04/10; 11/10; 18/10; 25/10; 01/11; 08/11; 15/11; 22/11; 06/12; 13/12; 17/01; 24/01; 31/01; 07/02; 14/02; 21/02; 28/02; 07/03; 14/03; 21/03;  

 

W/e 21st March 2010

GIRLS UNDER 16 NATIONAL LEAGUE – SOUTH DIVISION

SOUTHEND SWIFTS 58 EASTSIDE EAGLES 67

So the final game of the day would be the most crucial as Southend Swifts under 16 girls needed victory to secure 3rd place in their division, which would give them a home tie in the first round of the play-offs. Their opponents had already secured 2nd place in the very tough division.

Southend missed some early scoring chances but a Beth Robson three-pointer gave them a 7-3 lead after three minutes. The teams traded baskets before Eastside made the first break, taking a 16-9 lead. Swifts fought back and scores from Katie Holland and Shannon Matthews helped them narrow the gap to just 20-17 at the end of the first quarter.

A change of defensive formation stopped Eagles scoring but Swifts failed to take their own opportunities with just 10 points scored in total in the opening five minutes. Indeed the hosts failed to score in the final four minutes of the second period, with only their defence keeping them in the game as they trailed 30-24 at the half time interval.

But the half time team talk seemed to galvanise matters. Defensive pressure began to bring rewards and consecutive three-pointers from Holland helped her team to a 33-32 lead. Six straight for Eagles took them ahead and after another Holland trey, they made seven in a row to lead 45-36. There was no fluency from Southend and they found themselves 51-42 down going into the final stanza.

The opening six minutes would be a nightmare as Swifts failed to score whilst Eastside scored the next 12 to put the game beyond doubt. With two minutes to play it was 67-46 and despite some spirited play from Robson and Jessica Holland it was all in vain as Southend fell to a very disappointing 67-58 defeat that will make the play-offs a very tough proposition; Katie Holland with 19 points and Beth Robson 14 the only scorers of note.

 

Foul count takes toll on “Lightning”

Cadette Women’s Midland Conference

Exeter “Eagles”  57 -52  Northants “Lightning”

The Exeter “Eagles” cadette women’s team completed the double over “Lightning” last Saturday winning a very tight game 57-52. The Northants coaching staff were left bewildered by a foul count that went very heavily against them.

Despite this set back the team look certain to reach the end of season Play Offs.

 

GIRLS UNDER 16 NATIONAL LEAGUE - SOUTH DIVISION

SOUTHEND SWIFTS 92 BRENTWOOD FIRE 36

After a tough weekend for the club, Southend Swifts under 16 girls team looked to get back onto winning ways when they met Brentwood Fire in a re-arranged fixture on their home court at Eastwood High School. Southend needed victory in this and their final match to ensure finishing in 3rd place in their very competitive division.

From the start, Swifts made sure there would be no slip-ups as they scored the first eight points of the contest, with captain Katie Holland contributing six. Brentwood got themselves onto the scoreboard, restricting the margin to 21-12, but an 8-2 run gave the hosts a 29-14 first quarter lead.

A more passive defence had the effect of cutting both teams scoring rate as Swifts gave all 12 players court time and seven late points from Amy Rodgers gave her team a 45-20 half time lead.

Southend upped the temp again in the 3rd period, with Beth Robson and Jessica Holland scoring freely as the short-handed Brentwood unsurprisingly tired; the lead at three quarter time 71-28.

With Hannah Gowland and Lauren Tate showing their superb athleticism in the final period, Swifts maintained their concentration to end with a comfortable 92-36 win, with Katie Holland on 26, Robson 13 and Gowland and Rodgers on 11 each.

 

W/e 14th March 2010

GIRLS UNDER 16 NATIONAL LEAGUE – SOUTH DIVISION

SOUTHEND SWIFTS 20 WORTHING THUNDER 0

Worthing failed to arrive for this fixture and given the stage of the season Southend would expect to be awarded the game.

 

W/e 7th March 2010

“Lightning” come second to Sheffield………again

Cadette Women’s Midland Conference

Northants “Lightning  48 -59  Sheffield “Hatters”

For the second time this season the Northants “Lightning” under 16 girls lost a close fought game against Sheffield “Hatters”. Last Sunday’s game was dominated by defences with both teams find scoring difficult. In the end a decisive statistic was the fact that “Hatters” shot no less than 29 free throws in a physical game while “Lightning” made just 12 trips to the charity stripe.

In the 11 points defeat only two “Lightning” players Georgia Elliott King and Karla Pinney with 15 and 10 points respectively were able to score in double figures but Emma Goulding with 8 second half points played with spirit and determination.

 

For Southend girls’ teams there was mixed fortunes.  The under 16s fell to a disappointing defeat at Solent Suns by 78 points to 65.  From a 17-16 lead after the opening 10 minutes, Southend moved out to 24-18 but poor finishing and some strange officiating decisions pegged them back to trail 35-31 at half time.  

Neither team could take a meaningful advantage and at three-quarter time it was 53-48 to the home side.  Swifts got back to just one point down but with fortune not favouring them, they conceded six straight to find themselves 69-60 behind which put the game out of sight, to lose 78-65.  

Katie Holland with 25 points and Beth Robson 12 leading the scoring.

 

Finally the under 16 girls rather painstakingly repaired some of the damage from the previous day when they got a subdued 72-45 win over Hounslow Hawks.  With a number of players either on duty for the under 18s or unavailable, it was a strange line-up that led just 15-10 at the end of the first quarter.  Eleven straight points should have been a springboard but the concentration wasn’t there as the half time margin was just 32-15.

The third period was a very sorry 10 minutes and at 45-35 a surprise looked possible.  But suddenly the defensive intensity increased and a 14-2 spell took the result beyond doubt.  The final margin of 72-45 was below where it might have been but it keeps the team in 3rd place in the table.  Jess Holland on 16 points, Amy Rodgers 15 and Stephanie Smith 14 leading the scoring.

W/e 28th February 2010

GIRLS UNDER 16 NATIONAL LEAGUE – SOUTH DIVISION

WORTHING THUNDER 23 SOUTHEND SWIFTS 92

So the final game of yet another hectic weekend saw Southend Swifts under 16 girls team make the journey to the South Coast to take on Worthing Thunder. The hosts are new to the league this season and are currently languishing at the bottom of the table with just one victory from 15 games.

From the outset, Southend established their superiority, running in 22 straight points to lead 24-2 at the end of the first quarter. Despite a much more passive defence, the barrage continued, with Jessica Holland scoring freely, as Swifts ran in a further 15 straight points. With captain Katie Holland taking a backseat role, her team mates shared the spoils on their way to a 53-4 half time lead.

The third period was even more passive as Thunder managed to register 13 points but with Shannon Matthews and Francesca Moody finding the basket, the margin increased to 77-17 with one stanza to play. With all of their players on the scoresheet, Swifts were content not to run up a cricket score as they ended with a 92-23 win that leaves them on course for the play-offs. Jessica Holland with a career high 31 points, Shannon Matthews 14 and Francesca Moody 11 leading the scoring.

 

U16 Girl’s National League Midlands Conference

City of Sheffield Hallam-Hatters 69 Stockport Lapwings 65

Neal Lovell’s under 16’s completed their home league programme with a 80-37 win over South Yorkshire rivals Hatfield Fliers. Hatters were in control throughout the game, leading 18-6 at the end of the first quarter and 39-15 at the half. The lead gave coach Lovell a chance to try out a combination of tactics in preparation for the forthcoming play-offs. Hatters extended the lead in the third to 66-29 and closed out the game to register an 80-37 victory.

Hatters team and scorers: Naz Saghafian 27, Annie Critcher 12, Leona Jorgensen 10, Katie Hall 8, Elinor Hargreaves 8, Serena Sampson 7, Courtney Shaw 6, Holly Shingler 2 and Isobel Hannity.

W/e 21st February 2010

Brave Cadette Women go down in Doncaster

Cadette Women’s Midlands Conference

Doncaster “Panthers”  54 – 47  Northants “Lightning”

In previous games this season the Northants Under 16 Girls have gone down to Doncaster by 45 and 19 points. This latest defeat by just seven points represented further improvement as the end of season Play Offs loom.

“Lightning” made a nervous start after their journey north and found themselves trailing 19-8 after the first period of play. The team recovered well in the second quarter playing with a great deal more confidence. They outscored “Panthers” 17-14 to trail 33-25 at half time and made their opponents realise they were involved in a real game.

The third period was a defence dominated affair with “Panthers” just edging it 10-8 but going into the last ten minutes of play “Lightning” were still in the game. Coach Brian Johnson called on his team for a massive final effort and he got it. “Lightning” outscored their opponents 14-10 but just couldn’t make up the gap finally losing by a tantalising seven points.

In the 54-47 loss only Lois Bain with 15 points was able to score in double figures. Karla Pinney contributed 9 points while Amy Grosvenor, and Izzy Johns worked tirelessly for their team.

 

W/e 14th February 2010

U16 Girls National League Midlands Conference

City Of Sheffield Hatters 47 Nottingham Wildcats 64

In the battle for second place in the Midlands Conference, Nottingham returned home with maximum points after a competitive game at All Saints.

Hatters were competitive throughout the first half, trailing 13-18 after the first quarter and 20-26 at half time.

Hatters were always going to be up against it given the Wildcats height advantage and this swung the game in favour of the visitors in the second half. AT the three quarter mark they had increased their lead to 32-51 and by the end of the game they had moved the score to 47-64.

Hatters team and scorers: Naz Saghafian 23, Katie Hall 8, Annie Critcher 6, Leona Jorgensen 4, Courtney Shaw 2, Holly Shingler 2, Elinor Hargreaves 2, Isobel Hannity and Serena Sampson.

 

Second quarter burst clinches victory for Cadette Women

Cadette Women’s Midlands Conference

Northants “Lightning”  51 - 38  Hatfield “Fliers”

The Northants “Lightning” Under 16 Girls recorded a 13 points win over a determined Hatfield “Fliers” team thanks to an excellent second quarter. This came after the first period ended tied at 13 points each and saw “Lightning” get into their running game for the only time in the contest giving them a half time lead of 30-19.

“Fliers” battled hard in the final two periods of play but couldn’t eat into the Northants lead the county girls getting home thanks to 15 points from Lois Bain. No other “Lightning” player could get into double figures but Coach Brian Johnson was pleased with the efforts put in by Faye Clarke, Isobel Johns and Karla Pinney.

W/e 7th February 2010

Under 16 Girls beaten by last minute shot

Cadette Women’s Midlands Conference

Northants “Lightning”  54 – 55  Exeter “Eagles”

The Northants “Lightning” Under 16 Girls suffered a heartbreaking one point loss to Exeter “Eagles” thanks to a shot with just four seconds of the game remaining. The loss was doubly disappointing because “Lightning” had led for 37 minutes of the game and at half time held a comfortable 15 point lead at 34-19.

Maybe the Northants girls thought the game was won because the intensity of their play certainly decreased during the last two periods of play. “Eagles” took the third quarter 15-10 but “Lightning” still held a ten points cushion although they were becoming increasingly frustrated by the visitor’s zone defence.

Exeter went on a 16-6 charge at the start of the final quarter to tie the scores up at 50 points all but when Lois Bain connected with a put back with 12 seconds of the game remaining to give her team a one point advantage it looked as if “Lightning” had got out of jail. “Eagles” took a time out more to get the ball from the halfway line than anything else and with just four seconds left managed to get off a shot which was to prove to be the winning score.

In the single point loss Bain top scored with 21 points with Izzy Johns supporting well with 12 points but no other “lightning” player was able to get into double figures.

 

U16 Girls Midlands Conference

Birmingham Force 50 City of Sheffield Hatters 79

Hatters moved back into second place in the Midlands Conference after a comfortable win in Birmingham. Hatters fielded a side containing two twelve year olds, both of whom played and scored in the game. Hatters started slowly and the hosts had the better of the early exchanges before Neal Lovell’s side finally got into their stride to lead 16-11 at the end of the first quarter.

Hatters had much the better of the second quarter, steadily increasing their lead to return to the changing rooms at half time leading 36-20.

Hatters continued the second half where they left off in the third and built up a twenty point lead going into the final quarter.

Despite losing two players to five fouls in the final quarter, Hatters were able to comfortably close out the game 79-50.

Hatters team and scorers: Annie Critcher 22, Naz Saghafian 21, Leona Jorgensen 11, Katie Hall 10, Elinor Hargreaves 7 , Hollie Shingler 5, Grace Twomey 2 and Mollie Axelby 1.

The win sets  Hatters up nicely for next Saturday’s top of the table clash when they entertain third place Nottingham Wildcats at All Saints. Tip off is at 12.30pm.

 

GIRLS UNDER 16 NATIONAL LEAGUE – SOUTH DIVISION

COLCHESTER JAMMERS 31  SOUTHEND SWIFTS 76

The final two games on a very hectic day for Southend Swifts bizarrely featured the same team, the under 16 girls.  They first outing was away at Colchester Jammers as they sought to maintain third position in the league table.

From the start, Southend stamped their authority on proceedings.  From 10-2 after four minutes, the margin gradually increased despite constant changes of personnel as Swifts looked to conserve energy for the later game.  From 24-8 at the end of the first quarter, points accumulated rapidly as the lead extended to 49-21 at half time.

Unsurprisingly the intensity dropped in the second half as is often the position in games such as these.  Southend utilised different line-ups and formations as the scoreline increased to just 61-25 with one period remaining.  The final 10 minutes were again subdued as Swifts recorded a 76-31 win with 9 of their players on the scoresheet.

GIRLS UNDER 16 NATIONAL LEAGUE – SOUTH DIVISION

SOUTHEND SWIFTS 70  IPSWICH BOBCATS I 57

So the final game of a very hectic day saw Southend Swifts under 16 girls have their second game of the day.  This time they were at home at Eastwood High School against Ipswich Bobcats I, who are currently in fifth place in the league table, with some very impressive results of late.

Southend made a good start, taking an 8-3 lead as their pressure defence brought early rewards.  An 8-2 run made the lead double digit but Ipswich showed excellent resolve, putting a similar spell together for themselves to narrow the deficit to just 18-13 at the end of the first quarter.

The second period saw tremendous excitement as Bobcats showed how much they had improved as they reduced the margin down to two at 23-21.  However Southend’s Sophie Hankin gave an outstanding  display of shooting, scoring her teams next nine points as the lead went back to seven at 32-25.  But Ipswich replied with seven unanswered to tie the game up before Swifts had the final basket to lead by just two at 34-32 at half time and the game wide open.

But the half time team talk had an immediate effect.  A change of defensive tempo and formation kept the visitors scoreless for over five minutes whilst Southend scored 13 themselves to take the conclusive advantage.  With 14 year old Amy Rodgers orchestrating the play, captain Katie Holland was finally able to find her scoring touch with successive three-pointers as the lead grew to 57-35 much to the relief of the home spectators; further scores from Holland giving her team a 59-38 lead going into the final stanza.

It was a very scrappy start to the final quarter before another Holland trey made it 63-42.  However an unfortunate accident saw Rodgers crash into the glass behind the basket which meant she was carried from the court with bad bruising. This obviously disrupted Southend’s flow as Bobcats again showed their toughness in looking to get back into the game.  Hankin left the proceedings to great applause from all of the spectators as a final Holland three-pointer secured the victory by 70 points to 57 in an excellent contest.  Hankin with 30 points and Holland 25 leading the scoring.

W/e 31st January 2010

Disappointment for Cadette Women

Cadette Women’s Midland’s Conference

Northants “Lightning”  31 – 63  Nottingham “Wildcats”

Having lost ground on the Conference leaders this was an opportunity for the Northants “Lightning” under 16 girls to get themselves back into contention. In the event it proved to be a one-sided contest which was decided at the end of the third period of play with “Wildcats” leading 51-20. “Lightning” held their own in the fourth quarter but it was too little too late as they slipped to a 32 point defeat.

In the disappointing performance no Northants player could score in double figures, Georgia Elliott-King leading the way with 9 points and to add insult to injury former “Lightning” player Lana Doran now playing for “Wildcats” scored 30 points.

Coach Brian Johnson was realistic in defeat accepting that his team had to become far more physical in their play if they are to win games at this level.

W/e 24th January 2010

GIRLS UNDER 16 NATIONAL LEAGUE – SOUTH DIVISION

SOUTHEND SWIFTS 51  HARINGEY ANGELS 87

This was a crucial game for Southend Swifts under 16 team who were striving for position towards the end of season play-offs.  The visitors were Haringey Angels, who are unbeaten in all play so far this season and who recorded a five-point victory when the teams met earlier in the season.

But this time the Londoners established their superiority from the start, opening a 14-2 lead after just five minutes.  Southend could find little or no cohesion and despite three-pointers from Beth Robson and Stephanie Smith the score at the end of the first quarter was 24-10; Smith’s effort right on the buzzer.

The second quarter was even worse as Swifts managed just one solitary point as they seemed incapable of carrying out the most basic of skills.  Angels had 20 points and at half time it was a very humbling 44-11.

But the home side at least showed some character in the second half.  Jessica Holland and Shannon Matthews led from the front and the team had doubled their scoring output after just seven minutes.  The team showed their fighting qualities and with one quarter to play it was 28-63.  For the final quarter, it was Sophie Hankin and the mercurial Hannah Gowland who came to the fore as they combined for the first 11 points to keep the deficit to a reasonable level.  Robson and Hankin kept the scoreboard moving and the final score line of 87-51 meant that the second half had been a three point differential; at least restoring some pride on what was a disappointing day.

 

U16 Girls National League Midlands Conference

Exeter Eagles 54 City of Sheffield Hatters 57

Hatters made the long trip South to face Exeter Eagles and returned to South Yorkshire with the points after a thrilling Midlands Conference game.

Hatters started well despite the long trip, and led 19-12 at the end of the first quarter. Back came the hosts who took control of the second quarter, putting Hatters under pressure throughout the period and taking a 28-25 lead into the interval. The third quarter was very close and going into the final ten minutes Neal Lovell’s side trailed by two points, 42-40.

The two sides traded points throughout the final quarter and with just over a minute remaining Katie Hall hit a three pointer to put Hatters back into the lead. Back came Exeter and with just 12 seconds left the hosts scored to level the game at 54-54.

With 5 seconds remaining Coach Lovell called a time out and called a final play. Katie Hall received the ball and with just one second one the clock she shot another three-pointer to give the visitors a 57-54 win.

Hatters team and scorers: Annie Critcher 23, Naz Saghafian 12, Leona Jorgensen 10, Katie Hall 6, Courtney Shaw 3, Elinor Hargreaves 3, Serena Sampson and Holly Shingler.

The win keeps Hatters in second place in the Midlands conference, three points behind the unbeaten leaders Doncaster Panthers.

Birmingham feel the force of “Lightning”

Cadette Women’s Midland’s Conference

Birmingham “Force”  65 - 85  Northants “Lightning”

The Northants “Lightning” cadette women travelled to Birmingham last Saturday and recorded a comfortable 20 points win over Birmingham “Force”. The county girls seized the initiative in the first quarter running up an 18-8 advantage. The good work continued in the second period and by half time “Lightning” had established a 37-22 lead,

The second half was a much closer affair with “Lightning” just edging both the third and fourth quarters with “Force” never really seriously threatening to close the gap.

The “Lightning” scoring was led by Izzy Johns with 20 points; Lois Bain and Amy Grosvenor both scoring in double figures while Faye Clarke and Shanique Alexander both made useful contributions.

With a big game against Nottingham coming up this weekend the “Lightning” coaching staff were particularly pleased with the way their team executed in the half court.

W/e 17th January 2010

U16 Girl’s National League Midlands Conference

City Of Sheffield Hatters 40-62 Doncaster Panthers

After a good opening quarter which they won 14-12, Neal Lovell’s Hatters side fell apart in the second quarter as Panthers built a decisive lead. By the half the visitors had a 31-16 lead, restricting the home side to just two second quarter points. The third quarter was a closer affair with but Panthers were able to stretch the lead further to 45-25. The visitors then easily closed out the game to win the South Yorkshire derby 62-40.

Hatters scores and scorers: Naz Saghafian 22, Katie Hall 5, Leona Jorgensen 5, Elinor Hargreaves 5, Annie Critcher 3, Isobel Hannity, Sirena Sampson, Courtney Shaw and Holly Shingler.

W/e 13th December 2009

GIRLS UNDER 16 NATIONAL CUP QUARTER FINAL

SOUTHEND SWIFTS 56  NOTTINGHAM WILDCATS 57

After the disappointment of their under 18 team, it was for Southend Swifts under 16 girls team to attempt to reach the cup semi finals.  Their opponents would be Nottingham Wildcats, who have suffered just one defeat so far this season and have one of the tallest line-ups in the country.  Southend were looking to nurture captain Katie Holland through the contest; the youngster having suffered a thigh injury the previous day.

Swifts made a disastrous start trailing 10-1 after five minutes as they failed to come to terms with Nottingham's very physical defence.  When they did get through, scoring chances were spurned and it looked like this would be a very difficult afternoon.  Holland and Beth Robson finally scored but Wildcats were well in control and at the end of the first quarter they led 16-7.

The second period started little better as the Essex side had just a Robson three-pointer in the first four minutes whilst Nottingham had seven points.  Sophie Hankin finally began to get onto the scoresheet as she had six of her teams next seven points but the Midlanders composure kept them ahead to lead 35-22 going into the last minute.  However, another Holland basket and the most unlikely of fast break lay-ups from Hannah Gowland gave some semblance of hope as Swifts trailed 35-26 at half time.

Scores from Holland and Stephanie Smith made it an 8-0 run but six straight for Wildcats made the lead double digit at 41-30.  Holland and Smith again combined for six unanswered points but the visitors re-took the initiative to finish with a 5-1 spell to lead 46-37 going into the final stanza.

A three-pointer again took Nottingham clear but a 10-3 run, including an unlikely Smith three-pointer, made it 52-47 and the crowd getting extremely excited.  The teams split six points and with two minutes to play it was 55-50.  Wildcats had the first score but Holland, despite her obvious lack of mobility, and four from Hankin made it 57-56 with 15 seconds to play.  With the noise at an incredible crescendo Nottingham maintained possession before one of their players was fouled which gave her two foul shots with eight seconds left.  Unsurprisingly, with the incredible tension, both were missed but Wildcats took the rebound and they were able to keep possession to record victory in the most exciting of contests.  

Holland and Hankin, both on 15, Smith 11 and Robson 10 had led the scoring in the kind of match that Swifts would like to play every week.

 

Under 16’s Sureshot National Cup Quarter Final

Doncaster Panthers 61 City of Sheffield Hatters 59

Hatters were left heartbroken after the narrowest of defeats in the Sureshot cup quarter final.

After controlling the early exchanges, Hatters lead 19-10 at the end of the first quarter. Despite Panthers looking to battle their way back into the tie, Hatters continued to work hard and went into the half time break leading 33-26.

Back came Panthers as Hatters began to hit foul trouble and by the end of the third the scores were tied at 42-42.

With scores close throughout the final quarter, Hatters were just 35 seconds away from victory before the hosts managed to take what would turn out to be a winning lead to advance to the semi finals. The visitors finished with just four players on court after a late injury to Naomi Benson added her to four who fouled out.

Hatters team and scorers: Katie Hall 12, Elinor Hargreaves 12, Leona Jorgensen 9, Naz Saghafian 9, Annie Critcher 9, Sirena Sampson 4, Isobel Hannity 2, Holly Shingler 2 and Naomi Benson.

 

Midland Conference

City of Sheffield Hatters 89 Northants Lightning 79

Hatters top the Midland Conference after a good win over Northants Lightning. Despite playing some good pressure basketball, defensive errors kept Lightning in the game throughout. With Leona Jorgensen fouling out and four players finishing on four fouls, Neal Lovell’s side were in regular foul trouble but managed to score 29 of 43 free throws of their own on their way to a hard fought victory.

After leading by just three points at the half, Hatters enjoyed their best spell of the game to stretch their lead to 13 at the three quarter mark. Lightning were unable to recover from this, despite winning the final quarter and Hatters were able to close out the game 89-79.

Hatters team and scorers: Annie Critcher 22, Katie Hall 20, Naz Saghafian 16, Holly Shingler 13, Leona Jorgensen 8, Elinor Hargreaves 6, Isobel HAnnity 2, Sirena Smapson 2 and Naomi Benson.

 

“Hatters” ease out “Lightning”

Cadette Women’s Midlands Conference

Sheffield “Hatters  89 - 79  Northants “Lightning”

The Northants “Lightning” cadette women came desperately close to beating Sheffield “Hatters” on their own court. They could reflect on yet another poor third quarter during which they outscore 32-22 and the fact that two key players fouled out in the final period of play.

The game was very aggressive throughout with a massive foul count and Coach Brian Johnson was pleased that for most of the game his young team had coped with the intensity and physicality required at this level. He was less pleased that yet again his team had ‘left their game in the locker room’ at half time.

“Hatters” edged the first quarter 20-16 but “Lightning” reduced the deficit by taking the second period 20-19 to bring the scores to 39-36 at half time. Then came that third period with Sheffield going on a 12-zero run to establish a 71-58 lead. “Lightning” made a massive fourth quarter effort which saw them outscore their opponents 21-18 but they just couldn’t close the gap and eventually went down 89-79.

In the 10 points loss Georgia Elliott-King had an excellent game scoring 26 points and pulling down 17 rebounds. Isobel Johns scored 14 points from the guard spot while Lois Bain 11 points and 9 rebounds, Shanique Alexander 8 points, Karla Pinney 7 points and 13 rebounds and Emma Golding 7 points all contributed to an excellent team effort.

 

SOUTH DIVISION

SOUTHEND SWIFTS 74  SOLENT SUNS 52

The only other game on the day saw Southend Swifts under 16 girls team look to continue their winning streak as they welcomed Solent Suns to their Eastwood High School home.  Southend had won their last six games as had Solent, so a tough encounter had to be expected.

Swifts made a slow start, failing to score for the first three minutes, to trail by two, before they scored eight straight to open their first lead.  Suns replied with the next four, as the hosts again went scoreless for three minutes as captain Katie Holland was forced off the court with a leg injury.  However, six points from Sophie Hankin got the momentum back as her team led 16-10 at the end of the first quarter.

A 8-0 run, with scores from Jessica Holland, Shannon Matthews and four from Hankin, took the margin to 14 and Southend kept up their work rate to lead 30-16.  Solent hit back with five straight but the home side regained their composure and they closed out the quarter with a 6-2 spell that gave them a 35-23 half time lead. 

Scores from Hankin and Lauren Tate further extended the margin but Suns battled back and they hit seven straight to reduce the deficit to just nine at 39-30.  This seemed to spur Swifts on and a three-pointer from Katie Holland and an inside move by Stephanie Smith started a 15-4 run that gave them a conclusive 54-34 lead with one stanza remaining.

A three-pointer and a lay-up from Beth Robson took the lead to 25 and with Hannah Gowland finding space around the basket the margin got close to 30.  Southend were rotating their personnel as they rested players in advance of the following day’s cup quarter final.  Francesca Moody, having her best game of the season, converted four foul shots in a row as her team ran out winners of a very good contest by 74 points to 52.  Hankin 24 and Holland 17 leading the scoring.  

W/e 6th December 2009

U16 Girls Midlands Conference

Hatfield Fliers 34 City of Sheffield Hatters 77

Neal Lovell’s under 16’s returned to action after a three week break and posted a good victory at South Yorkshire rivals Hatfield Fliers.

Leading 35-17 at half time, Hatters increased their lead throughout the second half to return to Sheffield with the points

Team and Scorers: Naz Saghafian 23, Annie Critcher 15, Courtney Shaw 11, Serena Sampson 10, Katie Hall 6, Leona Jorgensen6, Ellie Hargreaves 4, Isobel Hannity 2, Hollie Shingler and Naomi Benson

 

GIRLS UNDER 16 NATIONAL LEAGUE – SOUTH DIVISION

HOUNSLOW HAWKS 27  SOUTHEND SWIFTS 72

It was a girls only day for Southend Swifts with their three age group teams in action.  First up were the under 16s who are on an unbeaten runs of five games following two defeats in their first three outings.  They travelled to Hounslow Hawks, who are a new team to national league basketball, and have had a tough baptism with just one victory from nine games played.

Whether it was the early morning tip-off or the cold gymnasium that affected their performance is unclear but Swifts made a very scrappy start scoring just once in the first three minutes.  However, led by Captain Katie Holland they showed some of their normal form, running in 13 unanswered points to lead 15-3 and maintained their momentum to hold a 20-5 first quarter advantage.

Constant changes of personnel didn’t necessarily help with the overall rhythm but a three-pointer from Francesca Moody, just back from illness, and good work from Shannon Matthews, helped their team to extend the margin to 20 at 35-15 at the half time interval.

In a subdued contest, runs of 7-2 and 8-2 further increased the lead as Southend tried various playing formations and with one period remaining it was 52-22.  Matthews and Gaby Freedman found their way to the basket and a Kiki Gilbert three-pointer took the lead close to 40.  Jess Holland was providing her normal energy and she had her team’s final two scores as Southend completed a 72-27 victory over very spirited opposition.

Kate Holland with 17 points and sister Jess on11 led the scoring with 10 of the Swifts players on the score sheet.        

Third quarter blues put pay to “Lightning”

Cadette Women’s Midlands Conference

Nottingham “Wildcats” 73 - 56  Northants “Lightning”

The Northants “Lightning” under 16 girls went down by 17 points to local rivals Nottingham “Wildcats” last Saturday. At half time “Lightning” only trailed by 13 points at 43-30 and were well in contention. In the third quarter “Wildcats” were far more aggressive especially in the rebounding department and were outscored 18-8 to take the game out of reach of the county girls.

With the result no longer in doubt Nottingham relaxed and “Lightning” actually took the final period 18-12 but it was a case of too little too late as “Wildcats cruised home on the back of a more robust and physical approach to the game.

Top scorers for “Lightning” were Lois Bain and Georgia Elliott-King with 16 and 15 respectively while Faye Clarke with 10 and Shanique Alexander with 9 gave good support. To add insult to injury the “Wildcats” top scorer was former Northants player Lana Doran.

W/e 22nd November 2009

Big improvement for Cadette Women

Cadette Women’s Midlands League

Northants “Lightning”  35 – 54  Doncaster “Panthers”

When these two sides met two weeks ago “Panthers” recorded a comfortable 45 points win so this loss by 19 points represented a massive improvement for the young “Lightning”. No one could find fault with their defensive effort which restricted their opponents to just 54 points so their own inability to score was the main reason for their defeat. This was particularly true when Doncaster switched to a zone defence.

“Panthers” edged the first two quarters to lead 29-22 at half time. The main problem for the county girds came in the third period when “Panthers” switched to their zone defence and “Lightning’s” Georgia Elliott-King picked up her fourth foul. Doncaster took that period 16-6 and following a low scoring final period held on to win the game by 54 points to 45.

No “Lightning” player was able to score in double figures, Rovinj Allen leading the way with 8 points while Elliot-King and Emma Culverhouse contributed 7 points each.

 

GIRLS UNDER 16 NATIONAL LEAGUE – SOUTH DIVISION

SOUTHEND SWIFTS 92  CHILTERN PUMAS 25

With the senior womens game postponed, the final fixture of the day saw Southend Swifts under 16 girls team take on Chiltern Pumas on their home court at Eastwood High School.  Southend are currently in 4th place in the league table with five wins from seven games whilst Chiltern were still looking for their first win of the season having also played seven fixtures.  Swifts rested captain Katie Holland as well as missing Francesca Moody and Sarah Cozens. 

Pumas made a very good start that belied their league position as they trailed just 12-11 after six minutes and 14-13 after seven before Southend had the final eight points to lead 21-13 at the end of the first quarter; Sophie Hankin already with 12 points.

But the second quarter would see an entirely different story.  Led by Hannah Gowland and 13 year old Amy Rodgers Swifts reeled off 25 points in a row that effectively settled the game.  Rodgers and Kiki Gilbert both scored three-pointers in the final minute as the home side led 52-19 at the midway interval.

With a much more passive defence, the scoring subsided somewhat but six straight for Shannon Matthews and then seven for young Rodgers kept the scoreboard moving.  Some of the younger Swifts took the opportunity of playing at this level and under 14 Chloe Bates scored her first basket at this level.

The elder players largely sat out the 4th quarter as Southend recorded a very good 92-25 win that moves them into 3rd place in the league table.  Rodgers with 35 points, Hankin 16 and Gowland and Matthews eight apiece leading the scoring.

W/e 15th November 2009

GIRLS UNDER 16 NATIONAL LEAGUE – SOUTH DIVISION

BRENTWOOD FIRE 69  SOUTHEND SWIFTS 90

So the last game of a very tough day, saw a very understaffed Southend Swifts under 16 girls team make the relatively short journey to take on Brentwood Fire.  Southend were missing five of their starting six players against a team with two wins from six games; Swifts with four wins from their six contests.

Brentwood had the first three points but four points from Hannah Gowland settled her team.  The hosts led 7-4 before a stunning 19 straight points took Swifts clear; Sophie Hankin and Amy Rodgers sharing 16.  Fire hit back with the last six points as Southend held a 23-13 first quarter lead.

From 27-16 Swifts seemed to lose concentration and six straight for the hosts made it just 27-22.  After trading scores, two baskets from Shannon Matthews and a further Gowland score took the margin out to 11 and the visitors hung on to lead 40-29 at the midway interval.

Whatever was said in the break certainly had the desired effect.  Southend put on a stunning display over the next 10 minutes with 13 year old Rodgers to the fore.  The youngster, in her 4th season of club play, had no fewer than five three-point shots out of her team’s 31 points as they moved out to a commanding 71-47 lead with some outstanding all round play.

Unsurprisingly the intensity dropped somewhat although Fay Solkhon and Kiki Gilbert found their range from distance as Swifts ended with a colossal12 three-points shots in the match to record a very good 90-69 victory despite missing so many front line players.  Rodgers with 39 points (including eight three-pointers) and the tireless Sophie Hankin with 21 leading the scoring.

 

England Basketball Under 16 Girl’s National League Midlands Conference

Nottingham Wildcats 65 City of Sheffield Hatters 41

Neal Lovell’s Under 16’s slipped to a disappointing defeat at the hands of rivals Nottingham Wildcats with the Hatters coach summing up the performance of his team as a ‘bad day at the office’.

Hatters were not helped by an early injury to Naz Saghafian and found themselves 4 points down at the first break.

The second quarter proved to be the visitors most productive and their fight back left them trailing by a single point at the half.

Any hopes of a victory were soon dispelled as the Wildcats took control of the game in the second half, increasing their lead to 16 at the three quarter mark before comfortably closing out the game to win 65-49.

Hatters team and scorers: Sirena Sampson 13, Katie Hall 8, Naz Saghafian 7, Courtney Shaw 7, Leona Jorgensen 6 , Annie Critcher 4, Isobel Hannity 2, Elinor Hargreaves 2 and Holly Shingler

 

Cadette Women bounce back to beat Hatfield

Cadet  Women’s Midland’s Conference

Hatfield “Flyers”  40 - 42  Northants “Lightning”

The Northants under 16 girls won a dour low scoring game against the Yorkshire side Hatfield “Flyers” thanks to a big end game play from Karla Pinney. With seconds remaining and “Flyers” leading 40-39 Pinney pulled down an offensive rebound and was fouled as she scored the put back. She then coolly drained the free throw to give her side a two point victory.

The win had looked unlikely at the start of the fourth quarter with Hatfield leading 30-25. Up until that time “Lightning” had been relying almost entirely on perimeter shooting but inspired by some penetrating drives by Isobel Johns and Amy Grosvenor “Lightning” went on a 12-4 run to get themselves right back into the game.

In the two points win Georgia Elliott-King top scored with 14 points while Johns, Lois Bain and Grosvenor had 8, 7 and 6 respectively. Coach Brian Johnson had words of praise for Pinney not only for her match-winning play but also some excellent defensive work.

W/e 8th November 2009

GIRLS UNDER 16 NATIONAL LEAGUE – SOUTH DIVISION

SOUTHEND SWIFTS 73  COLCHESTER JAMMERS 46

After three victories in succession, Southend Swifts under 16 girls team looked to continue their run when they welcomed Colchester Jammers to Eastwood High School. The North Essex side have made a very good start to the season, with four wins from five games, whilst Swifts had three wins from five, so a tough battle was expected to ensue.

And so it seemed as Jammers scored the first five points of the contest keeping the home side scoreless for the first three minutes with a very tight defensive formation.  But a basket from Katie Holland and five points from Sophie Hankin took the home side ahead.  Colchester tied the game up at 7 before six straight for Hankin gave her team their first meaningful advantage.  The visitors got the deficit back to one but a 7-0 run, ended by a Beth Robson three-pointer, helped Southend to a 24-13 first quarter lead.

Four unanswered points for Jammers reduced the margin to seven but a change of defensive formation for Swifts had a devastating effect.  Over the remaining seven minutes of the second period they outscored their opponents by 16 points to 2, as they finally produced some fluency in their play.  The lead at half time standing at 42-19.

A Francesca Moody three-pointer, her second of the game, should have been the springboard for a very comfortable home win as her team moved out to 51-20 and from a dazzling assist by Gaby Freedman, a Hannah Gowland score made it 53-22.  Colchester showed great resolve as they scored six straight points but this seemed to galvanise Swifts into action and led by Hankin and Amy Rodgers the lead increased to 62-28 before being pegged back to 62-32 with one quarter remaining.

Seven points from the strangely subdued Holland and a Lauren Tate basket made it 69-34 but the final five minutes would belong to Jammers as they played right out to the end scoring the final eight points of the contest which ended in a seemingly comfortable 73-46 win that really flattered Swifts in terms of their overall performance.  Hankin with 31 points, Moody 12 and Robson 11 leading the scoring.

 

England Basketball Under 16 Girl’s National League Midlands Conference

City of Sheffield Hatters 93 Birmingham Force 57

After a poor initial start, Hatters soon found their rhythm applying pressure on the visitors throughout.

BY the end of the first period, Neal Lovell’s side had raced into a 27-11 lead and this was increased to 58-23 by half time. This included a terrific spell where Hatters scored 22 second quarter points without reply.

Hatters were less effective in the third quarter and the visitors outscored the home side in the third period by 19-15.

The Birmingham revival was, however, short lived and Hatters took control of the game again during the fourth to post a 93-57 victory. Hatters Team and Scorers: Naz Saghafian 29 points, Annie Critcher 17, Courtney Shaw 12, Katie Hall 9, Isobel Hannity 6, Leona Jorgensen 6, Holly Shingler 6, Ellie Hargreaves 6, Serena Sampson 2, and Naomi Benson.

The win takes Hatters to the top of the U16 Midlands Conference, although second place Doncaster are still unbeaten with a game in hand.

 

England Basketball Sureshot Under 16 Girl’s National Cup Round Two

Sefton Stars 59 City of Sheffield Hatters 115

After a slow start, Hatters found their feet in the second round cup tie and came away with a comfortable victory.

The first half remained fairly tight with Hatters grinding out a 26-13 first quarter lead which they had extended to 49-30 by half time.

Neal Lovell’s side had things very much their own way in the second half, winning the third quarter 39-13 before easily closing out the game to post a 115-59 victory.

Coach Lovell was pleased with the victory and with his side’s ability to score from the free throw line with Hatters hitting 23 from 30 foul throws.

Hatters Team and Scorers: Naz Saghafian 35 points, Serena Sampson 16, Annie Critcher 14, Courtney Shaw 13, Katie Hall 12, Ellie Hargreaves 9, Isobel Hannity 8, Leona Jorgensen 6, Holly Shingler 2, and Naomi Benson.

The victory takes Hatters into the quarter Finals where they will visit arch rival Doncaster Panthers on December 13th.

 

GIRLS UNDER 16 NATIONAL CUP - 2ND ROUND
SOUTHEND SWIFTS 115  HINCKLEY AND BOSWORTH LADYHOOPS 27

It is an unusual occurrence for age group games to take place in midweek as the players are all at school.  It is even more unusual that one of the teams should travel for almost three hours to play the match
but Hinckley and Bosworth Ladyhoops undertook the mission to meet Southend Swifts in the second round of the National Cup.  Southend came into the game off of two straight victories whilst Hinckley were
looking for their first on-court win of the season having got through in the cup first round by default.

 From the opening tip this was sadly no contest as the Midland side showed their inexperience.  After 5 minutes, Swifts led 24-0 and their defence became totally passive.  Hinckley managed their first basket
but 13 year old Amy Rodgers just ran amuck as she poured in 17 points of her own to give her team a 43-3 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The question for the hosts was how to get through the game without inflicting too much damage on their opponents, so for the next five minutes only three-point shots were attempted without too much success, the score increasing to just 50-6.  Changes of personnel had their tallest player, Sophie Hankin, dribbling the ball with no team fast breaks and at the half time interval it was 56-12.

For third quarter players were put into different positions with the diminutive Francesca Moody and Beth Robson utilising their height close to the basket.  Ladyhoops had their best spell of the game, scoring 15
points in the quarter, as Southend's very gentle approach took them 75-27 ahead with one quarter remaining.

These circumstances are very difficult because it is actually the better team that suffers.  Swifts played a little more aggressively so they, too, would get something out of the encounter.  Eastwood School
pupils Kate Livermore and Bethany Cooper, both just 13 years old, helped themselves to eight and six points respectively as their team ran in 40 points to record a 115-27 victory.  Hinckley, to their
credit, were exemplary opponents playing with an excellent spirit despite the obvious outcome.

For the record Rogers ended with 31 points but had this been a boxing match the referee would have stopped the contest to stop one team taking too much punishment.

 

Cadette Women dumped out of Cup by aggressive “Panthers”

Cadet  Women’s National Cup 2nd Round

Doncaster “Panthers”  80 - 35  Northants “Lightning”

The Northants “Lightning” Under 16 Girls faced their most severe test of the season so far when they took on Doncaster “Panthers” in the 2nd Round of the National Cup. Against a team that had reached last season’s Final Four Play Offs the young “Lightning” came off a distinctly second best.

The well drilled and very physical “Panthers” dominated the first quarter which they won 28-7 but the county girls showed they could be competitive in the second which Doncaster just edged 15-13 to take a 43-20 half time lead. It was business as usual in the third with “Lightning” outscored 17-3 and with the game as good as over the home side won the final period 20-12 to clinch a 45 points win.

For “Lightning” only Lois Bain was able to score in double figures ‘netting’ 10 while Georgia Elliott-King contributed 8 while just two Doncaster players contributed a massive 61 points between them. Coach Brian Johnson will be hoping this test will show his players just what they have to do to compete at the highest level.

W/e 1st November 2009

GIRLS UNDER 16 NATIONAL LEAGUE - SOUTH DIVISION

IPSWICH BOBCATS 1 65  SOUTHEND SWIFTS 84 

For the second week in succession, Southend Swifts under 16 girls found themselves taking on Ipswich Bobcats in their latest league fixture.  This time they would meet the Suffolk club's first team, who have made an excellent start to the season with a 100% record from their first three games; Southend have had a slightly indifferent opening to the current campaign with two wins from four games. 

Swifts made a good start with captain Katie Holland scoring the first two baskets and they maintained their superiority with a 5-1 run that gave them an early eight point advantage.  Ipswich came back with the next four points but good work from Sophie Hankin and Stephanie Smith took the visitors 15-6 ahead after six minutes.  Southend's normally aggressive defence was being restricted by some fairly zealous officiating but four points from Francesca Moody and further points from Hankin and Holland helped the Essex side to a 22-14 lead at the end of the first quarter. 

Some excellent shooting from the rapidly improving Lauren Tate helped Southend extend their margin back to double digits and with Holland finding her range from distance, the gap moved out to 39-22.  Swifts took the opportunity of rotating their line-up and 13 year old Fay Solkhon seized her with two three-pointers in a row and with Moody following suit the lead at half time was 53-30. 

As to be expected Bobcats came fighting back in front of their very partisan supporters.  They upped their defensive intensity, which at least stopped Swifts expending their lead.  Hankin collected her 4th and 5th personal fouls midway through the third quarter, which certainly gave the home side a height advantage, but good work from Smith and Hannah Gowland prevented them from making inroads into the deficit; four late points from Holland keeping her team 72-47 ahead with one period remaining. 

From 79-50 down after four minutes, the home side had their best spell as they scored 13 unanswered points.  But they would get no closer as scores from Solkhon and Moody in the last minute took their team to a very hard fought 84-65 win.  Holland with 28 points, Moody 12 and Hankin 11 leading the way. 

 

England Basketball Under 16 Girl’s National League Midlands Conference

Hinkley & Bosworth Hoops 14 City of Sheffield Hatters 104

City of Sheffield Hatters Under 16’s traveled to Leicestershire on Sunday and recorded a convincing win against Hinkley and Bosworth Lady Hoops. Hatters took control of the game from the start and by half time had produced a dominant performance to lead the hosts 63-4. With coach Neal Lovell revolving his bench throughout, his young side remained in control of the game to run out 104-14 winners.

Hatters team and scorers: Holly Shingler 16 points, Annie Critcher 16, Naz Saghafian 13, Leona Jorgensen 12, Ellinor Hargreaves 12, Isobel Hannity 11, Katie Hall 8, Serena Sampson 8, Courtney Shaw 6, Naomi Benson 2.

SOLENT SUNS  versus  BRENTWOOD FIRE

1st Qtr:    (21-8)       21- 8

2nd Qtr:   (18-12)     39-20

3rd Qtr:   (13-15)      52-35

4th Qtr:   (19-12)      71-47

The Suns picked up their second straight win with a victory over the Brentwood Fire, 71-47, this past Sunday on the Brentwood home court.  A strong first quarter allowed the Suns substitute coach, Simon, the luxury of giving significant playing time to every player who, in turn, repaid his trust with fine performances.  The Suns struggled to contain the talented blonde forward, #15, who scored 21 points, but their full-court press and distribution of offensive firepower carried the day for the Suns.

Laura Tognarelli, Claire Wood, Lauren Milligan, Hattie Stiles and McKenna Stewart started the game for the Suns.  Hattie entered the stat columns first with a rebound and basket in the first minute.  Claire then morphed into the female version of Steve Nash with two great fast break assists to finisher, Laura.  Lauren set the defensive tone with two blocks in the first two minutes after which she and Claire ripped several offensive rebounds.

The Suns resumed scoring in the fourth minute when the team executed a beautiful inbounds play that resulted in a basket for Lauren.  #15 for the Fire began to assert herself in the post and scored four of the six points that kept the Fire close to the Suns, 9-6, by the 4:03 mark.

Hattie kept her eyes on Laura when the game resumed ,and fed the fleet forward another pass on the fast break for two more points.  The Suns missed several close shots before Hattie scored two on her own.  The turning point came when Simon instructed the Suns to press full court resulting in several steals and baskets by Laura, Claire and McKenna for a 21-6 lead at the 1:36 mark.  The Suns came away with four offensive rebounds on a subsequent possession resulting in the final basket of the quarter for Lauren and a 21-8 lead.

The Suns’ full-court press was excellent, but scoring was tempered due to a number of turnovers and very low field goal percentage.  McKenna pulled down five rebounds in the quarter which got her Dad salivating at the thought of a Dennis Rodman-like 20 rebound game!

Claire, Kiely Reed, Hattie, Kelly North and McKenna took the court in the second quarter.  Kiely immediately ripped two rebounds and increased the Suns score to 23 with a basket in the second minute.  McKenna scored on a long two-pointer for a 25-6 lead and the Fire immediately called a time-out at the 6:54 mark.

When play resumed, #15 scored the first of her eight points in the quarter, but Kiely retaliated with a basket off a one-on-one fast break.  Laura came on the court during the quarter and picked up her third foul, but didn’t let that slow her down as she scored to bring the game to 29-17 at the 2:38 mark.

Kiely exhibited her athleticism with quick defensive play and a steal that she converted into a layup at the other end.  Hattie passed to Lauren for two then on the next possession executed a beautiful left-handed layup for a 35-18 lead.  Bryony Dye’s stealth on defense resulted in a steal while McKenna and Lauren chipped in two baskets in the final minute for a 39-20 lead at halftime.

Lauren, Bryony, Allys Miller, Hattie and Claire started off the second half for the Suns.  The play was a little ragged at first with consecutive turnovers, but the Suns settled down after Lauren scored a basket, was fouled and made the free throw.  Allys missed her first shot from the right side, but didn’t let that bother her as she hit her next shot from 12 feet in the third minute.  Bryony continued her aggressive play with a drive to the basket that resulted in a foul then scored her first two points shortly thereafter from Allys’ spot on the court.  Hattie notched another assist with a pass to Claire for two then Bryony struck again from 14 feet to extend the Suns’ lead to 50-28 at the 3:21 mark.

Becky Thompson, Lauren, Hattie, Georgie Worsfold and Claire took the court for the remainder of the third quarter and endured a hot streak from the Fire before McKenna closed the scoring with a baby hook in the key.  Becky and Georgie played strong defense in the final minute with Becky holding her position to draw a travel and Georgie hitting the floor to force a tie-up.  The quarter closed with the Suns holding a 17 point lead, 52-35.

Lauren, Georgie, Kelly, Bryony and Laura took the court to start the final quarter.  Laura immediately stole the ball and scored to end a long scoring drought.  She struggled at the free throw line a short time later, missing all three, but that seemed to wake up the Suns bench who spent the previous quarters quietly subdued in contrast to the encouraging, clapping Brentwood team.  The cheering and shouts of “defense” from the Suns drew a rousing reply from the Fire and suddenly the game took on a new dimension.

Georgie was inspired by the crowd and drilled a long two near the top of the key for a 56-37 lead at the 6:19 mark.  Kiely came on to give Georgie a break after which Lauren notched an assist with a nice pass to Laura for a layup.  #15 scored two of her six points for the quarter then Becky came on to give Bryony a well-earned rest.  

Kiely stole the ball from Brentwood yet again and took it in for another layup.  Simon took the opportunity at the next dead ball to bring in Allys thinking ahead to the final shot of the game.  Lauren took charge of the game at this point and picked up two offensive boards, made two foul shots, scored a basket and stole another ball for a basket showing that she can play strong with three fouls.  Becky added a foul shot then just missed a shot off a beautiful drive to the left hand side of the basket.  Lauren continued her roll with another steal leading to a basket then McKenna found Allys in the corner for the game-ending basket.

The score for the quarter was 19-12 in favour of Solent and a final score of 71-47.

L. Milligan (19), L. Tognarelli (14), K. Reed (8), M. Stewart (8), H. Stiles (6), C. Wood (5),  A. Miller (4), B. Dye (4), G. Worsfold (2), B. Thompson (1)

The Suns made only 29% (less than 3 out of every 10!) of their free throws, but out-rebounded the Fire 36-17.

W/e 25th October 2009

Birmingham feels “Lightning’s” force

Cadette Women’s Midlands Conference

Northants “Lightning”  70 -49  Birmingham “Force”

The Northants “Lightning” cadette women maintained their unbeaten record with a 21 points win over Birmingham “Force”. The win was based on some excellent team defence lead by Emma Culverhouse who ‘locked up’ Birmingham’s talented Latvian guard Martina Denisova. If Culverhouse was the rock of “Lightning’s” defence Georgia Elliott-King was the spark on offence.

“Lightning” raced ahead 9-0 but by the end of the first quarter but inspired by Denislova, “Force” battled back to 17-13 by the end of the period. The Northants girls edged the second quarter 18-10 without ever firing on all cylinders.

Leading 35-23 at half time the Birmingham girls reduced the deficit to eight points before Faye Clarke inspired her team mates with seven points and a number of assists on fast breaks. “Lightning” went on an 18-4 charge and to all intents and purposes it was ‘game over’.

The Northants girls were guilty of taking their foot off the gas in the final period but the result was never in doubt as “Lightning” recorded their second Conference win. In addition to Clarke Culverhouse and Elliott-King, Isobel Johns scored 12 points and controlled her team’s offence well while Amy Grosvenor chipped in seven points.

England Basketball Under 16 Girl’s National League Midlands Conference

 

City Of Sheffield Hallam-Hatters 88 Exeter Eagles 77

Hatters faced the most Southern of their Midlands Conference opponents when Exeter Eagles made the long trip north to All Saints. Hatters were quickly out of the blocks and stormed into a 35-14 first quarter lead. Eagles soon proved, however, that they hadn’t travelled so far to make up the numbers and reduced the deficit throughout the second quarter. By half time, Hatters lead had been reduced to nine points with the hosts leading 46-37.

Hatters took control of the third period and with just ten minutes left they had increased the lead to 72-53.

Back once more came the Eagles, winning the final quarter by six points and pushing the home side right to the end. It was Neal Lovell’s Hatters’, however who claimed the points with a 88-75 victory.

Coach Lovell was happy with the outcome, feeling that his players had played well in patches and that the display was a big improvement from the previous week.

Team and Scorers: Annie Critcher 33 points, Naz Saghafian 20, Katie Hall 14, Ellinor Hargreaves 9, Serena Sampson 7, Courtney Shaw 3, Leona Jorgensen 2, Isobel Hannity and Naomi Benson
W/e 18th October 2009

GIRLS UNDER 16 NATIONAL LEAGUE - SOUTH CONFERENCE

HARINGEY ANGELS 63  SOUTHEND SWIFTS 58  

For their third game of the season, Southend Swifts under 16 had potentially their hardest match when they travelled to Haringey Angels to take on the team that had conquered all at under 14 level last year.  Southend were coming in off the back of a convincing win the previous week, but knew they would have to be at their best to record a victory.

Swifts came out strongly and opened an 8-2 lead, with some excellent defensive work from Hannah Gowland.  An Angels time-out certainly had the desired effect for them and they put together a 10-2 run that opened a narrow 12-10 lead at the end of the opening quarter.  The barrage continued at the start of the second period as the home side scored 10 unanswered points to open a double digit advantage before baskets from Shannon Matthews, Sarah Cozens and Katie Holland at least stemmed the tide.  Two three-pointers for Haringey gave them the initiative again as they ended the half with 10 unanswered points to hold a convincing 40-19 lead.

But whatever was said in the midway break slowly began to have the desired effect for the Essex side.  Led by Holland and Sophie Hankin, Swifts began to make inroads into the deficit and a 9-3 spell at the end of the period saw the scoreline stand at 52-37 going into the last quarter; Holland with 11 in the quarter.

An 8-3 stretch saw Haringey restore the 20 point margin but once again, inspired by captain Holland, Southend came back into the game.  11 straight points made it a 9 point game and a 4-2 run reduced the deficit to just 7.  Nerves set in as Angels managed just one point from four foul shot attempts but despite a Holland three-pointer almost from the half way line as time expired Swifts could not get in front as they lost a very good contest by 63 points to 58.  Another strong performance from Holland with 31 points followed by Hankin on 10 but how the team must regret their first half performance.

 

Lady Hoops no match for ruthless “Lightning

Cadette Women’s Midlands Conference

Hinckley & Bosworth “Lady Hoops”  15 - 82  Northants “Lightning”

The Northants “Lightning” under 16 girls team totally overwhelmed Hickley & Bosworth “Lady Hoops” in this Midlands Conference game. “Lightning” completely dominated all four quarters despite Coach Brian Johnson experimenting with his playing combinations.

In the totally one-sided contest Georgia Elliott-King top scored with 21 points while Shanique Alexander, Lois Bain, and Isobel Johns all scored in double figures.

W/e 11th October 2009

GIRLS UNDER 16 NATIONAL LEAGUE - SOUTH CONFERENCE

SOUTHEND SWIFTS 73  SEVENOAKS SUNS 39

After the disappointment of their under 18 colleagues, Southend Swifts under 16s had a quick opportunity to get the club back onto winning ways when they too took on Sevenoaks Suns.  Southend had a narrow defeat in their first game of the season and were looking to get their season under way despite being without Francesca Moody suffering from a knee injury.

A three-pointer from captain Katie Holland looked to have got the team off to a good start but with neither side playing with any fluency the score stood at just 5-4 after three minutes.  Swifts were showing great defensive intensity that forced the visitors into numerous turnovers and with Holland and Sarah Cozens finding the basket the score moved out to 13-7 after seven minutes.  The introduction of Jessica Holland further upped the tempo and she scored three points to take her team 20-11 ahead.  Suns scored four straight foul shots but a late Katie Holland score saw Southend hold a 22-15 lead at the end of the first quarter.

But after conceding the first basket of the second period, the home side simply sprang into top gear.  Led by the Holland sisters, they put together a 10-2 run that broke the game open at 32-19. After Sevenoaks scored a three-point shot, four points from 13 year old Amy Rodgers and a pair of Shannon Matthews foul shots made it 38-22 after five minutes.  And the remainder of the quarter was the Katie Holland show as she scored her team’s final nine points to help Swifts to a lead by 47 points to 26 at the half time interval.

Sevenoaks change of defensive formation certainly stemmed the scoring tide with just two Southend points in the opening three minutes of the third quarter.  But the only Suns basket was a three-point shot before the hosts reeled off 11 straight to lead 60-29 going into the final stanza; Sophie Hankin scoring six in the run.

All of the Swifts players took the opportunity of making contributions and scores from Hannah Gowland and Gaby Freedman took the lead over 30. Lauren Tate with a pair of foul shots and five points from Kiki Gilbert concluded the scoring as Southend ended comfortable winners by 73 points to 39.  Katie Holland on 29 led the scoring with all of the other players on the scoresheet.

 

Under 16 Girls hold on to win a game of two halves

Cadette Women’s Nation Cup 1st Round

Northants “Lightning”  54 – 37  Hatfield “Flyers”

With the Northants “Lightning” cadette women holding a 38-19 at half time a comfortable win over Hatfield “Flyers” looked to be on the cards. During the first two periods of play they had combined intensive play with smoothly executed fast breaks which had the Hatfield team floundering.

In the third quarter “Lightning” were as bad as they had been good in the first two. “Flyers” took the period 13-5 and at 43-32 were back in the game. By this time the county girls had totally lost their discipline electing to shoot on sight on too many occasions.

Stern words from Coach Brian Johnson got the team back on course and without recapturing their form of the first half took the final quarter 11-5 to run out winners by 54 points to 37. The win was particularly pleasing because the previous day Hatfield had beaten local rivals Nottingham “Wildcats” in a Conference game. In the next round the Northants girls will face Doncaster “Panthers”

In the 17 points win Lois Bain and Georgia Elliott-King dominated the scoring with 17 and 15 points respectively.

W/e 4th October 2009

GIRLS UNDER 16 NATIONAL LEAGUE - SOUTH CONFERENCE

EASTSIDE EAGLES 54  SOUTHEND SWIFTS 48

The first league match of the 200910 season saw Southend Swifts under 16 girls team travel to East London to take on Eastside Eagles.  The teams had been in separate divisions last year, with both reaching the play-offs.

With their tallest player, Sophie Hankin, delayed by another sports event, Southend looked likely to struggle against their very tall opponents and so it proved as the home side opened a 9-4 lead after 5 minutes of play.  A three-pointer from Swifts captain Katie Holland got her teams score moving but a 4-1 spell for the hosts gave them a 13-8 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Eastside moved to a zone defence, capitalising on their height advantage, and they kept Southend to just two points in the first six minutes as the margin moved out to seven and an 8-4 run took the home side to a 27-16 lead at the half time interval.

The third quarter saw Swifts fare little better as they conceded eight of the first ten points to trail 35-18.  A 6-0 run gave some semblance of hope, but Eagles regained their composure and despite five further points from Robson the home side led 41-29 at the end of the third period.

After four minutes of the final quarter the game appeared to be over at 47-33 before Southend finally moved into gear.  Led by Beth Robson they went on a 15-5 stretch that made it just a four point game at 52-48.  But Swifts could get no closer with Eagles getting the final basket as they ran out deserved winners in a very hard fought contest by 54 points to 48.  Robson with 19 points, all within 11 minutes of playing time in the second half and Holland on 17 leading the scoring.