Eagles 49 Hackney White Heat 98

The season finally ended for Abingdon Eagles U18s when they were knocked out in the second round play-offs against Hackney White Heat 98 – 49. A victory against the Premier division London club, ranked amongst the top 3 in the country, was always going to be a tall order. The Eagles fought bravely throughout the match but the gulf in physical size, power and skill was just too wide to bridge.

The Eagles started Q1 well, scoring first through captain Ben Pugh. Maintaining a well organised defence, the Eagles competed strongly and remained in close contact. In a low scoring first quarter, the Eagles contained Hackney, who seemed the more nervous of the two sides, and ended just 5 points adrift 18 – 13 at the buzzer.

Q2 saw Hackney stretch away into a commanding lead as the game started to open up. The Eagles started to struggle against the power and speed of the opposition, missing numerous close attempts at the basket always under enormous defensive pressure. The missed baskets took their toll, as the Eagles only managed 8 points in the quarter, with Hackney decisively ahead 46 – 21 at half time.

The Eagles came out for Q3 in determined mood. Two 3 pointers from Simon Rudd and one from Ben Pugh helped them restore their momentum in a more closely contested quarter. Hackney just retained the edge, outscoring the Eagles by 6 points, to lead 68 – 37 at the buzzer.

Q4 saw a tiring Eagles side playing for pride, as Hackney pushed to finish them off. A huge block on the big Hackney forward by Lukas Aleksandravicius followed by a long range 3-pointer boosted morale and brought appreciative reaction from the whole crowd. By the final buzzer, the Eagles were well beaten but not bowed, having competed with great determination throughout the game.

For several senior members this was their last game for the Eagles, after a great season in which they finished as champions of the South West Conference.

Scorers: Ben Pugh 17; Lukas Aleksandravicius 16, Simon Rudd 10; Colin Doig 3; Tom Friend 2; James Dawe 1