Three more great games

The Eagles had been struggling, by their standards, for the past couple of weeks and the Tigers must have thought they could get this one. It was not to be as the Eagles, with Fab back in the line-up would win this comfortably. Both Worthing & MK Lions would pick up wins as well.

This win for the Eagles keeps them right up there on the tail of the Sharks with a record of 10 and 3 compared to the Sharks 12 and 3. The key there is that both teams have the same number of losses and they still have to play each other in the League. People who think this league is over really don’t know BBL basketball.

So onto Saturday I am on my way to Leeds Carnegie fo another Day of Basketball. These days see three games back to back with the Div 3 team tipping off at 12 noon, the Women at 2pm and the Div 1 Men at 4pm. As usual I arrived during the 3rd quarter of the 1st game as the D3 Men took on Bradford Maroons. The home teram were winning comfortably and it looked like they were going to get their first win for a while. Into the 4th and now the Maroons made their move and soon they were level.

From here on it was a battle royal until the final seconds of the game when Carnegie handled the situation better and got the job done The final score was 64-62. It was a cracking 4th Quarter. The word is that the Div 3 team will have a new coach this week and believe it or not he is a former NBA player. I will let you know more soon. The star for the home team was Oliver Hylands who was monsterous on both ends of the floor. He would finish with a team high 16 points. Heaven only knows how many boards he had. Malek led for Bradford with 18.

Last week the D3 team went down to Manchester Magic so this result against Bradford means that for the first time we could be in for a clean sweep on this Carnegie Day of Basketball.

Now it is the turn of the D1 Women to take to the floor. Leeds Carnegie were about to take on the Brixton Lady Topcats. This was going to be a tough weekend for the Carnegie Women as they also had to play a massive game just 24 hours later. That would see them take on Nottingham Wildcats in the Q-Final of the National Cup. Somehow Head Coach James Bambury would have to rotate his bench throughout this game to ensure that his starters had something left in the tank for the Cup game tomorrow.

The Brixton team arriverd a little late which meant we didnt get to introductions but went straight into the game, and to put it mildly Carnegie were again awesome and Brixton didn’t have an answer. Once again Loui Hall was the star down low and she was unstoppable. But today she would get lots of help from elsewhere. Point guard Keesha Tate was immense, as was Jo Clayden and Dee Hayward.

Coach Bambury would be able to rest all his starters as the home team led by 14 at the end of the 1st. The score was 30-16 Hall had 10 while Ester Velkey had 8, Jo Clayden had 6 inc one from beyond the arc.

Rochelle Davids led for Brixton with 6 points 4 of which were from the line. It was more of the same as Carnegie turned the screw in the second.

Tate would go to work and would add 8 points in this quarter. Clayden would take her score to 11 including another triple and Hall would add another 6.

The score at the end of the half was 59 to Carnegie and 36 to Brixton. Into the 3rd and Hayward would add 2, Kahil would nail a triple and Tate and Hall would add 4 each but this quarter belonged to Jo Clayden who took her score onto 18. the score at the end of the 3rd was 84-44.

The starters had played just long enough to keep them interested and to keep Brixton at arms length. The final stanza was about Dee Hayward who was stunning. She would add 10 points in this quarter and take her game total to 18. The final score of this game was 100 to Leeds and 59 to Brixton. Hall top scored with 20 while Hayward and Clayden added 18 a piece.

This was a magnificent performance by Leeds who were simply too good for Brixton, who were led by Davids with 17points personal. Of their other players only Ofumata made it into double figures with 10.

So on our Day of Basketball the home teams were now 2 and 0.

The clean sweep was still on but the final game would see the D1 Men take on Leicester Warriors, one of the best teams in the Division.

They were coming in with a 3 and 1 record while Leeds were also 3 and 1.

Something had to give.

Well to put it mildly this was an incredible game. It started off as one thing then changed into something completely different. I will explain…

The home team, again playing to a massive and noisy crowd, got off to am amazing start. Head Coach Matt Newby made a huge decision to start Tom Ward at the point instead of Albert Margai. It was a colossal decision which paid huge dividens. He was simply wonderful while Ladi Brown and Adrian Fenyn were just too much for Leicester. The score at the end of the first was 33-17 with 11 for Ladi Brown including 1 triple and 12 for Adrian Fenyn.

Tom Ward had 6 points but it was his ball handling and passing that was simply sublime.

The Warriors have not got their reputation without merit and they would have a better 2nd quarter. Both Polya and Richards would nail threes for Leeds while Martin would add 1 triple for Leicester. The Wariors would score 25 points in the second.

The score at the half was 50-42 and Leeds were still comfortable. Into the 3rd and it was more Leicester as Martin would go to work. He would add 10 while Reynoso would add 6 and Kathan 7 including 1 triple. Things were now looking ominous for Leeds. At the end of the 3rd they trailed by 6, 70-76. The Warriors player/coach Mark Spatcher must have been feeling pretty confident but these Carnegie warriors (small w, not a mistake) do not go down without a fight.

This quarter was about Ladi brown and Mike Medved. Brown would add 9 while Medved would clean up the boards and would add 8. Janiska who was shooting the lights out added 5 including one triple to take his total score to 20 Kathan would also finish this game with 20 points. But this game wasn’t over.

With seconds left on the clock Ladi Brown got an and 1after being fouled by Pearson. He nailed the shot from the line to take the score to 92-91. Then Leicester turned the ball over in the face of some fearsome defence by Leeds. They had to foul and this time Margai made both from the line.

The crowd was going wild. The commentator on the other hand was quite reserved. Yeah right!

The Leicester boys took their last time out and drew up a play. I was no where near the bench but I suggested to the other table officials that Janiska was going to hit the three and we were going to overtime.

Out of the huddle and Leicester get the ball to Janiska who, with about 2 seconds on the clock, lets it fly.

It is “GOOOOOOOOOOD. OVERTIME”! 94-94.

In Overtime the Men of Leeds Carnegie really went to work and the result was never in doubt (Really?)

Carnegie opened the OT period with a triple from Margai but when Reynoso hit a 2 followed by another 2 from Kathan, Leicester trailed by just 2, 100-98. Fenyn then scores a 2 to take it to 102-98.

Up steps Reynoso who makes 1 from the line and it is 102-99. Ladi Brown then commits foul number 5 and is out of the game. Carl Pearson steps up and drains both. It is now 102-101 and there is no Ladi Brown on the floor. Oh BABY.

When Spatcher hits a two, Leicester take the lead 102-103. But from here they would not score again as Zoltan Supola took it upon himself to win this game for the home team. First he nails a monster 3 with the clock running down, to take the score to 105-103. On the next trip down Supola, who was really feeling it, would then stick another monster triple to make it 108-103 and Leicester were broken. Fenyn and Richards would complete the scoring and take us to a final score of 111-103.

This had been a wonderful Day of Basketball in Leeds and for Carnegie who finished the day with three sensational victories. For about 15 minutes after the final game I could not move from my chair. To put it mildly I was drained physically, mentally and in just about every other way.

This is what makes basketball The Joy That It Is.

Congratulations to Leeds Carnegie but also to Leicester Warriors who went down fighting in this final game.

It was immense!

Later

Mike S