Year 8 Basketball Lancashire Champions - June 2008

Under 13 Lancashire Schools Basketball Final versus Southlands from Chorley 17th June 2008

The team had been promised a trip to McDonalds if they won but Southlands have been the BRGS nemesis for many years and a team from BRGS has never beaten Southlands in any kind of basketball match before. This was to be the fourth meeting between the two schools in a Lancashire Final and the Chorley school had won the previous three.

History was against us.

With 12 of his 22 points in the first quarter Conor Porter helped the team make a good start and take a slender 3 point lead at the first break. Danny Mousley also scored freely with assists from Ben Geraghty and the energetic Josh Donohoe, but it was the defensive skills of Tom Jackson limiting their tallest player to just three baskets that kept BRGS in front.

In the second quarter the excellent rebounding from Mollie Campbell and Ben Chicken gained the possession of the ball that allowed for some excellent passing out of defence from Tom Hattan and David Burns. On the end of these passes was Josh Nurney who scored lots of fast break points. Unfortunately, as the quarter went on, the passing deteriorated giving Southlands some interceptions and easy baskets keeping the scores close.

Despite this, the half time lead was doubled to six points 26-20 in favour of BRGS. It remained a close game which could easily go either way.

It was make or break time but with an increased defensive effort, an improvement in the accuracy of the passing and the introduction of Sam Grcar and Ben Atuyi, BRGS outscored Southlands by 9 points in the third quarter to lead by 45 points to 30.

Surely it was all over going into the fourth quarter. A 15 point lead and playing well was surely enough of a cushion, but teams from Southlands never give up and a tough final 10 minutes was expected. Southlands pressed but left themselves open and BRGS scored eight unanswered points went into an unassailable lead early in the quarter meaning the last few minutes was just a case of playing out time for a final score of Bacup 57 Southlands 40

An excellent performance from the team in breaking our duck against Southlands and worthy of the title LANCASHIRE CHAMPIONS.

And a good time was had by all at McDonalds!

The team is...

Ben Atuyi
Tom Jackson
David Burns
Sam Grcar
Conor Porter
Ben Geraghty
Ben Chicken
Mollie Campbell
Danny Mousley
Josh Donohoe
Josh Nurney
Tom Hattan

Year 8 Basketball Lancashire Champions - June 2008