Pope looks for Team Work As Crusaders Exit National Cup

"Lack of discipline, Lack of team work,"

was how Coach Derrick Pope described his team's performance after Coventry and Warwickshire Crusaders were knocked out of the National Cup competition on Saturday night at the Rivermead Leisure Centre by Division One's Reading Rockets.

There were individual spurts of imaginative play from Crusaders but they did not put together an over all solid performance against the fast breaking Rockets.

There were still lots of positive moves to build on for the rest of the season.  However what can only be described as a better team on the night, Reading, exposed some of the cracks in the Crusader armour that need to be worked on and rectified before the season is much older.

The Reading defence made Crusader's Kevin Richard work hard for Coventry's first points of the game as bodies crowded the key to protect the basket, but having been called for a charging foul on his previous attempt Richard was not to be stopped this time.

Determined efforts from Ed Baynes Clarke shooting a three and Dip Donaldson shooting two from the line after being fouled while making his own offensive rebound gave Coventry fans hope of seeing another blistering Crusader challenge.

However, a combination of Rocket's player of the month Peder Madsen and the returning Jermaine Williams, who, between them scored 14 of Rockets opening 16 points, saw the home side open up a 16 – 9 lead.

Team skippers Ted Smith for Rockets and Derrick Pope for Crusaders traded baskets to maintain the gap, but then an unchallenged run of 6 points from Larry Graves brought Crusaders to just 1 point behind their hosts 18 – 17 going in to the final minute of the first quarter.

A timely three pointer from Richard Wellings coming off the Reading bench was answered by a very long two from Graves as the buzzer heralded the end of the first period seeing a single basket separate the sides 21 – 19.

Having been fouled on his way to the basket by Williams, Graves tied the game by executing two text book free throws in the opening seconds of the second quarter and then continuing his 12 – 3 run Graves put Crusaders ahead for the first time in the game.

Smith who had appeared quieter than normal at the start of the game for Rockets worked his way round the Crusader defence to bring it all back level.

Although Pope matched him to take the lead again, the spark had been re-lit under the Rocket attack, seeing them outscore and outsmart Crusaders with a 14 – 2 point run giving them a 10 point lead inside the closing two minutes of the half 37 – 27.

The Rocket's Captain extended the lead in style from long range and although both Donaldson and Richard broke through for Crusaders, Madsen added another three points to his tally to give the home side a healthy 43 – 31 lead as they headed back to the changing rooms at half time.

Crusaders managed to hold their own as the third quarter got under way, seeing Richard play more to his full potential as he opened up the Crusaders second half account.

A good spell from Manny Sharland saw some of his familiar energetic play at both ends of the court and saw him get onto the score sheet.

Nevertheless, Larry Graves was by far the game's best player overall and the ease at which he moved the ball past the Reading players had them and their coach quite frustrated at times.  

The understanding between himself and Richard of each other’s game was evident, particularly when his no-look pass to Richard inside the Reading key, fooled the defence and gave Richard a route to the basket for an easy lay-up.

Despite Richard following this up with an impressive dunk, also assisted by Graves, Crusaders could not break in to the Reading lead which Smith extended from the line in the final seconds of the third quarter, seeing Crusaders facing an uphill struggle to turn around a thirteen point deficit 55 – 68.

The final quarter brought with it no change in fortune for Crusaders, twice they pressurised the Rocket attack, forcing two twenty-four second clock violations.

Changes in playing personnel were ineffective overall for Crusaders, but did give some valuable court time to young Lee Muir who made a good two point jump shot under pressure to open his season account.

However, the experience of last season’s play-off finalists saw Rockets play the ball and the clock to their advantage as the game closed out    84 – 72.

Crusaders return to league action next week as they travel to face Colchester and after studying the video of Saturday's game will be expecting to address the exposed flaws in their game.