The Men’s Basketball season got off to a great start with a comprehensive victory, as Connor Mackay reports.
After such a successful regular season last time out, the question was whether the side could make a similarly strong opening. It is still early days, but after this overwhelming 104-66 win, the signs look good.
UEL knew they had challenges to face coming into their first game. Two key players, Leigh Greenan and Lukas Winegarner have finished playing for the university, leaving UEL to find two new big men who can switch in and out of the centre position.
Though Lamar Roberts, the main centre for UEL, was sidelined for the majority of the game due to fouls, on this evidence the challenge is being met.
UEL played a half court press to begin with, and started the first quarter strongly, and forcing Bath turnovers. UEL had five team fouls in four minutes and the home side entered the second quarter leading 28-21.
They changed their tactics playing a ‘four out, one in’ on offence, whereas Bath decided to play man defence, with three up front and rotation down in the low and high posts.
Four minutes into the second quarter UEL used great ball movement by the guards and good court vision to free players to cut in and go for easy lay-ups.
Scare
Skipper Dougie Bennett was on fire with a number of three pointers, but there was an injury scare when he went down with a suspected injury to one of his ankles. After recovering from a fractured ankle last year playing against Loughborough, he sat on the bench for the remainder of the game.
The score at the start of the second half was 42-39. Bath started off with a poor shooting percentage, and though they did a good job of drawing in the defenders they were not able to execute anything as they did not use their outside players, and were forced to take shots from the inside.
UEL got their rhythm going again in the third, and once they did, it became hard for Bath to close them down.
Blayne Freckleton was the most notable scorer, drilling five straight three pointers. Any hopes for Bath of a comeback appeared unlikely and as their defence crumbled, the quarter ended 78-47.
Bath’s high scorer, Hulme, put up big numbers for his team, but it wasn’t enough as UEL shot superbly from all angles. Having established a comfortable lead, they could afford to give some reserves a run out with the outcome all but decided.