Tees
Schools League Year 10
Last year's County Cup winners, Norton School,
started their 2007/8 season in impressive,
albeit nail-biting style!
Norton came out of the blocks form the tip,
scoring some excellent fast breaks. Their
movement and commanding performance under the
boards, especially from Ali Beni and accurate
shooting from Steven Green, seemed to unnerve the
Stokesley team. Consequently, Norton stormed
into an early and comfortable first quarter lead
of 13-4.
By
the start of the second quarter Stokesley
realised they had a real game on their hands and
started to play some good team basketball with
four players Jackson Bland and Will Hughes
connecting to score and Euan Wardle and Jonny
Weldon following suit on the next play. All four
players scored in the following three minutes
which helped reduce the deficit to 6 points by
the end of the first half, 25-19. Knights were
still in charge but the Tigers were slowly
clawing their way back!
Stokesley continued to believe they could get
back in the game during the third quarter, and
galvanised by a strong team performance and 8
points from Wardle, they managed to tie the game
31-31 with a valuable baskets form Robbie
Jopling.
The fourth quarter was much tighter, with both
teams playing better defence, not wanting to
lose. Norton had an injury problem as James
Cannell sprained his ankle mid way through the
quarter and Stokesley capitalised on this as
they went into the lead for the first
time in the match, but a
determined Norton team came back strongly in the
last 2 minutes, with both Beni and Green scoring
vital baskets to level the score 35-35 at full
time.
With the scores tied at the final buzzer, extra
time loomed! It was end to end play, with each
team desperate to score the winner. Both teams
played excellent and water tight defence,
reflected in the low score. Denzel Munzara was
inspirational for Norton as he controlled the
defence and it would take only
one basket to decide the winner of the game as
Green received the ball at the top of the three
point line and dribbled into the key to fire the
winner, a swish finish and it was over, Norton
Knights clinch the victory.
Most Valuable Player was awarded to Steven Green of
Norton School Knights who scored 18 Points and
produced some excellent defensive work.
