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Short-Handed Mohawks Chopped by Raiders
The first round of matches in the National Basketball League threw up several surprises and in the NBL Conference, the top two teams from last season, Teesside Mohawks and Worthing Thunder both came to grief. Both were on the road, Teesside at the daunting venue of the Plymouth Pavilions and Worthing, at last season’s Division Two Champions, Manchester Magic.
A large crowd of 1152 at the Pavilions saw the new look Raiders, with new import players Terry Durham and Todd Cetnar in their side, fall behind early on and they trailed 42 - 37 at the half. The Raiders though came storming back, outscoring the Mohawks 31 – 19 in the third quarter and in the last ten minutes, prevented the visitors from scoring from the field until the last minute of the match. The final 16 point wining margin, 96 - 80 was no more than they deserved against a Mohawks team without injured Jason Swaine and yet to arrive Corey Jackson.
At the Manchester Veledrome, the newly named Manchester Magic came out all guns blazing, running in the first 10 points of the match, and with new signing Danny Craven in their ranks, having signed only days before from city neighbours the Giants, extended their ten point half-time advantage to a conclusive 90 - 66 winning margin.
Elsewhere, Inter-Basket London, making their debut in the top flight, were only one point down to Coventry at half time but caved-in in the second half as the Crusaders romped home to a 27 point victory, 85 - 58 with new American Adam Stevens hitting 19 home points. In the other match in the conference, Sutton beat a depleted Solent outfit 100 - 97 at Fleming Park despite the best efforts of 45 year old veteran Alan Cunningham whose ‘retirement’ at the end of last season proved premature.
The NBL Division One programme tipped off with home wins for Cardiff Clippers, Reading Rockets and Oxford Devils with the Clippers needing overtime to get past last season’s Wembley Play Off Champions Kingston Wildcats. The Devils won very comfortably by a 34 point margins respectively leaving their opponents plenty to ponder as they take a break from league action to play in the national Trophy next weekend.
Rockets started their National League Division I season with a decisive 30 point victory over Liverpool in front of their biggest attendance ever at the Rivermead Leisure Complex.
Down in Division Two, Mansfield Express probably produced the best result of the weekend coming away from South London Bulls with a terrific 121 - 105 victory. Fellow capital outfit, North London Lords restored southern pride with a win over Northampton Neptunes. Two promoted sides, Ealing Tornados and Derbyshire Arrows proved too strong for west country sides Taunton and Swindon.
Next weekend the National Trophy competition begins for the teams in the NBL Conference and the Men’s Division One. The 15 teams are divided up into four pools playing on a home and away basis with the top two from each pool progressing to the knock-out quarter final stage.
All the games co-incidentally feature clashes between Conference and Division One teams where perhaps the ties sees Kingston Wildcats hoping to put one over Inter-Basket London. Meanwhile, Westminster Warriors, playing their first game of the season, will travel to Conference leaders Coventry Crusaders aiming to put on a good show and prove they are worthy to be ranked alongside their Conference opponents.
The League programme continues in Divisions Two and Three with Ware and Hull playing their first fixtures of the season in Division Two and a London derby between the two sides on either side of the Thames. In Division Three, Thames Valley Tigers open their campaign with a home game against Brighton Cougars whilst two clubs new to the league this season, Tamar Valley Cannons and Worcester Wolves meet at the Mayflower centre in Plymouth.
The Women’s programme also tip-off next Saturday in the form of the first round of the Women’s National Trophy, a competition for all Women’s clubs outside of the Women’s First Division. Two non-league teams, Sheffield and Rhondda (effectively the ‘nursery/junior’ teams of the two trophy winning teams in Division One last season) both make their bow in the competition with home game against Tyne & Wear and Taunton respectively.
RESULTS
NBL Conference09-09-00
Coventry 85 (37) 58 (36) I-B London
Coventry - Stevens 19, Sands 15, Collins 13
Inter-Basket – Redd 17, Smart 13, Batimba 809-09-00
Plymouth 96 (37) 80 (42) Teesside
Plymouth - Cetnar 28, Durham 21, Wellington 19
Teesside – Bucci 30, Ley 22, Butler 1209-09-00
Solent 97 (40) 100 (53) Sutton
Solent – Scott 24, Cunningham 23, Tripalin 21
Sutton – Donegan 30, Powlesland 27, Eka 1610-10-00
Manchester 90 (37) 66 (27) Worthing
Manchester – George 20, Craven 14, Goodwin 12
Worthing - Thomas 23,Mundy-Castle 18,Gresham 15
NBL Division One Men
09-09-01
Cardiff Clippers 85 (51) 81 (58) Kingston (after o/time, 72-72)
Cardiff – Alexander 33, Longman 15, N Jones 14
Kingston – Whitaker 26, Poynton 19, Bottiglia 1609-09-01
Oxford 100 (41) 66 (33) Birmingham
Oxford – Kelly 21, Smith 19, Robinson 17
Birmingham – Anderson 16, Sims 13, Chong 809-09-01
Reading 73 (43) 43 (27) Liverpool
Reading – Johnson 18, Cooper 13, Hodds 10
Liverpool – Hopkins 9, Murphy 8, Parry 7
NBL Division Two Men
09-09-00
Ealing 72 (34) 65 (32) Taunton
Ealing – Quashie 21, Jivens 12, Bristol 9
Taunton – Yabsley 24, Jones 16, Nolan 1009-09-00
North London 87(45) 70 (31) Northampton
North London – Burrell 20, Cepsei 20, Hockey 10
Nor’pton - Greenaway 13, Shadjoudi 10, Spatcher 809-09-00
South London 105 121 Mansfield10-09-00
Brixton 66 (29) 73 (23) NW London
Brixton – Knight 30, Popoola 11, Larkai 10
NW London – Attaha 40, Wright 10, Coleman 910-09-00
Derbyshire 68 (33) 55 (23) Swindon
Derbyshire – Gayle 17, Bamfield 16, King 13
Swindon – Taylor 18, Glazier 12, Wilson 8NBL Division Three Men
09-09-00
Colchester 83 (33) 88 (37) Northumbria Uni
Colchester – Taylor 23, Yadsley 13, Burgin 13
Northumbria – Harmer 24, Wintersgill 20, Kelly 1309-09-00
Dudley Bears 65 (31) 74 (74) Bristol
Dudley – Hall 22, Cole 13, Bryan 8
Bristol – Ahmed 23, Roper 15, Till 1309-09-00
Tamar Valley 0 (31) 95 (46) Barking & Dagenham
Tamar Valley – Marriott 25, Hatchell 10, Peake 10
Barking – Niaz 27, Churches 21, Richardson 1610-09-00
Bristol 70 ( ) 56 ( ) Worcester
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