Taunton Tigers' men 1st team opened their 2009/10 Basketball season last Sunday when they hosted Bristol Storm in the first round of the National Cup at the Wellsprings Leisure Centre. The Game always had the potential of a mismatch due to the Bristol Club playing three divisions lower in the National League.
You can watch the full game video here or View it on Vimeo. The match report continues below.
However, Cup games are notoriously unpredictable and in the opening minutes an upset seemed a possibility, with baskets being traded evenly and missed easy lay-ups by Taunton who only managed to close the first quarter with a slender advantage 20 – 16. After a wake up call at the quarter break by new Head Coach Tom Kambouris, the Tigers stepped up their intensity and the difference between the sides began to show. Some strong defensive work by Man of the Match Mike Sebire helped limit the visitors to only scoring another 3 points before half-time.
Sparked by successive quick baskets at the start of the third by an active Joe Andrews, more solid performances all round by the Tigers kept the pressure on the Bristol side. With only 2 points coming from the visitors in this penultimate quarter, Taunton steadily crept ahead enabling the whole squad to get some valuable court time through full bench rotation. Fitness levels began to show in the final quarter aiding the Tigers' dominance and enabling them to run-out comfortable 82 – 26 winners. They now meet Team Gloster Jets in the 2nd round to be played at Wellsprings on Sunday 18th October.
After the game, Coach Kambouris was somewhat critical but optimistic,
“The 1st Quarter was not what we were looking for. My biggest concerns right now are our turnovers and ability to maintain intensity. From the second quarter on, we played a better brand of Tigers' Basketball. The team's collective defensive effort in the last 3 quarters was a good sign. Next weekend we will look to build-on that intensity while also taking better care of the ball on the offensive end.”