26/5/2018

National Championship Play-Offs Division 1 Semi Final

The Bears once again featured at this seasons National Play-offs, after Bears first team qualified after  winning the 1^st Division South and winning promotion to the B.W.B’s Premier League for the first time in the club’s history.  The First game of the weekend was against C.W.S.C Panthers who won promotion back into the B.W.B’s Premier league.

C.W.S.C Panthers : 63

Bears : 62

The Bears narrowly missed out of the weekends final by the slightest of margins, in what turned out to be one of the games of this years finals.

The first half of this thrilling game was an end to end scoring feast, with neither team being able to take any advantage.  Bears leading scorers Jacob Robinson, Ben Haigh and Dan Gill were in great form but were continually matched by Panthers Nathaniel Pattison and the Panthers Beattie brothers.  The Bears going into the break with a short lead of   C.W.S.C Panthers 27 – 34 Bears.

The second half was more intense than the first with both teams again going basket for basket. Panthers went on to score a buzzer beating 3 pointer, bringing the score level at the end of the third quarter, setting up a thrilling last quarter to an already fantastic game.

The last quarter saw both teams fighting to secure a decisive lead to no avail. The game came down to the final buzzer as with only 52 seconds left on the clock Panthers Chris Greenhaigh hit the shot and was fouled to put Panthers in the lead by one point. After missing a second shot, Bears’ Dan Gill dribbled the ball from under his own basket to take the last shot of the game, which ran around the Panthers basket and spun out at the sound of the buzzer to end the game and see Panthers take the win by one point  C.W.S.C Panthers 63 – 62 Bears.

After the game Coach Masterson said  “Wow what a game!  Congratulations to Panthers and all their staff on the win.  The Bears were brilliant today and I’m so proud of them all.  If that last shot had dropped I would be talking about playing the Gold medal game, but that’s basketball, sometimes they don’t drop for you.  They should be proud of themselves and we will be up for tomorrow’s bronze medal game whoever that’s against.”

National Championship Play-Offs Bronze Medal

London Titans 2: 46

Bears : 55

In the Bronze medal game the Bears were once again facing their closest rivals this season, London Titans 2.  With both teams losing the previous day, this game saw both southern teams fighting to take the bronze medal.  Whilst the second and fourth quarters remained even, Bears triumphed ahead in the first and third periods. Dan Gill and Jacob Robinson both secured 16 points closely followed by Ben Haigh on 12 points. The scoring power could be unmatched despite the best efforts from Abdul Barezkai and Andrew Weeks. Bears picked up the 55-46 win as the South champions advance to the Premier League next season.

After the game coach Masterson said “ Would like to Thank Titans and all their staff for a great season and some wonderful games against them this season.  Could see today that both teams were a bit flat after yesterdays defeats but we were still able to get the win whilst not at our best.  I’m not going to be too hard on my team as it just shows how much they wanted to be in this years final and how far they have come to be feeling like that.  This weekend has given them a taste of what’s to come next               year and the level we need to step up to.”