Wed 27th Jan.
Yesterday the U19's laid it all on the line against Truro College in the National Schools Competition. As Dorset Champions we were drawn at home against the Cornwall Champions and were going to need our best basketball to advance.
We were fired up and ready and with adrenaline flowing, our defence quickly recognised thier lack of a solid ball handler and our press D was working a treat. Forcing turnovers and picking off steals. However our offence which had started well kept coming up short and rattling out. It was a close game trading baskets before our team took a huge blow, with Dan Walker going down on a drive, tweaking his knee again and unfortuantely ending his season.
We were now left short against a tall team, so we had to play the basketball which we knew we could, run and gun. We definately had speed and ball handling on our side, which was getting us to the hoop almost every time on the break - but we will rue the chances missed as players struggled with a slightly more "solid, bouncy" ball.
On the defensive end we were lacking size, but they didnt threaten at all from outside, with, from memory, very little past 12ft, and only one 3 ball attempt all game. The game ebbed and flowed, with portions dominated by them and then us cutting their lead back to single figures. It was 13 at the half, and we had given up way more in easy misses. The boys believed we could dig in and cut that down as they started to show their fatigue.
However, the 3rd saw us struggle more offesively. On the set play we had become stagnant and stationery, relying on the 15ft shot again, which wasnt rolling. On the press, we continued to get the steals, but they got a few breaks and we picked up silly cheap fouls and got alot of players into trouble. They twisted the screw and played to their strengths and a 13 point difference became 21 by the end of 3.
[EDIT: I have watched the video of the third. We missed 18 contested shots from inside the key! We missed 2 easy/open shots from in the key. However we only turned the ball over twice and stole the ball 11 times!!! Gabe got 7 steals, Hani 2, Timo 1, Chapman 1]
The forth, although down by 20, the boys continued to show their heart and fight for the game. Every player gave their all, and fought, putting bodies on the line, to cut that lead. The crowd had livened up and found thier voice (Especially Myles who hadnt shut up all game). But the to and fro nature of the game saw Truro keep that lead at around 20 for the final stretch.
It ended 49-73.
Although every player gave everything, notable performances:
Timo running and gunning and should have had a whole bunch more free throws
Hani's stength and size on the offense, combined with speed - as one guy found out by forfieting his collarbone trying to get the ball off Hani
Gabe's continuos hussle. Grabbing so many steals and forcing turnovers.
Luke's control at both ends showing his class, even in foul trouble
Rakhats D and hussle, and a much more controlled offense
Kaz - suiting up for the 1st time in years as a Seahawk, opened his account with a perfect 3, and backed it up with the biggest block of the game
Chapman with great hussle and grabbing some steals and controlling the offense
Sky playing big underneath where we lacked some size, he showed his stength
and Dan, body on the line, every time. Get Well Soon.
[Scorers... to follow]
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