Manchester Magic do the double

The final fours of both semi finals were closely contested with some outstanding performances and nail biting-ly tight score lines.

The Under 13 Boys final was settled by just two points, with Manchester Magic holding off an awesome charge from London Feltham Warriors to win their first title since 2011.

Manchester had opened up a 30-19 lead after the first quarter, with Grant and team mate Will Marston, who hit a flurry of bank shots, responsible for the majority of the scoring. The game looked to be heading into a one-sided affair, much like Manchester’s 102-70 semi-final win over Worthing Thunder.

However, London Feltham’s fighting spirit emerged as the game went on, just as it had in overtime of their semi-final against Ipswich. They managed to trim the deficit to one before sinking two free throws to take the lead. Crucially, Manchester edged ahead to 97-95 and despite the Warrior’s late heroics they were unable to catch up.

Magic coach Gary Williams commented: “Our opponents made it very tough and they worked us both offensively and defensively. Every time we broke away, they pulled it back again. It’s the hardest game we’ve had all year and we had to fight right to the death. The boys have worked really hard all year and it paid off on the floor in the final.”

Photo, Mansoor Ahmed

Manchester Magic added to their Under 13 Boys crown by winning the Under 15 title, but they were pushed all the way by a Brentwood Fire team that showed outstanding heart and hustle with only three in the score line of 78-75.

Brentwood had come from an 8-0 deficit to lead 42-39 at half time, however it was in the third quarter when MVP Anumba truly began to step up, electing to attack the basket rather than settle for shots from distance. Brentwood took a contrasting approach, with Ogoro and Sam Rowell hitting threes to keep the game tight.

Magic led by one point going into the last ten minutes, and despite Brentwood coming back to draw level at 61-61, Magic were able to restore a five point lead. Brentwood fought back a further time to close the gap to two points with six seconds to play. Despite their last second attempt, they were unable to convert the three pointer and Manchester took the title to add to their earlier Under 13 victory.

Magic’s 78-75 win gave the club their fourth Under 15 title in the last decade, but it was their first triumph since 2011.

Magic Coach Sam Gray commented further: “I’m really pleased for our guys – they’ve worked hard and they’ve stayed together. It’s been difficult selecting players and getting players on the court, but their attitude has been second to none.”

MVPs
Under 13 – Michael Akinjisola – 45 points and 22 rebounds
Under 15 – Michael Anumba – 30 points

Story – Basketball England