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OXFORD BROOKES EAGLES BASKETBALL
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"2007/08 RAF Under 16 South West Conference
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"2007/08 RAF Under 18 South West Conference
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"2006/07 RAF Under 16 South West Conference Runners
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"2005/06 RAF Under 16 South West Conference Runners
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Oxford &
Chiltern Men’s League Brookes
Eagles U18 96:92 St Gregory
the Great School, 5 March
2010 Eagles approached
their return league fixture with local rivals Sonics knowing that it would
be a closely contested match but looking to overturn their previous defeat
in over-time. A very physical
start by Sonics, and the presence of a National League Div. three player
in their squad, seemed to awe the boys, who started by playing a very
static game. Sonics took full
advantage and stretched an early lead with just Mike and Connor keeping
the visitors in touch on the scoreboard. Determined work by Francis and
Connor in the final two minutes restored some hope, bringing the scores
back from 10:23 to 18:23, before a careless foul gifted two-and-one to
Sonics on the buzzer. Changing to a 2-3
zone and urged to play smarter by their Coach, Eagles came out in the
second quarter looking far livelier.
Mike and By mid-period,
Eagles had drawn level with Sonics, and the lead switched between the
teams as individual baskets were scored, before a late run by Sonics saw
them again stretch out a 43:52 lead at half time. Eagles came out in
the third quarter looking far more confident and they took it 29 points to
17 with Francis and The determined
hustle from the third continued with Tom making a huge block on defence,
while good offensive rebounding by Tom and Tim enabled them to put back
baskets and gradually edge the game in Eagles’ favour. Although Connor, Francis and David
were to foul out; and although the points difference was never
comfortable; during the final five minutes there was a definite sense that
Eagles were in the driving seat and that Sonics were playing
catch-up.
A mid-period run by
Sonics saw them recover, draw level and briefly take the lead, before a
basket from Mike assisted by Tom and a three to It is always good to
win a local derby – whatever the post-match comments, analysis and banter
between Coaches and Referees. Jake Caudle 1, Ed
Kirwan dns., Tom Iverson 4, Mike Bird 16, David Hyde 6, Tim Pointer 2, Dan
Ormrod 1, Francis Brobby 34, Connor Sugden 11, Devon Powell
21. Friendly Brookes
Eagles U18 93:66 Brookes
Centre for Sport 20 February
2010 With Dorset Storm
having to forfeit their final match-up of the season with Eagles because
their Coach was injured and unable to travel with them to Though Eagles set
the pace with an early run, Brookes Uni. recovered mid-period to match
Eagles 17:16 by the end of the first quarter. Determined work by Tom and Dan in
the first half of the second period created a ten point advantage, from
which Brookes Uni. never really recovered for the rest of the game. Further points by Tom, David and
Though Brookes Uni.
did fare better in the third period, holding Eagles to 18:16, they were
out-scored again in the fourth quarter 28:17; with Dan, Mike, David,
Connor and Francis leading the scoring, Devon landing another three, Jake
and Tim adding points and the whole team supporting well. Very suitably Captain David Hyde
concluded with a three pointer of his own with only seconds left on the
clock and Eagles pressing hard despite their comfortable lead.
In all a useful warm
up to the second leg of the Oxford Cup semi-final against Thame on
Wednesday and the all important probable Championship decider game against
Barnet Bulldogs next Sunday – to which all supporters are very welcome
(travel details and address of venue on website home
page). Jake Caudle 6, Phil
Tierney dns, Jordan Sandiford dns, Tom Iverson 14, Mike Bird 8, Devon
Powell 6, David Hyde 20, Tim Pointer 1, Dan Ormrod 8, Francis Brobby 16,
Connor Sugden 14. Match reports below for the U18's
v Oxford Blazers, Solent and Woking Games U18 Men South
Conference Brookes Eagles U18 91:58 7 February 2010 In the third fixture of a triple header weekend, Eagles
dismissed Woking on their chilly home court with Francis, Connor and Mike
leading the points charge, restricting Though Eagles won the tip they could not establish control
of the game and the first three or four minutes play were inconclusive and
literally point-less.
However, once Mike opened all scoring, he was quickly followed in
by Francis with a flying two, then two from the line. David hustled effectively and
Connor and Dan replied to home points. Yet Eagles were still only
matching the opposition point for point. In his time-out, Coach Baker urged his players to work to
prevent For the first four minutes of the second quarter it was all
Eagles; Mike and Jake thoroughly confusing the opposition with rapid to
and fro passing with an eventual attempt by David bouncing out but re-shot
successfully by Connor. David
was rebounding effectively, assisting Francis to a two-and-one, while also
rejecting the ball out of the hands of At the half, Eagles seemed to be in firm control of the game
at 44:26, but a determined rally by Woking on the re-start saw them pull
to within 10 points and put Eagles quickly on team fouls, before Connor
and Francis, alternating baskets, got Oxford back on track, stretching the
lead back to 22 points. Mike
and Arny also scored before Francis, his knee injuries in remission,
pulled up for a very deliberate three. The fourth quarter was another very slow starter for both
teams: Eagles not scoring for the first two and a half minutes and
In the end a convincing 91:58 victory to end a tiring triple
header weekend leaving Eagles top of the league with Barnet the team to
beat at the end of the month for the League Champions’
position. Jake Caudle 4, Phil Tierney 2, Ed Kirwan 2, Tom Iverson dnp,
Mike Bird 17, Jordan Anderson dns, David Hyde 2, Tim Pointer dns, Dan
Ormrod 6, Francis Brobby 32, Connor Sugden 24, Arny Akcal
2.
U18 Men South
Conference Brookes Eagles U18 93:65 6 February 2010 With Francis on the Bench because of knee injuries, this was
the game where Connor stepped up to score his personal best for the season
(so far!) of 32 points, easing Eagles to their third and final victory in
the league against Solent Kestrels II. That said, The second period was a more balanced affair, both teams
putting together mini-runs of points. But Eagles showed themselves the
more rounded team with all players scoring – and Connor delighting with a
mighty rejection followed, shortly after, by the first of his two-handed
dunks. 46:33 at the re-start and Coach Baker urged his players to
use the third quarter to put the game to bed by picking up the pace and
getting involved, while increasing the level of defence. With support from Jake, Mike and
David, Dan and Connor dominated the middle of the period with a couple
more threes for Dan and a stream of baskets for Connor, including another
trademark two-handed dunk.
Establishing a 72:47 lead by the seventh minute, Jordan, Ed and Tom
were able to come on court to add their points to the
mix. The fourth quarter started well with Connor taking a quick
basket, a 24 second violation
on This third victory against Solent has put paid to their
challenge for a top position in the league, leaving Eagles and Barnet as
very much the front runners, with Jake Caudle 4, Phil Tierney 2, Ed Kirwan 4, Tom Iverson 13,
Mike Bird 8, Jordan Anderson 1, David Hyde 8, Tim Pointer 2, Dan Ormrod
16, Francis Brobby dnp, Connor Sugden 32, Arny Akcal
3.
Oxford & Chiltern Men’s
League Brookes Eagles U18 139:52 St Gregory the Great School, 5 February 2010 Though looking useful in warm up and winning the tip,
Blazers again failed to set the world of basketball alight, in their
second league match-up of the season with the Eagles. Both teams fielded changed benches due to other commitments,
with the entire Eagles bench gaining court time and getting themselves
onto the score sheet.
Newcomer Devon Powell established his presence with 22 personal
points, gaining in confidence in the second half; while Francis
complemented this with his 29 points, the majority taken in the first
half. But this was an
all-round team performance that demolished the opposition, very nearly
creating a lead of 100 before easing back towards the end of the fourth
quarter. Despite getting onto team fouls by only halfway through the
first quarter, Eagles dominated the first five minutes with incisive play
by Francis and patient passing and good offensive rebounding by Tom and
David to set up a 17:2 lead.
Though Blazers rallied slightly, their increased defence did not
stop Mike and Francis from scoring; they also failed to take points from
the free throw line. Arny’s
first points ended the quarter with Eagles a comfortable 33:11 to the
good. It took the new five for Eagles a few minutes to settle at
the start of the second quarter, allowing Blazers to take four from the
line and add a basket as well.
But judicious substitutions reasserted Eagles’ control of the game
with Tom, Devon, Francis, Mike and Arny scoring freely and stretching the
lead, despite Sofiyani for Blazers netting a couple of threes. Indeed he scored all but two of
his team’s 16 points in the quarter – though easily outstripped by 28 for
Eagles as a team. At 61:27 at
the half, Eagles were firmly in control. Eagles dominated the third quarter, 40 points to 15, scoring
at will, usually off creative assists. Tim opened with an assist from
David who, after a couple of baskets by Francis, caused the sensation of
the evening by dunking the ball, to the loud approval of Eagles and their
supporters! Though again
hitting team fouls by mid-quarter, allowing Blazers to take a series of
free throw points, this was more than compensated for by a stream of
baskets by Tim, Devon, David, Arny and Dan, with Ed weaving his way to the
basket for two final points to end the quarter 101:42 in Eagles’
favour. Ed opened the scoring in the final period and, although
getting a little ragged, Eagles continued to pile on the points, Blazers
not troubling the scoreboard until almost the fifth minute. Tom took a three and the next two;
while Dan, after a quiet game thus far, found his mark with 6 successive
points from the field and the foul line. Francis twice generously assisted
Tim, while Tim neatly rebounded a Francis shot in return. For while it looked as though
Eagles were about to ‘clock’ the home team, before easing off slightly in
the final minutes. A
worthy and overwhelming victory to the Eagles team,
139:52.
U18 Men South Conference Brookes Eagles U18
91:58 7 February
2010 Jake Caudle 4, Phil
Tierney 2, Ed Kirwan 2, Tom Iverson dnp, Mike Bird 17, Jordan Anderson
dns, David Hyde 2, Tim Pointer dns, Dan Ormrod 6, Francis Brobby 32,
Connor Sugden 24, Arny Akcal 2.
U18 Men
South Conference Brookes
Eagles U18 93:65 6 February
2010 Jake Caudle 4, Phil
Tierney 2, Ed Kirwan 4, Tom Iverson 13, Mike Bird 8, Jordan Anderson 1,
David Hyde 8, Tim Pointer 2, Dan Ormrod 16, Francis Brobby dnp, Connor
Sugden 32, Arny Akcal 3.
Brookes
Eagles U18 139:52 St
Gregory the Great School, 5
February 2010 Ed Kirwan 4, Tom
Iverson 20, Mike Bird 16, David Hyde 14, Tim Pointer 16, Dan Ormrod 8,
Francis Brobby 29, Devon Powell 22, Arny Akcal 10.
Brookes
Eagles U18 131:58 Brookes
Centre for Sport 23 January
2010 Postponed games due
to Cup commitments and snowy weather meant that this was the first time
Eagles and Blackhawks had met up.
Despite their mid-table position, Though Connor won
the tip, Urged to step up the
speed of their transition, Eagles came out stronger, assisting each other
well, enabling Connor and Dan to pile on the points, with Tim adding a two
and one to round off the first quarter 25:12 to the good. Attempting to beat the buzzer Mike
almost added to his reputation with a court-length shot which only
narrowly missed the rim; had it fallen, god-like status would have been
assured! Connor opened the
second period by sweeping up a loose ball and driving to the At the half, Eagles
were well ahead, 51:28, and were urged to continue to play hard and win
the game from defence, bidding for every rebound so as to give The returning
opening five of Dan, Connor, Mike, Jake and David piled on the points –
Mike and Jake scoring threes, with Tom adding his own three and nine other
personal points in a very consistent period of play, Tim two from the line
and Phil his first basket. A
rattling shot from Tom on the buzzer completed the rout, Eagles now
comfortably 93:43 ahead. Jake Caudle 13, Phil
Tierney 2, Ed Kirwan 4, Tom Iverson 18, Mike Bird 18, Jordan Anderson 8,
David Hyde 8, Tim Pointer 8, Dan Ormrod 26, Connor Sugden
26.
U18 Men South
Conference Brookes Eagles U18
66:65 16 January 2010 “Cometh the hour, cometh the man” they say; and, in
the tightest spot they have found themselves in all season – 3 points
adrift with less than 10 seconds on the clock – Brookes Eagles needed a
hero to save the match. Up stepped Mike. With Eagles
swarming frantically around the three point arc in what they knew was the
last offence, the ball came to Mike with only 4 seconds left. Though near
the baseline, Mike steadied himself and shot; the ball falling neatly
through for three to level the scores. The Eagles bench stood to a man and
roared their approval. But more remarkably, in a neat reflection of Eagle’s
opening points in the game, Mike was judged to have been fouled in the act
of shooting his three. Whereas he missed the and-one at the
start; Mike nailed it this time, enabling Eagles literally to snatch a one
point victory as Heat were unable to score in the remaining couple of
seconds.
Emotions on both teams ran high; elation and disappointment making
the post match handshake a charged moment. For Eagles, Mike was the hero who had
saved their skins in this match and, more crucially, the league – a second
defeat would have seriously undermined their leader’s position. For Stunned by this turn of events, Eagles endured a
wretched first quarter, turning the ball over cheaply, taking slightly
desperate shots in the face of determined defence and a fierce press. Mike’s three
and points from Connor kept Eagles in touch, with David adding two after
another scrappy hustle and Francis stealing the ball and making a
sensible, safe lay-up in a rare glimpse of the team’s usual form. They were
lucky to be only two points adrift at the end of the first quarter. A neat pass from Mike to Jake who shot a three to
open the second period seemed to offer a return to Eagles’ dominance; only
for Sticking with experienced players, leaving four
unplayed on the bench, appeared to pay dividends in the third quarter as
Eagles gradually opened a slight lead; threes by Francis and Dan making
the score 50:42 by the ninth minute. But a disputed call by Francis leading
to a double technical on him – his fourth and fifth personal fouls – sent
Here the initiative swung from Guildford, to Eagles,
to Guildford and back, then definitely to Up stepped Mike; Mike Bird 13, Francis Brobby 12, Jake Caudle 8, David
Hyde 2, Tom Iverson 5, Dan Ormrod 7, Connor Sugden 19. U18 Men South Conference Brookes Eagles U18 67:77 Barnet Bulldogs Brookes, Centre for Sport 9 January 2010 Barnet clearly turned up determined to avenge their
defeat at home by Eagles back in November and to spoil Eagles’ unbeaten
run at the top of the South Conference. The final score does not reflect the closeness of the
game until the last minute, with both teams taking the lead for short
periods.
However, after Barnet opened with two quick baskets, there was
always a slight sense that Eagles were playing catch-up, with only the
seven most experienced players gaining court time. And in
the last minutes Barnet did seem to sense that they could edge a win and
played with a degree of passion – driven on by loud support – which
carried them through. Eagles’ desperate attempts to stop the
game by intentionally fouling exactly mirroring Barnet’s at the end of
their previous encounter; with similarly futile results. Not
only did Barnet take all four points from the foul line but, because the
fouls were deemed unsportsmanlike, they also regained possession of the
ball – not at all what had been intended! Because the table were not ready, the game had to be
re-tipped; Connor’s initial winning pat back to Mike being replaced by
Barnet taking possession and rapidly scoring. Taking
advantage of Mike took a 2 and one, followed by a long jumper to
Dan and a Mike three, before Tom got in on the act by forcing his way to
the basket for two then adding his own three pointer. Mike also
took one from two at the line; 16:15. Eagles had missed a number of possible
baskets along the way – though Barnet were providing no easy routes to
score. Despite a call for more effective boxing-out and
vigorous hustle by David, Barnet won the second quarter with second shots
and rebounds.
After a quiet first quarter, Francis opened with two and David took
one from two at the line. Mike’s second three was followed by a
nice interchange between David and Dan who sent in a slamming bank shot,
while Connor also opened his account by popping back David’s shot. Mike’s
fade-away jump shot had him down on his back and Connor produced a nicely
delayed tip in from a Jake assist. But all the while Barnet were keeping
pace and in the last couple of minutes caught Eagles napping on a series
of rapid offences to re-take the lead, 30:32, at the half. The score-rate rose dramatically at the re-start with
Connor, Dan and particularly Francis working hard to regain a slender lead
before a series of three fouls sent Barnet to the line, from which they
took all six points and re-took the lead. Eagles seemed to be loosing their
composure and were rushing their game before Dan and Francis recovered the
situation to give them a 56:54 lead going into the final period. Needing to defend from the inside out and speed up
transition back to defence, Eagles came out determined with loud support
from the bench.
Despite heroic efforts by David, Connor, Dan, Francis with another
three and Mike with a three and one, Eagles lacked the precision of play
necessary to win. Twice the ball was cheaply turned over
and unopposed lay-ups taken by Barnet, while the visitors also
managed to penetrate from the baseline and by generally wrong-footing
A disappointing start to the new year, though, with
just the one loss, Eagles still retain the top position in their
league. Tom Iverson 5, Mike Bird 18, David Hyde 2, Dan Ormrod
12, Francis Brobby 17, Connor Sugden 13.
U18 Men South Conference Brookes Eagles U18 130:58 Rossmore Leisure Centre 19 December 2009 With a number of the regular U18 squad unavailable,
Jordan and Greg stepped up from the U16s to join in this comprehensive
dismissal of Dorset Storm in the last Brookes Eagles fixture before
Christmas – and the Christmas Party. Against a team languishing at the
bottom of the League, without a win, the Coaches were able to rotate the
bench freely, allowing the core of next season’s U18 squad to play on
court together for several minutes and enabling all players to get onto
the score sheet. Eagles quickly stamped their mark on the game with
Tom opening after some effective passing around the Dorset key, followed
by Jake and Mike each stealing, driving and laying up on almost identical
consecutive offences. Although Eagles should, arguably, have
established a far greater lead during the first quarter, play was notable
for the level of assists as Tom, Connor, Mike, Jake, Dan and Tim steadily
added points. Increased pressure and a 2-3 zone saw Eagles dominate
the second period, scoring 28 points in the first nine minutes with only
three in reply. Though Brookes did allow
Returning to the starting five under Captain Dan,
Eagles continued to pile the pressure on in the third quarter, stretching
the lead to 50 points before Dorset were able to reply with a basket from
their key player, 15. Taking a 56 point lead into the final period, Coach
Baker took advantage of the presence of Jordan and Greg to field them
alongside Phil, Tim and Arnie – who, with Tom, will form the core of next
year’s U18 squad. On inspired form, Phil led all scoring
in the quarter with 9 points; before Mike answered for the old school with
a final buzzer beating three. A comprehensive victory to round off a great first
half of the League season, leaving Oxford Brookes Eagles the only team
unbeaten in the League with 8 wins, 24 points and a points difference of
433 - well ahead of their nearest competitors Barnet Bulldogs (7 and 2)
who, however, they face at home on the 9th
January in the first fixture of 2010. Jake Caudle 12, Phil Tierney 11, Jordan Sandiford 6,
Tom Iverson 11, Mike Bird 17, Greg Abel 6, Tim Pointer 14, Dan Ormrod 17,
Connor Sugden 26, Arnie Akcal 10.
U18 Men Sureshot Cup Brookes Eagles U18 71:82 White Horse Leisure & Tennis Centre, Abingdon 13 December 2009 Punching well above their weight against a successful
South Premiership team, Eagles initially held their own, winning the first
and third quarters and only narrowly loosing the second. But when the
Crusaders turned the heat up in the fourth, with tighter defence and more
determined offence, Eagles lost their way and could not find the ring or
make their outside shots fall. In the end they bowed out of the
Sureshot Cup with a scoreline that does not really do justice to their
efforts or reflect their quality as a team. Individually, Eagles were, arguably,
the more skilful; but Crusaders had a strong team mentality which carried
them through and drove them on despite being well behind at the start of
the final quarter. In retrospect, though Connor won the tip, the opening
seconds of the game pre-echoed the final result: Crusaders came onto court
with a very loud and positive shout, to very vocal support; they offered
tight defence, against which Eagles ran out of time on the shot clock on
their first offence; and Eagles’ were forced to attempt an outside shot
which rimmed out while Crusaders were able to snatch an inside
basket.
Crusaders played a very physical game through-out,
eventually causing two of their players to foul out, but also drawing in
David causing him ultimately to re-join the bench. Eagles were
unable consistently to turn their many visits to the foul line into
points, dropping a potential 18 points all told. Eagles were
also often caught in slow transition back to defence, picking up their
players too close to the basket and struggling to defend against a
trademark Crusader hook shot – untidy but effective. After their initial points, Crusaders were unable to
make progress against lively defence from Eagles, with Mike and Francis
establishing a narrow lead by mid-period – by which point Crusaders were
already on team fouls. Though unable to take any points from
their foul shots, Eagles did seem to settle with Dan taking a neat basket
and Francis scoring one-handed from the baseline and snatching a three
with his next offence with only two seconds on the clock. Mike followed
up with a jump shot and Tom with a determined drive. Two more from
the line and a Francis basket seemed to establish the start of a lead
going into the second period, 19:15. Crusaders had only kept in touch with a
couple of optimistic threes. But, at the restart, they quickly reversed events,
repeatedly finding a gap in Eagles’ defence. In the second
quarter it was Eagles who hung on with threes from Francis and Jake;
Connor, Mike and Tom adding points where they could against a steady run
of points to the opposition. At the start of the second half, 41:42 down and urged
by their Coaches to win the game on defence, Eagles limited Crusaders’
ability to penetrate so close to the basket while adding points at the
other end – though again failing to take full advantage of very many
visits to the foul line. A turnaround from Tom and jumper from
Dan were immediately answered by the opposition, before successful free
throws by Mike followed by a three, a Connor rebound on Francis’ drive and
another basket by Mike established a 55:46 lead. In the final
three minutes, with Crusaders again on team fouls, all Eagles’ remaining 8
points in the quarter came from Mike, Tom, Francis and Jake at the foul
line – Crusaders only keeping in touch with a lone three in the final
minute.
Eagles were hustling well to break down the Crusaders’
offence.
All seemed settled fair for a win, provided Eagles took good care
of the ball in the final period. Crusaders had other ideas and had evened up the
scores within the first minute and a half. There followed tense swapping of
baskets, before the greater push and determination of Crusaders saw them
edge ahead, closing out the game in the final minutes with four field
goals without reply as Eagles were forced to take outside shots and scurry
back to defend against the faster transition of their opponents. In the
end, the fresher and more determined team won out. Eagles have had another excellent run in the Sureshot
Cup, claiming a number of Premiership scalps along the way, which does
them and the Conference great credit. Jake Caudle 5, Tom Iverson 9, Mike Bird 17, Dan
Ormrod 4, Francis Brobby 21, Connor Sugden 15.
Oxford & Chiltern Men’s League Brookes Eagles U18 105:80 9 December 2009 In a flurry of games ahead of the Christmas break,
Eagles U18s came away with two wins – in the In their two previous encounters, in the local Cup,
Eagles had played hard to overcome the experience of the array of players
that Connor and Dan established an early lead, with good
assistance from Mike and Francis and notable rejections by David, forcing
Stealers to take hurried and inaccurate shots and run foul of the shot
clock. A
brief run of points by the Eagles continued to look the better team through the
second and third periods. As players came off the bench they
quickly settled and worked well together: Tom opening the second quarter
with points from the foul line and the field, including a three; while
Francis continued to add baskets, with a three of his own, and Mike opened
his points account mid-period. Ed assisted David, though David was not
able to take full advantage from the free throw line. With Connor
and Dan back in the mix in the third, Eagles continued to stretch the
lead, Francis adding a three and Mike a three and four consecutive points
from the foul line. Jake added two quick baskets to end the
third quarter 77:51 in the home team’s favour – with the Appearances proved to be deceptive as Jake Caudle 4, Ed Kirwan 2, Tom Iverson 8, Mike Bird
21, David Hyde 8, Dan Ormrod 17, Francis Brobby 31, Connor
Sugden 14, Arnie Akcal injured DNP.
U18 Men South Conference Brookes Eagles U18 92:48 Quilley 5 December 2009 Eagles proved mightier than Kestrels once again in
their second League meeting, winning each quarter and taking the match
comfortably.
This notwithstanding some inconsistent refereeing which led to
comments from the Eagles players and Bench, causing two technicals; and
rings that were neither level, flexible nor attached to stable
backboards.
For both teams, many longer shots rebounded where they should have
gone in; one Kestrels free throw actually starting to fall before catching
the rim and spinning out again. Dunks from Connor and lay-ups from
Jake, which should have fallen, span uselessly away. Connor won the tip for Eagles with a long ball back
to Mike and, although initial offences failed to add points – the ball
rebounding off the unstable rings - Francis opened the scoring with two
from two at the foul line. Good defence and energetic offensive
rebounding ensured that Eagles held the initiative; effective pressing
even preventing Solent from clearing the ball from their half in the
required 8 seconds on one occasion. Though the hoops favoured the less
orthodox shot, Francis, Mike, David and Connor steadily added points,
often with and-ones. Successive threes from Jake and
Francis, and a long jump shot from Mike in the final seconds, ended the
quarter with Eagles in command 29:11. The second period saw increased intensity from
Eagles, with Tom, Ed and Dan stepping up: Ed creating chances with
energetic hustle and commitment; while Tom really hit his shooting form
and Dan enjoyed a purple patch in the eighth minute. Tim was also
rewarded with a neat jump shot just ahead of the buzzer to end the half
with Eagles firmly in charge at 51:23. The third quarter became a more physical affair as
Solent fought to get back in the game and, for a while, this seemed to be
an effective approach, causing several Though marred by a technical foul on the Coach for
Bench comments which the referees deemed as undermining their authority,
the final period belonged again to Eagles, with Tom leading the scoring,
ably assisted by Ed – who maintained his energetic play throughout, Jake
and Dan – who also sunk one of his trademark long side jump shots. Phil enjoyed
several minutes on court; Arnie was rewarded with his first points for a
nice one-handed lay-up; Tim took two points converting a long forward
pass; and Mike rounded off the match with a well deserved basket just
before the final buzzer. If not a classic game, it was an effective win, which
leaves Eagles 7 and 0 at the head of the League with just one more League
fixture to play in 2009 against bottom placed Dorset Storm on 19
December. Jake Caudle 8, Ed Kirwan 9, Tom Iverson 19, Mike Bird
10, David Hyde 6, Tim Pointer 4, Dan Ormrod 9, Francis Brobby 20, Connor
Sugden 5, Arnie Akcal 2.
Oxford & Chiltern Men’s Cup; 2nd Leg Brookes Eagles U18 71:65 25th November
2009 Eagles brought forward a 28 point lead from the 1st leg of this Oxford League Cup tie – a buffer
which, in the event, they did not need to rely on to take them through to
the next round.
They played with assurance against a six man team who appeared to
lack any real intensity or desire to turn the tables. In the run up to the second leg, there had been
considerable discussion between both teams on eligibility according to the
rules of the League. This excluded a couple of Brookes
players who had not fulfilled the required court time; but, more
significantly, it also prevented Stealers from bringing in one or two
players who had the potential to swing this one match-up and take them
through to the next round of the Cup. This seemed to rob them of real passion
throughout the game and, while they did secure a three point lead
two-thirds of the way through the third quarter, they never looked like
match winners. Eagles took the first quarter decisively 24:15. As both teams
traded points, Francis and Jake gave Eagles the edge with three threes
mid-period, Dan also contributing from a neat lay-up and one from two at
the line.
Stealers were relying on powerful forward passes to waiting players
which did secure them a number of ‘cheap’ baskets, but equally enabled
Eagles to drive relatively uncontested – a situation which favoured
Francis’ style as he worked his way to a Bench topping 30 personal points
in the game. The second quarter also opened brightly for Eagles,
with Francis and Jake continuing their winning partnership – Jake scoring
another three after a patient set up. Tom also took a three as his first
points, dramatically sinking it right on the 24-second buzzer. While Ed
stole an inbound ball under Stealers’ basket to score and open his
account.
Though Stealers staged a mini-recovery, Connor and Mike made sure
that Eagles again took the quarter and increased their lead at the half to
44:31. With David notching up his 4th personal foul early in the third, Stealers
took the initiative and went on a substantial run with only Dan and Arnie
replying for the home team. But by the seventh minute the effort
seemed to have been too much and the final three minutes belonged to youth
as Eagles reversed a 3 point deficit to end the quarter 4 points to the
good. Going into the final period, with a massive 33 points
needed to win, Stealers seemed to settle for just trying to win this leg,
pushing Eagles hard but without conviction. With a call to play smart from their
Coach, Eagles patiently took points where they could – lead by Arnie and
Francis, playing their game and eventually shading the quarter by two. This victory takes Brookes Eagles through to the next
round of the Cup against Thame in January. Jake Caudle 12, Ed Kirwan 2, Tom Iverson 4, Mike Bird
4, Dan Ormrod 6, Francis Brobby 30, Connor Sugden 2, Arnie Akcal 11.
U18 Men South Conference Brookes Eagles U18 114:27 Brookes Centre for Sport 21 November 2009 Oxford Brookes Eagles comprehensively dismissed a
poor Reading Rockets side lacking their usual point guard and leading
scorer and without their regular coach. The quarter scores say it all: 32:6,
26:12, 34:5 and 22:4. To their credit Highlights of the game were the range of blocked
shots and attractive baskets, with the Bench supplying a string of witty
assessments for the attention of Coach and Manager alike. Thus Mike’s
first balletic basket gained the ultimate accolade “sick!”; while Tim’s
reverse lay-up on the final buzzer of the third quarter was declared
“lovely”!
Francis offered his usual laconic commentary on the opposition
while David did what he always does best, emphatic rejections. Tom, Arnie
and Tim also blocked the ball at crucial moments, both hustling hard
during their minutes on court. However, the highlight has to be Connor’s mighty
rejection against the home backboard in the middle of the third
period.
The ball rebounded so hard that it flew up the court to be
collected by Mike who sent it on towards Francis for a two handed dunk
which had to Bench roaring their approval. Despite brief periods of frantic activity, Not a classic game, certainly, but an enjoyable
outing, with everyone on the squad contributing something positive to the,
perhaps inevitable, outcome. Jake Caudle 17, Phil Tierney 2, Ed Kirwan 5, Tom
Iverson 6, Mike Bird 10, Jordan Anderson 2, David Hyde 7, Tim Pointer 12,
Dan Ormrod 9, Francis Brobby 20, Connor Sugden 18, Arnie Akcal 6.
Brookes Eagles U18 85:77 MK
Lions White Horse Leisure &
Tennis Centre, Abingdon 15 November 2009 This victory against the mid-table southern
premiership side, MK Lions, takes Brookes Eagles through to the third
round of the U18 Sure Shot Cup and a match up with Medway Park Crusaders
at Abingdon on 13th December. Eagles opened in fine style, winning the tip. While the
first offence did not yield points, it set the pattern for the first
quarter: rapid breaks and sharp shooting from the Eagles, with the Lions
keeping in touch through the occasional successful, but forced, outside
shot.
With Dan shooting effectively and Connor working well inside, star
of the show was Mike who opened with a long jump shot off a pass from
David, followed by a rattling three pointer and two swishes from the free
throw line – the start of a season-high personal best total of 21 points
in the game. Lions had arrived with only half a team – the others
arriving during the second quarter from their own under-16 fixture – and
seemed to lack heart against the taller and very effective looking
Eagles.
Indeed they were unable to score after the sixth minute of the
quarter, stopped by determined double-teaming and a strong defensive zone
which forced two 24-second violations. David’s two and one in the final four
seconds of the first period cemented A rapid basket by the nippy Lions point guard seemed
to take Eagles by surprise at the re-start; but a basket by Jake, a poised
three by Dan and a good put-back by Connor partially re-asserted Eagles’
control.
In a time-out, Coach Baker picked up his players for loosing some
of their earlier bite and shape – a message which seemed to hit home; Dan
taking a stylish two, Jake a long, slow three (the first of two in this
period) followed by a put-back on a shot from Mike – who himself swished a
three, before David made a big rejection on a Lions shot. Though Lions had not really troubled Eagles
offensively for much of the quarter, once in team fouls, in the final
minutes they suddenly seemed to wake up and started to play with more
conviction, swamping The third quarter seemed to open well with Connor
putting back Dan’s shot. But repeated inconclusive offences
without score, while not ceding points to the opposition, did suggest
Lions had raised their game. The cheers which greeted Francis’
breaking of the points drought in the 4th
minute, indicating a sense of unease about where the initiative now lay in
the game.
Though Mike continued to impress with a range of shots, supported
by Dan and Connor and, latterly, Tom; from the mid-period, Lions started
to dictate the play, gradually reducing their deficit and shading the
quarter 18:20. This continued into the final period. Jake Caudle 10, Tom Iverson 6, Mike Bird 21, David
Hyde 3, Dan Ormrod 15, Francis Brobby 13, Connor Sugden 17. Eagles 61
(Q1: 18, Q2: 18, Q3: 19, Q4: 6) Brookes lost 73 to
61 and currently sit third in the table with 11 points. After playing well
and leading the points at the end of the first three quarters of the game
Brookes, entered the home stretch with a ten point lead. Eastside came out
strong after the break, managing to put the proverbial cat amongst the
pigeons. The composure Brookes had in the third disappeared completely
resulting in both the defensive and offensive games crumbling. Brookes
could only manage six points, while Eastside piled on a massive 28
points. The game started a
little nervously and Eastside were the first to put a point on the board
from the charity line. Brookes quickly followed with two points from a
free throw. The quarter quickly settled down into a rhythm of the two
sides trading point for point until Brookes opened up a four point lead in
the 5th & 6th minute after Bradley scored, drawing a foul;
making the free throw and The second quarter
started with Brookes adding four points in the opening minute; these came
from George and Stanley. Daniel then added another six in quick
succession. Eastside responded strongly, reducing the Brookes lead to just
two points at the half-time buzzer. Points in this quarter also came from
Ben and Leo. The opening minutes
of the second half was very unsettling with play (and points) going with
Eastside (8 points to our 2 in the 1st
three minutes). Brookes responded positively to the pressure, composed
themselves and proceeded to dominate the remainder of the quarter;
Eastside could only add a further three points to their tally while
Brookes added 17. The scorers were Stanley, Olivier, Individual
scores
U18 Men South Conference Brookes Eagles U18 110: 75 7 November 2009 Guildford Heat arrived at Brookes with a 3 and 0
winning run and a good number of vocal supporters. Winning the
tip and quickly drawing a foul, they took the first point in the
game.
However, on subsequent offences it soon became clear that they were
very much in awe of the Eagles; rushing to put up the ball against a
strong defence and turning the ball over cheaply, enabling Eagles to swoop
down and take points on the break. Indeed, after the match, one of the team managers
commented at how their teams’ heads had gone down when they had first seen
the Eagles warming up. For much of the match it seemed as
though Heat didn’t know what to do to counter the home team. Only in the
last three or four minutes did Guildford find their rhythm scoring a
remarkable 20 points to make their score-line look far more respectable,
actually winning the final period 18:29. But this was too little, too late. Eagles took
the first period 32:5, edged the second 27:25 and won the third
33:18.
Though it was good defence that won the game, on offence Eagles
displayed an impressive range of shooting from across the bench. The opening
five of David, Dan, Connor, Mike and Francis quickly established a lead
with some poised jump shots; steals, drives and careful lay-ups and
finger-rolls; accurate shots from the foul line; topped off by three
pointers from first Mike then Francis. This pattern of play continued in the second quarter,
with Coach Baker able to start to rotate the bench. As the lead
stretched towards 51:17, Eagles were really working well as a team; on one
offence the ball was confidently and patiently passed around the
On the re-start, Francis made his intentions clear
with the first of five threes in the quarter, three of them on successive
offences.
Though With a key Guildford player fouling out mid-period,
Ed Garbutt stepped onto the floor and quickly established his presence
under the Despite Arnie Ackal 2, Mike Bird 25, Francis Brobby 30, Jake
Caudle 1, Ed Garbutt 6, David Hyde 11, Tom Iverson 10, Ed Kirwan 4, Dan
Ormrod 6, Connor Sugden 15.
Brookes Eagles U18 83:67 Brize Norton 4 November 2009 For Eagles’ players and supporters this was the
ultimate satisfying come-back game. Few would have imagined, at 9:26 down
at the end of the first, that Eagles would rise again to take all the
remaining quarters 17:6, 22:14 and 35:20. On their arrival and warm-up Brize Norton exuded
experience, great self-belief and confidence that this fixture was theirs
for the taking.
By contrast there was a hint of nervous expectation amongst
Eagles.
The first quarter seemed to support this balance of expectations,
with Brize winning the tip and dominating the game with powerful passing
around the Eagles’ key followed by decisive and successful moves to the
basket, often along the baseline. By contrast Eagles were having problems
finding their opponent’s basket, zone defence forcing long shots which
missed or rimmed out for the first 5 minutes. A
successful three by Mike followed by two more baskets did give Eagles some
hope; though the only other basket in the quarter was a rebound by Connor
off a shot by Francis. At the start of the second period, despite Brize
continuing to play their game, Eagles were given heart by a couple of
three pointers from Francis and Jake; quickly followed by some excellent
passing from Jake to Mike to Tom who took the two points, and Francis
patting back a shot which threatened to bounce out. Tighter
defence and several handy rejections had stopped the Brize offence and by
the eighth minute the score was looking a more respectable 19:30. At this point Jake twice stole the ball and drove to
the basket virtually unchallenged, providing Eagles with the key to
winning the game: Brize, by now looking distinctly puffed, were not going
to defend man to man, but hoped to win by simply scoring more. If Eagles
could defend strongly and score on the fast break or by patiently laying
siege to their opponents’ basket, then they could win. With this
awareness growing, Dan ended a very successful quarter for the Eagles with
a three after a long and patient build up and the Brookes bench was a far
happier and buoyant place at the half than it had been before. Refreshed by the break, Brize came out with two quick
baskets.
But Dan opened for Eagles with an elegantly poised jump shot and Ed
exploited Brize’s weakness with a steal and unopposed lay-up. Threes by
Francis and Tom, and two from two at the line by Tom brought the match
level at 40:40 by mid-period, after which the teams tussled for advantage;
two further threes by Francis and a basket for Dan keeping Eagles just
ahead of Brize – despite four missed foul shots! At 48:46, there was everything to play for at the
start of the fourth quarter and Coach Baker urged his players to pick up
the pace on transition to exploit Brize’s weakness, hustle hard and draw
fouls and to work inside. Francis quickly replied to a Brize
three with one of his own and a two, followed by an excellent rejection by
Arnie.
Jake then swept in with two baskets of his own; followed by a long
slow three taken by Mike. Francis and Jake each attacked the hoop
once more to give Brookes a healthy 64:55 lead at the half way point in
the quarter.
At which point Mike was sent to the line for four
shots – all of which he sunk – after which, with their tails up and Brize
increasingly arguing amongst themselves, Francis, Jake and Mike continued
to pour in the points; Captain Dave adding the final two in the final
seconds.
In all a remarkable come-back which will prove valuable game
experience. Mike Bird 17, Francis Brobby 25, Jake Caudle 19,
David Hyde 4, Tom Iverson 7, Ed Kirwan 2, Dan Ormrod 7, Connor
Sugden 2.
Brookes Eagles U18 77:62 Barnet Bulldogs 1 November 2009 In terms of league position, this was a need-to-win
game.
After one loss early in the season, Barnet had won all their games
and posed a potential challenge to The Barnet threat comes from their strong inside
play, which repeatedly punished lax defence in this game, keeping them in
touch with the more varied play from Eagles. Indeed, for
the first three quarters of the match the teams were nip and tuck with
just a slight advantage to Eagles in the first two periods and to Bulldogs
in the third.
The closeness of the game was reflected in Coach Baker’s decision
to play the most experienced from his bench. Though Barnet won the tip, they were initially unable
to convert their offences into points and Francis quickly sunk two baskets
and a rattling ‘and one’. Mike floated in a two before Francis
came back with a long three. Good team work, Dan to David and
Francis to Dan, put more points on the board until the score stood at 14:4
to Eagles with 5:12 on the clock at a time-out. This break
seemed to disrupt Eagles recovered the initiative at the start of the
third with vocal support from the bench with David putting the ball away
strongly, Francis landing a long two, Connor converting an assist from Dan
and Dan himself landing a jumper from a very shallow angle along the
baseline.
But the Bulldogs lived up to their name and came back strongly to
level the score at 52, before Connor and Francis reasserted control taking
4 from 4 at the foul line. Even in the final quarter there seemed to be little
to separate the two sides, though the fact that two of the more physical
Barnet players, 12 and 21, were on 4 personal fouls for all of the quarter
did restrict their attempts to penetrate the tighter Brookes defensive
zone.
More determined boxing out from further out proved the key to
unsettling Barnet in the final period, allowing Eagles to edge ahead. Missing three foul shots and forced to attempt
outside shots as the clock was running down created an air of desperation
amongst the Bulldogs which caused them to loose focus and allowed Eagles,
in the person of Mike, to rip through to the basket. He scored all
11 of A second or so from the final buzzer the referee
failed to call an obvious foul by Barnet on A bizarre and disappointing end to a close and
exciting game, a victory which now puts Eagles firmly in charge at the top
of the South Conference league. Mike Bird 22, Francis Brobby 23, Saturday, 24 October: v. Essex Pirates (National League) Eagles 65 (Q1: 16, Q2: 20, Q3: 10, Q4: 19) Eagles won their 2nd
league game 65 to 35 and currently are joint second in the table behind
Baddow Eagles with a game in hand. After the short half time break we come out very poorly, allowing the Pirates to almost match us point for point (Pirates 8, Eagles 10) and giving them the opportunity to get back in the game. The points came from Greg, Ollie, Tim and Ben. The final quarter performance was much more assured with the Eagles putting three points on the board to every one from the Pirates, and Jordan topping off his afternoon’s work with a 3-pointer. The remainder of our 19 points came from Ben, Tim, Ollie, Bradley and Stanley. In conclusion, it
was a rather a scrappy game where we played, as a team, below our
potential. We eventually came out winners as a result of fewer mistakes
and making more shots on the basket. Jordan Sandiford 12 Bradley Loxton 4 Ollie Clayton 11 Ben Francis 14 Dani Ghadimi 4 Tim Fuller 8 Greg Abel 8 Stanley Bijura 4
Brookes Eagles U18 94:70 White Horse Leisure & Tennis Centre, Abingdon 25 October 2009 In this closely fought Cup match, the initiative
flowed first to Eagles then to the Tomcats before two three pointers from
Tom and Francis in the opening minutes of the third seemed to open the
game up for the home side. Eagles took the quarter decisively
29:16.
Four successive threes from Francis, Tom and Mike in the second
half of the fourth put victory beyond Ipswich’s reach and ensured that
Eagles will move into the next round playing either Southend or Connor won the tip for the home side and Francis
opened all scoring with a tipping back in of his own shot. This
confident start was rather undermined by a tendency to let the ball slip
through hands and by determined and vocal defence by the Tomcats. Ipswich were
also pressing hard, forcing turnovers and travels and, with some poised
shots were able to edge a one point lead, answering each Brookes basket
with one of their own. A rejection by David enabling Mike to
drive and score; and a two-handed dunk by Connor kept Eagles’ hopes alive
that they could, at some point, pull away from And, in the final couple of minutes of the quarter
this is what they achieved, starting with a powerful put back by David and
some perfect passing play to Dan who finished cleanly for two. Francis and
Jake had mixed fortunes at the free throw line, but were respectively able
to add an uncontested two and a three-pointer to give Eagles a solid 26:15
lead at the end of the first quarter. In response, The two threes from Tom and Francis at the start of
the third which opened up the match for Eagles were added to by points for
Dan, Connor and Ed, though the quarter really belonged to Francis as he
nailed 13 personal points on his way to his magnificent 37 for the whole
game.
Occasional lapses in defence did allow Mike 7, Francis 37, Jake 10, David 2, “TI “ 14, Ed
2, Dan O 8, Connor 14.
Brookes Eagles U18 117:52 24 October 2009 When the Dorset Storm eventually blew into the Centre
for Sport, having swirled around Connor won the tip with a classic flick back to Mike
at Point.
While the first two offences failed to secure points, Eagles’ tight
defence caused A But the 32:12 lead did not impress Coach Baker who
called for much sharper passes and quicker ball movement in the second
period.
Francis, Arnie and Jordan stepped up with Connor to power the
Eagles scoreline ahead, only allowing Storm two field goals for the first
nine minutes – though they were able snatch the odd points and a three in
the last few seconds. At 63:24 at the half, the result was not really in
doubt, though Francis quickly picked up his fourth personal foul in the
first minute of the third quarter. Ed opened the period with two
from two at the line and later co-ordinated well with Mike and Tim to sink
a clean basket. Tim himself added two baskets to his tally and assisted
Mike and Jake to score again. Initially Towards the end of the third, Phil came on hustling
strongly, a pattern of play he continued in the fourth, being rewarded
with three baskets, including taking the team to 100 and adding final
points.
David returned to add four to his tally, while Jordan, Jake and
Francis contributed strongly. Connor also struck home with two
successive three pointers and an excellent rejection. Meanwhile
Dorset were again falling foul of the 24 second clock. Only a final
three restored some balance to their score and took them over fifty. While, arguably, Eagles should have scored more and
restricted Storm to below fifty, this was a deserved win with all players
scoring, which establishes Brookes Eagles as the team to
beat in their league. Arnie Akcal 10, Jordan Anderson 8, Mike Bird 14,
Francis Brobby 20, Jake Caudle 14, David Hyde 8, Ed Kirwan 4, Dan Ormrod
6, Tim Pointer 6, Connor Sugden 21, Phil Tierney 6.
Brookes Eagles U18
101:73 22nd October 2009 Drawing Oxford
Stealers in the Cup seemed difficult proposition for the U18 Eagles
squad.
Stealers are a formidable bunch of experienced and tough players
who have propelled their club to considerable success over the years. But the
Eagles swept in and stole the show with 40 minutes of determined, creative
and fast moving basketball which left the slower, older Stealers
standing. Connor won the tip
and was unlucky not to take first points. Stealers took this honour but were
immediately answered by a high looping basket from Jake. Mike also
landed a high jump shot and David a powerful put back, before Jake scored
the first of Eagles’ 11 threes of the evening. With Connor
and David working to contain the Stealers’ big men, Dan was able to take a
racing drive to the basket from an assist by Jake, while Connor, Jake and
Mike added further points. Tom’s basket in the final minute,
though answered by a long three, gave Eagles a 21:17 lead at the end of
the first quarter. Already it was
becoming apparent that the slow and heavy offence from the Stealers was no
match for the lively defence and rapid transition of Eagles. Stealers’
shooting was also wide of the target and they were frequently turning the
ball over. Though Stealers
took two relatively undefended baskets at the start of the second period,
Eagles made this quarter their own, with Mike on sparkling form knocking
down four successive three-pointers from all around the arc. Mike and
Connor were adding points and rebounding effectively while Dan had the
bench holding its breath with a shot which bounced high off the rim before
dieing and falling sweetly through for two. Though Stealers lived up to their name
with a sneaky three within four seconds of the buzzer, Mike’s threes had
opened the game up in Eagles’ favour. At the half Eagles led 46:34. Instructed to play
the game tightly and close out the big men’s opportunities to score, Tom
opened with a two and a three, Dan added one from the line and another
basket and Connor an and-one – at which point the frustration of the
Stealers at their loss of the initiative in the game led to a technical
foul.
While Connor calmly sunk his and-one, Mike was chosen to take the
two for the technical and added one point. Again Coach Baker urged the boys to
stay focused and to really punish the opposition. In response,
first Dan then Jake landed threes. Though Tom fouled
out shortly after this, having worked hard to contain his player, and
Stealers did manage a trickle of points, Eagles pushed home their
advantage through the last minutes of the quarter with Mike again
delighting the Eagles bench and supporters by taking five from five at the
foul line and Dan ending the period strongly with a further five
points. At 76:50, Stealers
knew the game was up and, though enjoying a brief rally mid-quarter as
Eagles relaxed, were answered point for point by Dan, Jake (with two
further threes) and Connor ending his best outing of the season so far
with an emphatic 13 point quarter including a final three just before the
final buzzer. At 101:73, this was
a strong showing and a deliciously unexpected victory, which puts Eagles
in a strong position for the second leg at home in November. Mike Bird 27, Jake
Caudle 20, David Hyde 2, Tom Iverson 7, Dan Ormrod 19,
Connor Sugden 26.
London Spartans 35 (Q1: 12, Q2: 7, Q3: 6, Q4: 10) Eagles win their
1st league game 119 to 35. In 2008 / 2009
season the Eagles played and lost on both occasions to the Spartans; 122 –
50 and 95 – 58. So, it was with some trepidation that we approached this
game. To everyone’s evident relief we quickly realised that the Spartans
are a very different team this season. After the tip the
Eagles quickly put points on the board and rapidly built up a commanding
lead. As the Spartans were not able to put us under pressure under the
basket it was relatively easy to score. At the end of the 1st quarter the Eagles where 38 – 12 up, with
points coming from Jordan, Bradley, Jonathan, Ben, George, Luke, Ashley,
Greg, Gavin and Stanley. The second quarter was an equally one-sided
affair with the Eagles scoring 25 to Spartans 7. Jordan, Bradley, Ben,
Ollie, Luke, Greg, Leo and Stanley added to the tally. After the half time
break we came out very strong, putting on 37 points to their 6, however,
in the final quarter we seemed to lose focus scoring only 19 points to
their 10. At the final buzzer everyone in the team had put points on the
board Oxford & Chiltern Men’s League Brookes Eagles U18 79:90 14 October 2009 The final score does no justice to the on-court
tenacity and hard work by Eagles U18s in what was their toughest fixture
of the season so far. For the majority of the 40 minutes of
regulation time, Eagles’ more experienced players matched the Sonics point
for point.
Connor Sugden’s dramatic buzzer beater basket drew both teams level
again at full time and appeared to offer Eagles the chance to win the
match.
However, team fouls and some determined end-game performances by
the Sonics’ big men in over-time took the opportunity firmly away, leaving
an air of disappointment which overshadowed the team’s earlier
efforts. Eagles opened brightly with Mike Bird, despite a leg
injury, sinking a three and two twos before Jake Caudle opened his account
with a basket and one from two at the line. Tom Iverson, promoted to the starting
five to match up with Sonics’ key big man, worked tirelessly to restrict
his player’s freedom under the basket. Though Eagles were hustling well,
Sonics were still able to score steadily. In reply, Francis Brobby, Mike, Francis
again and lastly Jake sunk four threes in a row to keep Eagles level on 22
apiece at the end of the quarter. Francis dominated Eagles’ play in the second quarter.
His 9 point run mid-period ensured that Eagles stayed in touch with Sonics
– whose key players, despite more intense defence, were periodically able
to slip though to establish a slender three point lead at the end of the
half, 38:41. The third period belonged to Eagles. They took it
24:15 with Jake stepping up and working well with Francis and Mike. The older
Sonics players appeared to be tiring and Coach Baker urged his players to
dictate the pace of the game and to push the ball through on every
offence.
However, fortunes were sharply reversed in the fourth. Despite an
encouraging first five minutes in which Arnie Akcal and Connor Sugden
scored their first points to add to more from Francis and Mike, suddenly
Sonics came back strongly and their tight defence forced Eagles into
attempting long shots which just would not fall. Though Dan
Ormrod put back one overshoot from Francis, Eagles saw their lead being
eaten away until both teams were again level on 75 with 1:10 to play. Sonics scored
and after some desperate work around the basket, just as the final buzzer
was sounding, Connor found one final shot, which fell to take both teams
into overtime.
It was in this five minutes that Sonics dug deep and overpowered
the Eagles, despite valiant efforts and one basket by Dan. Disappointing in the immediate aftermath; but a great
effort which should encourage the Eagles squad. Francis Brobby 34, Mike Bird 19, Jake Caudle 14, Dan
Ormrod 7, Connor Sugden 4, Arnie Akcal 1. Saturday, 10
October: U 16's v. Bucks Hornets (Cup) Eagles 54 (Q1: 13,
Q2: 11, Q3: 12, Q4: 18) Bucks Hornets 61 (Q1: 12, Q2: 17, Q3: 13, Q4:
19) Eagles are out of
the Cup after narrowly losing 54 to 61 to Bucks Hornets. We finished a low
scoring 1st quarter ahead by the
slenderest of margins with points coming from Jordan, Bradley, Ben, Tim
and Greg. We started strongly, leading by five points within a few minutes
but then slumped. This allowed the Hornets to come back while we failed to
score on the offensive end. Regrettably we weren’t able to build on this
in the second quarter, only putting on an additional 11 points, from
Bradley and Stanley, to the Hornets 17. After the half time break we fared
better almost matching the Hornet’s point for point, but never being able
to capitalise on easy buckets under the basket. This, in spite of a strong
performance getting rebounds at the offensive end. Our points came from
Jordan, Ollie, Luke and Stanley. In the final quarter our efforts to come
back were scuppered by the Hornets long range shooting, with three’s
coming from J. Shaw and B. Geddes. Our points came from Jordan, Bradley,
Ollie, Luke and Greg.
Brookes Eagles U18 102:77 10 October 2009 Arnie Akcal’s three at the end of the fourth quarter
took Eagles over the ton and secured them a second win in the League - and
a victory on several levels. Collectively: having now won both games with scores
over a hundred, it places them comfortably at the head of the League, with
a substantial points difference which could prove useful for the
playoffs.
It also marked the next step in their development as a cohesive
team of considerable depth. All players gained court time and
experience against a Individually: there were some stand-out performances
from Tom Iverson and Mike Bird. The former has really stepped up to U18
level with fearless commitment and a repertoire of shots which took him
into the lead scorer’s position. While the fast hands and terrier-like
persistence on Point from Mike enabled him to steal the ball from
The game started tentatively, with Solent winning the
tip but failing to score on their offence; Mike stealing the ball for the
first time, but not converting; then Despite a Time Out, Solent were unsettled and Eagles
swept down to take advantage with a long three from Mike, a gentle lay-up
from Jake, a bold rejection by David and a relatively uncontested two by
Dan, taking advantage of a loose ball. Tom finished the quarter strongly with
five personal points to give Eagles a substantial 31:19 lead. At the break Coach Baker pointed up how increased
intensity on defence had brought the rewards and called for more of the
same.
And more of the same followed, despite an initial 8 point personal
flurry of activity from Ed, David, Dan and Connor lead the charge in the
third before Mike was fouled taking a three pointer and nailed all three
free throws.
Together with Tom, he continued to harass the Much of the final quarter did feel like an end game
with the result not in doubt, provided, as Coach Baker told the squad that
they too wanted it. The final period showed that they did,
and how; piling in another three from Tom, and points to Connor, Mike,
Jake and Ed Garbutt. Arnie’s final three was the icing on the cake making
for a delicious victory. Leading Scorers: Tom Iverson
18, David Hyde 16 & Jake Caudle 16. Back to top |
Saturday 6th March 2010