By James Bourne.
COVENTRY CRUSADERS slipped to a 54-78 defeat against
the Reading Rockets at the Sports Centre in a performance that could and
perhaps should have been better.
Whilst there were certain elements of the play that
would have impressed head coach Scott Neely, Reading were the more
consistent team throughout the four quarters.
The Rockets were good opponents for the Crusaders to
face in order to chase that elusive first win of the season, having
suffered a heavy defeat at home to the Derby Trailblazers last week.
But the first quarter performance put the Crusaders
firmly on the back foot, with Reading’s superior height and physicality
proving a major factor.
The Crusaders had Tim Donaldson out through injury,
but had a fresh face in youngster Ben Timms, who made his senior debut
in the game. Reading also had a new face in American Kenny Saunders,
signed from BBL side Worcester Wolves this week.
The first quarter was shaped largely by the Rockets’
dominance at the rebound. Reading’s captain, American Ryan Lohfink,
impressed both on the defensive and offensive rebounds, notching up 12
points in the first quarter alone.
However, the Crusaders netted some of the classier
scores in the first quarter. Dan Taylor’s expert lay-up under pressure
from two defenders to bring the score back to 4-8 was a definite
highlight.
After Stephen Danso scored his second free throw
opportunity of the night to get the score back to 6-11, the Rockets
seized the initiative and took a handsome lead into the second quarter.
Point guard Dan McKay easily snatched one rebound
before cutting inside three men to score, before Lohfink got himself on
the end of another seconds later to help give the Rockets breathing
space and an 8-22 lead after ten minutes.
The second quarter started ominously for the Crusaders
when the normally reliable Jon Olinger slipped, allowing Adam Thoseby to
race through underneath the hoop for the first score.
The Rockets head coach, Sasa Punosevac, revealed after
the match of the team’s plan to stop Olinger, seeing him as the
Crusaders’ focal point, and rightly so, given Olinger’s record of over
23 points per game this term.
However, a return of only seven points this game –
five from free throws – indicated that their plan had worked to good
effect.
But the Crusaders recovered sufficiently throughout
the quarter, with Stephen Danso being the thorn in Reading’s side; the
backtracking defence only able to stop him through illegal means.
Seven of his eight free throw attempts went through
the hoop in the second quarter, keeping the Crusaders within touching
distance. Danso was to notch a total of 11 points in the quarter.
The visitors’ Jason Sayers provided the most
entertaining score with a huge slam dunk two minutes before the end of
the quarter, but the Crusaders’ Ryann Samuel had the last word of the
half with two free throws and an inside score in quick succession to
leave the teams 31-39 at the interval.
Coventry again suffered from a slightly slow start at
the beginning of the third quarter, with the Rockets stretching out to a
35-52 lead.
The best score here was a sweet three-pointer from
Louis Sayers; making up for his disallowed three pointer after the shot
clock had elapsed a minute previously which had earned him an
ear-bashing from his head coach in the process.
After this, the Crusaders were always going to
struggle to get back into the game, but they showed good application
towards the end of the quarter. Stephen Danso again impressed with a
cute dummy and shot, whilst Jon Olinger slotted home three points from
free throws.
The game was practically decided going into the fourth
quarter, with the visitors holding a comfortable 40-58 lead.
But for the Crusaders, Dave Edden was on fire in the
final ten minutes, with almost everything he threw ending up in points.
He went on to net 12 in the quarter, and was the Crusaders high scorer
of the evening with 19 overall.
Edden’s heroics couldn’t turn the result around,
however, and the Rockets eased to victory, with Ryan Lohlink again
impressing. It was perhaps apt that Reading’s new recruit, Kenny
Saunders, scored the final points of the game with a monster dunk to
make the score 54-78.
Crusaders head coach Scott Neely will have good
aspects of his team’s play to concentrate on with the trip to Manchester
next week imminent. Stephen Danso again impressed, and the Rockets
weren’t able to control Dave Edden in the fourth quarter.
But the Crusaders will have to produce a better team
performance than the one against Reading if they’re to get any change
from the in-form Division One team at the Amaechi Basketball Centre.
Quarter Scores: 8-22, 23-17, 9-19,
14-20.
Crusaders top scorers: Dave Edden 19,
Stephen Danso 18, John Olinger 7.
Reading top scorers:
Lohfink 21, Sayers 10, Saunders 10.
Crusaders next home match is on the 5th December when they face
Sheffield Arrows, tip-off is 7.30pm at the
Coventry Sports Centre.
.gif)
