In what turned out to be an extra home game for the Seahawks, we hosted the Jam in a game which could have swung either way.
We set off at our usual fast paced, press defence, run-and-gun and it was working. Myles, Gabe, Peter, Nik all opening their accounts before Jam got on the board and then a steal and break by myself, spotted Nik running the wide channel and a great cut led to his first in-game dunk! However, they started finding their rhythm and our offence slowed and missed a few, and the first closed 12-19.
The second was all Seahawks. Peter and Gabe working well at the top with driving cuts and pressing D. Nik was getting good looks but found himself up against a much bigger, stronger set of players than in recent games. Iraj, returning after a rugby concussion, was using his quick feet and found the basket to tie the game 27-27 before Nik put us ahead. A lead we would control until late in the 3rd. Defensively our man to man D was working. Some good stops but Nik, Gozim and Jack underneath, whilst Henry, Harry pressed their guards into submission. The half closed up by 4, 36-32.
The third was a too-and-fro affair, backwards and forwards. We would score, with good running breaks or good ball movement, then have dry spells where we failed to look after the ball, with weak passes and turnovers. As for the Jam, they did exactly what they needed to do. Go inside and exploit our size. When Nik picked up his 4th midway through the quarter and forced to sit, we had little answer for Ruzgas #23, as he added 11 in his column in the quarter. We kept answering and And-1 from myself put us back in front, to which they responded. The quarter closed 51-52.
The 4th could have gone either way. However, unfortunately tonight it wasn't to be ours. A few turnovers and slow offences meant they crept away to a 6pt lead 53-59. And then our heads left us. No-one is to blame, and we have to look at this is a learning experience. Over the last month we have faced oppostion who we could square up to, and where a few calls have gone our way, a few shots dropped have made all the difference. Tonight, with Nik in foul trouble, and Iraj somehow fouling out, with whistles that could have gone either way, those come to light. This was a far better team, with only 3 losses all season, (2 to the Bandits and 1 to Classics) and they knew how to play to their strengths. Tonight though, we imploded, with some niggling between players, where previously we had banded together and fought as one. At 57-62, we dried up and that was that. As the lead stretched, heads dropped and hearts sank. The Jam knew how to close it out, but we did not make it easy. They only scored 5 in open play, the rest we sent to the line, which in fairness to their bigs, they hit (8 from 12 in the last minutes). It finished 57-76, a score that greatly flatters the winning team.
[Scorers: G Angstwurm 16, O Wood 11, N Colonius 11, P Huang 6, I Safaee 6, M Rothenberg 2, H Lau 2, G Nwokolo 1]
At the end of our last home game, its fair to say tempers were frayed. But on the positives, this is our best season ever. We now sit 4th in the league, with just a game to go. But Predators have a bunch of games in hand, and will have to lose all of them for us to remain there, but lets enjoy it for the moment.
