Thursday 10th January: YEAR 8/9 GIRLS BASKETBALL

BISHOP BELL 20 ETC 22HANNAH BLUNDELL 14, SHANTELLE OMAR 8.

A fantastic start to the basketball season for the girls, having had a successful introduction to the basketball league last year, the then year 8 girls had an impressive record of 4 wins and 1 loss to Bishop Bell (56-40). First game back this season and the year 9s were joined by the following year 8s to strengthen the squad Rachel Gunn, Imogen Robinson, Kirsty Timms, Chloe Baker, Sapphire Haydes and Mel Albrow, as they have now merged the 8/9 league. As expected it was a hard game, we started slow and went down very quickly 8 points to 2 (Blundell) in the first quarter. Bishop Bell were using a zone defence and made it difficult to break through them for the shot or lay up. It seemed the result from the following year was making the girls nervous, and showed in their timid attacks.The 2nd quarter allowed the girls to settle into the game, we were now really starting to show what we were capable of, and I have to say looked the better team. Blundell with some fantastic lay ups, Omar with some longer range shots, Gouviea strong in defensive and offensive rebounds, and Crotty working hard for the team looking very self assured and quietly confident.The start of the 3rd quarter saw ETC playing with more confidence, The score was now 18-10 to the home team and this was the real turning point for us when Jess Gouveia, Shantelle Omar and Charleigh Crotty really stepped up to the challenge and denied any space for Bishop Bell to gather momentum in attack. Some great Hustle in particular from Jess and Charleigh saw us turn the ball over on a number of occasions to fast break to Blundell and Omar who together made them count. We now managed to not only bring the scores equal to 18 points all, but also took the lead ending the quarter 20-18.1 quarter to go and ETC were not backing down, another shot for us made it now 22-18, but still with minutes on the clock Bishop Bell were desperate to get the ball up the court. A good break for them made the score 22-20, and with seconds on the clock ETC kept possession of the ball in the Bishop Bells half making sure the Bishop Bell did not turn over to equalise.The game ended 22-20 to us, and what a fantastic and exciting start to the season, well done to everyone involved!!!

MVP: CHARLEIGH CROTTY “defensively strong, kept the ball well and worked hard for the team. A confident performance”