Reading Rockets (56)100 Coventry Crusaders (24)56

Crusaders Shot Down by Rockets 

Coventry Crusaders suffered a heavy road loss on Saturday when they travelled to Reading.  

A sluggish start was never going to make it easy for Crusaders to come back from, yet that was what happened.  

Rockets led the way from the outset, and five minutes into the game, were already into a 12- point lead. 

Crusaders struggled to make a basket, while Rockets, and Deas in particular came out firing on all cylinders, hitting13 of his 18 points in the first quarter. 

When the second quarter began, Crusaders had only managed 8 points on the board, to Reading’s 28.  Rockets kept the pressure on, and Crusaders found it difficult to get the ball up court into field goal range.  By half time the home side’s advantage had grown to a 56-24 lead. 

The second half was a mirror of the first. Crusaders were able to sink 11 points in the 3^rd quarter, thanks to Simon Payne’s two 3-pointers and two free throws, but turnovers cost the visitors lost opportunities which then in turn became chances for Rockets to score. 

Cato from Reading had a scoring spree in the 3^rd and 4^th quarters bringing his total to 24, and top scorer for the game. 

Crusaders did finally start hitting their shots in the 4^th, with newcomer Ryan Luethy hitting several treys, and Ben Clarke and Keith Sudler adding their bit, but the outcome had already been determined.  

Reading slid comfortably into another win in their National Trophy campaign with a 100-56 victory over their visitors from the Midlands. 

Crusaders Scorers: Linacre 2, Rob Clarke 2, Baynes Clarke 4, Ben Clarke 6, Payne 8, Sudler 13, Luethy 21 

Rockets Scorers: McKay 2, Kelly 4, Kearney 6, Vear 7, Wellings 8, Watts 15, Harper 16, Deas 18, Cato 24 

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Crusaders U-16 team travelled to Nottingham to face league rivals Notts Nova in their first league game.  Notts Nova won by 6, 60-54 after a close, hard-fought battle.