KINGS were in British Wheelchair Basketball National League action this past Saturday in a double-header of matches against the CWBA. The first team facing the CWBA 2nds in Division One and the second team facing the CWBA 3rds in Division Three.
In the Division One game, Kings won tip and went into an impressive 10-0 lead with Reece Barker, Adele Atkin and George Gray all scoring, CWBA picked up the pace but Kings defence was really strong and fought for every ball, at the other end Kings were clinical with Atkin that really hurt them scoring an impressive 10 points in the quarter and going into the break leading 26-11.
The second quarter was a scrappy affair with neither team really taking control of it with Tom Tobin and PJ O’Donovan getting their first points of the game. Kings went into half time with a healthy lead 37-17.
Kings came out in the third quarter wanting to prove they were still as strong and that they did just that with some excellent defence restricting CWBA to just 5 points. At the other end Kings kept building their lead with Tobin, Gray and Atkin all scoring and going into the break leading 48-22.
This continued in the final quarter as Kings really seem to be enjoying their basketball with Chris Nash picking up four points with some great play but it was halfway through the quarter where they really shone, scoring 12 points without reply with Liam Barker, Tobin and Gray all adding to their personal tallies.
Kings finished the game with an impressive win 70-31.
Head coach Grant Barker said: “It was an excellent performance throughout and to have all the starting 5 scoring over 10 points is amazing.”
In the Division Three game, the game started with baskets being traded by both teams before Kings went on a four basket streak which helped them see out the quarter with a 10-6 lead.
A basket each started the second quarter, which was a near reverse of the first quarter with CWBA going on a scoring streak of five baskets.
Kings went after CWBA with an incredible quarter, limiting CWBA to only two baskets while they scored 17. The final quarter was a busy one with not much scoring, which Kings saw the game out to a win of 41-28.
With this win, Kings 2nd moves up to second in Division Three Central/South West. Head Coach Patrick O’Donovan said of the performance, “I couldn’t be happier to see how the team have come together and have now got that trust in each with led to the great performance they all put out today.”
Results
Saturday – British Wheelchair Basketball National League
Division One South – Kings 70 CWBA 2nds 31
Division Three Central/South West – Kings 2nds 41 CWBA 3rds 28
Sunday – UKWB League Southern Division
Kings 20 Hackney Sparrows 44
Kings 21 High Rollers 50
