spell that took them 75-59 ahead and seemingly on the way to a very comfortable win. The first four points of the final stanza seemed to put the result beyond doubt but suddenly Swifts James Gaskin took the game over. He scored six in an 8-0 run that made the score 79-67. Warriors replied with the next four but an 8-2 stretch made it 85-75 with four minutes to play. Three points from Denning took it to 87-78 but Southend could get no closer and Haringey maintained their composure to take a 94-83 victory. Swifts had an excellent points spread across their team with Gaskin on 18 points, Hart 14, Green 13, Tipper 12 and were led by Denning with a career high 24 points. The most abiding memory of a very good contest was the outstanding spirit and behaviour of both sets of players, which had been immaculate throughout. IMPORTANT DOUBLE FOR NORTHANTS “MOULTON” The Northants “Moulton junior men did themselves a big favour in their attempt to secure a home berth in the end of Play Offs with two wins over the course of last weekend. Junior Men’s Midland Premier Division Northants “Moulton” 103 – 62 City of Birmingham II Northants “Moulton” 91 – 69 Coventry “Crusaders” “Moulton” opened their double game weekend with a 40 points win over City of Birmingham II at the Northants Basketball Centre last Friday evening. COB were held up in the Friday evening traffic and had little time to prepare for the game and were met by a “Moulton” whirlwind which saw an 18-2 charge. By the end of the first quarter “Mouton” had opened up a 30-6 lead and although Birmingham improved in the second period “Moulton” still poured in another 27 points to lead 57-22 at half time. “Moulton” have been guilty of losing concentration in the third period and so it proved in this game. COB opened with a ‘trapping’ defence which saw “Moulton” commit a number of turn overs resulting in easy scores for their opponents. In the third period “Moulton” were outscored 26-13 and COB sensed they were back in the game. “Moulton” responded with increased defensive pressure of their own and they took the final quarter 33-14 to take the game 103 to 62 laying some delightful basketball along the way. For “Moulton” , Jermayne Laing top scored with 22 points and he was well supported by Leon Henry who contributed 20 points while Jake Barr, Anton Dixon, Dan Shaw and Jake Wyatt all scored in double figures. On Sunday after noon “Moulton” returned to their more familiar home court at John Ashby Sports Centre at Moulton College for a game against Coventry “Crusaders”. Two weeks ago “Moulton” narrowly beat Coventry so they knew they were in for a tough game and so it proved with Crusaders rushing out to a 17-7 lead. “Moulton” responded with a 10 point run of their own so only trailed 18-17 at the end of the first quarter. The second period of play saw “Moulton” produce some of their Friday evening form as they stunned Coventry with the intensity of their defence followed by a number of fast breaks. Leading 42-30 at half time the “Mouton” coaching staff were well aware of a number of poor third quarter performances but their warnings fell on deaf ears as their team made an extremely sloppy start to the period. “Crusaders” got the deficit back to 42-35 but although struggling to score, “Moulton” continued to play tough defence and were able to get the lead back to 12 points by the end of the quarter. The first few minutes of the fourth quarter were to proved decisive with “Moulton” going on a 14-4 charge as “Crusaders” began to suffer from the high tempo of the game. The visitors rallied briefly but “Moulton” finished with a 15-8 sprint to run out winners by the rather flattering margin of 22 points. In the 91-69 win Jermayne Laing once again led all scorers with 29 points. Leon Henry supported well with 15 points while both Dan Shaw and Jason Tucker got into double figures and did a good job in the rebounding department. JUNIOR MEN HANG ON FOR A WIN Junior Men’s Premier Division North Northants “Thunder” 84- 67 Sefton “Stars” The Northants “Thunder” junior men showed a great deal of character in recording a 17 points win over a determined Sefton “Stars” team. The win came thanks in the main to an excellent second quarter performance which saw them outscore the Merseysiders 19-9 to take a35-25 half time lead. “Thunder” playing with just seven players but welcoming back long term injury casualty Phillip Hemphrey had to dig deep in the third period with the honours shared at 21 all to maintain their ten point lead. Then they emphasised their superiority in the final period to take the contest 84-67. In a win based on an excellent all-round team performance Tom Care and Richard Higgins were joint top scorers with 21 points each while Alexander Stewart contributed an invaluable 16 points w/e 24/02/08
BOYS UNDER 18 NATIONAL LEAGUE - SOUTH DIVISION Southend had recorded a narrow 61-55 win when the two teams met earlier in the season. Swifts made a remarkable start to the match, scoring all 23 points in the first quarter to effectively settle proceedings. Ben Tipper was in irrepressible form, scoring 17 himself, as his team simply took over the game. As to be expected, the game took on a rather more sedate manner after that as the teams exchanged scores rather than just one way traffic. Cambridge had a much better second period but still trailed 34-13 at the half time interval. Southend came out strongly in the third quarter as scores from Adam Hawkes and James Gaskin kept the scoreboard moving. Runs of seven and eight unanswered points extended the margin to 55-27 with the final 10 minutes to play. Unsurprisingly the home side's intensity dropped but the victory was secure and the final margin of 66 points to 41 in no way flattered Southend. Tipper with 25 and Gaskin 17 leading the scoring. MOULTON’S BUBBLE IS BURST Junior Men’s Midland Premier Division Black Country “Wolves” 65 - 61 Northants “Moulton” The Northants “Mouton” winning streak extending back over three national league and three college games ended in a cold sports hall in Stourbridge last Sunday. The team trailed throughout their Midland Premier Division encounter with Black Country “Wolves”, a team “Moulton” had comfortably beaten two weeks earlier. “Moulton” were reduced to just seven players because of a number of injuries but even so their considerable height advantage should have been enough to have secured victory. As it was a massive number of thirty errors contrived to give Black Country ample opportunities to score and they were quick to capitalise on these chances. In their previous game “Wolves” had shown their ability to score from the deep perimeter and in the first period they gave ample evidence of their skill connecting with four three point attempts as they took a 13-12 lead. The second quarter started badly for “Moulton” with “Wolves” going on a 15-3 run to take a 29-16 lead. “Moulton” had resorted to a zone defence during this period but a switch back to a man-to-man system proved to be more successful and by half time they had got the score back to 34-28. The third period was a low scoring affair which “Wolves” took 13-12 but “Mouton” remained confident of pulling off a win. Their hopes appeared to be well founded when two Jason Tucker free throws got the score back to 55-52. The next three phases of play however, were to prove decisive. After the Tucker free throws, “Moulton” pressed and forced a turn over but instead of running a disciplined offence they tried to make a quick score. Black Country intercepted and scored a three pointer. Again, lacking patience “Moulton” gave the ball away and fouled a “Wolves” player as he made a lay up. A situation which should have seen them within one point of their opponents saw them trailing by nine and it was as good as ‘game over’. “Moulton” finished the stronger of the two teams but “Wolves held on for the 65-61 win. For “Moulton” Leon Henry, Jason Tucker, Jake Wyatt and Johnny Yates all scored in double figures while Mark Gavin battled hard for his 9 point haul but “Moulton” will look back on the game as one they should have won. The loss could seriously affect “Moulton’s” chances of a home draw in the end of season Play Offs. The team faces a crucial week with home games against City of Birmingham and Coventry on Friday evening and Sunday afternoon. JUNIOR MEN DOWN THE EAGLES Junior Men’s Premier Division North Northants “Thunder” 84 - 54 Newcastle “Eagles” The Northants “Thunder” junior men recorded a comfortable win over bottom of the table Newcastle “Eagles” at the Northants Basketball Centre last Saturday. Five “Thunder” players, Tom Care, Leome Francis, Richard Higgins, Michael James and Alexander Stewart all scored in double figures in the 30 points win. “Thunder” got off to a good start and by the end of the first quarter and had pulled ahead 29-17. A defensive switch by “Eagles” caused the county boys a lot of problems in the second period which the northerners took 12-6. At 35-29 Newcastle was still well and truly in the game but an up tempo start to the third period by “Thunder” took the final result beyond doubt. The Northants team was able to raise the intensity of their defence forcing numerous turn-overs and fast break opportunities and when shots were missed Francis and Higgins were usually on hand to pick up the rebound and score with the put back. In the last two periods of play “Thunder” amassed 49 points while restricting Newcastle to 25 as the home side cruised to victory. w/e 17/02/08 IMPORTANT DOUBLE FOR NORTHANTS “MOULTON” Junior Men’s Midland Premier Division Coventry “Crusaders” 61 – 65 Northants “Moulton” Northants “Moulton 91 – 61 Leicester Beauchamp “Cannons” The Northants “Moulton” junior men made a significant step towards a Play Off berth with a brace of wins last weekend. On Saturday they squeezed past Coventry “Crusaders” then the following day they hammered second placed Leicester Beauchamp “Cannons”. On the face of it Sunday’s encounter against local rivals Leicester looked to be the toughest teat but in the event the game against “Crusaders” proved to be very tough. Preparation for the game was seriously disrupted with three players delayed through traffic problems on various motorways. “Moulton” came out in a very flat state of mind and Coventry totally dominated the first quarter of the game leaping out to 20-10 lead. That lead was extended to 15 points early in the second period and a heavy defeat looked to be on the cards. “Moulton” were able to re-group and managed to reduce the deficit to 12 points by half time and with Coventry’s leading scorer Donaldson sidelined with an ankle injury victory suddenly became a possibility. In the third period of play “Moulton” began to show something like their true form and three back-to-back baskets from Anton Dixon got the students back to 52-48 at the end of the period. “Moulton” took the lead for the first time midway through the final period thanks to three consecutive baskets from Leon Henry. “Crusaders” battled hard but “Moulton” were able to keep their composure and hold on for a win that earlier in the game had seemed most unlikely. In the four points victory Henry led all scorers with 21 points and he received excellent support from Jason Tucker with 12 and Jermayne Laing with 8. Less than 24 hours later “Moulton” were back on court against Leicester Beauchamp “Cannons” who have enjoyed some good results in the Midland Premier Division so far this season. A win would be a major boost to the “Moulton” programme but the team knew from the outset that they would have to be at their very best if they were to secure victory. The early exchanges were pretty even but it was apparent that the match officials were going to very tough on the slightest contact. Both teams suffered as a result of this but “Moulton” was able to adapt better and by the end of the quarter held a 26-19 lead, thanks to 12 points from the free throw line. “Moulton” made an excellent start to the second quarter with an 8-zero charge but then “Cannons” responded with 9-zero and 11-2 runs of their own. The Leicester team took the period 22-15 to tie the scores at 41 all at half time. The “Moulton” half time talk was all about confidence and relaxation but the start they made to the third quarter was quite unbelievable. The students defended with tenacity, made steal after steal to run in lay ups and when this option was open they blitzed their opponents with perimeter shots. In a seven minute period they outscored “Cannons” 29-3 to take a 70-44 lead and the game was as good as over. “Cannons” rallied briefly at the start of the final period of play but then two key players fouled out allowing “Moulton” to stroll to their most impressive win of the season at 91-61. The 30 points margin was flattering but for once “Mouton” had played to their full potential and thoroughly deserved their win. In the win over “Cannons” that moves them into 3rd place in the Midland Premier Division table; Jermayne Laing scored 29 points well supported by Leon Henry with 24 while Jake Barr made an important 11 point contribution. w/e 10/02/08 BOYS UNDER 18 NATIONAL LEAGUE - SOUTH DIVISIONBRENTWOOD FIRE 91 SOUTHEND SWIFTS 78 After some excellent recent results, Southend Swifts under 18 boys team made the short journey to Brentwood Fire, who are currently top of their division, looking to maaintain their form. Both teams started well, with Sam Green scoring Swifts' first seven points as they trailed 10-7 after three minutes. James Gaskin scored eight of his teams next 10 as the scores were tied at 17 and although Brentwood moved six ahead, good work again from Green and Gaskin pegged them back to just 25-21 at the end of the first quarter. Fire took the initiative at the start of the second quarter to take a 12 point lead but an excellent performance from Ben Tipper got Southend back into the contest. He contributed 15 points in the period, which saw the margin stand at just four at the midway interval, at 45 points to 41 to the home side. Good work from Adam Hawkes and Tipper gave Swifts their first lead at 48-47 and the remainder of the quarter saw the teams trade baskets, with neither side able to establish a commanding advantage, and with one stanza to play, Southend had the narrowest of leads at 65-64. Still neither side could get away and a three point shot from Josh Gridley tied the game up at 70. With five minutes remaining it was 72 all, but Swifts simply lost their belief that they could beat the league leaders. They allowed their opponents to make a 14-2 run that blew the game open and saw Brentwood take the victory by 91 points to 78, with a margin that was certainly flattering. Tipper 23 points, Green 18 and Gaskin 17 leading the Southend's scoring. BRAVE JUNIOR MEN JUST PIPPED BY TRAFFORD Junior Men’s North Premier Division Northants “Thunder” 60 – 65 Trafford The Northants Junior Men just failed to pick up a win against Trafford who just five hours previously had played as Manchester in a Cadet National League game. “Thunder” did superbly well to get back into the game after a disastrous first quarter which saw them trailing 25-10. The county boys battled back well in the second period which they took 18-11 but trailing 36-28 at half time the hill looked too steep to climb. Tenacious defence in the third period combined with some excellent fast breaks saw “Thunder” establish some momentum and by the end of the period the score was tied at 49 each. By this time both teams were extremely tired and scoring became very difficult for both sets of players. “Thunder “ seemed to have the edge at 60-58 with three minutes left to play but then they failed to score for the next three minutes and Trafford were able to edge home. In those final three minutes everything went wrong for the county boys. Twice they missed put backs and were prevented from scoring by a foul which might easily have been called as deliberate but wasn’t. In the disappointing defeat Alexander Stewart played his heart out in scoring 15 points. Leome Francis contributed 13 and Tom Care 10 but Coach, Tony Stewart will reflect on the ten free throws that his team missed. “MOULTON” GO ONE AND ONE FOR WEEKEND Junior Men’s Midland Premier Division Derby “Trailblazers” 87 -65 Northants “Moulton Northants “Moulton 101 – 84 Black Country “Wolves The Northants “Moulton” junior men’s team bounced back from an on-the-road defeat against league leaders Derby “Trailblazers” on Saturday to see off a sharp-shooting Black Country “Wolves” outfit the next day. The game against Derby was as good as over by half time by which time the “Trailblazers” had raced into a 52-25 lead. During the first two periods the “Moulton” players had played without conviction and confidence. In the second half Derby ran their bench but at least the Northants boys played with a little more conviction and actually won the second half 40-35 but still went down to a 20 plus points defeat. In the 87-65 defeat Jermayne Laing top scored with 18 points while Leon Henry, Dan Shaw and Jason Tucker all had 10. Less than twenty-four hours later the team were back on court against Black Country “Wolves” one of a group of teams battling for one of the top four Play Off places. The game of off to an explosive start with both teams scoring freely. “Moulton” mainly from fast breaks while “Wolves” poured in a torrent of three-point shots. At the end of the first period “Mouton” led 36-23 and it looked as if a cricket score board would be needed to keep track of the scores. Looking to consolidate at the start of the second quarter “Moulton” were guilty of some basic errors. Black Country was able to capitalise on these mistakes and a 9-zero charge including another two three-pointers got them back into the contest at 36-32. “Mouton” was able to re-group and increase the intensity of their defence and by half time had re-established their 13 point lead at 55-42. After the torrent of points in the first two periods the third quarter was a relatively dour affair which “Wolves” edged 18-13 to drag the “Moulton” lead back to just 8 points. This was reduced to five with another “Wolves” three-pointer and “Moulton” looked as if the were about to lose a game they had dominated for long periods. At this stage “Moulton” coach, John Collins switched to a combination defence paying particular attention to the “Wolves” influential point guard Dalia. This had an immediate effect as the defence forced a number of turn-overs leading to easy scores. “Moulton” went on a 26-5 run to lead 94-68 with three minutes remaining but “Wolves” weren’t finished. The West Midlanders came out of a time out flaking up long range three-pointers and were successful with no less then four in those remaining three minutes to reduce the deficit to 17. In the game Black Country had connected with an amazing 15 three-pointers but “Moulton” could be well pleased with their 101-84 win. In the 17 point victory, Leon Henry, Jermayne Laing and Dan Shaw scored 25, 24 and 23 points respectively while Jake Wyatt contributed 13. w/e 02/02/08 BOYS UNDER 18 NATIONAL LEAGUE - SOUTH DIVISION SOUTHEND SWIFTS 77 HARROW PRIDE 70 Southend Swifts under 18 boys team have probably surprised even themselves with their performances so far this season with six wins from their eleven games and had the opportunity of avenging one of their defeats when Harrow Pride visited them at Fitzwimarc School. The West London side have had a tough time in recent weeks but would be looking to build on their narrow four point win over Swifts earlier in the season. The home side made a good start, taking a 9-2 lead but excellent shooting from Harrow's Marton kept his team in the contest at 11-9. The last five minutes of the first quarter, however, would see a remarkable transformation as Southend kept their opponents scoreless, whilst scoring 13 points themselves to open a 24-9 lead; Sam Green contributing six. A Ben Tipper three-pointer triggered a 7-2 run that took Swifts 20 ahead and with Liam Denning playing excellent defence on Marton, Southend produced some of their best basketball of the season to move out to 41-18. Pride scored seven unanswered before a late Adam Hawkes basket made it 43-25 at the midway break. Five straight for Swifts, including a Denning three-pointer, took the margin above 20 again but a change of defensive formation from Harrow and some excellent shooting brought the visitors back into the match at 52-37. Four straight for Southend seemed to calm matters although another good spell for Harrow left the scoreline at 58-44 going into the final period. Scores from Tipper and Green extended the lead to 17 but further defensive pressure from Harrow got them back to 68-57 with four minutes remaining. James Gaskin, suffering from a virus, produced a sterling effort, taking numerous rebounds to keep the Harrow players from getting easy chances. He scored his teams next five points but Harrow had scored nine in the same time and with two minutes remaining it was 74-68. But Southend retained their composure over the remaining time and with Tipper converting three foul shots the team was able to record a well-deserved 77-70 victory. Green with a career high 21 points, Tipper 18, Gaskin 15 and Denning 12 led the way in a win that takes Swifts to third place in the league table. w/e 27/01/08 BOYS UNDER 18 NATIONAL LEAGUE - SOUTH CONFERENCE ISLINGTON PANTHERS 60 SOUTHEND SWIFTS 61 This match ended in bizarre circumstances, as both sides sought victory with the scoreboard showing 60 points each. But before overtime could start, the match referees checked the score book to find that there had been an error and that Southend had recorded a one point victory that lifts them to 5th place in the league table. BRAVE JUNIOR MEN GO DOWN AGAIN Junior Men’s North Premier Division City of Birmingham I 104 – 42 Northants “Thunder” The Northants “Thunder” junior men travelled to Birmingham to take on the C.O.B. first team without several key players due to injury and other commitments. They ended up on the end of another heavy defeat despite battling performances from Leome Francis and Alexander Stewart who both scored 15 points. After the first quarter “Thunder” trailed 29-16 and the writing was already on the wall with Birmingham forcing a number of turn-overs with their pressure defence while at the defensive end “Thunder” were hit with a barrage of three-pointers. In the second period the county boys once again found it difficult to cope with Birmingham’s pressure and by half time the deficit had grown to 53-27. There was a danger that the pressure and fatigue would get to the under-strength Northants team in the final two quarters and so it proved. Scoring chances were few and far between while the errors continued to present Birmingham with easy scoring opportunities. In the last two periods of play “Thunder” managed just 15 points while their opponents scored 51 to take the final score to 104-42 STRONG FINISH GIVES “MOULTON” VICTORY Junior Men’s Midland Premier Division City of Birmingham II 55 -74 Northants “Moulton When these two teams met in the National Cup, “Mouton” came away winners by over 40 points. From the outset on Saturday it was obvious that C.O.B. II had improved a great deal. Even so “Moulton” put together one of their best quarters of the season so far combining aggressive defence with lightning quick breaks. At the end of the period they led 25-13 and another easy victory looked to be on the cards. Birmingham however, had other ideas and as “Moulton” lost their impetus they were able to restrict scoring opportunities. The home side took the period 14-10 to reduce the deficit to 35-27 and it was ‘game on’. Needing a good start to the third quarter “Moulton” missed a number of easy scoring opportunities and Birmingham, now full of confidence reduced the gap to one point at 36-35. Coach, John Collins switched back to a man to man defence in order to raise the tempo and this immediately had an effect. “Moulton “ went on a 15-6 scoring charge to lead 41-41 at the end of the period. Birmingham responded in the fourth quarter with three, three-pointers but the county boys closed the period with an 11-zero run to take the game 74-55. In an excellent al-round team effort, Jermayne Laing top scored with 20 points, Leon Henry contributed 15 and Jake Wyatt 12 while Jason Tucker who played in three different floor positions scored 9 w/e 20/01/08 JUNIOR MEN NO MATCH FOR MAGIC Junior Men’s North Premier Division Northants “Thunder 47 - 102 Manchester “Magic” The Northants “Thunder” Junior Men still weakened by withdrawals and injuries were no match for a rampant Manchester “Magic” outfit. The team managed just 20 points in the first two periods while Manchester poured in 54 thanks to some excellent perimeter shooting and aggressive defence which forced a large number of “Thunder” turn-overs. Things improved in the third and fourth periods as Manchester relaxed with the game already won and the county boys managed 27 points in that time while “Magic” scored 47. In the 55 point set back Leome Francis returning after injury top scored with 14 points while Tom Care battled hard for his 11 but no other Northants player could get into double figures. MOULTON JUST AVOID MAJOR EMBARRASSMENT Junior Men’s Midland Premier Division Northants “Moulton” 77 -66 Derbyshire “Arrows “Arrows” started this Midland Premier game with just five players and after eight minutes of the game they were reduced to four when one of their players tore ankle ligaments. Many people feel many football and rugby teams play better when they are reduced to ten or fourteen players and so it proved with the north Midlands team. “Arrows” immediately resorted to a four man zone defence aimed at protecting the area close to the basket and daring Moulton to shoot from the perimeter. In the event this tactic proved to be very successful as the county boys shot poorly. What was more embarrassing was “Arrows” ability to score despite being a player short. No matter what defensive formation Moulton tried “Arrows” found a way through it thanks to individual efforts and lack of concentration by the Moulton players. Having established a six point lead at half time Moulton extended this to 14 midway through the third period and a comfortable win looked to be on the cards but they just couldn’t put their opponents away and might well have been on the end of a defeat if “Arrows” had played the game with a full compliment of players. There was one positive for Moulton coach, John Collins with all ten of his players contributing points. The Moulton scoring was led by Dan Shaw and Johnny Yates with 12 apiece while Jermayne Laing contributed 11. w/e 13/01/08 BOYS UNDER 18 NATIONAL LEAGUE – SOUTH DIVISION
After two very tough losses before Christmas, Southend Swifts under 18 boys team looked to get back on winning ways when they visited West Herts Warriors; Swifts having recorded a 25 point victory when the teams met earlier in the season.
Southend made a good start,
taking a 12-6 lead on a James Gaskin three-point shot. The same two players dominated proceedings early in the second quarter and with Adam Hawkes also getting into good scoring action, the lead gradually increased. Hart, just 14 years of age, was scoring from all angles giving him 20 first half points as his team led 55-36 at the midway break.
The
The final 10 minutes was just a scorefest as the teams combined for 58 points. Southend were making some excellent passes as they moved out to an excellent 114-86 win that leaves them in 5th place in a very tough division, with 5 players in double figures on the day. w/e 09/12/07 BOYS UNDER 18 NATIONAL LEAGUE - SOUTH 1 CONFERENCE SOUTHEND SWIFTS 71 HARINGEY WARRIORS 73 Southend Swifts under 18 boys were back in action when they welcomed Haringey Warriors to Fitzwimarc School. The hosts came into the game after a narrow victory at Cambridge the previous week whilst Warriors are in second place in the league table with just one defeat in six games. Southend opened well, displaying good composure as they opened an 8-2 lead after 3 minutes. Haringey hit back with the next five points, but Swifts kept Warriors high flying athletes at bay as good foul shooting allowed them to hold a 23-16 advantage at the end of the first quarter. The start of the second period saw the home side at their best as Ben Tipper converted four fast break lay-ups earned by some excellent team defensive work; a 14-2 run taking them 37-18 ahead. Haringey hit back with the next six but Swifts took back the initiative as James Gaskin got on the end of some excellent passes to help his team to a 45-27 half time lead. The first five minutes of the third period was even better as a 13-6 run took Southend 58-33 ahead and to what should have been a comfortable victory; Adam Hawkes contributing five points. But the North London side had other ideas as their pressing defence began to reap rewards. They scored 15 unanswered points before Southend managed the final basket to lead 60-48 going into the final 10 minutes. But the damage had been done as Swifts confidence began to subside. Shots that had been taken with ease were now being turned down, simple passes were going astray and every Warriors move were turning into scores. With two minutes to play it was 68 all with every spectators nerves on edge. Three points from Liam Denning gave Southend the lead and Warriors replied with two of their own. With less than a minute remaining, Swifts had the ball again but unbelievably five close range attempts were all missed and Haringey scored the final three points to record the unlikeliest of victories. Southend will rue the many missed opportunities but should take very valuable lessons in their first season together. Gaskin 23 and Tipper 14 leading the scoring. BELOW STRENGTH JUNIOR MEN EDGE OUT SEFTON Junior Men’s Premier Division North Sefton Junior Stars 55 – 63 Northants “Thunder” The injury hit Northants “Thunder” junior men travelled to Liverpool with just six fully fit players and eked out a very creditable win against all the odds. After the long journey to the north-west “Thunder” found themselves trailing 20-16 after the first quarter. Throughout the ten minutes of play they had found scoring difficult and so it continued for the rest of the game. It became obvious that to win the game they would have to be absolutely miserly on defence; and so they were. Over the next three periods they restricted Sefton to no more than 12 points a quarter gradually reducing the deficit. The decisive move came in the third period with the county boys outscoring their opponents by seven points to take the lead for the first time. Having established a narrow lead “Thunder” was in no mood to relinquish it and they held on to win by eight points. In a low scoring game Coach Tony Stewart made particular mention of the defensive efforts of Tom Care and Alexander Stewart,. w/e 02/12/07MOULTON OUT OF NATIONAL CUP DESPITE SECOND HALF COMEBACK “Sure Shot” Junior Men’s National Cup 3rd Round Reading “Rockets” 92 – 84 Northants “Moulton” The Northants “Moulton” junior men are out of the National Cup after going down by eight points to reading “Rockets”. The students from Moulton College staged a spirited comeback in the second half after going in at the interval trailing 35-55. In the third and fourth periods they outscored “Rockets” 49-38 at one time getting the deficit down to four points but when Jermayne Laing and Jake Wyatt fouled out of the game their challenge ended. “Moulton’s” demise came during five minute spell in the second quarter when Reading hit them with 16-2 blitz. During this time the team’s defence leaked points and they were guilty of numerous turn overs. All this came after a competitive first period which Reading took 26-18 thanks to some excellent outside shooting. The “Moulton” revival came on the back of an aggressive zone press, the driving play of Jermayne Laing and the simple fact that every player raised their game. With five minutes to go Laing drove the lane to score his 22 point and reduce Reading’s lead to just four points “Moulton” looked as if they might just pull off an amazing comeback win but in the space of less than a minute Laing and Jake Wyatt both picked up their fifth fouls. Reading regroup and held on for the win with “Moulton” reflecting on the at horror five minutes in the second period of play. In addition to Laing, Leon Henry scored 14 points, Jake Wyatt and Dan Shaw both contributed 12 while Jason Tucker chipped in with 10. BOYS UNDER 18 NATIONAL LEAGUE - SOUTH CONFERENCE CAMBRIDGE CATS 55 SOUTHEND SWIFTS 61 Southend Swifts under 18 boys team travelled to Cambridge for their latest league fixture; this being the first National League game between the two clubs. Southend started well, with four points from Adam Hawkes, but Cambridge battled back to lead 8-6. A 10-0 run for Swifts, with four apiece from James Gaskin and Ben Tipper took them clear and at the end of the first quarter the scoreline stood at 16-10. A 9-2 stretch, with seven from Gaskin, gave Southend a double digit lead and Cambridge slowly began to reduce the deficit and at half time the lead was just 29-21. After scoring the first basket of the third period, Swifts simply went to sleep allowing Cambridge to score 10 straight to tie the game up. Baskets from Joe Hart and Tipper partially calmed matters, but Cats were now in the ascendancy and with one stanza remaining, Swifts lead was just one at 43-42. A 6-2 run should have allowed Southend some breathing space but five straight for the hosts again tied the game up. An 8-2 stretch took Swifts six ahead but Cambridge replied with the next four and going into the final minute it was 57-55. But Swifts nerve held and successful foul shots from Tipper and Hart gave them a hard-earned win by 61 points to 55. Gaskin on 16 and Denning and Hart with 13 leading the scorers. w/e 18/11/07JUNIOR MEN JUST EDGED OUT BY TRAFFORD Junior Men’s North Premier League Trafford 80 - 72 Northants “Thunder” A below strength “Thunder” team just failed to record an on-the –road win against Trafford. However, the team played with a great deal of determination and in the end it was a case of fatigue that was the main reason for the loss. The county boys started the game in excellent style and leapt out to an early lead which they maintained until the end of the first quarter which ended at 27-21 in favour of “Thunder”. This lead was extended to nine points early in the second quarter but then Trafford connected with a number of perimeter shots to reduce the deficit to three points. The Northants boys rallied and at the half led 44-37. Not for the first time this season the “Thunder” turned in a nightmare of a third quarter as Trafford successfully stopped their fast break with some excellent transition defence. With this source of scoring drying up “Thunder” became guilty of poor ball movement and static play. Trafford capitalised on a number of errors to take the period 21-12 and a 58-56 lead into the closing quarter. By now the “Thunder” players were suffering from fatigue and this was the main contributory factor for a number of unforced errors. Trafford capitalised on these errors and a 14-6 surge gave the home team the advantage. The Northants players battle hard to end but were finally undone by two heartbreaking three-pointers that gave Trafford victory by 80 points to 72. Coach Tony Stewart was pleased that his team had shown such battling qualities and paid particular tribute to Tom Care who top scored with 20 points, and Richard Higgins who scored 13 points and pulled down a number of rebounds. Three other “Thunder” players, Jourdan Blessyn, Michael James and Alexander Stewart also scored in double figures. MOULTON A DISTANT SECOND AGAINST DERBY Junior Men’s Midland Premier League Northants “Moulton” 53 - 93 Derby “Trailblazers” Northants “Moulton” slipped to their second successive National League defeat when they suffered a forty point hammering at the hands of Derby “Trailblazers”. The Derby team is based on the side that reached the Cadet Men’s Final Four last season and they proved to be too talented and too organised for a “Moulton” team who were well below their best. For six minutes there was no indication that this would become such a one-sided game. “Trailblazers” showed how well they could shoot the ball from the perimeter while “Moulton” responded well with some well executed fast breaks. With the visitors leading 14-13 the whole game went through a change with Derby reverting to a zone press defence. Immediately “Moulton” lost their composure and gifted their opponents a number of easy scores which took the score to 25-15 at the end of the period. “Moulton” needed to take better care of the basketball in the second period if they were to get back into the game but if anything things got worse as Derby went on 30 points to eight charge and by half time they had opened up an unassailable 57-28 lead. With little more than pride to play for “Moulton” put up a better fight in the third period which they only lost by three points at 21-18. In the final period of play “Moulton” showed more intensity on defence restricting “Trailblazers” to 15 points although offensively without their starting guard Johnny Yates who had fouled out of the game, they struggled offensively scoring only seven points. In the 40 points hammering Jermayne Laing worked tirelessly for his 16 points but Dan Shaw with 10 was the only other “Moulton” player to score in double figures although both Jason Tucker and Jake Wyatt rebounded well. BOYS UNDER 18 NATIONAL LEAGUE - SOUTH CONFERENCE SOUTHEND SWIFTS 56 BRENTWOOD FIRE 78 After a close four point defeat in their last outing, Southend Swifts under 18 boys team looked to get back onto winning ways with a home fixture against Brentwood Fire. Brentwood were currently in second position in the league table, with four wins from 5 games. Southend started well, taking a 6-2 lead, but a 12-2 run for Fire took them six ahead and they maintained their margin to lead 18-11 at the first interval. Swifts scored the first five points of the second period but an 8-2 stretch for Brentwood took them 26-18 ahead. The hosts reduced the deficit back to four but Brentwood had the greater resolve and at half time led 35-26. The third period saw Swifts score just four points in the opening six minutes as they fell 12 behind and despite good work from 14 year old Joe Hart, the margin stretched to 54-37 with one stanza remaining. The lead slowly crept towards 20 and despite a 7-0 run for Swifts, Brentwood ended deserved victors by 78 points to 56 which takes them to the top of the Conference. Ben Tipper 22 and Joe Hart 13 the only players to get into double figures. w/e 11/11/07JUNIOR MEN GET BACK TO WINNING WAYS Junior Men’s North Premier League Northants “Thunder” 83 – 57 Stockport “Falcons The Northants junior men got back to winning ways after their mauling at the hands of City of Birmingham the previous week. They showed something like their true form with a 26 points win over Stockport “Falcons” which will give them a big boost in confidence. The “Thunder” win was based on an excellent defensive performance in the first period of the game during which time they restricted their opponents to just 9 points while scoring 22 themselves. During this time “Falcons” had no answer to “Thunder’s” full court pressure defence. Midway through the second quarter “Thunder” had extended their lead to 20 points at 38-18 but then seemed to take their “foot off the gas” and were outscored 10-3 over the next four minutes. Leading 43-28 at half time the county boys were anxious to extend their lead during the third quarter but they found their opponents in obdurate mood and were outscored 14-12 during the period. By now “Thunder” were rushing their offences and electing to shoot when another pass would have been a better option and Stockport sensed they might have a chance of sneaking victory. A 6-2 start to the final quarter which took the scores to 57-48 gave them even more confidence. “Thunder” coach Tony Stewart took a time out to ‘gee up’ his team and it had just the right effect. “Thunder” responded with a 13-2 charge and that was as good as game over. In the 83-57 win; Tom Care and Alexander Stewart were joint top scorers for “Thunder” with 16 points apiece while Richard Higgins contributed 14 and Michael James 11. MOULTON COMEBACK ALL IN VAIN Junior Men’s Midland Premier League Doncaster Danum “Eagles” 87 - 73 Northants “Moulton” Facing a half time deficit of 17 points, Northants “Moulton” looked as if they would be involved in a damage limitation exercise over the next twenty minutes. Some stern words from Coach, John Collins and a switch to a match-up zone defence did far more than this. Immediately “Eagles” who had looked supremely confident during the first two periods began to make errors. A number of turn-overs helped “Moulton” go on 12-2 and 11-2 runs and suddenly the game was back in the balance. With the gap down to four points at 67-63 Doncaster took a time out which saw assistant coach, Bob Martin take a more than active part. With Martin’s word ringing in their ears, “Eagles” were able to re-group and with the “Moulton” players fatigued from their third quarter efforts the home side took the fourth quarter 18-10 to run out winners by 14 points. They were much in debt to the sharp shooting of Luke Ellis who hit an amazing 43 points. After a difficult journey to the “Eagles” court because of the race meeting at Doncaster and a subsequent delay because the match officials were held up in the same traffic “Moulton” made a nervous start to the game. Against the Doncaster pressure defence they made numerous mistakes while defensively they looked frail. By the end of the first quarter the home side led 30-18 and this lead was extended to 51-34 by half time. Then came that spirited comeback which will leave the county boys feeling that they can reverse the outcome when the two teams meet again later in the season. For “Moulton” Jermayne Laing scored 21 points a total matched by Leon Henry mainly from a number of steals at the top of the “Moulton” zone while Jason Tucker played his heart out in contributing 14 points BOYS UNDER 18 NATIONAL LEAGUE - SOUTH CONFERENCE HARROW PRIDE 78 SOUTHEND SWIFTS 74 Southend Swifts under 18 boys team looked to take their unbeaten run to four games when they visited Harrow Pride. The Middlesex team had made a good start to the league with victories in their opening two fixtures but had then suffered two reverses, so they were looking to get their season back on track. The teams traded early baskets with the scores tied at 8 after the opening five minutes; Liam Denning with six for Southend. Some excellent shooting from Harrow gave them an eight point run but Swifts recovered to trail just 16-14. With one minute to play it was 19-18 but some disappointing lapses in concentration from Southend allowed the home side to register a further 8 points to lead 27-18 at the first break. Southend recovered their composure and six unanswered points reduced the deficit to just three. A 9-2 run for the hosts gave them a double digit advantage and despite an untidy spell for both teams, with no scores over a three minute period, at the half time interval Pride led 44-32. A three-point score from Ben Tipper opened proceedings but seven straight for Harrow took them 51-37 ahead and presumably on the way to a comfortable win. Swifts, however, had other ideas and a 10-2 run reduced the deficit to just six, Tipper and Sam Green with four apiece. With one minute to play in the quarter it was 56-53 but again the Essex side failed to compete and a 6-2 stretch gave Harrow the comfort of a 62-55 lead going into the final period. But once more Southend showed their resolve. A basket from Joe Hart started an 8-2 run that made it a one point game at 64-63. Pride replied with nine straight and despite a Green three-pointer it was 75-66 going into the final two minutes. Swifts replied with another 8-2 stretch and inside the final minute the score was 76-74. Neither side could convert chances, before two foul shots at the death gave the home side a 78-74 win in what had been a very exciting encounter. A good points spread for Swifts which had 5 players in double figures led by Tipper with 17 and Green 15. w/e 04/11/07 Coventry Crusaders U-18’s also played at home in the Alan Higgs Centre against Leicester Beaumont Cannons. The Juniors put on a fine display of teamwork and confidence throughout the game, showing poise and composure under pressure, and leading throughout the game. Although they weren’t able to shake the Cannons until late in the game, all the players got court time and all but one of the home team and all of the Leicester side scored during the game. Final score Crusaders U-18 (49) 90 – Leicester Cannons (42) 78 Top scorers for Crusaders were Dave Edden 20, Sydney Donaldson 23, Ricardo Gordon 29. JUNIOR MEN GO DOWN AGAIN Junior Men’s North Premier League Northants “Thunder” 55 -102 City of Birmingham I The Northants “Thunder” junior men slipped to their second consecutive heavy defeat against an athletic City of Birmingham team. “Thunder” was competitive for the first five minutes of the game but then allowed their opponents to go on a 17-zero run which gave them a 25-13 lead at the end of the first quarter. The county boys needed a solid second quarter if they were to have any chance of winning the game. To do this they would need to show patience on offence but in the event they rushed shots allowing Birmingham to mount a number of fast breaks. The visitors took the period 27-8 to establish a 52-21 half time lead. Now needing a minor miracle to get back into the game “Thunder” showed more determination in the third quarter but they still lost it 29-13 and at 81-34 the game was as over. With both teams going through the motions in the final period the scores were tied at 21 all but there was never any chance of “Thunder” overhauling the massive deficit. In the 102-55 defeat, Tom Care battled hard for his 14 points and Jourdan Blessyn, Simon New and Alexander Stewart all contributed 8 points apiece, “MOULTON” CRUISE INTO 3rd ROUND OF THE CUP “Sure Shot” Junior Men’s National Cup 2nd Round City of Birmingham II 37 - 80 Northants “Moulton The Northants “Moulton” junior men cruised into the 3rd Round of the “Sure Shot” National Cup with a stylish win over City of Birmingham II. The game looked as if it would be a close run affair with the athletic Birmingham team leading midway through the first period. “Moulton” then went on a 14-4 charge to take control of the game 18-9 at the end of the first quarter. The county boys were able to maintain their high intensity play in the second period with 16-2 and 13-zero charges giving then total control at half time with the score standing at 43-15. “Moulton’s” success had come form their aggressive full court man to man defence and Birmingham came out in the third quarter better prepared to cope with the pressure. They looked more assured at both ends of the court and “Moulton” were unable to extend their lead for eight minutes of the period. All this changed in the final two minutes with “Moulton” regaining their rhythm with a 9-zero surge which took their lead over 30 points at 58-26. Birmingham showed they had a certain amount of offensive talent in the fourth period but by now “Moulton” were out of sight and the Northants boys extended their lead by another 11 points to take the game 80-37 and earn a quarter final tie against Reading “Rockets” who knocked them out of the Cup last season. For “Moulton”, Jermayne Laing continued in his rich vein of form top scoring with 18 points and impressively Leon Henry, Dan Shaw, Jason Tucker and Jake Wyatt all scored in double figures. BOYS UNDER 18 NATIONAL LEAGUE - SOUTH CONFERENCE SOUTHEND SWIFTS 66 ISLINGTON PANTHERS 56 The final game of an incredibly busy weekend saw Southend Swifts under 18 boys team look to build on their recent successes when they met Islington Panthers at their home court at Fitzwimarc School. A low scoring start saw Southend just 7-3 ahead after five minutes but the visitors found their range and three three-point shots from Peters helped them to a 14-13 first quarter lead. The second period would belong to Swifts as they put together some excellent play. James Gaskin, Sam Green and Liam Denning all found the basket with regularity as the home side forged ahead with a35-25 half time lead. Six straight points from Ben Tipper made it 43-29 but some lapses in concentration allowed Panthers to make a 9-2 run to trail just 45-38 going into the final period. The hosts quickly recovered their composure to score the first eight points as the lead extended to 17. Islington refused to concede, getting back as close as nine, but they could get no nearer and Swifts closed out the contest with a 66-56 victory that leaves them on top of their conference with three wins out of four. Tipper 15, Gaskin 12 and Green 10 leading the scorers. w/e 28/10/07MANCHESTER TOO STRONG FOR JUNIOR MEN Junior Men’s North Premier League Manchester “Magic” 90 – 47 Northants “Thunder” After their win over York “Vikings” the previous weekend the Northants “Thunder junior men travelled to Manchester hopeful of putting in a decent performance against one of the Conference’s leading teams. After a shaky start which saw “Magic” score the fist five points the county boys pulled themselves together holding their opponents scoreless for four minutes. Despite Manchester going on a 11-2 charge the scores were still close at 20-17 to Manchester at the end of the period. Throughout the first ten minutes “Thunder” had matched the Manchester intensity and speed of play but it was a different story in the second quarter. The county boys looked fatigued and well off the pace allowing “Magic” to capitalise on a number of errors and run in easy scores. Manchester’s 20-2 scored virtually put the result beyond doubt despite the Northants players responding better during the final three minutes of the period. Trailing 50-26 “Thunder’s” only hope of getting back into the game was to make a strong start to the third quarter but once again it was Manchester who showed more energy and commitment. The northerners posted 19 points to “Thunder’s” 7 so taking an unassailable 69-23 lead. With the game over as a contest the county boys were successful in containing Manchester in the final period and some hard nosed defence restricted the home side to 15 points but the “Thunder” offence never really functioned smoothly and one or two of the Northants players looked incapable of coping with the pace of the game at this level. In the forty-three point defeat only two Northants players, Richard Higgins and Tom Care were able to score in double figures. NORTHANTS “MOULTON” GET THEIR CAMPAIGN UNDERWAY WITH A WIN Junior Men’s Midland Premier League Derbyshire “Arrows” 42 - 75 Northants “Moulton” Thanks to withdrawals from the league and re-arranged fixtures the Northants “Moulton” junior men’s team has been waiting since the start of October for their season to start. Last Saturday at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield they got their campaign underway with a comfortable win over Derbyshire “Arrows”. The “Moulton” team is based on the college’s Basketball Academy and is comprised of players who played for the Northants club last season and four newcomers. The team practices four times a week and their superior skills and fitness proved too much for a game “Arrows” outfit. The start of the game was delayed for 30 minutes because of the late arrival of a referee. This delay seemed to affect the “Moulton” boys who made a hesitant start. Leading 8-5 midway through the first quarter “Moulton” were able to produce a 12-4 surge which gave them a 20-9 lead. “Arrows” had been rocked by the tempo of the Northants play and this was the theme of the second period with the northerners forced into a succession of errors by “Moulton’s” pressure defence. These errors were consistently punished by Jermayne Laing while the “Moulton” ‘big’ men Dan Shaw and Jake Wyatt were always on hand to pick up rebounds from missed shots. “Moulton” took the second period 18-10 to lead 38-19 at half time and the main danger was avoiding complacency for the remainder of the game. In the second and third periods “Moulton” weren’t able produce the quality of play they had shown in the first half but with Johnny Yates orchestrating a number of fast breaks and Jason Tucker producing a number of excellent assists the final result was never in doubt. The county boys ran out winners by 33 points although they will reflect on a couple of periods of play when they were guilty of a number of errors. In the 75-42 points win Laing top scored with 15 points; while Wyatt and Shaw contributed 13 and 12 points respectively UNDER 18 MENS NATIONAL LEAGUE - SOUTH CONFERENCE WALTHAM FOREST SPITFIRES 74 SOUTHEND SWIFTS 79 Having achieved their first victory two weeks earlier, Southend Swifts under 18 boys team looked to build on their success when they travelled to East London to confront Waltham Forest Spitfires. The Leyton-based team have a long and distinguished history in junior boys basketball, having been league champions in this division last season, with just one defeat in 16 games. The home side started strongly, taking an 8-2 lead, as Swifts struggled to find any cohesion. A time-out calmed matters and Ben Tipper contributed 8 points in an 11-6 run that brought the score back to 14-13. So |