Bargains Made and Kept, Incidents, Dunks and a Thirty Point Win
Sheffield Junior Sharks U18 V Newcastle Eagles U18
12.30 pm, Saturday February 13th 2010
Tyne Met College
1 2 3 4Final
Sharks:2123 2025 89
Eagles: 918 2210 59
It was a set of sleepy players and supporters that sat in their scattered cars in Tyne Met’s car parks waiting to go into the sports hall. Not before long with this third game against an inconsistent Newcastle, Sharks notched up a solid win.
As the team was preparing, Coach Ransom told the team that he was going to try and get all the players on to the court before the half time break, and he asked the team to limit the Newcastle score to less than sixty. With a local habit of Newcastle taking what is usually the away bench as theirs, Sharks found themselves settling on what for them was the true home bench. Whether this had any effect on their play is hard to judge, but the game was characterised by greater calm and confidence in much of the play. This is to the team’s clear credit and helps in the run up to the Sureshot Final on the 21st. In that game, out of interest, Sharks are nominated as the ‘home’ team.
Another added difference to the game was that BBL Newcastle Eagle’s player/coach, Fab Flournoy, was on the Newcastle bench as their assistant coach. And soon the first quarter underway, with Sharks out-rebounding and assisting others in many attacks at basket. Joseph Baugh won the tip and Ben Cepulis quickly assisted John Stewart to make the first basket. A harsh call on Mykel Moodie led to a Newcastle two points which immediately cautioned the players on rule interpretation. Before long with an assist from Joseph, Jim Rose crisply took a three-pointer. John busied away refusing to be locked out of the Newcastle key and was fouled so that he went to the line for two shots, one of which he took. He would be back many times. There were periods of great plays with controlled, transitional basketball. Sadly there were some miss-passes, missed passes and rudimentary failures too. Joseph entered the scoring and again did Jim with a comprehensive And-1 off a Mykel assist. Assessing the flow of play Coach Ransom started to make changes. His first was to rest Jim and John and introduce Dave Price and Behre Tesfayohannes. No sooner on that they made an immediate impact. Behre was fouled and so went to the line for a point and Dave’s marking was razor close. Mykel picked up a point from a free though and then one of the incidents happened. Behre was called on a foul outside the key in the left lane where the Newcastle player as if in the process of shooting. A basket was awarded and a free-throw which was missed. The Sharks’ camp were mystified. No sooner settled, Behre went to the line again for a point before Mykel, and Joseph ‘basketed’ and hoovered-up free throws. Vonn made a welcome appearance and gave added impetus to the busy first period of play. Sheffield Junior Sharks 21, Newcastle Eagles 9.
The Second quarter was another for Sharks, and started with the remaining member of the starting five taking his first basket having given two assists in the first period. Quickly following, Joseph salvoed a long pass to Jim Mykel who planted the ball in the net. After Newcastle replied, John took a two assisted by Ben. Great play between Mykel, and Joseph got the ball to Ben for a layup. Joseph at the other end of the court did a firm block and John was up the court to dunk on Newcastle. With competition not idle when then kind of baskets are played, Ross Wilson returned the compliment and did the same for Newcastle in Sharks’ net. Making more of a determined effort Newcastle continued to ‘up’ their scoring with a three-pointer. Sharks were undaunted and retained the advantage with a fifteen point lead. Ben cracked two great baskets only for fouls to allow Newcastle to score three from four at the line. With Louis Francis-Edge now in play substituting for Jim his fresh legs brought quick running. Shortly after Dave took over from Joseph. Just after Louis was at the free-throw line to bank two points. John was in a ball tussle with Newcastle’s Agbo and an arm in the face slit John’s tongue so that he was free flowing with blood. It did not stop easily and the referee insisted that John could not play in his bloodied top and shorts. Looking for a telephone box Coach Ransom told him to get on with it and he quickly became number nine and was back on court. Great free-throws from Behre, baskets from Louis and John brought the Sharks’ half time tally with three points from an And-1. Newcastle squeezed a basket in at the close so that the score rested at Sheffield Junior Sharks 44, Newcastle Eagles 27. With the end of the half Coach Ransom had kept his part of the bargain and all the players had been in action. It was yet to be seen whether the players could keep to the limitation task assigned to the,
The rest-break was without tension and the third began with Newcastle finding more of the character that they had displayed in the Sureshot Cup encounter. This to the extent that they won the quarter, though narrowly with two points. It was achieved toward the end of the period, as the start began with Sharks at work again and then alternating basket sets being taken. Jim open with a definitive two courtesy of Mykel and John was invited to the free throw line and gratefully accepted two points. Triangular play again saw John and Joseph sending Ben to basket for a further two. John enjoying the inside play wriggled and twisted through for two. Agbo and Wilson responded immediately for the Eagles, but the lead was by now seventeen with the Sharks. Ben and John pushed the score along by five. Ben judged a risk and committed a foul that cost one point before Jim Rose did a sweet hook into the basket helped by Joseph’s assist. Vonn returned to the court replacing Ben. Like a refrain, John went to the line again. Shortly after Joseph became basket hungry and made a controlled dunk as a prelude to a later one. Newcastle came back with a tear of nine points. Amidst this there was some confusion after basket interference seemed to give Coach Ransom a technical foul after responding to Joseph’s interference. After some thought and discussion the technical became Joseph’s. Amongst all this Mykel was quietly doing what he does so well which is to absorb so much of a team’s attack. Newcastle’s captain fouled John and John took two points in the last minute of the quarter. Newcastle responded and the quarter was done. Sheffield Juniors Sharks 64, Newcastle Eagles 49.
The fourth period of play saw the Sharks close things down for Eagles whilst made a good fist of scoring themselves with their richest quarter taking twenty five points. Just Newcastle’s Appleby and Agbo managed to score. Along the way their captain, Nielsen, and Wilson were fouled out. For Sharks Jim, John, Ben, Louis and Joseph all scored with a monster dunk from Joseph closing the scoring for Sharks. By this time five players had made double digit scores ensuring a spread. For all their concern to score as much as they could the players did what Coach Ransom had asked of them and Newcastle were kept under sixty points. Sheffield Junior Sharks 89, Newcastle Eagles 59.
Comment from Coach Ransom: “Intense perimeter defence by Sharks meant that Newcastle were never allowed the kind of time and space they need to get their three point game started. Then Newcastle missed shots then generated fast break opportunities for Sharks who gave one of their best displays of transition basketball of the season. A satisfying performance in which the entire Sharks bench made a contribution”.
The journey home was made much easier by the win, and the promise of a meal by the coaches after the next League game and on the eve of the Sureshot Cup Final in Manchester.
Thanks go to Coaches Ransom and Nagle, Joe and Alexis Moodie for the stats, and to travelling supporters.
Personal Statistics: John Stewart: 26 Points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks; Joseph Baugh: 15 Points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 steals, 2 blocks; Ben Cepulis: 15 Points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 block; Jim Rose: 14 Points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals; Louis Francis-Edge: 10 Points, 2 rebounds; Mykel Moodie: 5 Points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals; Behre Tesfayohannes: 4 Points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists; Dave Price: 3 rebounds; Vonn Tapiz.
Next League Game: Home to Leicester Canons, Saturday February 20th 2010 at 3.15 pm at Springs Leisure Centre.
