Press Reports

2004-2005

Week ending 27th May 2005

Collins Stewart 3 ensured they finished their league season unbeaten and with it the third division title when they defeated their closest rivals Eventure Hornets twice within 24 hours.  The first game resulted in a 49 to 39 points win and the second was nearly a re-run at 46 to 39.  The Eventure Hornets made amends for their disappointment the following evening when they defeated Martel~Dunn by 41 to 38 after having to come from behind with two minutes to go.  Denise Bourgaize scored 15 in the first few quarters but as her scoring dried up so Martel~Dunn took advantage to take a nine-point lead into the final quarter.  Natalie Grainger for Martel~Dunn scored 13 but as the team became tired and the Hornets increased their efforts so the lead reduced until finally they edged ahead.  Somehow the Hornets held out as the Martel~Dunn players attacked the basket but their shots were awry when it mattered from the free throw line.  The Hornets ended as runners-up.

La Fraternelle Rovers All Stars eventually celebrated the second division title after being given a walk-over from the Island women's team who were more intent on enjoying Liverpool's win in the European Cup.

Week ending 22nd May 2005

This was Collins Stewart's first defeat of the season to blemish their undefeated league performance.  Even with the appearance of England squad player Martin Yabsley Collins Stewart failed to find the basket with any regularity.  The opening quarter went to the champions but Rothschilds reversed the scoreline to end the half one point ahead.  Rothschild's continued patient approach paid off in the end but it nearly did not.  With 3 minutes of normal time remaining Rothschilds held a 10-point lead that they then let slip to finish on 65 each on the final whistle as Richard Davey completed a 180 degree jump shot to take the game into overtime.  The slightly better shooting from Rothschilds made the champions pay, with Kerry Smyth finding good form with 28 points and Mark Barnett with 18 for Rothschilds.  Collins Stewart were reliant too much on Simon Le Blancq who scored 20 points and apart from Yabsley’s 14 points the rest of the side were well marshalled by Rothschild’s defence as they held out for an unlikely 75 to 71 win.

Collins Stewart bounced right back 24 hours later with a 97 points to 44 win over the Island Juniors.  They started off at a furious pace and were 31 to 14 points up after the opening 10 minutes.  They followed this up with another 24 points in the second quarter as Aigars Bruvelis attacked the basket and it was only the third quarter when the Juniors were given some respite.  Collins Stewart found plenty of space around the basket and exploited the weak defence from the Juniors.  Bruvelis scored 26 points and Andy Maiden 18 with Jamie Roussel adding 14 from fast breaks but incurring the wrath of his coach for missing many more lay-ups.  The only player to look at ease for the Juniors was Michael Beausire with 22 points.

This was the Island Women's first win of the season with Liz Kerr outstanding in her control of the game and her shooting.  Brock Road held all the advantage going into the last quarter at 47 points to 34 but Kerr's unerring shooting and the Island Women's defence that restricted Brock Road to just 6 points made sure of the win by a single point and Kerr finishing with 37 points in their one point win by 54 to 53.

La Fraternelle Rovers All Stars made sure of the second division title when they defeated Richmond Worriers by 70 points to 43 as long as they turn up for their final match of the season.  It was all one way traffic from the tip-off as Liz Kerr three 3-pointers inside five minutes to settle the All Stars down.  Thereafter they controlled the game and allowed the departing Michael Lum to top score with 17 points.  The threat of Charlie Archenoul for the Worriers was kept at bay as the All Stars pushed him outside the key from where he scored 16 points with Andy Elder managing 14 on his lone raids on the opposition basket.

Cable & Wireless left it late in their game against Goldridge Estate Agents before they were finally victorious by 51 points to 43.Going into the last quarter all square Goldridge hit foul trouble within a couple of minutes and  suffered 16 free throws against them that resulted in 7 points and with it the match.  Cable & Wireless cannily wound the clock down on each possession and when Goldridge tried to make amends it was too late.  Karl Vjaska tried hard to bring Goldridge back with 17 points but the all-round team-work of Cable & Wireless saw them through to the final whistle.

Eventure Hornets kept their interest in the league alive after an easy victory over the Sharks by 72 points to 15 with the Bourgaize family accounting for half their points.  Denise led with 19, Nina with 12 and Zola 6 to set up their win that now means that they have to beat the leaders Collins Stewart 3 twice to stand a chance of the title.

The Grammar finished their season against Bachmann with a win but one that was uncomfortably close.  Wendy Van Katwyk with 12 points for Bachmann started well and finished strongly but was luckily kept quiet in between.  The win puts the Grammar on top of the league but are likely to be overtaken by either Collins Stewart or Eventure Hornets by the last game of the season.

Week ending 14th May 2005

Le Mont Saint completed their league season by defeating the Island Juniors convincingly by 89 points to 51.  It was a fitting pre-wedding performance from James Tracey's team as they swamped the Juniors in the first quarter to register 32 points.  The game quietened down for the next two quarters but sprang back to life in the last quarter as Le Mont Saint scored a further 30 points with Michael Beausire using his height and post play to good effect to score 22 points. Tracey’s contribution in bachelor status was 16.  Dave Wilson kept his improvement going for the Juniors with 18 points but they found difficulty scoring against the height of Le Mont Saint.

The pre-match billing between Collins Stewart 2 and La Fraternelle in the second division was that whoever won would have one hand on the title and the game lived up to expectations.  By the end of the first half Collins Stewart led by just a single point through some excellent shooting from Mark Raczynski with 15 points and Dave Wilson with 16.  When Collins Stewart went 10 points up in the third quarter it looked as though La Fraternelle had lost their chance but a determined effort from Nigel Govett who scored 30 points and who never gave in saw them gradually come back into the game slightly so that they started the last quarter only 6 points behind.  Collins Stewart lost some of their composure midway through the final 10 minutes and the All Stars put together 10 points without reply to edge ahead by 2 points.  In the final minute Wilson had the opportunity from the free throw line to take the game into overtime but he missed both shots to enable La Fraternelle to play out the clock and a dramatic win by 57 points to 55.

In the third division Collins Stewart's women showed that scoring is the main principle behind the game when they defeated Martel~Dunn by nearly 30 points.  The damage was done in the first half when Collins Stewart led by 41 points to 12.  After that there was nothing between the two sides and the second half ended all square.  However Lorna Brown's 24 points and Rachel Guille's 15 for Collins Stewart in their 62 points to 33 win set the tone of the game and ensured that their team heads the table with just a couple of games to go. 

Eventure Hornets started their series of 5 games in less than two weeks when they defeated The Learning Co., who were short of their island players, by 37 points to 17.  Things did not start off too well for the Hornets and it was only near the end of the first half that they took the lead.  Sara Gaudion then took over as she scored 15 points to ensure the Hornet's victory and retain an outside chance of the lifting the title.

Bachmann completed the double over the Sharks quite convincingly when Annette Marriott turned the clock back a few years to register 18 points in their 47 points to 20 win.  St Sampsons best efforts came from Melanie Carre who scored 10 points.

Week ending 7th May 2005

In the Yorkshire Guernsey basketball league division 2 Goldridge Estate Agents made light work of Brock Road with a convincing 83 points to 32 win.  Goldridge Estate Agents were slow to start scoring but once they did there was no stopping them.  In the first quarter they only managed 14 points but by the last quarter they had increased this to 30.  Kurt Vjaksa showed the way to do it with 24 points for Goldridge and Karl Dorey broke away to add 18 so that it became all too easy.  Brock Road were short in stature and points, no-one taking the responsibility to go to the basket strongly to score more than a handful of points

 In division 3 Collins Stewart 3 almost made sure of the title when they defeated their closest current rivals, Grammar by 51 points to 47.  Collins Stewart led going into the last quarter by 6 points but a concerted effort from Kath Guille for the Grammar saw them take the lead at 47 to 44 with 8 minutes to go.  From thereon the Grammar failed to register another point, this despite Guille’s 22 points, whilst Collins Stewart managed 7 to sneak a slender win and with it the probability of champions.  Rochelle Vaudin was the mainstay of Collins Stewart with 18 points and it was lucky for them that her shooting was on target since Lorna Brown was well shepherded and only managed 13. 

Martel~Dunn just about had enough to edge out Bachmanns in each quarter by a few points so that it tallied to a lead of 14 by the final whistle at 38 points to 24.  Kate Roberts was a livewire for Martel~Dunn and scored 15 points as well as leading the offence well.  Eleisha Gettings and Jemma Bailey were strong in defence which added up to a comfortable win for Martel~Dunn in the end.  Wendy Van Katwyk and Annette Marriott both tried hard to keep Bachmann in the game but the team’s inability to score let them down.  They had plenty of opportunities to score but wayward shooting contributed to their demise.

Week ending 30th April 2005

In the top division of the Yorkshire Guernsey basketball leagues the chance of the first win for the Island Juniors seemed likely after Rothschilds slumped during the first half to an 11-point deficit.  The Juniors drove on the basket at every opportunity and denied Rothschilds and easy basket at the other end.  Richard Davey and Michael Beausire scored 12 in the opening quarter and threatened to cause an upset.  Coach Nigel Govett began to instil some discipline into Rothschilds play and gradually through better defence and an organised offence they reduced the arrears to manageable proportions.  Identifying wrong match-ups and making the best of them first Liam Smyth and then Lee Ogier exploited the weaknesses.  As the lead slipped away from the Juniors coach Andy Maiden was disappointed to see Davey go down heavily in a challenge and be forced to recover on the bench for several minutes.  Dave Wilson tried to keep the Juniors in contact but with Craig Platt being closely marked his jump shot was under pressure and invariably missed.  The third quarter ended with a 10-point run by Rothschilds and their dominance as they increased the intensity led to a comfortable win by 76 points to 55.  Ogier finished off many fast breaks for 23 points and Smyth likewise with 16 for Rothschilds to end any thoughts the Juniors may have had of their first success.

Collins Stewart retained their division 1 title with a resounding win over Le Mont Saint Garage by 111 points to 58.  It was too easy for the champions as they scored their second successive century of points with Richard Davey, Jim Rowe and Aigars Bruvelis attacking the basket relentlessly and Andy Maiden waiting under the ring for the inevitable pass that he then put away for 27 points.  Davey scored 16, Rowe 19 and Bruvelis 12.  When the build-up was slower Simon Le Blancq took time to score 14 points from further out.  Only James Tracey looked at ease for Le Mont Saint and with 22 points he registered a token resistance but they were made to appear second best by Collins Stewart who have been the top team in the league this year and deserve their title.

Richmond Worriers welcomed back Charlie Archenoul after his long holiday around the world and their performance was the better for it as he took control right from the tip-off against the Island Women.  Not only did he score 16 points but Andy Creed was on the end of many of the inside passes from Archenoul that have been absent of late.  Creed’s 15 points were more like his old self.  The Island Women, though, gave them a good game but were always that bit behind not to cause the Worriers too much problem.  Liz Kerr shot well for 18 points but they all found it hard work against the taller and bigger opposition.  To their credit the women moved the ball around quickly and with precision to set up the easy set shot from the weak side but their weakness lay in rebounding against the extra height.  The Worriers had the upper hand and deserved their win but the final score of 54 to 39 showed just how many shots were missed on both sides.

The Learning Co. and Bachmann played the first quarter of their game with hardly any success by either team.  At 7-5 to The Learning Co. things could only improve.  They did but not for the Bachmann side who could not find the basket at all in the third quarter as they went behind by a further 11 points.  They did rally in the last quarter but by then the game had slipped away from them and the margin between the two was too much to regain despite Wendy Van Katwyk’s 14 points.  The win by 40 points to 28 to The Learning Co. moves them to third place in the league.

The Grammar had to come back from 10 points behind to win a match that they had to win if they were to stand any chance of winning the league.  The Learning Co. were leading until 5 minutes from the end thanks to Emma Webb and Niki Burrows but the Grammar crept back slowly and finally had just enough advantage to win by one shot at 44 to 41.  Sarah Hughes, back from injury, was the driving force behind the Grammar's win and with 15 points showed by example the determination needed to win when the chips are down.

The Royal Bank of Canada completed their season in the Recreational league with a win over a much improved Barings side by 66 points to 57.  The game was highly competitive and surprisingly close for three quarters before RBC finally eked out a slight lead that they held until the end.  New signing Andrew Suhareus for RBC showed his undoubted ability with 25 points and a physical tussle with Baring’s Luke Jager who scored 14 points.  Aaron Le Masurier was also available to RBC on the fast break and scored 14.  Barings had Simon Duquemin acting as point guard and his 29 points were nearly sufficient but with Suhareus playing such an outstanding game inside the key there were no easy baskets.  RBC become champions of the inaugural recreational league.

Specsavers also finished on the winning side against the Under 17 girls team in their last match of the season.  A first quarter that was edged by the girls was their only success as Specsavers turned the game around to win by 59 points to 33.  Jamie Wilcocks took most of the rebounds for Specsavers under the basket with his jumping ability and proceeded to score 23 to set up their win but Adam Grogan scored an early 12 points to set them on their recovery.  The girls lacked the height to be able to compete on equal terms but their approach work was efficient enough to open up the shooting opportunities.  It has been a useful chance for the girls to play as a team in this league and they have befitted from the experience.

Week ending 24th April 2005

Collins Stewart virtually sealed the Yorkshire Guernsey first division championship for another year when they swamped the Island Juniors by 120 to 53 in an excellent display of fast breaking.  The Juniors gave a good account of themselves in the first half but they were taken apart in the third quarter as wave after wave of attacks came from Collins Stewart.  The Juniors lacked the discipline and effort required to stem the flow of baskets and were more intent on their own attack rather than stopping the opposition as well.  Aigars Bruvelis dominated inside the key with 30 points but he had plenty of help from his Collins Stewart colleagues as they queued up to score.  Richard Davey and Antony Safari both netted 18 points, Jamie Roussel added 17, Jim Rowe tallied 16 and Simon Le Blancq shot 13 in a game where scoring was too easy.  The Juniors had no-one to whom they could look to control their game nor as a ‘go-to’ player and suffered their biggest defeat of the season.  With three games to go Collins Stewart can start to celebrate.

In the second division Collins Stewart 2 extended their lead at the top of the table with a win over Goldridge Estate Agents by 64 points to 50.  For three quarters of the game Collins Stewart romped away with the match and only allowed Goldridge back into things in the fourth quarter as they relaxed.  Dave Wilson scored 17 points for the winners with his unorthodox style and with Craig Platt adding 14 and Nick Raczynski another 12 they controlled the match from the start.  The European influence continued with Kaspar Vlasis scoring 19 points for Goldridge but local player Karl Dorey kept his average intact with 15.  Despite their efforts it was Collins Stewart who came out winners and find themselves in strong contention for the title.

In the third division Martel~Dunn overcame a nervous start to beat St Sampsons Sharks by 43 to 28.  It was the best game of the season for the Sharks as they plundered their 28 points but they were unable to prevent a larger number being scored against them and suffered another defeat. Ali Keiller in Martel~Dunn’s colours has made big improvements this year and her experience gained from the U17 girls team was used to good effect as she scored 14 points.  Rachel Kimber also got on the scoresheet with 13 points but from many more attempts on the basket and their combined success was sufficient to warrant a win.

In the recreational league Barings beat the Island U17 Girls team by 76 to 47 after a shaky start.  For a quarter of an hour the two sides were evenly matched but as Barings applied a full court press so they reaped the rewards and began to stretch out a lead that they gradually built on for the rest of the game.  Simon Duquemin with 25 points for Barings frequently looked threatening and was always likely to add to the score and with James Smith adding 18 points they took control to win quite comfortably.  The Girls played some excellent basketball but they were prone to too many turnovers.  If they can build on their good play and eradicate their poor passing they would be an immensely difficult side to beat.  Kerri Brown showed her pace, strength and ability and with Emma Hicks, Zola Bourgaize and Emily Creed playing well they gave a good performance that promises much in the future.

 The Under 17 Boys team completed their season with a fine win over Specsavers by 56 points to 36.  For over half the game the two teams traded baskets but the U17's finally broke away towards the end of the third quarter to lead by 7 points at the final break.  Thereafter there was only one side in it as the Boys took the last quarter 14 points to just 1 as Specsavers tired.  The teamwork of the U17s paid off with everyone scoring yet no-one reaching double figures whereas Specsavers had Adam Grogan to thank for 15 points but only 5 players scored.  The Boys finished top of the league but as they were an invited team to give the others more games the title goes to the Royal Bank of Canada.

Week ending 17th April 2005

There was a shock in the first division of the Yorkshire Guernsey basketball leagues when Le Mont Saint Garage turned over the pre-match favourites Rothschilds by 68 points to 64.  Rothschilds played as though it would all come right in the end whereas Le Mont Saint showed more purpose and endeavour throughout.  Turnovers were evident on both sides but Rothschilds were lackadaisical in the extreme which caused coach Nigel Govett more consternation that a night out with no beer.  Until the fourth minute of the last quarter Rothschilds were in control at 58 to 51 but four fast breaks from James Tracey and three free throws changed the complexion of the game.  With three minutes to go a three-pointer from James set them on their way to a win that hardly looked on the cards.  With time running out Rothschilds missed their chance to score on their possession and slid to a defeat that virtually rules them out of any chance of the title.  Tracey was Le Mont Saint’s mainstay with 22 points with Roberts contributing 13. Collins Stewart now only have to turn up in their last four games to retain the trophy.

The U17 boys gained revenge for their earlier defeat at the hands of the Royal Bank of Canada in the Recreational league by 63 points to 52.  By the first minute of the fourth quarter the score stood at 51 each but an unbelievable 12 to nil run from the boys team gave them their win.  Jamie Bisson led the scoring for the U17s with 17 points while RBC relied on their senior players, Andy Shaw with 16 and Andy Stephens with 13, to do their scoring.

Barings beat Les Camps Eagles by 59 points to 26 with relative ease thanks to Simon Duquemin’s 21 points.  For the Eagles Mark Le Page scored 18 but he was a lone raider in the opposition key when he needed more support. 

In the Lower Divisions Plate semi-final Cable & Wireless made it through to the final with a win over Brock Road by 72 points to 57.  A slow start from Brock Road saw them behind by 13 after the first quarter but they rallied to tie the game by the break.  Unfortunately they capitulated in the third and were unable to make sufficient inroads in the last to make a comeback.  Billy Page scored 17 of their points with 16 coming from Ricard Fletcher butCable & Wireless had too many guns firing with Simon Duquemin scoring 17, Stuart Dunne 15, Mark Le Page 14 and Pat Cunningham 12.

In the other semi-final Collins Stewart 2 blitzed Richmond Worriers by 86 points to 34 with an energetic fast-flowing game.  They pushed the ball down court at every opportunity and ran the Worriers ragged.  Craig Platt scored 26 for Collins Stewart and with 12 each from Dan Marriott and Matt Skillett they were never in any danger of being overhauled.

The final between these two took place 48 hours later and once again it was the relentless pace and fast passing that succeeded for Collins Stewart, this time by 71 points to 52.  By the end of third quarter CS led by 24 points and with the game well and truly settled they relaxed to allow C&W to register a satisfactory final quarter.  The damage had been done by Collins Stewart’s Craig Platt who again showed that he is the master of the jump shot with 30 points.  Dave Wilson added 15 with characteristic style to claim the trophy.  Cable & Wireless found it difficult to find the basket and with only Simon Duquemin making 17 and Mark Le Page with 16 they were short on players to maintain the scoring and paid the penalty.

Week ending 10th April 2005

In the Yorkshire Guernsey basketball leagues all three Collins Stewart teams won to take them to the top of their divisions.  In the premier division Rothschilds were the victims by 80 points to 54 and kill off any lingering hopes of prolonging their interest in the season as Collins Stewart are now all but mathematical champions again for the third time.  Once the two teams had settled down there was never any doubt to the outcome as Collins Stewart chalked up a win in each quarter.  Simon Le Blancq with five three-pointers in his 21 points made sure there were no slip-ups and with Nick Jennings scoring 15 points inside the key Rothschilds had no answer to the more solid team performance from their opponents. 

Collins Stewart 2 beat Brock Road easily by 94 points to 45 in the second division.  Brock Road played intense defence but they lacked the self discipline to avoid picking up 33 fouls and have three players fouled out.  From the 46 free throws Collins Stewart managed to score 19 points but they dominated the boards at both ends of the court.  Craig Platt timed his rebounding well and scored 26 points from the resulting possession, and with Dan Marriott making 15 points similarly the league leaders with two games to play lead La Fraternelle All Stars by two points.  Dave Wilson made 14 points, some from impossible positions, but with only Ricard Fletcher’s 15 points for Brock Road the only major contributor they were never likely to threaten the leaders.

La Fraternelle All Stars also beat Brock Road, this time by 84 points to 35.  Once again Brock Road were prolific with their fouls and from the 33 this time it was remarkable that no-one was fouled out.  The All Stars scored 21 points from the 42 free throws but the game was won as early as the first quarter when the All Stars held control.  Liz Kerr with 26 points and Paul Battle with 25 were the mainstay of their win and with Michael Lum pushing them forward and scoring 16 points the All Stars kept their interest alive in the title.

Cable & Wireless turned the tables on Richmond Worriers with a 61 points to 49 win but the recent revival from the Worriers ended too easily as far as they were concerned.  Cable & Wireless started off well and were 12 – 2 up within a few minutes.  They hardly looked back as Pat Cunningham drifted in and out of the key to score 20 points and the deadly shooting of Lee Blampied who added 15 points from his limited appearances on court.  In the third quarter the Worriers made an effort to reduce the gap but Cable & Wireless stood firm and played out the final few minutes confidently despite 21 points from Richmond’s Ken Davey.

At the top of the third division Collins Stewart 3 struggled to take the initiative against The Learning Co. and at the break The Learning Co. only tailed by 18 to 13.  A renewed Collins Stewart side came out in the second half to overwhelm their opponents and then win at a canter by 50 points to 27.  Island star Lorna Brown scored 26 for Collins Stewart and was always a thorn in The Learning Co.’s side and maintained her record that will surely win her the leading points per game player in the division.

The Grammar failed to take advantage to go to the top of the league again when they were beaten by Eventure Hornets.  There was nothing between the two sides for most of the game and at 36 each with the last quarter to go suggested a close and nervous final few minutes.  However, the Hornets blitzed the Grammar  by 24 points to 5 to finish 64 points to 41 to the good.  Denise Bourgaize rebounded well to score 18 points but the shooting display came from Sara Gaudion with 16 points as they wrestled the advantage from the Grammar and showed more aggression and determination to win.  Only Marcia Stefani with 13 points was consistent enough for the Grammar to register many points to challenge the Hornets.  With this defeat the Grammar lost their chance of taking the title and by winning the Hornets enhanced theirs.

Week ending 3rd April 2005

The Island Juniors were always on the back foot as they chased the game against Le Mont Saint who won quite convincingly by 79 points to 49.  Neil Chester provided the height for Le Mont Saint and scored 16 points with Andre Sidaner and James Tracey each adding 14.  They were always in control of the game doing enough to win each quarter that amounted to 30 points in the end.  The Juniors did not have the muscle inside the key to make a close game of it and their best efforts came from Richard Davey and Dave Wilson with 13 each. 

In the second division Collins Stewart 2 went back to the top of the league by defeating Cable & Wireless by 86 points to 47 with something to spare.  N Raczynski topped the scoring with 22 points but he had plenty of support from Craig Platt with 18 and Dave Wilson with 14.  Collins Stewart just had too much in all departments of the game for Cable & Wireless to spring any surprises.  Apart from Neil Bewey who contributed 12 points for Cable & Wireless they had little else to challenge the league leaders.  The match between Collins Stewart and La Fraternelle on 11^th May will no doubt settle the winners of the league.

There was nothing between the two sides at the break but Cable & Wireless stepped up the intensity in the second half to draw away from Brock Road to seal a win by 60 points to 45.  The first half was tied at 24 each but an early run by Cable & Wireless at the start of the third quarter enabled them to build on a lead that they had established.  Simon Duquemin and Lee Blampied both scored 15 points for C&W but they had support from Rob Girard and Mark Le Page that was the telling factor.  Brock Road had Billy Page and Naro Zimmerman to thank for 16 points each but they fell down when there was little support from the other players.

The best game of the week was reserved for the match between Goldridge Estate Agents and the Island Women.  The game was heading for overtime when Liz Kerr hit a three-point shot with half a minute to go but Goldridge were given a sideline possession with one second to go.  The ball was passed in to Phil English who only had time to catch and shoot.  Unbelievably the ball went through the basket to record a buzzer-beating win for Goldridge by 66 points to 64.  It was a little hard on the women as they had done enough the win with Kerr scoring 19 and Natalie Whitty 14 but Goldridge had stayed in the game with 20 points from Glen Walker until the last second decider.

The Grammar team also went to the top of the third division table with a not-so-easy win over Martel~Dunn.  The game was close until the last quarter when the Grammar stretched out a small lead through Holly Priaulx who scored 13 points and Emma Hicks who registered 12.  After an injury to Natalie Grainger Martel~Dunn had to regroup and the efforts of Lucy Le Lacheur were rewarded with 12 points but they could not match the Grammar over the last three minutes. At 33 to 31 in favour of the Grammar the game could have swung either way but eight unanswered points from the Grammar side took them to an eventual 41 to 33 win.

Collins Stewart 3 remained unbeaten in the women’s division as they comfortably beat Bachmann by 50 points to 26 with Lorna Brown dominating proceedings as she scored 27 points for the likely champions who remain poised behind the Grammar.  Their encounter on 4^th May may well decide the destination of the title.

Week ending 26th March 2005

The division 2 knockout trophy was retained by La Fraternelle All Stars when they defeated Goldridge Estate Agents quite comfortably by 20 points.  Goldridge began well in the opening quarter but the All Stars bounced back to finish the opening skirmishes 5 points ahead mainly through the driving of Michael Lum and Nigel Govett.  By the end of the half the game as a competition was virtually over when student Andy Battle rattled in two three-pointers in quick succession and the All Stars had imposed their control on the game.  The result was never in doubt as both sides traded baskets in the third and fourth quarters but Goldridge, without two players who could have made a difference, could not string together a series of baskets yet depriving the All Stars their scoring opportunities.  Lum and Govett ended with 16 points each and ran out winners by 59 points to 39 to retain the trophy.

The first of the semi-final matches in the first division knockout between Collins Stewart and the Island Juniors was too one-sided for anyone to be enthralled for long as Collins Stewart blitzed the Juniors 31 to 4 in the first quarter.  After that there was only one conclusion but to their credit the Juniors just about broke even after that finishing at 110 to 71.  When it came to shooting ability Simon Le Blancq gave an indication why he has scored nearly twice as many 3-pointers than anyone else in Guernsey basketball with another 9 in his total of 31 points.  Andy Maiden stole 23 points from under the basket and Antoine Saffari made 18 with simple drives to the ring as Collins Stewart eclipsed the Juniors to qualify for the final.

The second semi-final was an altogether different game with both Rothschilds and Le Mont Saint vying for the final with nothing between them.  Whenever one side took an advantage it was quickly closed until 5 minutes to go when the score stood at 59 each Rothschilds took a firmer grip on the game and shut out Le Mont Saint for three minutes to go 9 points ahead which they successfully maintained until the whistle and a place in the final.  Kerry Smyth put in a better display of late to register 21 points and with Lee Ogier adding 16 Rothschilds just had the edge over Le Mont Saint's James Tracey who contributed 18 points.

Week ending 20th March 2005

How the Guernsey Press saw it:

Guernsey and their previously noisy supporters were left dumbstruck as Jersey came back from a 16-point deficit to seal victory by the smallest of margins with just 0.9sec. on the clock.
MVP Duncan Prince was the man who supplied the killer blow after he had been fouled on halfway attempting a quick break when Guernsey missed their final shot.  His first attempt from the line bounced out off the rim, but his second was straight and true leaving Guernsey with no time to respond.  ‘I have never been under that much pressure before – it is the most difficult position to be in,’ said Prince.  ‘When it went in, I knew that was it. I actually thought the first one was in – it felt good but it rattled out.’  The visitors deserve immense credit for their never-say-die attitude, but this was one the hosts let slip away.  The first half was tightly fought with neither side ever taking full control although the only time Jersey took the lead was in the first five minutes at 8-7. They were not to regain until the last second.  For Guernsey, inter-insular debutants Nick Jennings and Aigars Bruvelis were impressive in their strength and work off the boards during the opening exchanges, while Prince always posed Jersey’s main threat.  The Sarnians held a 17-13 lead at the end of the first quarter, thanks to Paul van Beek’s three-pointer right on the buzzer, before they threatened to pull away during the second 10 minutes.  However, the greens hit a scoring drought and allowed Jersey to level the scores at 27 apiece, although Bruvelis gave his side a two-point advantage at half-time.  It was the third quarter that the hosts seemingly took the game by the scruff of the neck.  Sent out by coach Simon Le Blancq to play a hustle defence high up court, the tactics worked a treat and Jersey found themselves overwhelmed by the Sarnian pressure.  The gap widened considerably by the minute for the first five after the turnaround with Andy Stephens contributing seven in quick succession, while Nigel Govett, Liam Smyth, van Beek and Jennings all chipped in.  Twice the margin grew to 16 points and perhaps it became all too comfortable for Guernsey, although admittedly everyone in Beau Sejour bar the 12 members of the opposition and their coach probably thought that the lead was unassailable.  But the Caesareans stuck to their task and with Alex Loumpos and Chris Byrne becoming more and more prominent, they started to claw their way back.
By the start of the final 10, the gap had been narrowed to 52-46 and the atmosphere was edgy.  Scores continued to be traded and the lead was whittled down to three with a couple of minutes left.  Govett made it four from the line but then Jennings fouled out with 1min. 19sec. on the clock and Prince was successful with both his free throws.  On their next possession, Jersey did what had seemed unthinkable just a quarter-of-an-hour earlier and tied the game at 60-60 with 35sec. left.  But when a Jersey boot put the ball out of bounds with 25.7sec. remaining, surely it was down to a Guernsey win or overtime.  Not so.  Van Beek did his job in running the clock down before Govett was given the responsibility for the final shot.  It didn’t drop and what happened from the resultant breakaway will long be etched in the memory.
‘To be 16 points up with about 10 minutes to go with the team we have got, we should be good enough to close the game out. We should never have let them back in the game,’ said Govett, the greens’ captain.  ‘They have crept back into it and levelled. I have then got a shot for the match and I take a lot of responsibility for missing it.  ‘Unfortunately, it was compounded by the foul on Duncan Prince when he is still in his own half with 0.9sec. remaining. I would rather let Duncan Prince shoot from 65ft than put him on the free-throw line but we made the mistake as a team and there is no pointing the finger.  ‘We did not lack desire this year and I feel sorry for Simon Le Blancq because he has really worked us well and he as a coach deserved to win the game.’  Prince was also complimentary towards his coach Rick Blakemore.  ‘We have really been training hard over the last three months and our coach has been a saviour.  ‘Winning a basketball game in Guernsey really is a big thing for us because they have got so much support and basketball is much bigger over here,’ said Prince.

U17 boys    Jersey 52            Guernsey 51

The U17 boys served up a thrilling starter to the day’s matches with a one-point game to Jersey.  For most of the match there were never more than a couple of point difference between either side until the fourth quarter when with the scores tied at 45 each Jersey maintained their composure and Guernsey failed to register any points for 5 minutes to allow the Caesareans to open out a small lead.  The final few minutes were frantic but although Guernsey managed to score a field goal and two free throws they ended one point away from overtime.  Jersey’s Alex Henderson deservedly won the Most Valuable Player award with his16 points and 11 rebounds.

U21 men    Guernsey 70            Jersey 47

The Guernsey team were determined to turn around their disappointing display of last year and they did it in convincing style by 23 points.  Once the teams had settled down Guernsey steadily outplayed the visitors to win all four quarters with good contributions coming via Craig Platt’s 16 points, and Kevin Holland and Michael Beausire both with 12.  Joe McKenna with 13 points was the only threat from the Jersey side.  Craig Platt was awarded the Most Valuable Player for his 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Men    Jersey 61            Guernsey 60

Guernsey had the game all but won by the third quarter when they were 16 points in the lead but Jersey put together an 11 to nil run to bring themselves right back into contention through Alex Loumpos and Chris Byrne.  In the fourth quarter the Sarnians fought back to extend their lead to a healthy 8 points with 4 minutes to go.  While Guernsey then failed to find the basket Jersey chipped away with the odd field goal and free throws to set up the nail-biting last minute.  Guernsey had the last possession of the game with the scores tied at 60 each, they forced the shot which missed, only for Duncan Prince to set off down court to try to steal the win.  He was fouled on the half-way line which resulted in 2 free throws with just 0.9 seconds to go.  Duncan Prince missed the first and with everyone sitting on the edge of their seats his second free throw went through the basket to register an unlikely victory for the ‘reds’.  Not surprisingly Duncan Prince was nominated as man-of-the-match with his ice-cool shooting in his total of 19 points.

Women    Guernsey 20    Jersey 0 (forfeit)

Week ending 12th March 2005

In division one the full Island Junior team warmed up for the forthcoming Inter-Insular match with a match against title chasing Rothschilds but after early success they wilted in the second half to register their seventh loss of the season.  The Juniors started with the promise of better when Kevin Holland, Dave Wilson, Paul Battle, Michael Beausire and Richard Davey combined well as a unit to lead at the end of the first quarter and were still in front with two minutes to the break.  Coach Nigel Govett called a time-out after which Rothschilds pulled the game round with a more controlled and less individualistic approach.  The tactics worked as Rothschilds reversed the trend and stretched out an unassailable lead that was as much as 24 points when the final whistle went at 70 points to 46.  Ben Colley, in the blue of Rothschilds, continued his recent good form with 14 points, Kerry Smyth looked smooth in his shooting 13 points and Lee Ogier pounced on any loose ball to scuttle away to make 12 points.  There were positive elements for the Juniors to take from the match mainly from Michael Beausire who scored 16 points from improving his shooting and some excellent approach work that deserved better results.  If they can knit together and perform more cohesively in defence they are a team that can reverse last year’s shock result.

The Island Women and Brock Road served up an entertaining match which was end-to-end, fast and full of skill.  Although Brock Road won each quarter by a handful of points the game flowed without the appearance that one side was still not in contention.  Naro Zimmerman used his agility to rebound under the boards and slotted home an impressive 29 points against the intimidating defence of Lenka Cervinkova and Liz Kerr.  Tom Leale added 20 points with the minimum of fuss and Billy Page was back to his speedy best that included four from beyond the perimeter line in his 20 points.  They moved above the women’s team in the table with this 92 points to 62 win.  The women played well at times with Lorna Brown scoring 16 points and disappointingly missing several other easy chances, Tracey Martel had her best game for a while with 12 points and the ever threatening Liz Kerr added 14 points before fouling out at the start of the fourth.

The Grammar went to the top of the women’s league after their 50 points to 11 win over St Sampsons Sharks.  They did just enough to take the first half without being extended but the third quarter was again all-important as they scored 18 and completely shut out the Sharks.  Leading scorer Marcia Stefani led the scoring again with 14 points but Emma Hicks continued her progress at point guard with 12 points and dribbling skills that promise a bright future.  Abigail Manley-Guilbert for the Sharks kept pushing her side on and was rewarded with a number of points but they were prone to dwell on the ball for too long only for them to lose possession and the chance of a shot.

Brock Road put Martel~Dunn out of the Lower Divisions Plate with a convincing 136 to 26 point win.  Naro Zimmerman completed a successful week with another 44 points and this time around he was well supported by Ricard Fletcher with 26 and Billy Page with 21.  They now meet Cable & Wireless in the semi-final who qualified by beating Eventure Hornets by 88 points to 38 with Stuart Dunne breaking as fast as possible for 20 points, Simon Duquemin adding 16 points more sedately and Rob Girard 19 mostly from lay-ups.  The third game was won by Collins Stewart 2 who received a walkover and qualify to meet Richmond Worriers.  Both games promise to be evenly poised.

Week ending 5th March 2005

Rothschilds kept their interest in the division one title just intact when the defeated Le M ont Saint Garage by 65 points to 54.  For three-quarters of the game the scoreline never fluctuated by more than 4 points but Rothschilds increased the tempo in the last quarter eventually to stamp their authority on the game to win by 11 points.  Paul Van Beek and Lee Ogier carried most of the scoring for Rothschilds with 15 apiece but there were also 14 from Kerry Smyth who began to look more like his best.  Le Mont Saint kept in touch through James Tracey and Nick Lawlor who both scored 14 points but the assured shooting from island player Michael Beausire was impressive as he sunk 18 points.  His cuts into the key were timed to perfection as he received the ball on cue to make the inside jumper.  With just two weeks to go before the Inter-Insular matches it was pleasing to see one or two players coming into form.

Richmond Worriers continued to impress and have the league title in their sights as they won against Goldridge Estate Agents by 76 points to 71.  An excellent match that was well refereed by Nigel Govett was only decided in the last quarter when the Worriers managed to eke out a slender lead that they held until the final whistle.  Goldridge made every effort to stay in touch but eventually with 4 players fouled out they lacked the height to compete and slid to defeat despite 30 points from Chris Sims and 15 from Karl Dorey.  Richmond’s recent improvement has coincided with the addition of Georg Pflugradt and Marcus Cooper to their team and has resulted in a continued climb up the league that takes on added importance as they still have to play both teams above them. Pflugradt with 32 points was ever present in the key and when he failed there was Cooper to drive to the basket to score 30.  The remainder of the season as far as the title is concerned now appears to be a three-horse race between the Worriers, Collins Stewart and La Fraternelle All Stars.

Bachmann gave their best performance of the season when they pushed Eventure Hornets close in the third division before going down by 6 points. The Hornets move into 2nd position in the league but they will need to find the basket more regularly if they are to challenge the undefeated Collins Stewart.  Jo Savident and Tania Gibson both scored 10 points but it was hard going for both sides. When the Hornets moved the ball quickly they achieved most success yet were reluctant to repeat what had been successful.

In the Recreational league Specsavers got the better of Barings in a low-scoring game by 41 points to 25.  The opening quarter ended at 5 each but Specsavers started to drive to the ring in the second period, especially Matt Warren who finished with 13 points but who sparked more energy into their play.  Fellow player Jeremy Wilcox was a livewire around the backboard but Phil Sweet found rebounding easier than scoring.  Barings relied virtually on one player, Steve Duquemin, who netted 22 of their 25 points and clearly demonstrated a penchant for the game.  His all-round skills could have done with more support from those around him.

Week ending 26th February 2005

Collins Stewart put themselves into a very strong position to retain the 1st division title when they beat their nearest rivals Rothschilds by 82 points to 67.  Rothschilds must have been satisfied with their first half performance when they led by 2 points at the break, but Collins Stewart came out onto court to dominate the scoring and take control.  Simon Le Blancq showed how good he is at shooting when he scored 31 points and came up with the points whenever they appeared to be in need of a few baskets to haul themselves back into the game.  Straight from the start of the second half he scored three baskets from the corner to add eight points and wiped out the deficit.  Andy Stephens added 16 from the perimeter and with 12 points from each of the big men, Argus Bruvalis and Nick Jennings, Collins Stewart opened up a comfortable lead and coasted to victory.  Only newly transferred Chris Lamb with 20 points and 18 from Paul Van Beek sparked Rothschilds into life but by the last quarter it was too easy for the likely champions.

Another fine showing from La Fraternelle when they beat Cable & Wireless by 76 points to 50 to make them favourites for the 2nd division. Nigel Govett posted up to score 25 points, Tim Roberts shot from everywhere and anywhere to add 22 and Liz Kerr was more orthodox in her 19 points.  By the break the All Stars held a tight grip on the game and it looked unlikely that they would be shaken out of their stride.  Cable & Wireless found difficulty in scoring, many shots hitting the rim but failing to drop in the right direction.  Stu Dunne with 17 points gave them some hope but it was not backed up by his teammates.

Collins Stewart 3 set themselves up to take the title in the 3rd division having won all their games so far.  Against the Sharks they scored on most occasions down court with Rochelle Vaudin leading the way with 24 points. Danielle Rowe was on hand to score 16 and Rachel Guille rebounded well to add another 12 in the final score of 74 to 9.

The final of the Recreational League knockout between the Island U17 Boys and Specsavers was well contested but the better shooting from the U17 side told in the first and fourth quarters to take the trophy.  The U17 did not have to rely on any one player and although Naro Zimmerman topped the scoring with 14 points they had ten others who made contributions.  Specsavers were more reliant on a couple of players to do their scoring, Adam Grogan with 12 and Phil Sweet with 10 but they had to work hard for those few baskets.  The final score of 63 to 41 and winning their first trophy was reward for a good season in which the U17 have learned to play as a team and should enable them to go into the Inter-Insular full of confidence.

Goldridge moved into the final of the division 2 knockout after their defeat of Brock Road by 81 points to 45.  The opening quarter was close but once Goldridge settled down and used their bigger players inside the key more space was created and as Brock Road lost authority so Goldridge gained in self-assurance.  Glen Walker popped up for Goldridge to register 21 points from close in and Matt Collas scored 19 from even closer.  Brock Road only allowed the opposition a few opportunities to fast break and the usual pairing of Chris Sims, who scored 14, and Karl Dorey, who added 10, duly obliged.  Goldridge now meet La Fraternelle All Stars for the trophy.

Week ending 19th February 2005

Le Mont Saint Garage welcomed their second win of the season against the Island Juniors in a game they deserved to win but which took them time to settle down.  Although they were in control for all the game they had to work hard before the offence moved into gear and their defence became better organised.  Michael Beausire linked well with the rest of the team to score 21 points, something he should now be doing regularly.  James Roberts kept Le Mont Saint going forwards to aid James Tracey to add 15 points, mostly from jumpers, and Nick Lawlor with 12.  He was on the end of a number of sequences of good passes to have the simplest of jobs of lifting the ball over the rim.  Richard Davey strengthened the Island Juniors, who fielded nearly their strongest side, and he was the one player not to be overawed as he contributed 21 points.  The rest were ‘bits and pieces’ players who added a few points but were not able to stamp their authority on the game.  They could not compete physically and compensated for this handicap by moving the ball around until a good shot presented itself.  Ricard Fletcher forced the referees to gun a couple of signals for long range shots but the Juniors needed a higher percentage from all their shots if they were going to make a closer game of it than 78 – 49 to Le Mont Saint.

The Learning Co. gained revenge for the last encounter between them and Martel~Dunn with a narrow win by 5 points.  Martel~Dunn lost the game in the third quarter when they contrived to score just 2 points in nine minutes, allowing The Learning Co. the chance to open up a match-winning gap.  Although no-one scored double figures for Peter Beausire’s team they all made a small input to make true the maxim that the team total is greater than its parts.  The experience of Emma Webb and Tracey Martel was crucial at certain times but Niki Burrows was on hand to gain the vital rebounds when needed.  Martel~Dunn relied too much on one player to score and unless Natalie Grainger can come up with the goods they will be in trouble.  In this game she netted 18 points and they nearly crept back into the match but The Learning Co. were in determined mood that this should not happen as they held out by 42 points to 37.

The Grammar moved to the top of the third division as they beat Bachmann by 44 points to 31 albeit having played one game more.  They made heavier work of their win than at one time appeared likely, but as they missed too many shots the scoreline was always within Bachmann’s reach.  Vicky Loveridge scored 15 points for the Grammar but the three-point machine Wendy Van Katwyk added two more to her career stats in her 14 points.  On the day the Grammar had that additional extra to tip the balance their way.

In the second division knockout match Goldridge Estate Agents played against the division 3 qualifier Eventure Hornets and turned them over by 90 points to 18 without too much trouble.  Not scoring as heavily as they might have done Goldridge allowed the Hornets some joy, but not much before they took the ball down to the other end of the court to score.  Chris Sims and Mark Huntington both scored 16 and Chris Lamb 14 and now go on to play Brock Road in the next round.

The crunch match in division two knockout was between La Fraternelle All Stars and Collins Stewart 2, the winner claiming the prize of a place in the divisional final.  The first quarter was important, the third crucial as the All Stars imposed their authority by opening up a 22 to 10 point lead and increased this in the third to 63 to 38.  The wind had been well and truly knocked out of Collins Stewart’s sails and the All Stars coasted to victory despite Collins Stewart fielding Polish player Nick Roczynski.  Nigel Govett gave a post-play exhibition that should have been taped for the younger players in the island as he weaved his magic for 29 points.  Liz Kerr added 13 to make it 76-55 to the All Stars which included 15 from 17 successful free throws and the game was over as far as a contest was concerned.

Week ending 12th February 2005

There were restricted games this week but it still allowed The Royal Bank of Canada to edge closer to the title in the Business league of the Yorkshire Guernsey basketball leagues.  Against the Island U17 Girls team they were too fast, strong and agile although the U17s played some good basketball at times.  With Aaron Le Masurier fast breaking to score 28 points RBC were always going to be the winners which they did by 84 points to 20.  Andy Shaw was solid in defence and as well as adding 17 points himself he prompted many of the offences for Sam Batiste to also score 17.  For the Girls Emma Hicks continued to show more confidence and there were several inspirational moments from Kerri Brown, Rochelle Vaudin, Vicky Loveridge, Zola Bourgaise and Natalie Grainger.  If RBC win their next game against the U17 Boys on14th April they will become champions.

The U17 Boys team completed the double over Les Camps Eagles with another show of teamwork and good shooting.  They moved the ball quickly from the tip-off and scored over 20 points in each quarter giving the Eagles no respite.  Every one of the twelve plays at a high intensity and the bench is so strong that when players are rested there is no relaxation for the opposition.  Mark Le Page tried hard to hold the Eagles together and he had plenty of support from Donovan Lowe, Brian Le Parmentier, Matthew Dack and Adam Dorey but they were unable to stem the flow of baskets.  Most of them came from Naro Zimmerman with 22 and 20 from Ricard Fletcher but Dan Marriott was on hand to add 15.  The game between the U17 Girls and the Eagles on 4^th March takes on more than passing interest as it may decide the wooden spoon.

Week ending 6th February 2005

La Fraternelle Rovers All Stars and Goldridge Estate Agents both went into the game in division two not being able to lose if they were to remain title contenders.  As expected the match was tough with few easy baskets being given up.  The All Stars opened brightly to establish a 7-point lead but it was not long before Chris Sims and Chris Lamb reduced the deficit.  At the half time break little separated the two and by the end of the third quarter the score was tied at 50 each.  It looked as though the game would be the third in a week to go to overtime but the All Stars drove on the basket to cause Goldridge problems when defending.  Nigel Govett went to the line five times in the last quarter to total 21 points in all and with the 26 from the exuberant Liz Kerr they shut down the game with several minutes to play at 68 to 58.  Lamb tried hard to gee up Goldridge with 14 points but Sims was their best attacking option as he slotted 23 mainly from fast beaks.  The win takes the All Stars to the top of the league.

In the same division Richmond Worriers eclipsed Brock Road by 77 points to 37.  The Youth Club team had no answer to the height and strength of the Worriers.  It was a daunting task against the likes of Andy Creed, Marcus Cooper, Ken Davey and Georg Pflugradt, all towering over the younger team.  Brock Road resorted unsurprisingly to outside shooting but they were caught time and again on the fast break.  Pflugradt ended the match with 30 points and along with Andrew Elder who made 14 points made sure of their win.

Collins Stewart 3 moved ominously up the table in division 3, not having yet been defeated, when they defeated Martel~Dunn by 64 points to 43.  It was not without a hiccup as for three quarters of the game there was hardly any difference between the two sides.  Natalie Grainger gave way to Kate Robert at point guard for Martel~Dunn which allowed more space for her skills as well as 17 points.  Collins Stewart struggled to find their free flowing routine but in the fourth quarter their increased their intensity and brought Kerry Brown into the game.  Before long they had stretched out a match-winning lead that they held until the end.  Although no-one dominated for Collins Stewart their overall teamwork conspired to make them difficult to beat.  Lorna Brown scored 12 but there were 11 from Kerry Brown, and Rochelle Vaudin , and 10 from Simone Harris and Rachel Guille.

In the division 3 knockout final the Eventure Hornets eventually broke the stranglehold that Collins Stewart have held on the league for the last few years when they came up with the trophy to prevent Collins Stewart from winning the double.  It was somewhat of a shock that the Hornets won but they deserved their success with a team effort that saw them triumph against the odds.  The first quarter was unbelievable from both sides as they scored 42 points and contrived to miss only a couple of attempts on the basket.  After the Lord Mayor’s show came the reality as the Hornets went from 25 points in one quarter to just 2 in the next.  At the break the scores were tied at 27 each and all to play for.  The slick ball handling of the Hornets was causing problems for Collins Stewart in the third quarter but CS staged a more determined effort in the last quarter to come within one basket with a minute to go.  They missed Lorna Brown whose ability to secure the rebounds would have meant the possibility of further points.  No one player dominated the scoring on either side, Jo Savident and Tania Gibson both netting 10 points for the Hornets and Kerry Brown 13 and Rochelle Vaudin 12 for CS.  With a couple of turnovers in the final few seconds and after a timeout there was a realisation from the Hornets that they had won a close and intriguing game between two well-matched sides, but on the day it was the Hornets who celebrated winning the trophy by 46 points to 43.

Specsavers progressed to the final of the Business league knockout after a comfortable win over the Island U17 girls  by 50 points to 22.  They were never under much pressure, playing at a leisurely pace that also allowed the girls some chances to score.  Phil Sweet led Specsavers to their success with 14 points along with Chris Bourgaize who added 12 and 10 from Jeremy Wilcox.

Richmond Worriers eased their passage into the next round of the Lower divisions plate competition by defeating The Learning Co. by 79 points to 22.  The diminutive women’s side were dwarfed by their opponents but had some success under the basket as the Worriers gave TLC opportunities to score.  Georg Pflugradt scored 41 points for the Worriers with a whole range of skills from free throws to dunks to three-pointers.  When he was not given the ball inside it was left to Marcus Cooper to add 12 points and several good shots from Richard Mathews bolstered their tally by a further 12.  In the next round they play the Grammar in a competition that must now see them as favourites.

 Week ending 30th January 2005

Le Mont Saint Garage came within seconds of inflicting the first defeat on Collins Stewart but the champions were in no mood in overtime to squander the chance of redeeming themselves.  At the end of regulation time the scores were ties at 65 each but Le Mont Saint ran out of steam and succumbed in the five minutes of extra time.  Simon Le Blancq gave an exhibition of accurate shooting with 27 points to keep Collins Stewart in front aided by Andy Maiden with 16 points but Le Mont Saint’s never-say-die attitude paid dividends as they clawed their way back into the game with 23 from Michael Beausire and 14 from Andre Sidaner.  The overtime period saw three players fouled out and seven more on four fouls and in a tense couple of minutes Collins Stewart slowly edged ahead to clinch the game by 82 points to 74 to remain undefeated at the top of the table.

La Fraternelle Rovers All Stars recent good form carried on when they played against the yet-to-be defeated Collins Stewart second string in division 2.  The win, by a crushing 66 points to 36, moved the All Stars to second place, both sides having now lost just one game.  By the break Collins Stewart lagged by 17 points and it did not improve as they struggled against the vastly experienced La Fraternelle side.  Liz Kerr continued her purple streak with the top score of 24 but under the basket Nigel Govett added 18 and Tim Roberts shot sufficiently to total 14.  The All Stars kept Collins Stewart away from the ring and only Craig Platt with 17 points managed over 5 points.

In the third division Eventure Hornets beat The Learning Co. by 34 points to 28 and shot to the top of the league.  Their position may be temporary as Collins Stewart 3 have a game in hand. Neither the Hornets nor The Learning Co. controlled the game to their satisfaction and in a low scoring game the result could have gone either way.  The Learning Co. welcomed back Emma Webb, the first game played since the final of the Island Games, who added strength at point guard but with Sara Gaudion and Tania Gibson both scoring 12 points for the Hornets they just had the edge.

The U17 island boys easily beat Barings in the Business league by running hard and manoeuvring the ball until a simple shot was presented.   Their 94 points to 20 win kept them second in the league, hard on the heels of RBC.  Naro Zimmerman showed his agility to score 16 points and Chris Falla added 14 points with simple straight-forward basketball.

The Royal Bank of Canada made it seven out of seven by defeating Specsavers 46 points to 37.  They led throughout but not by much and RBC were unable to relax as Specsavers kept within striking distance.  The difference came down to Aaron Le Masurier for RBC who had to work hard for his 17 points but was at the heart of their success.  Andy Shaw scored 13 to help out but Specsavers’ Phil Sweet, Chris Bourgaize and Adam Grogan tried desperately to keep their side in touch, but only Grogan reached double figures.

In the Lower divisions knockout Eventure Hornets made it past Martel~Dunn  but not before another game that went to overtime.  At 56 each the Hornets had avoided defeat by coming back from 9 points down.  The Hornets made sure of a place in the next round as they quickly took command of the extra five minutes while Martel~Dunn missed their shots.  In the end it looked easy at 68 to 58 but it had been a tussle up to those last few minutes.  Natalie Grainger led the scoring for Martel~Dunn with 20 points but Sara Gaudion replied with 19 fro the Hornets who also had Jo Savident firing down 16 points and Lauren Gale 13.

Collins Stewart 3 made it safely through to the next round with a win over the Grammar by 56 points to 40.  Rochelle Vaudin roved the court to score 23 for CS and with Kerry Brown poaching 18 points they held the initiative throughout.  The Grammar had no-one who dominated the scoring and failed to win any of the quarters.

Brock Road and the Island Women served up another entertaining game before the youth club side eventually won by 86 points to 69.  It was end-to-end with Naro Zimmerman scoring 16 and Ricard Fletcher 14 for Brock Road but the Island Women looked no further than Liz Kerr who amassed 44 points along with 16 from Lora Brown.

Week ending 23rd January 2005

Rothschilds, as usual, started slowly against the Island Juniors in division one of the Yorkshire Guernsey basketball leagues.  With one minute left in the first quarter they trailed by one point but once they had their noses in front it was all one-way traffic.  The third quarter was very nearly a shut-out as the Juniors managed to score just two free throws as Rothschilds began to find the basket at will.  Without Dave Wilson’s contribution of 14 points the final scoreline of 79 to 32 would have been even worse than what was their lowest score of the season.  Michael Beausire, James Roberts, Kevin Holland and Richard Davey were sorely missed.  For Rothschilds Lee Ogier again produced the spark that ignited their win with 22 points, Ben Colley found his touch near the baseline with 14 and Mark Barnett came off the bench late but contributed 12.

La Fraternelle Rovers All Stars were too strong for Brock Road despite a banner on the balcony encouraging the Youth Club side in their division two encounter.  Defensively the All Stars had too much in experience and rebounding ability to allow Brock Road to register more than a token resistance in their 85 points to 23 win.  Both sides were guilty of appalling free throw shooting with a 10% success rate but it mattered little for La Fraternelle as their scored plenty of field goals.  Nigel Govett showed his rare talent under the boards for 22 points, Michael Lum was allowed to make 23 points from lay-ups and the dependable Liz Kerr added yet another 18 points.  They hover behind Collins Stewart 2 in the table, the two meet on Friday.

After several weeks rest Collins Stewart 3 came back strongly when they defeated their nearest rivals, Grammar, by 47 points to 24 in the third division.  They held the upper hand throughout with Lorna Brown claiming rebounds and Rochelle Vaudin attacking the board when given the opportunity.  These two virtually won the game with 17 points to Lorna and 16 to Rochelle.  The Grammar had no answer, when they sealed off one option they left the other open and at the other end they had little joy when shooting.

In the Lower Divisions Knockout competition Collins Stewart 2 made light work of defeating Richmond Worriers by 85 points to 32.  The full court press from Collins Stewart put paid to any thoughts of a win for the Worriers as they struggled to get the ball beyond the half-way line.  Frequently it was four against one as a Worriers offence broke down and Collins Stewart returned the attack.  Adam Grogan found a spot on the floor from where he nailed 16 points, Dave Wilson drifted around to score another 16 and Craig Platt was pleased to score 15 from within the key.  They progress to play the All Stars in the semi-finals.

The Business League knockout threw together the two most successful teams when the Royal Bank of Canada met the Island U17 boys side.  Until the middle of the last quarter there was just a single point separating the teams but Ricard Fletcher decided to take matters into his own hands and settled the match in the final five minutes.  He shot two three-pointers and five out of five free throws for a final total of 19 points as the U17s ran out winners by 72 points to 61.  The young side coped well with the threat of Aaron Le Masurier who scored 22 points but could have had plenty more had their defence not been present when the fast break posed danger.  Their win gives them a place in the final.

Week ending 15th January 2005

Last season’s champions Collins Stewart swamped the Island Juniors by 106 points to 40 which was helped by the Juniors who turned over possession of the ball far too many times.  Jim Rowe finished off the resultant fast break to great effect which his 24 points verifies, but he had plenty of support whenever they attacked.  With Simon Le Blancq scoring 18 points, Jamie Roussel and Andy Stephens 16 each and Nick Jennings 14 there was no stopping the rampant Collins Stewart side.  Ricardo Fletcher playing point guard for the Juniors found out the hard way how difficult it is to step up to this standard but he acquitted himself well.  Craig Platt managed to score 12 for the Juniors but the pace and strength of the table-toppers was relentless with Rowe displaying the kind of finishing that could be crucial in the upcoming Inter-Insular.

Rothschilds maintained their push for the premier spot with an eventual win over a weakened Le Mont Saint Garage team that last week had pressed Collins Stewart hard.  The game was not one-sided but Rothschilds did just enough to win each quarter by a few points that in the end added up to a 78 to 60 point win.  Lee Ogier set the pattern of the match in the first quarter by scoring 11 of his 22 points with clinical finishing for Rothschilds that was taken up first by Liam Smyth with 18 and then Kerry Smyth with 14 points.  Without their usual point guard, James Roberts, Le Mont Saint missed his controlling influence and had to work hard to create their offence, with credit going to James Tracey for 14 points and Peter Beausire with 12.

In the second division one of the important games was played out between La Fraternelle Rovers All Stars and Goldridge Estate Agents. Going into the game both sides had lost one game and were keen to keep up the pressure on the leaders Collins Stewart 2.  Something had to give and it was Goldridge who came off second best in a tough game that was played in a good spirit.  Goldridge welcomed back Andre de Carteret for his first game of the season and with 4 three-pointers and 14 points he slotted in competently.  The All Stars needed to mark Chris Lamb who had scored 183 points in a matter of 5 games especially well and whenever he received the ball he was immediately double marked to prevent easy baskets.  To a degree the tactic worked as he scored less than average with 27 points and at the break the scores were tied at 29 each.  The third quarter was decisive as the All Stars made a concerted effort at both ends of the court.  By the end they had a healthy 15-point lead that they never let slip until the final whistle.  Liz Kerr found her range immediately with 28 points and scored whenever the occasion demanded.  Tim Roberts scored 24 points not unsurprisingly as he took 25 three-pointers with a 20% success rate.

Collins Stewart 2 made it 6 out of 6 when they beat the Island Women by 73 points to 41 but until the break the game had been evenly poised.  The women ran out of steam and Collins Stewart stretched their lead to more than 30 points which was a little harsh on the women the way they had competed in the first half.  In the early stages Dave Wilson could do nothing wrong and his 18 points proved important in keeping Collins Stewart in touch.  Once his points dried up then Craig Platt came into his own as he pounced on anything loose in the key to secure a put back with a jump shot, his 24 points important as they advanced their lead.  The women’s shooting was not as accomplished as usual with Liz Kerr missing shots that she could do blindfold and Rochelle Vaudin out of touch missing at least six easy lay-ups in a game which the team would like to forget the second half.

The Eventure Hornets made light work of St Sampsons Sharks in the third division to move to third with a 60 points to 10 win.  Lauren Gale led the scoring for the Hornets with 16 points and Denise Bourgaise added 12 as they controlled the game throughout.  There were shots a-plenty from both sides but inevitably the Sharks missed most whilst the Hornets put the Sharks on the baseline.

Week ending 8th January 2005

Champions Collins Stewart moved to the top of the Yorkshire Guernsey basketball division one with an effective if not convincing win over Le Mont Saint Garage.  The eventual score of 68 to 57 belies the closeness of the game until the last quarter.  Prompted by James Roberts Le Mont Saint gave their more illustrious opponents little room to dominate and played as though they believed they could win.  For three quarters of the match it appeared that they could cause an upset but with an injury to Roberts and a reluctance to give the ball to their most successful player Michael Beausire their challenge petered out to a 57 points to 68 defeat.  The 13 points from Beausire and 12 from James Tracey were not enough against the 20 from Collins Stewart’s Richard Davey and the strong inside work of Nick Jennings with 14.  The difference between the two sides was inside the key in the final quarter where Collins Stewart had size and strength in numbers whereas Le Mont Saint were more lightweight, having only Andre Sidaner and Nick Lawlor, missing Neil Chester more than they may admit.

Richmond Worriers in the second division jumped a few places in the league to challenge the leaders when they squeezed home against Cable & Wireless by a single point 46 to 45.  The game was low scoring throughout, both sides just managing double figures in each quarter, and in such games the result could have swung either way as did the lead 14 times.  Going into the last minutes the two teams were locked at 45 points each and one basket always looked likely to be telling.  The Worriers were awarded two free throws to be taken by Andy Elder with just 20 seconds to go.  He had already scored 20 points so it appeared that the game was safely won.  He missed both to heighten the tension as overtime loomed.  Luckily for them they were awarded two more free throws when Gorg Pflugrat was fouled as he tried for the winning basket.  Confidently he ‘glassed’ the first throw to take his tally to 16 for the match and with just 5 seconds to go it was immaterial that he missed the last throw. 

Martel~Dunn rose to second in the third division as they outscored Bachmann by 53 to 25.  Both sides had plenty of opportunities to add to their tally but it was Martel~Dunn who achieved most success.  Bachmann relied on the shooting of  Wendy Van Katwyk who obliged with 17 points that included 3 from outside the arc, one of which was nearer the half way line than the three-point line.  Back to full strength Martel~Dunn were led by Natalie Grainger with 18 points and Alison Keiller showed continued improvement with 14 to sink Bachmann for whom Marina Bleasdale worked hard to drive her side forward.

In the Business league the Royal Bank of Canada returned to court with a win over Les Camps Eagles by 70 points to 30.  It took a while to shake off the rust but once they were in their stride normal service was resumed.  Aaron Le Masurier started slowly and finally found his touch with 20 points but there was an impressive first outing for Natalie Whitty who scored 12 and showed the value of speed on the fast break.  The Eagles lacked scoring power on this occasion and Marc Le Page ploughed a lonely furrow to the ring for 14 points.

Specsavers managed a second win when they overcame the Island U17 girls by 60 points to 50 although they were in danger of losing four minutes from the end.  The girls were within two baskets when they missed the several chances that were presented.  They were left to rue their failure as Phil Sweet scored 8 points to ensure Specsavers came away with a win.  Adam Grogan cajoled Specsavers constantly to help Chris Bourgaize score 18 points as well as making 20 points himself.  The girls, although missing 4 influential players, persisted in their efforts to make a game of it but they gave the ball away too easily and must learn to rebound more aggressively so that the opposition does not have easy second chances.  Vicky Loveridge made a welcome return to the team with 16 points but needed more help around the key to convert what chances they did get into points.

Week ending 5th December 2004

Collins Stewart 2 were keen to remain at the top of the league and did so with a workmanlike win over Cable & Wireless by 73 points to 35.  As in his previous game Craig Platt quietly converted 17 points from jump shots that left Cable & Wireless devoid of ideas and in need of a game strategy.  Kevin Holland led Collins Stewart well until he was injured attempting a lay-up but all eleven players made contributions that led to the demise of Cable & Wireless.

Chris Lamb dominated the game against Brock Road with a gargantuan 55 points in their 99 points to 35 win.  So far this season in five games he has scored nearly 200 points and no-one has been capable of keeping him away from the basket.  Andy Lamb drove at every opportunity against the smaller Brock Road team and picked up six of his 18 points from the resultant 14 free throws.  Brock Road were overawed by the physical difference between the two sides and but for Billy Page who scored 14 points were unable to move the ball much beyond the edge of the key.

The Grammar team not so much jumped to the top of the league but squeezed there with a 34 to 33 points win over The Learning Co.  The game was close until the third quarter when the Grammar opened up a lead of 7 points which they held until the seventh minutes of the last quarter.  A resurgence from The Learning Co. nearly brought off the comeback of the year led by Nikki Burrows with 12 points but the previously unbeaten Grammar managed to cling on to their lead and head the table.

In the third division knockout Martel~Dunn met The Learning Co. and another close encounter ensued before victory went to Martel~Dunn by 42 points to 39.  The scoring was left to two individuals, Nikki Burrows of TLC and Natalie Grainger of Martel~Dunn who both made 20, Burrows from under the basket and Grainger from further out.  TLC proceed to the Plate competition whilst Martel~Dunn qualify to meet Eventure Hornets in the semi-finals.

The Grammar made short work of St Sampsons Sharks by 50 points to 18 in another knockout match but only once they had settled down.  Becky Warren displayed the fastest pair of heels by a girl in local basketball when on the fast break which netted her 13 points and with 12 coming from Marcia Stefani and 11 from Hollie Priaulx they coasted into the semis where they have the dubious pleasure of meeting Collins Stewart 3.

In the Business League the clash between the two undefeated teams, the Royal Bank of Canada and the Under 17 Boys teams lived up to expectations before RBC pipped the island team by 64 points to 62.  RBC relied on Aaron Le Masurier to register most of their points with 26, but Andy Shaw took some of the burden off his shoulders with 12 points.  The young representative side never gave up the game for lost when they were 9 points adrift with five minutes to play.  Ricard Fletcher and Billy Page took responsibility to score when needed to bring them back to with two points but try as they may they just could not conjure up another basket to take the game to overtime.  Page scored 15 points and with 10 from Dan Marriott they nearly brought off a famous victory.

In a Business league knockout match between Specsavers and Les Camps Eagles the return of Phil Sweet from his Australian trip was the difference between the sides.  His 19 points were significant in their 48 points to 39 win that takes them on to play the U17 Girls team in the next round.  The Eagles will be looking forward to getting their injured players back in the New Year.

Week ending 5th December 2004

Richmond Worriers caused a major upset when they beat La Fraternelle Rovers All Stars surprisingly easily by 57 points to 48 in the second division of the Yorkshire Guernsey basketball leagues.  The game appeared to be going according to form in the first quarter when the All Stars led by 4 points but the greater team efforts of the Worriers pulled the scoreline round to go into the break just ahead.  With Dave Legg finding his range at the start of the third he slotted home 9 points to establish an advantage that they never relinquished.  Andy Elder had started the good work with 22 points including four from beyond the three-point line and with 14 from new signing Georg Pelughradt they had too many options for the All Stars.  Tim Roberts scored most of the their points with 19 but apart from Michael Lum who added 17 they had no-one else to help out.  The win put the Worriers on top of the division for the first time for a few years, albeit for only 48 hours.

Goldridge Estate Agents suffered a loss in their game against Collins Stewart 2,  which could have been a more interesting match had Goldridge a bigger bench to utilise.  The game turned into a battle to see which player would score the most points for their team, but it was Chris Lamb’s 32 points for Goldridge that narrowly defeated Craig Platt’s 29.  Chris Lamb's strength in the key was far from unnoticed by Collins, but apparently unstoppable, and Craig Platt's 29 points due to good rebounding and easy open shots that he wasn’t afraid to take.  Collins Stewart’s mixture of fast breaks and rapid passes also allowed Kevin Holland to score 14 points.  It appeared Goldridge were beginning to lose control and fitness in the final quarter, as they started to pick up fouls and
give away too many free-throws.  Collins Stewart with this win by 66 to 44 moved to the top of the league.

The Island Women gave Cable and Wireless an unexpected run for their money in another division 2 match despite losing 76-55.  The women showed they were willing to take on their more illustrious counterparts, and probably could have taught them a thing or two about team play. Cable and Wireless forced many of their shots instead of passing the ball around and had they given it a little more thought, may have highlighted the potential in other players.  The Island Women’s Liz Kerr made 27 points and Sara Gaudion 14, both players mainly shooting from long range.  But for Cable and Wireless, Stuart Dunne retaliated with 26 points and coach Neil Bewey with 16, giving them the edge to take the win.

In the third division Martel~Dunn enjoyed another victory by 56 points to 18 over St Sampsons Sharks.  They controlled the game throughout with Natalie Grainger scoring 24 points and Rachel Kimber 17 and missed several more in the process.  The Sharks had plenty of possession and opportunities for shots but they were mostly off target.

Another result that went against pre-match form saw Bachmann defeat The Learning Co. by 31 points to 22. Nikki Burrows for The Learning Co. was at the heart of most of their success with 14 points but the combination of Wendy Van Katwyk who scored 11 points and Julie Elmy with 10 was sufficient to register a win for Bachmann for the first time this season.
Eventure Hornets showed that a defeat by the Grammar was not going to phase them in their encounter with Bachmanns in the knockout competition.  Hornets took an early lead, but could have made it a more significant one were they able to finish off their fast breaks with easy lay-ups, which unfortunately they were prone to miss.  Nevertheless, Hornets showed determination in the key taking every opportunity to claim their own rebounds, resulting in Zola Bourgaize picking up 14 points. Bachmanns Lisa Girard demonstrated that getting back to defend your own basket is equally as important as attacking the opponents but, despite her efforts, the Hornet’s Jo Savident took advantage of the weaker defence, gaining 16 points.  Wendy Van Katwyk’s 10 points benefited Bachmanns, but the final score of 52-28 to the Hornets may lead Bachmanns to reconsider their defence strategy as the Hornets progressed to the next round.

Week ending 27th November 2004

The first encounter between arguably the best two teams in the Yorkshire Guernsey basketball leagues ended in a win for last year’s champions Collins Stewart.  The initial advantage lay with Rothschilds as they put 4 points on the board but Collins Stewart replied in style adding 16 points without reply in the next few minutes but in the last two minutes of the quarter Rothschilds hit back with 10 points to lead by three.  Collins Stewart’s big men, Nick Jennings, Argus Bruvalis, and Richard Davey were being controlled by the energetic play and intensity of Rothschilds’ defence but at the break had sneaked out to a 4-point advantage at 33 to 29.  The game was played at a fast pace and inevitably fouls were picked up on both sides which led to tactical substitutions and allowed Rothschilds to stay in the game but there was only 3 points to Collins Stewart when the final quarter began.  By the second minute Rothschilds were forced to rest Liam Smyth, Lee Ogier and Paul Van Beek all on four fouls.  Collins Stewart likewise had Andy Stephens and Jennings sitting out as they collected their fourth infringement.  The intensity from Rothschilds diminished which allowed Collins Stewart to show the strength of their bench as they pushed their lead up to 14 points and despite the reintroduction of the starting fives it was Collins Stewart who played out the last couple of minutes knowing the game was in the bag at 67 points to 58.  Davey was the unlikely difference between the two sides as he attacked the basket strongly to score 17 points.  Rothschilds concentrated on keeping Jennings and Bruvalis away from the basket to some success as they were restricted to 14 and 10 points respectively but Davey was not picked up sufficiently to add to the 14 points that Andy Stephens had scored earlier in the game.  Rothschilds are a smaller team and found it difficult to compete under the ring but there was some success for Mark Barnett who netted 16 points to keep his team within striking distance.

Collins Stewart 2 moved up top challenge Goldridge in the second division with a win over the Island Women but only after a struggle to gain control.  The women remained level in the first quarter with equal pace and authority but they could not maintain the tempo and together with too many turnovers fell away in the next two quarters.  Collins Stewart have there own desperate Dans, Marriott and Harradine, and they took advantage of their extra height to score 18 apiece and with Dave Wilson adding 16 points they began to romp away from the women.  The island side is nothing if not tenacious and to their credit they came back well to take the final quarter.  Liz Kerr outscored her colleagues with 18 points but she needed better support in offence.

One week after the knockout match between La Fraternelle Rovers All Stars and Cable & Wireless they met in the league but this time the All Stars made no mistake and swamped C&W by 76 points to 39.  All junior players (and seniors) could spend valuable time watching island captain Nigel Govett playing in the post position.  He demonstrated simple, quick, yet devastating moves that left C&W unable to guard him.  His 16 points were important but Tim Roberts broke away on the fast break as well as three-pointers and set shots to register 35 points.  Unfortunately this led to the All Stars defending sometimes with four rather than five but Cable & Wireless were unable to capitalise on this and trailed in second best.

The Island Women returned to court 48 hours later but with no better result.  Against Richmond Worriers they never found the same tenacity and were down and out by the end of the half.  They recovered in the second phase to draw but the damage had been done earlier in the game when Andy Elder slotted home 17 points and with help of Andy Warren’s 14 points made sure of their win.  The women looked a little jaded but it was little wonder as for four players this was their second game of the evening.  Liz Kerr showed that her all-round game had not diminished as she scored 25 points in their 34-51 loss.

In the third division the leaders Collins Stewart 3 made sure of remaining in pole position with a win over The Learning Co. by a crushing 56 points to 18.  Lorna Brown illustrated her call up to Island representation last year was justified with a show of anticipation, speed, focus and rebounding as she secured 20 points.  Simone Harris appended 15 points to seal their victory and only The Learning Company’s Kath Tracey with 10 points could find the basket for double figures although Donna Wenman tried hard to gee up her team.

Week ending 21st November 2004

The Island Juniors put up a better show in their game against Rothschilds but they still lacked the size and knowledge to compete on equal terms with their more experienced opposition.  The first quarter was easily the best for the Juniors as they began sharply and held the lead at the end of the period.  Rothschilds started to play more as a team and eventually put together a few flowing moves that resulted in points.  Lee Ogier with 18 points set in motion the second half where Rothschilds stretched their lead to 30 points and then coasted home by 80 points to 39 with Mark Barnett benefiting to the tune of 15 points.  Kevin Holland instigated most of the Juniors offence and scored 12 points in the process and it was he who shepherded the team in their pursuit of success.

Forty-eight hours later the Juniors were back on court and showed another improved performance against Le Mont Saint Garage.  This time they had Richard Davey back in their ranks and after a quiet first half he made his presence felt and a valuable contribution of 19 points in their 38-89 point reversal.  Le Mont Saint matched the Juniors for speed and tried a fast break at every opportunity.  James Roberts initiated most of their plays and with 21 points was the driving force behind the ‘whites’ but he cajoled and supported James Tracey for 22 points, Andre Sidaner with 18 and Peter Beausire with 13 as they exhibited some impressive basketball.  The Juniors were far more intense in their defence and had it nor been for some poor shooting they would have reduced the margin of defeat considerably.  They will be strengthened by the return of Michael Beausire, who has been sidelined through illness, and should be a harder team to beat.

Chris Lamb has played basketball for as long as anyone in the GBA can remember and is the overall leading scorer with 2885 points so far in 126 league matches.  It is not very often that a player scores 50 points in a game but that is what he did against the Island Women’s team as Goldridge Estate Agents won by 89 points to 31.  The women settled for an outside game in order to procure a shot but they lacked accuracy after some excellent ball movement. 

In the third division the Grammar made it a brace of wins after a victory over Martel~Dunn by 50 points to 35 but it did not look as thought they would secure victory until the final quarter.  Island captain Kath Guille made the difference between the two teams.  Coming into the game 12-2 down she used her experience to start a fast break that Martel~Dunn did not stop which brought them back with a 14 point unanswered salvo.  Martel~Dunn recovered in the third but were undone in the fourth when Guille was reintroduced.