Tigers finished their regular season schedule with a loss at London Mets. With results elsewhere also going against them, the defeat saw Taunton slip from 5th to 8th in the league table. Although they finished on the same number of points as both the Mets and Reading Rockets, an inferior record against both sides in the head-to-head games means they finish behind them. They now face a tough assignment in the play-offs on Sunday as they travel to new league champions Derby Trailblazers.
You can watch the full game video here or View it on Vimeo. The match report continues below.
The game in London was a physical affair from the start, with the Mets pressing hard and forcing turnovers from the visitors. Taunton coped with the early pressure well, though, and showed good composure in their shooting. This, combined with an effective defensive effort meant that they were still right in the game at half-time, trailing by just 42 points to 41.
It was in the 3rd quarter that the game got away from the Tigers. On offense, their shots didn't fall with the same regularity while, at the other end of the court, the Mets snapped up a number rebounds which gave them the chance to capitalise on second chance looks at the basket. Taunton were outscored 19 – 10 in the period and found themselves 10 points down. They did go on a run in the 4th quarter in an effort to overcome the deficit, but London managed to hold them off and keep the gap at 9 points at the end.
Despite losing their last two games, this has clearly been Tigers best season since their return to the top flight of England basketball 3 years ago. Whereas they struggled all through last season, finishing bottom of the table with just 2 wins, their record in this campaign of 12 wins and 10 losses has proven that they have what it takes to be successful at this level. They'll be looking to show that at least one more time at Derby on Sunday.