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Teesside finish on high as Rhondda lose title grip
NBL Conference: Teesside 109 Reading 92
TVL Teesside Mohawks rounded off their Conference League campaign on a winning note with a 109-92 success over visitors Reading Rockets.
The result saw the side finish with a club record of Played 18, Won 17, and 13 of the games ending with over 100 points on the scoreboard.
In a season of almost total domination, only once did the side drop below 92 points, when they tasted their only defeat at Worthing in February. The game marked the return to action of Pete Knechtel, who was forced to sit out the previous four through injury. When the Canadian forward entered play in the third minute, he looked as though he had never been away and went on to claim a confident 10 points.
“It is nice to finally get back on court, “ said Knechtel. “I needed to get my confidence back after being out for a month. It has been very hard sitting there watching, and particularly tough was having my fiancée come over [from America] and not getting to see me play.”
As Mohawks now look towards the play offs, Knechtel sent out a warning to the rest of the division, saying that he believes the side has not yet even reached its full potential. He said: “We are playing good basketball, but I think we could be playing even better.
“We look great when we make that extra pass. But sometimes this isn’t always seen, or guys feel they need to take the shot on. When we do make that extra pass though, everyone shines. I really think we have only started to scratch the potential of what we can do as a team.”
Ralph Bucci scored a game-high 23 points, despite spending several spells on the bench with the side’s other starters Jason Swiane and EJ Harrison, and was one of 6 Mohawks to hit double figures.
With both Teesside and Reading already aware of their Play Off quarter final opposition there was little at stake in the game - and it showed - with few incidents of note.
Rockets, who arrived at Eston Sports Academy almost three hours before tip off, got off to the sort of start they didn’t really want when, after winning the opening tip off, Mohawks intercepted the ball and put the first two points on the board through EJ Harrison.
The American point guard hit another 5 by the end of the quarter, and Lijah Perkins and Ralph Bucci both notched six to put the home side 27-19 up after the first 10 minutes.
Perkins came out and started the second quarter scoring to make it six points in a row for himself, launching his side into a ten-minute spell that killed off the visitors hopes before half time.
Mohawks scored at a rate of three points per minute against less than two from Rockets for a big 31-18 quarter. And the ratio would have been even better if Neil Hopper, Knechtel and James Nicholson had not missed four of their eight free throws.
The side’s battling qualities were evident when the final basket of the half, a two point play from Steve Butler, came a result of Hopper scrambling along the floor to claim the ball in his own half and getting an unlikely pass off to EJ Harrison.
And seconds later, with the buzzer at the ready and Rockets waiting to pounce and go into the break on a high, skipper Hopper swooped to swat the ball out of play and deny them.
The second half was all about salvaging pride as far as the visitors were concerned. And they did that by outscoring Mohawks 55-51 over the twenty minutes.
John Hodds, who was one of six Reading players to also hit double figures, and top-scored for his side with 20, gave the visitors four of their first six points of quarter three before Mohawks found a suitable response of four each from Bucci and Perkins.
Both players took their points in the way the fans have come to expect - Bucci two solid free throws and a coolly taken basket, and Perkins livening up the crowd when Harrison picked him out for the familiar ally-oop.
A 7-2 run by Rockets reduced Mohawks’ lead briefly to 18 at 68-50. But Harrison, Bucci and Perkins snuffed out the flames of any sustained comeback with an 8-0 reply of their own as the quarter ended all-square at 25-25.
It was two unlikely heroes who began a 7 point Mohawks’ run in the opening minute of the final quarter, with Paul Connery picking up two points and following up with a good defensive block, before Jon Stonebridge ensured that all 10 players would get on the scoresheet with a basket of his own. Knechtel rounded off the run with three.
The game finished in scrappy style with, whether by accident or design, Mohawks taking their foot off the gas and allowing Rockets to achieve what was a flattering scoreline.
With little over a minute of the game left, the advantage was 28 points (106-78) after Bucci and Butler finished an 8-1 rally. But Between that spell and Butler’s final three point play of the game, Reading ran riot with 14 unanswered points, including two threes from Adam Kelly.
Manchester 90 Solent 86
The last time the Magic had a very close home game, against Kingston in November, the players lost their nerve in the last minute and lost the game. In a similar situation this weekend, they kept their composure to gain an extremely valuable victory over a talented and enthusiastic Solent Stars team. It had been close all the way, with Solent managing without their star American, John Bynum, for much of the early part of the game, after three early fouls, A surge by the Magic in the second quarter, led by guard James Jones, gave them a narrow 42-41 lead at the half.
All the Magic players were trying really hard and, when Alan Metcalfe, the young centre, was introduced, he had a sound game at both ends of the court against a team noticeably lacking in height. . Sean KcKie topped the Magic’s assists list with 12, but it was Sergio Lara-Bercial, with one of those storming runs he makes a habit of, who led the way with excellent long range shooting and passing. Kevin St. Kitts ended the quarter with a length-of the-court pass for Wayne Mulgrave to lay-up to put the score at 70-62 to the Magic.
The Solent Stars showed why they were 11 and 6 before this game by fighting their way back to within three points, but Matt Weedall and Kevin St. Kitts showed and admirable coolness at the free-throw line to make the game safe for the Magic. Bring on Kingston for the first round of the play-offs.
With most of the play-off positions already decided before these matches, however, most interest was focussed on the foot of the table, where Bupa Crusaders Coventry produced a last-minute Houdini act to escape from the last place that they had occupied for most of the season.
Coventry’s convincing 103-72 home victory over InterBasket London gave the West Midlands side their fourth victory of the season. Since Sutton Pumas went down 124-100 at Argyll Worthing Thunder, it left Sutton and Coventry level on points. These two had beaten each other in their Conference encounters, but since Coventry’s victory was by 22 points, and Sutton’s by just six, the Pumas found themselves with the wooden spoon for the second season.For Worthing, Sean Hampton hit a massive fifty points, but it was not enough to lift the Thunder above Manchester Magic who edged past Solent Stars, 90-86, to clinch fifth place in the final table.
Division One Men: Derbyshire Arrows 88 North London Lords 60
In Division One Men, the title race between Derbyshire Arrows and Ealing Tornados will go to the last game of the season, as they both picked up victories at the weekend. By the time Ealing take the court at Liverpool (who have already been confirmed in last place) they will know whether Arrows won at Worcester the night before. If they have, then Derbyshire have already taken the title; only a defeat for the current leaders would allow Tornados to pip them at the post.
The Derbyshire Arrows moved to within one win of the Title with a win over the North London Lords in front of yet another good crowd at the Queens Park Sports Centre, the Arrows recording a victory by 88 – 60.
The Arrows struggled in the first quarter and trailed 10 – 4 to the Lords before baskets from Bevington cut the Arrows deficit at the quarter to
13 – 12. The introduction of King & Hackett seemed to galvanise the Arrows who quickly began to dominate the game taking the quarter 32 – 14 to lead overall at the interval 44 – 27.It was to be vintage Arrows at the start of the second half, Kingsley Ellmer quickly finding his range for 11 points as the Arrows now led 62 – 33 and despite a late rally by the Lords the Arrows began the final quarter with an unassailable 70 – 44 advantage.
The Arrows maintained a steady controlled pace throughout the final quarter Marsh controlled the boards while Gittens and Goodwin gave good support to the tireless King to see the Arrows to a well deserved 88 – 60 victory.
The Arrows need to record one more victory away to Worcester and the Championship will be theirs. It will be a tense time for all Arrows supporters many of which are expected to make the trip to Worcester on Saturday at 8 pm, knowing one slip will send the title to rivals the Ealing Tornados.
Hull 93 Liverpool 61
The Hull Icebergs condemned Liverpool to the wooden spoon with a comfortable 93-61 home win.
The Match started brightly for Liverpool who went into an early 7-0 lead with the help of Hull been given a technical foul for a player wearing the wrong numbered shirt at the start of the game. This seemed to rattle the home club and Player/Coach Kevin Penny called a timeout. His team then regained their composure and went on a 7-0 run of their own including a three pointer from Karl Seamarks to tie the game up.
David Hargreaves hit a three for the visitors to put them back in front at 12-9 with 3.10 to go. The Merseysiders continued their good play and another 6-0 run had them leading 18-13, but the Icebergs fought back and a three point play by Miguel Canelo had them trailing at the end of a scrappy first quarter 18-16.
The Icebergs started the second quarter the quickest and after another three from Canelo they led 23-20. The visitors Coach Vic Fleming then called a timeout with his team trailing 25-22 with 7.15 to go. That, however, only inspired the Icebergs who then went on a 12-3 tear including a three from Neil Rymer to lead 37-25 with 2.30 left. Hull then called a timeout of their own and once again the other team capitalized after the break with Liverpool going on an 11-3 run which included a three from Rich Murphy to trail 40-36 at the half.
The home team again started quickly by going on an 11-2 run with Seamarks hitting another three to lead 51-38 with 5.30 remaining. Liverpool's cause was not helped by them getting into early foul trouble, though they did put together a 7-0 run towards the end of the quarter but still trailed 60-48 at the break.
If Liverpool thought they still had a chance to win that disappeared in the opening four minutes when Hull went on a 13-2 run, with Canelo again causing the visitors distress. He hit two more threes, the second after being fouled, and he duly completed the four point play. A three from Chris McKenna soon after increased the Icebergs lead to 76-52 with 5.19 to go, allowing Hull to put their back-up players in to run out the clock for the victory.
Elsewhere, Westminster Warriors’ home defeat by Ware Rebels leaves the London team trailing the Humberside outfit by two points. The top six were already confirmed as play-off contestants, but the final two places are still wide open, with five aspirants. The only winners among those five were North West London, who picked up a good away victory at fellow-hopefuls Worcester Wolves to ensure that the race will go to the last weekend of the season.
NBL Women's Division One
The biggest result of the weekend was in Women’s NBL Division One, where Nottingham Wildcats threw the title race wide open with their overtime victory over defending champions Rhondda Rebels.
With one game to go, Rhondda and Sheffield Hatters have two defeats apiece, and Nottingham have three. Thames Valley Tigers are just behind this leading group, with four losses. Next weekend, the top four meet up, with Tigers visiting the Welsh Valleys, and the Wildcats making the short trip to Sheffield, with one victory over the Hatters already in their locker.So, taking results between the teams into account, in the event of a tie in the table:
If Sheffield win next week, they will regain their League title, regardless of the other result; if Rhondda also win, then Nottingham are third, but if Thames Valley win, they overtake the Wildcats for third place;
If Nottingham win, then a Rhondda victory would ensure that the Rebels retain their title, with Nottingham second and Sheffield third; a Thames Valley win would give Nottingham their first ever League title, with Sheffield second and Rhondda third.In Division Two Women, Birmingham Force confirmed top placing in the Northern division, while Brighton Magic booked a play-off spot thanks to back-to-back victories, which included a first defeat of the season for Southern winners Plymouth Racers.
Brixton Topcats defeat at Brighton rules them out of contention for a top four finish, and the fourth places lies between Chelmsford Swifts and London Towers.
In the North, Ipswich Bobcats and Stockport Lapwings meet in the North West on Saturday, as they contest second to fourth places.
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