Donaldson Brings In The Army For The Last Crusade

It was an entertainment packed, Army Sponsored evening, on Saturday at the Coventry Sports Centre, when Coventry and Warwickshire BUPA Crusaders concluded their 2001/02 league campaign. 

The NBL game was preceded by the final of The Army Crusader Schools League. 

The game was between a group of very enthusiastic youngsters from Blue Coat and Cardinal Wiseman Schools in a hard fought final.  

Blue Coat's team came away the eventual winners 57-46. 

Half time also saw one very happy Crusader fan walk away with a £250 Mountain Bike, presented to him by the Army who had organised a free prize draw for 13 to 18 year olds. 

However, the high spot of the evening was the season’s best performance from the Crusaders that saw them completely outclass their visitors, Inter-Basket London, with a 103-72 point victory ensuring the home side finished on a high note, after what has been a disappointing season filled with inconsistencies. 

The victory also lifted the Coventry side off the bottom spot in the league table to close in ninth place.  

Fans went home in a positive mood and already looking forward to the 2002/03 season. 

The game started with Inter-Basket taking a very narrow lead in the opening minutes when Crusader Captain Derrick Pope unusually missed his two opening shots, allowing Inter-Basket's Grant Ebanja to open up the scoring. 

It fell to Drew Barrett to get Crusaders off the mark and to stop the visitors from running away with the lead as his opening two shots from either side of the perimeter line found their mark holding the Londoners just a single point advantage at 5-6. 

Pope who missed a game for the first time this season at Solent last week, showed the crowd that he was most certainly back, by hitting three successive baskets to put the home side ahead.

A lead they were now going to hang on to for the rest of the game. 

The relaxed manner in which Crusaders now began to play, left little doubt about the result.

The only question in every one's minds was by how many. 

Ed Baynes Clarke who has been plagued by injuries through much of the season and has had little court time when he has been fit, showed that he had not idled his time sitting on the bench but has been watching and learning in this his first senior season. 

Saturday night he was given the opportunity to shine, right from the whistle having been moved up into the starting five by his Coach Dip Donaldson, who himself was happy to take a back seat and concentrate on coaching this final game.

Baynes Clarke seized his chance and made the most of it, scoring eightpoints in the opening quarter and contributing to the 14-0 run by the home side that had moved them on to 28-8 with two minutes of the first period left to play. 

Chris Harper was another contributor to such a great run, and although his 4 point total would make it appear that Harper had a quiet game, in reality he was creating points rather than scoring them.  

It was as a result of many of his quick interceptions and steals that many Crusader points were scored and many Inter-Basket points prevented. 

In the closing two minutes of the quarter the visitors stepped up their game scoring 12 points to Crusaders 3 as they picked off a couple of wayward passes from the home side and utilised the opportunity.  

But two points from Barrett, and another two from his first touch of the ball as Alvin Scott released a super hook shot allowed Crusaders to finish the first period fifteen points ahead 35-20. 

Scott, who is just completing his fifth season with Crusaders, started the second quarter as he finished the first.  

Having grabbed the offensive rebound from a missed Weaver basket, Scott scored, drew the foul and turned his 2 into 3 from the line.

For the first five minutes Crusaders had the lions share of fortunes missing just one of their seven attempts to score, while Inter-Basket were struggling to get close to the basket and when they did the ball just would not drop for them.

Pope and Scott were certainly not allowing them any second chances as they played the boards to perfection.  

However, with 5:59 left in the quarter and the score at 53-30, Perry Lawson lit the touch paper under Inter-Basket when he sank a three and drew a foul from Barrett to make it four. 

This was the start of a 0-18 run, which even a time out and stern words from Donaldson could not stop.  

Twice Crusaders were called for an offensive foul in their desperation to reach the basket.  

Pope saw his attempt circle the inside of the ring and then pop out, while Inter-Basket, in the meantime, just could not miss.

Frustration mounted on the Crusader bench, until players could not control themselves and questioned the referee's decision.  

The officials dealt with this quickly by giving the bench two technical fouls, allowing the visitor's opportunity to add another four undefended points. 

Fortunately for Crusaders, Ebanja made only two of the four.  

A foul then by Fisher sent Pope to the line thus bringing the run from the young athletic Londoners to an end.  

They had however now reduced the gap to just six points 54-48 with 1:18 left in the half. 

A time out was called, and by the time play resumed Crusaders had regained their composure.   

They added six points while drawing four fouls from their opponents to stretch the lead to 12 going into the break 60-48. 

Despite Ed Baynes Clarke winning the tip off for the second half it wasFrank Batimba that opened up the scoring.  

His perimeter shot boosting Inter-Basket confidence, along with the late arrival of Laurent Irish who had been stuck in traffic. 

Their confidence was soon to be unfounded though, as apart from the opening three from Irish, Inter-Basket were to score just one from nine attempts.  

In complete contrast Crusaders scored seven from eight. 

Again it was Harper who was unselfishly assisting his team mates.    

Pope then stole the ball from deep inside his own half and passed it down court to the waiting hands of Matt Collins.  

Collins, who again had an impressive performance at both ends, drained it for his third three of the game.  

This put Crusaders ahead by 20 points at 73-53. 

After their timeout Inter-Basket began to put a few nice plays togetherunder the influence of Mansour Mbye, who himself added seven points as the visitors narrowed the gap to end the third quarter 11 adrift 77-66. 

A dazzling defensive display from Scott protected the Crusader lead as with blocks and rejections from all around the key he prevented Inter-Basket from scoring any more than six points in the final period. 

Colin Rhooms had opened up the scoring in the fourth with a mighty longthree that any NBA player would have been proud of. 

It was now the visitors who where suffering from frustration, which became evident when Perry Lawson “rugby tackled” Manny Sharland to the ground on his way to the basket.  

He was very fortunate not to be ejected from the court.  

A dazed Sharland got to his feet but missed both of his awarded free throws. 

The Crusader crowd demonstrated their displeasure at such play, by jeering Lawson for the rest of the game and cheering when he was eventually fouled out after being awarded a technical foul for back chatting the officials in the closing seconds. 

Derrick Pope bagged six more points in this final period bringing hisevening’s tally to 28.   

The Crusader skipper has lead with a 110% performance through out the season and ended it with 563 personal points. 

Having scored two points Darren Weaver picked up two quick fouls his fourth and fifth with four minutes left, he was therefore forced to spend the remainder of the game on the bench.  

However, with the score at 86-70 Weaver motivated both team mates and supporters from the sideline. 

All Crusaders on court now upped their defence, there was no way they were going to let this one slip.  

When 2 points from Ed Baynes Clarke to bring his own haul to 14 points and his team's points to 100, the crowd were on their feet.  

The final three points of the game came from Manny Sharland who musthave wondered what he had done when he was victim of another two fouls in the dying seconds of the season. 

Coach Dip Donaldson was delighted after the game with the combined effort of the whole team. 

" It was a collective effort, every one that came in gave us a contribution.That was because they had the mental focus to carry it through to a game night. In training that is what it has looked like - we play that dominantagainst each other. But finally they said, `Hey fellas, we can't go out losing`. So all the players believed they could do something and show that they are aware. They know that they have had a horrible season. They wanted to do well, they wanted to prove to themselves and show the crowd that they deserved better. They had been disappointed with themselves and so went out to prove a point."

" If we could have done that all season we would be in a different position. It is the commitment to perform. The guys tonight sacrificed for each other and all got involved. The only time we struggled was when we reverted back to old ways, dribbling, throwing the ball away and trying to do it alone.  But by putting the right players on together and them working as a team we were able to get it back. They all dived in and made the most of it." 

Donaldson was pleased with the performance of Ed Baynes Clarke. 

" He is a good student of the game because he has had to sit on the bench behind more experienced players. He has been well groomed and next season will be a force to be reckoned with."

Crusaders Scorers: Darren Weaver 2, Chris Harper 4 , Colin Rhooms 8, Manny Sharland 9, Alvin Scott 9, Drew Barrett 11, Ed Baynes-Clarke 14, Matt Collins 18, Derick Pope 28, Dip Donaldson dnp