Roberts is simply gr8 as Griffins pile points up at Tile
THERE were contrasting performances in the Warwickshire Basketball League as season’s highs and lows were recorded in both divisions.
Still sitting at the top of the tree in Division One are Arden Griffins who smashed their way to a massive 12352 win against Tile Hill Trojans 2, and on the way they recorded the highestever first quarter score, at the end of which they led the Coventry side 44-11.
Griffins were on fire throughout and hit their seventh ton of the season as leading scorer Paul Roberts glided home eight three-pointers as four of the Griffins players ended with scores in the twenties.
At the other end of the scale Tamworth Tigers totally demolished a weakened Warwick
China Red side who have been struggling with players as exams take over on the campus.
In an amazing sequence during which China Red failed to land a single outside shot, Tigers led 15-0 to finish the first quarter and 34-1 at half-time.
Once again, records were being talked about, and the Tigers coach Darren Mortiboy was disappointed to see his side let the students off the hook in the second half.
But even then, Tigers ran out 80-22 winners with Lukasz Bolda grabbing 32.
Putting aside the record books, Trojans 1 kept up the pressure at the top with a resounding 109-66 victory over Rugby Rage, and Aylesford Hawks won the local derby against Leamington Spartans 82-70 after just edging a 38-36 lead at the interval. Their match-winner was once again Joel de Lara Bond whose 28 point total spearheaded a final quarter drive, assisted by the returning Matt Glover who put away nine of his own in the last ten minutes to bring him up to 21 for the fixture.
It was a brave performance from Spartans who took the honours for the game’s top scorer as Murat Kuciran hit 30 with colleague Max Barraud on 22.
China Red’s miserable 22-point total was then beaten when Division Two’s Tile Hill Trojans 3 kept Coventry Tornadoes to a five-year low of 21 as the veterans chalked up 57 at the other end. Tornadoes fired off shot after shot but could not buy a basket in a second half which finished 34-7 to the Hereward College-based side for whom Iain Maxwell landed 25 and Trevor Robinson 20.
A shock 59-51 win over Ernesford Eagles was the reward for Westwood Rhinos’ performance as Jack Ford once more put on his oneman show to sink 36 of their points as Eagles turned in probably their worst showing to date.
They missed several close-range shots on the way, and only coming good when it was too late to save the game.
The battle at the top of Division Two was won and lost in the opening minutes as JM Grizzles showed their mettle to lead Nuneaton Predators 1 comfortably before going on to record an 81-39 success.
And it turned into a bad week for the north Warwickshire side as their seconds trailed Team Rebels 57-36 at the final buzzer.
Tile Hill Trojans1 109 Rugby Rage 66, Warwick China Red 22 Tamworth Tigers 80, Arden Griffins 123 Tile Hill Trojans2 52, Leamington Spartans 70 Aylesford Hawks 82.
Arden Griffins Tamworth Tigers Tile Hill Trojans1 Aylesford Hawks Rugby Rage Tile Hill Trojans2 Leamington Sp Warwick CR
P 11 12 9 12 11 13 9 11
W 11 7 8 6 4 3 3 2
L 0 5 1 6 7 10 6 9
F A Pt 1092 667 33 837 701 26 716 484 25 766 812 24 679 801 19 746 997 19 561 644 15 561 852 15
Nuneaton Predators2 36 Team Rebels 57, JM Grizzlies 81 Nuneaton Predators1 39, Tile Hill Trojans3 57 Coventry Tornadoes 21, Westwood Rhinos 59 Ernesford Eagles 51. pictures from the recent JM
P W L F A Pt GrNizuznleieatsovn NPruendes1at12on1P0re2da8to0r9s 61 54 32 gaJmMeG. rGizrzilziezslies in b9lac9kw0en6t3o3n3t3h2e 27 Tile Hill Trojans3 11 7 4 622 589 25 Cov Tornadoes 11 5 6 597 682 21 Ernesford Eagles 11 4 7 681 610 19 Westwd Rhinos* 10 5 5 581 597 19 Leamington Sp2 11 3 8 578 671 17 Team Rebels 8 3 5 434 458 14 Nuneaton Preds2 8 0 8 302 644 8
*Point deducted
Octavian Droobers’ Will Gardner has been selected by British Orienteering for the senior GB Squad for 2020.
The Coventry-based club’s athlete will join 23 others from around the UK chosen to compete at international events.
The Droobers’ next event on Saturday, February 15 at Everdon Stubbs, near Daventry. For full details see www. octavian-droobers.org or call 01926 632189
nGriffins were on fire throughout and hit their seventh ton of the season as leading scorer Paul Roberts glided home eight three-pointers.