Staffordshire men’s basketball 1sts were knocked out of the Midlands Conference Cup at the semi-final stage as they lost 58-65 to Derby 1sts in a highly dramatic encounter.
In front of a raucous crowd, The Stealers pushed their higher-league opposition all the way but were edged out in the final quarter, losing their unbeaten record this season in the process.
The visitors came rushing out of the blocks and scored ten unanswered points in the opening five minutes, but a Jared Rushton basket got Staffs on the board and led to an exchange of scores which saw Staffs trailing 13-17 at the end of the first quarter, a Mike Yates three-pointer with seconds remaining giving Staffs momentum heading into the second.
Both sides traded baskets in the second period, but a 9-0 burst from the Stealers in the last three minutes before half-time – with scores from Rushton, Emmanuel Bradshaw, and Captain Dan Gardner – meant Staffs held a 31-29 lead at the midway point.
Derby started the third quarter brightly, and rushed ahead at 33-40, but a Bradshaw three-pointer reduced the deficit to four points. Further scoring from both teams kept things close, but a moment of class from Clayton Leah, as he intercepted the ball and scored a basket whilst flying away from the hoop, appeared to give Staffs a lead heading into the final quarter, only for Derby to score with seconds remaining to set the score at 45-46 for a tense final period.
Although Leah opened the scoring with a three-pointer, halfway through the period with the scores tied at 52-52, the visitors stepped up a gear and opened up a six-point lead. Although a couple of three-pointers either side of a Derby basket offered The Stealers hope, Derby finished strongly and held off Staffs to finish victorious 58-65.
Source:
http://omgstaffs.com/2013/03/06/match-report-mens-basketball-1st-v-derby-1st/
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