TU Lions match report

Stokesley Storm To Victory!

at Billingham Campus, 18/11/07

Tees United Lions 30-42 Stokesley Tigers

Tees United Lions Junior players enjoyed a good run out against a well drilled Stokesley Tigers. Lions had fifteen players in their squad with everyone getting a taste of the action.

Euan Wardle opened up the scoring as he weaved through the Lions defence to give the away team the lead. Lions though were quick to respond as Chris Chapman broke away from his marker to tie the game followed by Dan Brown with a nice jump shot, the result of an offensive rebound and assist from Marshall Patterson. Wardle scored another to baskets shortly after to bring his total to six points in as many minutes. Patterson made the final basket of the quarter for Lions with a well worked move inside the key and Tom Puttick and captain William Hughes finished strong for Tigers. Tigers leading by 4 points at the end of the first quarter, 6-10.

In the second quarter Tigers' Hughes went to the line after being fouled by Patterson, although he failed to covert both free throws. In the third minute Dan Brown burst to life with two consecutive baskets, assisted by Patterson's long throws. This brought the game to 10-10. Just as the Lions were hoping to take the lead though, Stokesley pulled away and displayed some excellent team work and individual skill that the home team could do little about. Lions big man, Patterson was as solid as they come, collecting numerous rebounds and blocks, but the Tigers kept coming to earn a 12-0 run and finish the half with a 12 point lead, 10-22. Lions failed to score for over six minutes.

The third quarter was somewhat of a role reversal as Tigers, after scoring the first basket through Wardle, couldn't find the net for the next seven minutes. Lions did well to decrease the Tigers lead by scoring 6 points during this period, but four missed free throws by Chapman would have reduced their deficit to 4. As it happened Hughes and Puttick again connected the passes to provide each other with baskets and assists. Chapman made amends for his earlier misses as he ran the court and scored from another long pass by Patterson, who was head and shoulders above in the rebounding department. At the end of the quarter Tigers enjoyed an 11 point lead, 19-30.

The final quarter gave hope to Lions intentions of gaining victory as Patterson his 9th point in the opening play. Patterson would go on to collect another 6 points in this quarter, with Dan Brown producing another 3 but it would not be enough and in the last three minutes, Coach Thomson of Lions called a Time Out and brought on some of the younger players for some valuable court time. Wardle finished strong for the visitors with 6 points in the last four minutes to earn a well deserved 12 point win, 32-40.

Every player in the Tigers squad marked the score sheet whilst only 3/15 players hit the points for Lions.

The honour of Game MVP was a hard decision between Euan Wardle of Stokesley Tigers and Marshall Patterson of Tees United Lions. The award was given to Patterson, not only for his offensive contribution but more so because of his awesome presence on defence, collecting a staggering 26 rebounds and 13 blocks along with his 6 assists and 15 points. It is often easy to forget the Lions Big man is only 13 years old and on this display has a very bright future ahead of him.