BASKETBALL: NORTH SCHOOL KEEP UP WINNING HABIT TO MAKE IT THREE FROM THREE

The North School Lions made it three straight wins to start the ABL regular season, securing a 70-52 home victory against the Sir Robert Woodard Academy Bears.

The game started with the Southern Conference rivals from Lancing matching the Lions shot for shot.

Josh Harrison fuelled the Bears with nine points but Conal Parnell responded with eight points of his own to give the Lions a slender 17-16 advantage at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Lions threatened to break clear as captain Harvey Kemp-Green and guard Roshan Thakali combined for 12 points for a 34-24 lead.

The visitors responded with a 7-0 run to end the period, giving the Lions a 34-31 half-time lead. Refocused after the break, the Lions stepped up their defensive pressure to earn eight straight stops. Thakali and Kemp

Green were instrumental in raising the tempo of the game and scored freely in transition, spearheading a dominant quarter which the Lions won 27-5.

Holding a convincing 61-36 lead, Diogo Araujo-Simoes (nine points) showed all of his creative skill in the fourth quarter as he relentlessly attacked inside and out to keep the Lions’ momentum going.

The Bears battled until the end and six points from Callum McAvoy-Smith allowed them to take the quarter 16-9; although it was not enough to stop the Lions from capturing a hard fought win by a margin of 18 points.

Kemp-Green led all scorers with 21 points to go with 14 rebounds and four assists, while Parnell (15 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists) and Thakali (12 points, four rebounds, five assists) were crucial to Lions’ success.

Lions head coach Andrew Sunderland said: “Sir Robert Woodard did an excellent job of varying their strategy and I was extremely happy with how hard we fought when we were struggling to find a rhythm.”

Harvey Kemp-Green