A depleted
Coventry Crusaders kicked off the new 2009/10 season in a pulsating
National Trophy encounter at the Sports Centre, where they made Bristol
fight all the way for their 56-69 victory after managing to overturn a
14 point half time deficit in the third quarter.
Coventry
were dealt a blow on the night of the game when they received news that
Wes Hall was unavailable to play, and so fought Bristol with eight men.
However the fans weren’t disappointed.
After a
second quarter where Crusaders conceded 26 points through their basket
to create a 14 point deficit, they regrouped immediately and managed to
end the third tied at 51-51 after Dave Edden and John Olinger, who top
scored with 31 points, assaulted the Flyers’ basket.
In the end
the Crusaders were left frustrated with their fourth quarter
opportunities; with Crusaders’ forward Simon Payne being denied numerous
times while Bristol took advantage of six free throw opportunities to
widen the margin in what was a close game of quality and determination.
Things
began brightly for Coventry when John Olinger wasted no time in opening
his account for the season after he raced clear to give the Crusaders a
2 point advantage with less than 30 seconds on the clock. However they
soon found themselves on the back foot being 8-2 down after Flyers’
academy player Mike Farage scored his first senior two points to
compliment Greg Streete’s hat-trick of two pointers.
Olinger
was a real thorn in Bristol’s side all evening with his silky dribbling
and accurate 3 point shooting, and showed a sign of things to come when
he launched two audacious three pointers half through the front court
either side of Bristol regular Rob Loftman claiming a 3 of his own to
send the teams in all square after the first quarter at 10-10.
The second
quarter looks a barren one for the Crusaders on paper when comparing the
12 converted points to Bristol’s 26, yet Bristol soaked up Crusaders’
advances with 6’9 centre Tony Berry and Tom Hutchinson asserting their
height on defensive rebounds.
Crusaders
added two pointers after two series of prolonged scoring by Bristol.
Debutant Will Bastin shot his second lot of two points in reply to
American Davis Bowen’s opening two points for the quarter. Yet Flyers
excelled offensively which resulted in Greg Streete producing a breath
taking slam dunk for the awe struck crowd to witness.
It wasn’t
until Bristol moved 7 points further ahead with the score at 12-19 that
Olinger was able to register a two point reply. Bristol edged further
ahead with nine straight points, before Edden popped up with four points
from right underneath the basket to make it 18-32.
The last
two minutes of the quarter saw Bristol push Crusaders high up in their
own back court to rob Olinger of the ball to make it 18-34, only for the
former Athletes on Tour player to respond in typical style by with a
slam dunk which preceded a direct two pointer from Davis Bowen and two
successful free throws from Olinger again to send the Flyers into
confident mood at half time 36-22 up.
Crusaders
returned to the court for the third quarter in scintillating fashion,
with Joe Francombe ruffling up Bristol with his alertness whilst Edden
and Olinger had eyes on nothing but the basket. Edden was clinical with
his athletic bursts up to the basket, contributing three 2 pointers,
while Olinger went on a field shooting spree by launching five 3
pointers to get Crusaders within three points of Bristol, who at this
point were getting by with clinical finishes from Streete, Berry and
Bowen on the occasional counter attack.
With two
minutes to go in the third, the Crusaders drew level and threatened to
take the lead for only the second time in the game when Olinger picked
out Edden who strode to the basket with ease to set the Sports Centre
alight with noise with the score at 47-47, as did Simon Payne when he
put Coventry level for a second time after weaving through a posse of
bodies for 49-49.
With one
minute left in the quarter, Crusaders displayed great team work to keep
out Bristol’s Iri Omoyeni and send the ball down to Will Bastin who did
the honours of giving the Crusaders a short lived 51-49 lead, before
Bristol were gifted two free throws to send the teams in 51-51 in a game
that was threatening to be one sided ten minutes earlier.
The fourth
quarter saw the game slowly slip away from Coventry as the six set of
free throws given to Bristol racked up and cost Crusaders 7 points which
they failed to overturn this time with Simon Payne denied by the
basket’s rim four times before making way for point guard Tim Donaldson.
Olinger
continued to add to his tally and challenge Bristol’s fast countered
offence by launching a successful three pointer to make it 56-64, yet it
was to be the last points Coventry would yield from the game.
Coventry
closed the game with much promise, with neat passing by Olinger and
Donaldson around the 3 point line to set up Joe Francombe who was
unlucky with two awarded free throws, as was Dave Edden who had the same
opportunity as Crusaders desperately piled Bristol’s basket in an end to
an unpredictable game.
(Match Report - Adam
Manning, Crusaders Reporter)
Quarter Scores: 10-10, 12-26, 29-15,
5-18.
Crusaders scorers: John Olinger
31, Dave Edden 12, Simon Payne 7, Will Bastin 4, Dan Taylor 2.
Bristol top scorers:
Greg Streete 21, Doug Mclaughlin-Williams 10, Tony Berry 10.
Crusaders next home match is on the 10th
October when they face Taunton Tigers, tip-off is 7.30pm at the
Coventry Sports Centre.
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