Scotty keeps the wins coming
SCOTTY HENDRICKS fired in 55 points as Reading Rockets completed a high-scoring brace of weekend wins.
Rockets (14-7) are now on a sixgame winning streak as they head towards the play-offs following a 105-102 victory over Leicester Warriors (7-14) on Saturday before easing past Derby Trailblazers (6-14) on Sunday.
And Hendricks top scored on both occasions with 29 and 26 points hauls.
“We showed some really good character, discipline and application to get two crucial wins as the regular season draws to a close,” said head coach Manuel Pena Garces.
“I am really pleased with how the players overcame some adversity in both games.
“Their behaviours have continued to be very good but now we must focus on specific areas starting with defence and how we apply ourselves to this and our tactics during each game.”
After getting stuck on the M1 motorway on the way to Leicester, Rockets looked off the pace during the first quarter with Tim Gill’s 14 points all that was keeping the visitors in the contest.
Taking a narrow 25-24 lead into the second quarter, Warriors extended their advantage before half-time, but Danny Carter and Declan Soukup scores kept the game alive at 50-42.
The second-half was a different story as Hendricks took over, hitting a brace of trebles and having a three-point free throw play.
Soukup then began running the show with two trebles of his own, helping reduce the arrears to 69-65 heading into the final stanza.
And Reading were forced into a first overtime period of the season after Leicester drained a buzzerbeating treble through star man
Carl Pearson to earn a 90-90 draw in regulation time.
A rare treble from Sydney Donaldson tied up the contest shortly after the start of the extra five minutes and the game was locked at 99-99 with less than two minutes to play.
Warriors edged ahead but a timely treble from Hendricks put Reading 102-101 up, a position from which they closed out the 105-102 victory.
Hendricks led the scoring with
29, followed by Carter (26), Gill (20) and Soukup (15).
And Pena Garces’ men secured back-to-back 100-point showings with a dominant win over struggling Derby.
Showing no signs of fatigue from the previous evening, a string of trebles from four different players gave Reading a 34-17 first quarter lead.
Pena Garces made frequent changes from then on and Rockets moved 61-46 ahead with Gill in fine form.
A 7-0 run at the start of the third encouraged Derby, but trebles from Donaldson and Jonny Foulds preserved the lead.
And after winning the final stanza 24-19, Rockets moved past the 100-point mark to clinch victory. Hendricks (26), Donaldson (23) and Gill (17) led the scoring charts.
Third-placed Rockets now host leaders Team Solent Kestrels (17-3) at Bohunt on Saturday (5pm).
“Team Solent have been excellent this season,” said Pena Garces.
“We know Saturday will be a very hard fought encounter.
“They have strength and depth at every position but in our last game against them we did a much better job and I believe that with that and our improved performance, we have a great chance of securing another win.
“It is going to be tough and we are really going to need our fans at Bohunt but it should be a really exciting game and we cannot wait to play.”
Alex Drincic, Adrian Nosa Castillo and Inigo Perez Baena could all return from injury.