Magic Reports
Reports of Magic Games appear here during the season
13 April 2012
Magic Triumph Over Wolves; Face Newham Neptunes in Playoff Final
Manchester Magic 72 – 50 Warrington Wolves
The Manchester Magic are one win away from adding the Division Three Playoff crown to their League title following an excellent 72 – 50 home victory over the Warrington Wolves.
Led by a game-high 20 points and eight rebounds from Daniel Pilkington, the Magic held the visitors to just 10 points in the 4th quarter as they went on a 10-2 run late on to put the game out of Warrington’s reach.
The Wolves were paced by 13 points and six rebounds from power forward Usman Baba but they were unable to capitalise on their good start as they took a 17-15 lead the end of the first period thanks to some excellent long-range shooting early on.
Warrington point-guard Peter Arden scored nine first quarter points; all coming from behind the arc as they made a 9-0 run early-on which had the Magic fans thinking it may be a long night. However the home-side weathered the storm and showed great fight and determination to keep the game close. The Magic stuck to their game plan in the second quarter with Pilkington, Tom Devitt and Toloe Bagheri scoring 15 of their 18 of their points in the period as they dominated the points in the paint.
The last time these two sides met at the ABC the Wolves physical approach seemed to intimidate the younger Magic side as they committed several uncharacteristic turnovers and at times seemed apprehensive in attacking the rim. There were no such problems in this game as the hosts outscored the visitors 38-20 on points scored in the paint and marginally outscored them 10-9 in points of the bench.
The Wolves relied heavily on their outside-shooting in this game as they attempted 25 shots form behind the arc but only managed to knock down six which led to several long rebounds that the Magic were able to turn into transition buckets as they registered 18 fast-break points to only six by Warrington.
The win was the Magic’s eighth straight as they finished the season on a tear following their narrow home loss to Nottingham Hoods back in February with all but one of those victories coming by double-digits.
Bagheri and Pilkington both finished the season averaging over 14 points and seven rebounds per contest with both shooting a very efficient 47% from the field. Tom Devitt led the team with four assists per contest and averaged nine points per game as did Yann Fasbender who also converted a blistering 88% of his free-throws to finish first in the Division in that category.
The Magic’s splendid shot selection all year resulted in nine players shooting over 45% for the season. Joe Sullivan was the team’s top 3-point shooter at 34% and ended up in a 3-way tie with Bagheri and Devitt for most 3-pointers made on the squad with 18.
Jack Crook and Jordan Whelan led the reserves in scoring at just over eight points per game with Whelan making 49% of his shots from the field and 75% from the free-throw line.
Tayo Oyefusi, Kayin Darbey and Alex Fortnam all had breakout seasons as they averaged five points per game and shot 66% from the charity stripe with Oyefusi finishing the season as the teams leading rebounder off the bench at a shade under five per contest.
The ever present Liam Johnson was offered a calming presence at point-guard throughout the year and Joe Kilpatrick provided a tremendous spark with some timely 4th quarter shooting all season long.
In the Playoff final they will face the Newham Neptunes who defeated the Loughborough Student Riders by nine points and won the National Shield earlier this year. The two sides have not faced each other this season as both teams finished top of their respective conferences and will look to battle it out to prove which team is the best in the Division.
The Magic will be looking to gain a modicum of revenge for their U13 and U15 sides who were defeated by the Neptunes in their Playoff finals a fortnight ago.
Top Scorers
Manchester Magic – Daniel Pilkington 20, Toloe Bagheri 17, Tom Devitt 12
Warrington Wolves – Usman Baba 13, Niel Gillard 12, Peter Arden 11
Juma Ngqobongwana
Twitter.com/ngqobongwana
30 March 2012
Magic Push Past Pioneers; Surge Into Playoff Semi-Final
Manchester Magic 87 – 46 London Greenhouse Pioneers
The Manchester Magic seem to have raised their game at just the right time as they crushed the London Greenhouse Pioneers with a dominant second-half performance at the Amaechi Centre.
After clinching the league title in dramatic fashion at Loughborough a week earlier; the home team managed to maintain that momentum as they stream-rolled their way through their Division Three Playoff quarter-final to set-up a mouth-watering semi-final against the Washington Wolves.
Led by their frontline trio of Daniel Pilkington, Jack Crook and Toloe Bagheri the Magic started the brighter of the two sides as they raced out to a 16-6 lead. Their defence pressure paid dividends as they went on a 12-0 run with all the points a result of great finishing in transition. The Magic big-men combined for 46 points and 20 rebounds in the contest as they controlled the paint throughout the game.
The Pioneers were paced by a double-double from forward Dean Prosenica who finished with 17 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. He scored nine of the visitors first 13 points as he displayed a good touch around the basket as used a series of crafty drives to the hoop. He kept his side in the game after the Magic’s early run to leave them trailing 22-11 at the end of the first quarter.
The visitors shook off their early-game rust as they made a 7-2 run at the start of the second period with Gytis Pakalniskis scoring five quick points to close the gap to nine. The Pioneers outscored the hosts 16-12 in the quarter and seemed a lot more focused then they did in the opening stanza and Isaac Omirin’s lefty layup with 50 seconds left brought the visitors to within five with 54 seconds to play in the half. A basket by the Magic’s Yann Fasbender gave the Magic a 34-27 lead as they went into the locker-room at the midway point.
After a lacklustre second period the Magic started the third with a much greater sense of urgency; and it started at the defensive end where they held the visitors to just eight points in the quarter. Prosenica added six more to his tally but the rest of his teammates made only one of their seven attempts from the field and didn’t attempt a single free-throw in the period. Bagheri, Devitt and Pilkington scored six points apiece in the period as the hosts steadily increased the tempo and seemed to wear the visitors down with their running game. Their third quarter rally saw the home-side take a 61-35 lead into the fourth where they continued to pour on the points.
The home-side went on a 14-0 run as the Pioneers committed four turnovers in three minutes and didn’t score a field goal over the first four and a half minutes of the quarter. That burst put the game away for good as the Magic picked up their second straight home win by 40 points or more.
This weekend they will face the Warrington Wolves in what promises to be close-knit affair as the two sides meet for the third time this season. The previous two games this season have seen the away-team come out on top but the Magic will be hoping to reverse that trend as they look to have another stellar defensive performance after they held the Wolves to a season low 36 points when they met on March 3rd.
Top Scorers
Manchester Magic – Daniel Pilkington 17, Jack Crook 15, Toloe Bagheri 14
London Greenhouse Pioneers – Dean Prosenica 17, Gytis Pakalniskis 7, Isaac Omirin 5
Juma Ngqobongwana
Twitter.com/ngqobongwana
19 March 2012
Magnificent Magic March On With Victory Over Lacklustre Leeds
Manchester Magic 114 – 38 Leeds Carnegie 2
The Manchester Magic took a step closer to a Championship showdown against the Loughborough Student Riders on Sunday evening, with a lop-sided victory over Leeds Carnegie on Tuesday night.
Led by a season high 21 points from point-guard Kayin Darbey and 20 points from Tayo Oyefusi the Magic dominated their opponents from start-to-finish outscoring them by double-digits in all four quarters.
The home-side’s smothering defensive pressure forced the visitors into several rushed shots as they missed all 23 of their attempts from 3-point range and were held to just 21% shooting from the field.
Carnegie kept it close in the early stages before a pull-up jumper by the Magic’s Tom Devitt sparked a 7-0 run for the home-side to give them a 21-7 lead with 30 seconds left to play in the first period.
The Magic blew the game wide-open with a 15-0 run to start the second period as they hounded the visitors to commit seven turnovers in a five-minute span. Magic centre Jack Crook scored five of his eight points during the run and Toloe Bagheri had nine of his 13 in the period as the hosts made 17 of their 21 attempts from the field while holding the visitors to just seven points in the period.
Carnegie were paced by nine points from Dennis Shayne and stayed aggressive throughout the game as they managed to get to the foul line 20 times, converting 12 of their attempts. However their inability to look after the ball hurt them as they committed 29 turnovers and registered just five assists.
The Magic dominance continued in the second period as they held the visitors to just 10 points in the third and outscored them by 23 points in the final stanza. Darbey caught fire late on for the hosts scoring 12 points in the final 6 minutes of the contest.
Victory for the hosts sets up a fantastic finale to the season with the Magic facing the Shropshire Warriors on Saturday knowing that a win will set up a winner-takes-all final game of the regular season at Loughborough.
The Magic defeated the Riders when the two sides met back at the Amaechi Centre back in November but Loughborough have been in great form recently; winning 11 of their last 12 games and will be confident of getting a result on their home floor. With everything on the line; it promises to be a fantastic finale to what has been a splendid regular season.
Top Scorers
Manchester Magic – Kayin Darbey 21, Tayo Oyefusi 20, Toloe Bagheri / Daniel Pilkington 13
Leeds Carnegie II – Shane Dennis 9, Ben Cepulis 6, Justines Useckas 6
Juma Ngqobongwana
Twitter.com/ngqobongwana
23 February 2012
Magic Slip to Second Following Home Loss to Hoods
Manchester Magic 72 – 73 Nottingham Hoods
The Manchester Magic suffered their first loss of 2012 in heartbreaking fashion as they lost a 72-73 thriller to the Nottingham Hoods at the Amaechi Basketball Centre on Saturday night. Led by 19 points from sharpshooter Simon Allaway the visitors closed the game with a 6-0 run over the final 4:29 to complete the comeback.
The Magic were paced by a double-double from Daniel Pilkington who finished with 15 points and a game-high 14 rebounds .They also got a spark off the bench from Joe Kilpatrick who scored 10 of his 14 points in the final quarter. He also finished with a game-high five steals.
Despite only suiting up eight players the visitors bench outscored the Magic 27-22 thanks to a solid 16 points and nine rebounds from their backup forward Leome Francis.
After Kilpatrick knocked down a pair of free throws to give the home side a 72-67 lead with four and a half minutes to play they went scoreless for the rest of the game, missing their final ten attempts from the field.
Francis answered back for the Hoods with a driving layup as he was fouled by Magic forward Toloe Bagheri. He missed the free throw and the Magic corralled the rebound but they were unable to capitalise as nothing they put up could find its way into the basket.
Following a Kilpatrick miss, Nottingham guard Jo-Jo Owusu-Ansah threw a length of the court pass to a streaking Francis who laid the ball in the ball in with 52 seconds left to cut the visitors deficit down to one.
Francis then stole the ball from Bagheri and found Owusu-Ansah in the open court and he converted a tough layup as he was fouled by the Magic’s Tom Devitt. He went to the line with a chance to make it a two-point game but he was off with the free-throw to give the Magic possession trailing by one with 36 seconds left.
After Kilpatrick was fouled on the floor the Magic went back to Bagheri who nearly got the short-range attempt to drop but was fouled on the play so he went to the line with six seconds remaining and a chance to win the game. But it wasn’t to be and he missed both free-throws and Pilkington was unable to convert the follow up attempt as the Hoods claimed their fourth road victory of the season.
Nottingham went into the interval trailing 36-39 thanks to Kilpatrick’s corner 3-pointer just before the half-time buzzer but they roared back in the third period. Their active hands on defence allowed them to get out on the break and they managed to take a 41-45 lead following a layup by Francis with 5:58 to play in the period. Pilkington scored nine in the quarter as the Magic moved the ball well on offense but struggled at the other end to keep the visitors out of the paint where they had a 48-38 advantage.
Allaway had nine in the period as he repeatedly stretched the defence with his mid-range shooting stroke but he also found his way to the basket a few times and finished well in traffic.
His strong play gave the Hoods a slender 60-56 lead heading into the final period but the Magic went on a 10-0 run to storm back into the lead; spearheaded by the play of Kilpatrick. He went on a tear scoring four buckets in as many minutes as he relentlessly attacked the basket in transition and knocked down a pull-up jumper for good measure. The Magic had a 48-35 advantage on the glass including 19 offensive rebounds which they only managed to convert into 12 second chance points.
It was an entertaining game from two well-matched teams who both like to play an up-tempo style of basketball which at times led to some misplaced passes with the Magic turning the ball over 18 times and the visitors 17.
The win was the second straight for the Hoods sees them climb to 8th place over the Huddersfield Heat who had a good road win at Leeds Carnegie. The Magic now sit in second place behind the Loughborough Student Riders with 13 wins to the Riders 14. The Magic will look to start another unbeaten streak when they take on the Sheffield Sabres this weekend. The Sabres beat the Magic 82-77 back in November and the hosts will have revenge on their minds when the game tips off on Saturday.
Top Scorers
Manchester Magic – Daniel Pilkington 15, Joe Kilpatrick 14, Toloe Bagheri 13
Nottingham Hoods – Simon Allaway 19, Leome Francis 16, Levi Matthews / Jo-Jo Owusu-Ansah 9
Juma Ngqobongwana
Twitter.com/ngqobongwana
27 January 2012
Heat Hammered On Boards As Magic Remain Unbeaten in 2012
Huddersfield Heat 68 – 112 Manchester Magic
The Manchester Magic continued their excellent start to the year with their third straight double-digit victory as they triumphed over the Huddersfield Heat. Toloe Bagheri led the way for the Magic with 27 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in just 21 minutes of action.
The Magic dominated the boards; snagging 75 rebounds to the visitors 23. In a bizarre occurrence the Magic managed to grab more rebounds at the offensive end (25) than the Heat managed at both ends combined. The Magic made those extra possessions count as they registered 30 more shots than their opponents despite committing slightly more turnovers (18 to 17).
The Heat’s Joseph Irving was the game’s top scorer with 28 points as he connected on half of his eight attempts from behind the arc but the visitors squandered several opportunities to cut into the deficit early in the game as they converted just 56% (10 of 22) from the charity stripe.
Due to issues with the visitors home court; the Magic (despite hosting the game) were classed as the visiting team – which made it rather confusing for any supporters arriving late.
After a 3-pointer from Irving narrowed the Magic lead to 13-9 they opened up a gap with a 9-0 run capped by a long jumper by Daniel Pilkington. Pilkington was one of four Magic players to finish with double figure rebounds (10) as did Alex Fortnam (12) and Tayo Oyefusi (11) who has averaged a shade under ten rebounds a game in the three games since the turn of the year. The Heat had an opportunity to close the gap at the end of the period but missed four straight attempts from the field to end the quarter trailing 26-13.
The Magic opened up the second quarter with a 12-3 run as the visitors went to the line six times but only managed to convert half of their attempts. In the meantime; the Magic just kept on rolling with Bagheri scoring 10 points in the quarter; all of them in the paint.
The Heat topped the 20 point mark midway through the period as Irving scored seven straight points with a 3-ball, a bank shot and a pair from the charity stripe. Nevertheless their inability to get stops at the defensive end prevented them from cutting into the lead as they were outscored 30-13 in the second period with the Magic scoring unanswered points to close out the half.
The third quarter was the most closely contested in the game with the Magic narrowly coming out on top (25-24) as the two sides traded buckets throughout the period. Andrew Eugene knocked down three 3-pointers in the quarter for the Heat and Irving added another seven to his tally but their inability to stop the Magic juggernaut from rolling prevented them cutting into the hosts sizeable advantage.
Despite their resurgence in the third period the visitors once again struggled with their shooting stroke in the 4th as they made just three of their 11 attempts from the field and turned the ball over nine times. Six of those miscues happened in the final three minutes of the game as the Magic showed no signs of tired legs; creating numerous transition opportunities as they scored 14 points in the final 2:49 of the contest. Fortnam scored eight of his 11 points in the quarter to add to his game-high 12 boards in 19 minutes off the bench.
The result leaves the Magic in second place in Division Three having played a game less than the first placed Loughborough Student Riders. Both teams have two losses so far this season. They will look to continue their good run of form when they face off against the seventh place Derby Trailblazers on Sunday 29th January at Derby. The Blazers will be hoping to build on their impressive victory over the Warrington Wolves and will look for another big game from their shooting guard Simon Spencer who currently leads the Division in scoring at just over 22 points a game.
Top Scorers
Manchester Magic –Toloe Bagheri 27, Daniel Pilkington 16, Yann Fasbender 14
Huddersfield Heat –Joseph Irving 28, Eugene Andrew 12, Sam Gray 10
Juma Ngqobongwana
Twitter.com/ngqobongwana
5 January 2012
Blowout Win Over Warriors Leaves Magic Top Of The Tree For Christmas
Manchester Magic 119 – 53 Shropshire Warriors
The Manchester Magic head into the Christmas break perched on top of the League after a 66-point victory boosted their points-differential and lifted them above the Loughborough Student Riders in Division 3.
Jack Crook finished with 21 points and six rebounds in 25 minutes of action as the hosts led from start to finish and didn’t look back after their 15-0 run to start the game. The home-side had 6 players score in double figures and finished with a massive 57-22 advantage on the boards.
The Warriors we're paced by 18 points from forward Luke Grant but were plagued by turnovers - committing 27 in total. The 119 points scored by the Magic were a season high as they shared the ball and made the visitors pay dearly for their miscues. After their slow start the Warriors found their way into the game; putting together a 9-1 run with guard Joshua Crutchley getting a couple of steals and scoring in transition.
The Magic responded immediately with a 10-2 run of their own through four free-throws from Liam Johnson and Daniel Pilkington as well as a few stick-back layups at the offensive end. The home-side were extremely active on the offensive glass as they amassed 27 rebounds at that end of the floor; with six players registering three or more.
After a slight resurgence had brought the visitors to within 31-15 at the end of the first; the Magic blew the game wide open with a devastating second quarter display holding their opponent to just four points. The Magic's Joe Kilpatrick had eight points and three other Magic players scored at least five points as their fast-break attack simply devastated the visitors who were unable to slow down the ball or keep track of the cutting Magic players as they ghosted in for layup after layup
The hosts used a 12-0 and a 19-0 run to take a 65-19 halftime lead. After such a demoralising quarter it would have been easy for the Warriors to succumb to more pressure in the third but in a much improved quarter they were only out-scored by 22-19 .
Grant began to heat up in the third; scoring ten points in the final six minutes of the quarter as the visitors repeatedly fed him the ball in the post. His good work on the low block sparked a 10-4 run for the Warriors which saw them go into the 4th quarter down 87-38.
The Magic finished the game with a 32 point quarter with Kilpatrick, Joe Sullivan and Tayo Oyefusi all scoring at least five points in the fourth. Oyefusi was particularly efficient as he finished with eight points and seven boards in just 11 minutes off the bench.
The win saw the Magic vault into top spot in the division at Christmas and heading into 2012 they'll hope to maintain their momentum in their push for promotion.
Top Scorers
Manchester Magic – Jack Crook 21, Joe Kilpatrick 15, Daniel Pilkington 15
Shropshire Warriors – Luke Grant 18, Joshua Crutchley 11, Ben Parry 9
Juma Ngqobongwana
Twitter.com/ngqobongwana
2 December 2011
Minor Setback As Magic Stumble At Home To Wolves
Manchester Magic 61 – 79 Warrington Wolves
After a superb 6-0 start to the season had led them to the top of the Division the Magic were brought back down to earth with a bump as they suffered back-to-back defeats which saw them slip down to third place.
Following a narrow 82-77 loss on the road to the Sheffield Sabres the Magic returned to the familiar surroundings of the Amaechi Centre hoping to boost their spirits however the visitors had other ideas.
In a side featuring several former Magic players, the Wolves showed that they felt just as comfortable at the ABC and ended up with a well-deserved victory. Led by former Magic centre Steve Boonham who finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds, the Wolves bench outscored their hosts by 47 points to 21 with Warrington’s sharpshooters Kieran Forsythe and Ambokile Bell scoring 10 and nine points respectively.
The Magic were paced by 12 points by Danny Pilkington; 10 of them coming in the first quarter on a night when the home team struggled to convert, as they shot only 31% from the field and made just four of their 24 attempts from behind the arc.
The Wolves blow the game wide open in the second quarter with a 14-1 run as the Magic missed seven straight attempts whilst the visitors continued to knock down shots at the other end. Wolves player/coach Delme Herriman scored four of his 15 points during the run while putting in a great all-round performance as he also finished with eight assists and six rebounds.
The Magic’s Loick Pouale scored a coast-to-coast layup to put an end to the Wolves run but the hosts found themselves facing a 32-20 deficit with 5:26 left to play in the half. Their inability to get stops prevented them from making any significant inroads into the Wolves lead and their first half misery was complete when Warrington’s Tom Sutton scored right on the half-time buzzer as he was fouled. He completed the 3-point play to give his side a 41-26 halftime lead.
An improved third quarter saw the home-side keep up with the visitors scoring exploits but they were unable to disrupt the Wolves offence significantly enough to enable them to create any easy opportunities. They trailed 36-49 when Bell nailed a 3-pointer from the right-wing to kick-start a 7-0 run for the Wolves giving them a 56-36 lead with 1:42 left in the quarter. Magic reserve Jack Crook scored four of his nine points on back-to-back possessions as the home-side closed out the period with a 5-2 run to go into the fourth quarter trailing 58-41.
Boonham opened the scoring in the final period with three quick points to give Warrington their biggest lead of the night at 21 but the home-side countered with their first big run of the game as they scored eleven unanswered points to make it 52-62 with 5:42 left to play.
The Magic’s Joe Sullivan knocked down two 3-pointers during the run and Crook added three more points to his total as the home crowd began to rally behind their team. However the visitors remained cool under pressure as Herriman found Bell in the corner for a jumper right in front of the Magic bench to put an end to their scoring drought. Bell then drove to the basket and found Usman Baba underneath for an easy two to put the visitors up by 14 before Boonham nabbed an offensive rebound and put it back up to give the Wolves a 68-52 lead with 4:10 left to play.
Bell scored a layup in transition following a steal by Herriman to put them back up by 21 before Tom Devitt scored from the baseline and Crook nailed a pair from the line as the hosts tried to make a final flurry. But Forsythe put an end to their hopes as he faked his defender into the air and swished a jumper from the right side to condemn the Magic to their first home loss of the season.
The result sees the hosts fall behind the Sheffield Saints and the Loughborough Riders in the Division Three standings but with all three teams currently sitting on two losses there is still plenty to play for in the fight for promotion.
The Magic will look to bounce back when they take on the Stockport Falcons at home on Saturday December 3rd. The Falcons currently lie in 12th place in the Division but managed their first win of the season last week as they defeated the Huddersfield Heat in overtime.
Top Scorers
Manchester Magic – Danny Pilkington 12, Yann Fasbender 9, Jack Crook 9
Warrington Wolves – Steve Boonham 15, Delme Herriman 13, Usman Baba 12
Juma Ngqobongwana
www.twitter.com/ngqobongwana
25 November 2011
Brilliant Bagheri leads Magic To Top Of Division
Manchester Magic 85 – 72 Loughborough Student Riders
The Manchester Magic maintained their 100% start to their Division 3 campaign with an enthralling victory over the Loughborough Student Riders.
Toloe Bagheri put in a dominant performance for the home-side with 25 points and seven rebounds as the Magic side find now find themselves in pole position in the League. The visitors were led by 19 points from point guard Thomas Ward and centre John Stewart had 16 in the first half. Unfortunately for the visitors he was unable to add to his tally in the second as the Riders suffered only their second defeat of the season.
The visitors came into the game on the back to two blow-out victories but they were immediately pegged back as the Magic made the brighter start to the contest opening up a 15-point lead just five minutes in. Bagheri had nine points in the first period, as he used strength to simply overpower whichever defender the opposition tried to put in his way. His 3-point play with five minutes to play in the quarter gave the Magic 20-5 lead as the visitors seemed shell-shocked by their host’s quick start.
The Riders eventually found their rhythm and managed to stay in the game thanks to Stewart’s ten first quarter points but still found themselves facing a 32-19 deficit at the end of the first period as the Magic’s Jordan Whelan scored six points in the closing stages of the quarter.
Following their difficult start the Riders appeared much more comfortable in the second period and as a result their shots began to fall. They outscored their hosts by 24 points to 12 with most of their points coming in the paint or from the stripe as their penetrating drives caused endless problems for the Magic.
Loughborough went on a 10-2 run capped by Ramiah O’Neill’s layup to make it 41-38 with 1:39 to play in the half. O’Neill then missed a chance to tie the score before the Magic came down the other end and increased their lead with Daniel Pilkington’s 3-pointer. The Riders finished the second half with a flurry; scoring five straight points to pull them within just a point as they trailed 44-43 at the break.
They carried that momentum into the second half with Ward adding seven more to his total in the first three minutes of the third quarter. His driving layup put Loughborough up 54-50 as the visitors appeared to have the Magic on the back foot. Bagheri responded with a sweet turn-around jumper in the lane but O’Neill drained a 3-pointer from the left-wing to give the Riders a five-point lead with 5:57 to play in the period.
Bagheri knocked down a jump-shot from the elbow before Yann Fasbender tied things up with a 3-ball of his own with 5:03 left on the clock. Sensing the an opportunity to take control the Magic went on a 6-2 run over the next two minutes as Whelan continued to use his blistering speed to find gaps in the Riders defense and finish well at the rim. The Magic narrowly outscored the visitors by 22 points to 19 in the quarter to take a 66-62 lead into the fourth.
The home-side made an ideal start to the final quarter with back-to-back threes by Liam Johnson and Bagheri but Loughborough’s Curtis Hadley replied with a 3-ball of his own to trim the lead to seven. Bagheri then scored a layup as he was fouled by the Riders Christopher Carroll to put the Magic up by nine. He would miss the ensuing free-free throw but Loick Pouale scored with a tough driving finish to push the lead back up to double-digits. The Riders managed to break-up the Magic’s run but they were unable to put any sustained pressure on the hosts and a 7-0 run capped by Bagheri’s second 3-pointer of the night sealed the deal as they ran out 85-72 victors.
The Magic have a difficult double-header this weekend as they visit the Sheffield Sabres on Saturday before hosting the Warrington Wolves on Sunday.
Top Scorers
Manchester Magic - Toloe Bagheri 25, Tom Devitt 17, Daniel Pilkington 13
Loughborough Student Riders - Thomas Ward 19, John Stewart 16, Ramiah O'Neill 13
Juma Ngqobongwana
Twitter.com/ngqobongwana
18 November 2011
Crook’s 4th Quarter Flurry Leads Magic To The Last 8 Of National Shield
Manchester Magic 71 – 61 Nottingham Hoods
The Manchester Magic progressed to the quarter-finals of the National Shield with a home victory over the Nottingham Hoods. Led by 14 points from centre Toloe Bagheri and 11 off the bench from Jack Crook they beat their East Midlands opponents for the second time in two days after defeating them in the league on Saturday.
After winning that game by 30 points the Magic fans may have anticipated another blow-out victory in this encounter. And they seemed to be well on their way as they made a remarkable start scoring the first 19 points of the game. Visiting coach Steve McGlothin could only watch from the sidelines as his team turned the ball over seven times in the first quarter and missed their first nine shots before Jo-Jo Owusu-Ansah made a free-throw with 1:54 to play in the period.
Ansah was the game’s top-scorer with 23 points and at times seemed to operate as a one-man fast break; constantly pushing the pace in transition as the visitors attempted to dig themselves out of the hole they found themselves in.
The hosts on the other hand were razor sharp from the offset; punishing the visitors every mistake as they ran in layup after layup with all five starters putting points on the board early on to give them a 19-3 advantage at the end of the first.
With their first quarter mishaps pushed firmly to the back of their minds the Hoods gathered themselves and managed to outscore their hosts 21-17 in the second as Ansah led the comeback with ten points in the period. The Magic were unable to contain the Notts guard as he repeatedly made his way to the paint, finishing deftly with either hand.
He converted a layup as he was fouled by the Magic’s Kayin Darbey and knocked down the resulting free-throw to cut the gap to nine points with 5:04 to play in the half before a 3-pointer from the Hoods Simon Allawell cut the lead to six.
Magic coach Paul Middleton responded by bringing starters Yann Fasbender and point guard Liam Johnson back into the game. The change paid off immediately as Johnson found Fasbender cutting to the basket for an easy two to start of a 6-2 Magic run that they used to close out the half giving them a 36-24 lead.
Johnson opened the scoring in the second half with a jumper from the right-wing as the hosts looked to extend their lead but they struggled from the field making only four of their 13 attempts in the period and only managed to score nine points.
In the meantime the Hoods maintained their pressure as the Magic seemingly had no answer – for Ansah; who continued to bamboozle them on his way to the basket adding eight more points to his tally. He knocked down a pair from the line and a mid-range jump shot before Apostolos Apostolidis converted a stick-back layup to pull the visitors to within five heading into the fourth.
Tom Devitt got the Magic off to a dream start to the period with a coast-to-coast layup but Ansah’s pass found Gregely Szabo who’s 3-pointer from the right-wing brought the visitors to within four. The closest they’d been since the first quarter. The Magic replied with back-to-back buckets from Crook as he converted a layup and threw down a slam-dunk on the break following a steal by Loick Pouale. Devitt then found Joe Sullivan in the open court for a layup to put the Magic back up by double digits with 7:15 to play.
Refusing to back down the visitors replied with two jumpers from Allawell but Crook countered with a short hook-shot in the lane and after the Hood’s Guy Renton hit a 3-pointer Crook popped up with an offensive rebound and put the ball back up for two to give the home side a 57-49 advantage.
Pouale then increased that lead with a 3-pointer from the left corner off another assist from Devitt who finished with three on the night to go with his five rebounds. His driving layup with 4:49 helped to spark a 6-0 run for the hosts capped by Jordan Whelan’s layup to give them a 15 point advantage with 3:31 to play which was enough to see them through.
Their opponents in the Quarter Finals will be the Loughborough Student Riders who they face in the league on Saturday the 19th November at 7pm.
Top Scorers:
Manchester Magic – Toloe Bagheri 14, Jack Crook 11, Tom Devitt 9
Nottingham Hoods – Jojo Owusu-Ansah 23, Simon Allawell 15, Tom Ballentine 8
Juma Ngqobongwana
Twitter.com/ngqobongwana
9 November 2011
Sefton Left Star-Struck As Magic Move to 4-0
Manchester Magic 93 – 57 Sefton Stars
A fervent third quarter run helped lead the Magic to their fourth straight league victory as they defeated the Sefton Stars on Saturday night.
Toloe Bagheri and Daniel Pilkington both scored 18 points and Tom Devitt added 16 as the Magic used a big third quarter push to open up a lead that they would go on to extend with a massive 29 points in the final quarter.
Michael Embaye top-scored for the visitors with 19 points as the Stars dropped their second straight game after losing to the Warrington Wolves last week. They struggled shooting the ball from the field converting only 32% from inside the arc and 33% from long range.
After a solid first half saw them only trailing by eight; the game slipped away from Sefton as Pilkington continued his fine form with 12 points in the third as the hosts picked apart the Stars' zone defence with their precise passing. A 3-pointer by Embaye made the score 41-32 in favour of the Magic with 8:48 to play in the third but Magic centre Jack Crook hit a tough jumper on the baseline before Pilkington scored eight straight points for the home-side.
As the Magic spaced the floor well at the offensive end; the Stars were unable to keep a track on Pilkington and the hosts continued to feed the hot-hand as he popped up to knock down mid-range jumpers or found himself in good position to convert from close range.
Embaye scored a driving layup to stop the run with 3:34 left in quarter but the Stars missed their final five shots while the Magic just kept pouring on the pressure. Pilkington scored another layup and Yann Fasbender drained a long jumper from the wing before a blocked shot found its way to Pilkington who swung the ball to Kayin Darbey who knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key.
The Magic’s dream quarter finished on a spectacular note as Liam Johnson sunk an incredible shot from half-court as the buzzer to end the quarter sounded; bringing the crowd to their feet and giving the hosts a 64-39 lead heading into the final quarter.
The hosts opened the fourth period with a 6-0 run before Sefton scored five straight; but they founds stops at the defensive end hard to come by and the Magic looked like scoring every time they came down the court.
Whelan made a nice pass to Crook for a two-handed dunk in transition as he was fouled by Smith; Crook made the free-throw to give the hosts a 75-45 lead with 5:49 to play in the game. Despite the game being out of reach the Magic showed no signs of slowing as they scored 18 points in the final 5 minutes as Bagheri, Devitt and Loick Pouale knocked down 3-pointers to close out the contest. The Magic will look to extend their unbeaten run in the League when they visit the Nottingham Hoods on Saturday November 12th.
Top Scorers
Manchester Magic - Toloe Bagheri 18, Daniel Pilkington 18, Tom Devitt 16
Sefton Stars - Michael Embaye 19, Ben Hannaway 10, Dan Walsh 7
Juma Ngqobongwana
Twitter.com/ngqobongwana
3 November 2011
Magic March On Following Destruction Of Derby
Manchester Magic 88 – 66 Derby Trailblazers 2
The Manchester Magic maintained their unbeaten run in Division 3 with a home victory over the Derby Trailblazers. The win sees the Magic move up to 4th place in the League table and leaves them as the only team in the Division without a loss.
They were led by 18 points and 12 rebounds from Daniel Pilkington and Joe Sullivan finished with a game high five assists to go with his l5 points - nine of them coming in a fast-paced first quarter that saw the Magic take an 18-7 lead just 5 minutes into the game.
The Trailblazers were spearheaded by 25 points from point guard Nick Lewis who also made four of his six attempts from behind the arc but was forced to leave the game with an ankle injury with 6:43 to play in the third period and struggled when he returned in the fourth.
It was another outstanding all-round performance by Pilkington who also had three steals and two blocks as the visitors had no answer for him. Despite their positive start the Magic appeared to trail off slightly as the quarter progressed and a 10-2 run by the Trailblazers saw them close the gap to three points at the end of the first.
A 5-2 run by the visitors at the start of the second period saw them tie the score at 24 on a layup by Paul Bowen two minutes in. That run by the Trailblazers clearly sparked the Magic into action as they reeled off six unanswered points capped by Pilkington’s close-range runner in the lane. The two sides traded buckets for the rest of the half which saw the Magic holding a 41-33 lead at the interval after Derby centre Paul Bowen missed a pair from the line at the half-time buzzer.
Lewis continued his good work at the offensive end at the start of the second half scoring seven points in the first two and half minutes; but the Trailblazers were unable to stop the Magic at the defensive end and struggled to chip away at the lead.
The home-side scored eight unanswered points as Pilkington, Sullivan, Bagheri and Devitt all scored from close range following miscues by the visitors who saw the deficit grow from seven points to 15 in a minute and a half.
With Lewis hampered in the fourth; Blazers guard Benjamin Hallam stepped up for the visitors, scoring nine points in the final period including six straight at one point to close the gap to 10 points with 6:04 to play. But once again the Magic made one final push to put the game to bed with an 11-0 run to take an 82-61 lead with three minutes to play.
The Magic’s next home game will be against the Sefton Stars on Saturday 5th November. The Stars currently sit in third position with four wins and two losses with their latest defeat coming against the Warrington Wolves.
Top Scorers:
Manchester Magic - Daniel Pilkington 18, Joe Sullivan 15, Toloe Bagheri 14
Derby Trailblazers - Nick Lewis 25, Benjamin Hallam 13, Simon Spencer 10
Juma Ngqobongwana
Twitter.com/ngqobongwana
26 October 2011
Magic Recover From Slow Start To Extinguish Burnley Blaze
Manchester Magic 85 – 52 Burnley Blaze
The Magic completed the second half of their double-header against a young Burnley College side coached by former Los Angeles Clipper Malcolm Leach.
Tom Devitt scored 22 points in the game making eight of his nine field goal attempts including all four of his shots from behind the arc.
The home-side recovered from a slow start which saw them behind 13-2 just minutes into the game as the visitors put on a dazzling display of long-distance shooting.
Ithiel Bilson-Graham and Adrien Hodger were the top scorers for the visitors with 18 and 14 points respectively and in the early stages it looked like an upset may be on the cards as the visitors pulled up one long jumper after another that hit nothing but the bottom of the net.
After the initial shock the Magic players soon buckled down and back-to-back 3-pointers by Jordan Whelan and Devitt reduced the deficit; but Hodger scored five more points in the period to ensure that Burnley held a 20-16 lead after one quarter.
Bilson-Graham continued his high-scoring ways in the second quarter with seven points but as the game wore on his production decreased and he only managed two more points the rest of the way.
The Magic used a 12-2 run midway through the period to regain control of the game with Devitt and Daniel Pilkington scoring four points each to give them a 33-30 lead into the half-time break.
Whatever words were said at half-time they clearly had a positive effect as the home-side opened the third quarter with a 20-0 spurt as Burnley repeatedly gave away which led to easy buckets for the Magic.
Joe Sullivan scored 11 straight points and Devitt knocked down a 3-pointer and converted a fast-break layup as the hosts continued to punish every Burnley turnover with a basket at the other end.
A free-throw by Burnley centre Aiman Rezk stopped the run but they had lost considerable ground at this point and were left facing a mountain to climb as they trailed 55-31 with three minutes to play in the third.
Burnley finished with only six points in the third quarter as the Magic erased thoughts of their sluggish start and headed into the final period with a commanding 62-36 lead.
The visitors made a lively start to the fourth with Hodger knocking down a 3-pointer and scoring with a difficult drive to the basket to cut the Magic lead to 21 but they were unable to get enough stops at the defensive end in order to mount a serious challenge.
Devitt had another seven more points in the quarter and Magic centre Jack Crook showed a feathery touch from close range as he scored four points late on. The Burnley players worked tirelessly throughout the game with four players logging more than 32 minutes of court time they were simply unable to cope with the Magic’s strength in depth.
The Magic will face the Nottingham Hoods in the third round of the National Shield at home on Sunday 13th November.
Top Scorers:
Manchester Magic – Tom Devitt 22, Joe Sullivan 11, Yann Fasbender 10
Burnley Blaze College – Ithiel Bilson-Graham 18, Adrien Hodger 14, Ajaypay Cheema 7
Juma Ngqobongwana
Twitter.com/ngqobongwana
26 October 2011
Second Quarter Surge Sees Magic Cool Off Heat
Manchester Magic 93 – 63 Huddersfield Heat
Saturday night saw the Magic cruise to their second straight consecutive victory of the season with a comfortable 93-63 victory over the Huddersfield Heat.
Daniel Pilkington led the home side with a season-high 21 points and Toloe Bagheri had another splendid performance with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
The Heat were paced by 20 points from Jason Swaine and Joseph Irving chipped in with 19 but the rest of the team struggled from the field as the remaining 10 players combined for just 24 points.
Magic coach Paul Middleton will be proud of his team’s effort at the defensive end which forced their opponents into 23 turnovers and led to a crucial second quarter run to establish his team’s ascendency.
Pilkington made a quick start to the game scoring nine first quarter points as he knocked down a 3-pointer, a mid-range jumper and threw in a dunk for good measure as the Magic pounced on the visitors in the early stages. His layup with 3:48 to play in the first period gave the hosts a 16-9 lead.
Swaine checked into the game with 2:21 to play and immediately made an impact; scoring with a sublime spin and layup on the baseline as he was fouled. He completed the 3-point play and drained a jumper from the wing at the end of the quarter to pull the Heat to within four points with the score at 22-18.
The two sides traded baskets to open the second period with Swaine adding to his tally with five more points before a 21-0 Magic run blew the game wide open.
Magic centre Jack Crook got the ball rolling with a layup before Bagheri nailed a 3-pointer from the right corner. Joe Sullivan knocked-down a 3-pointer which he followed up with a long jumper from the left wing as the Heat were slow to keep up with the Magic’s ball movement which resulted in good looks at the basket for their shooters.
Crook scored a layup in transition off a lovely pass from Sullivan after a Bagheri steal before Sullivan nailed another jumper to give put then up 40-23 with 5:23 to play.
The Heat struggled to look after the ball in the period as they committed eight turnovers in a six minute spell and only registered five attempts at the basket as the Magic made their pivotal run.
Huddersfield’s John Hugget scored a jumper with 1:48 to play in the half which was only their second field-goal of the quarter but it sparked a 9-0 Heat run which saw them head into the interval facing a 47-32 deficit.
The second half followed the same pattern as the first with Pilkington pouring in eight third quarter points. All 14 of the Heat points came from the combination of Swaine and Irving while a much more balanced approach from the Magic saw five players score four or more points in the period.
Following a bank-shot by Irving the Magic scored 12 unanswered points to give them a 67-39 lead with 3:03 to play in the third. Swaine scored the Heat’s final seven points of the quarter but they were unable to get stops at the defensive end as the Magic continued to put the ball in the basket in what was their highest scoring period of the game.
The 4th quarter saw the Heat’s best defensive effort of the contest as they held the Magic to 20 points but they were unable to close the gap as they only managed to score 17 points.
Liam Johnson had an impressive game for the Magic finishing with seven assists and five rebounds. The home-side owned the battle of the boards as the snagged 50 rebounds to the visitors 38 with six Magic players snagging five rebounds or more.
Top Scorers:
Manchester Magic – Daniel Pilkington 21, Toloe Bagheri 18, Joe Sullivan 15
Huddersfield Heat – Jason Swaine 20, Joseph Irving 19, John Huggett 6
Juma Ngqobongwana
Twitter.com/ngqobongwana
10 October 2011
Second Half Surge Sees Magic Past Saints
Manchester Magic 77 – 62 City of Sheffield Saints
The Magic tipped off their quest for the Division Three title as they outlasted the Sheffield Saints in a 77-62 victory on Saturday evening.
Led by 17 points from Tom Devitt and 16 points and nine rebounds from forward Danny Pilkington the Magic put on an impressive second-half display to pull away from their opponents after falling behind by as many as eight points in the first half.
The Saints were paced by 28 points from their veteran leader Garnet Gayle who also pulled down 12 rebounds whilst playing all 40 minutes of the contest.
The home-side raced into a 14-7 lead after Pilkington’s tip-dunk following Jordan Whelan’s miss with 4:06 to play in the 1st. Those were to be the final Magic points of the period as the visitors scored 10 straight to take a 17-14 lead at the end of the quarter.
The hosts struck first in the second period with a pair of free-throws by Whelan before a 7-0 run by the Saints gave them a 24-16 lead after Gayle’s 3-point play. Pilkington knocked down a jumper on the Magic’s next possession to trigger a 6-0 run before a 3-pointer from the Saints Chris Law put them up 27-22.
Gayle continued to put the Magic defence under pressure as he nailed a face-up jumper and banked in a 3-pointer to put his side up 32-25 with 2:34 to play in the half.
Pilkington drained a mid-range jumper and the Saints’ Pete Olusoga replied with a jumper of his own before the Magic used a 5-0 run to close out the half - capped by Yann Fasbender’s 3-point play with 12 seconds left on the clock which saw them trailing 34-32 at the interval.
The visitors opened up the second half with a layup by Luke Parker and another 3-pointer from Gayle gave them a 39-32 lead before the Magic cranked up the intensity at the offensive end and were rewarded for it as they were able to get to the free-throw line nine times in the period.
Magic centre Toloe Bagheri made five of his six attempts from the stripe in the quarter and swished a 3-pointer as part of a 12-2 run that saw the home-side regain the lead with 2:49 to play in the 3rd.
The offensive resurgence clearly helped to trigger their defence as they held the Saints without a field goal for the rest of the period however they managed to keep the scoreboard ticking over by getting to the line themselves. The Sheffield side knocked down three of their four attempts in the closing minutes to give themselves a fighting chance as they only trailed 49-44 heading into the home straight.
The Magic kept up the pressure in the final period as Whelan converted a 3-point play early on and Jack Crook nailed a jumper from the top of the key to increase the Magic lead to double digits before the Saints answered with a step-back jumper from Gayle.
Fasbender knocked down a jumper from the elbow and the lightening-quick Whelan had another steal and layup to put the home side up 58-46 as the visitors ran out of steam and the Magic just kept on running.
Gayle had an tip-in with 6:53 to pull the visitors to within nine but Devitt scored five points as part of an 8-2 Magic run that saw them take a 66-51 lead with 4:52 to play and effectively put an end to the visitors hopes of victory.
The Magic’s next home game will see them take on the Huddersfield Heat on Saturday 22nd October at 6:00pm at ABC.
Top Scorers:
Manchester Magic – Tom Devitt 17, Daniel Pilkington 16, Toloe Bagheri 12
Sheffield Saints – Garnet Gayle 27, Nick Cockman 9, Javan Hayles 9
Juma Ngqobongwana
Twitter.com/Ngqobongwana
28 September 2011
Raptors Rolled Over As Magic Stroll Into Second Round Of National Shield
Manchester Magic 97 – 54 Rossendale Raptors
For Anthony Greenwood's photos of the game, Click here.
The Manchester Magic sailed into the second round of the National Shield with a comprehensive demolition of the Rossendale Raptors at home on Saturday.
Tom Devitt scored 19 points for the home-side as they led from start to finish for the second straight game. The hosts owned the battle of the boards as they pulled down an impressive 46 rebounds to the visitors 26.
After their quick start had given the Magic a 21-9 at the end of the 1st quarter, the Raptors slowly began to find their groove and put together some good offensive sequences in the second period.
The Raptors struggled looking after the ball all night and finished with 33 turnovers as their hosts constantly harassed them into giving up the ball which led to 18 fast break points.
Rossendale centre, Mark Cowell, scored seven points in the second quarter but the visitors were unable to score more than five points without reply as the Magic maintained their double digit advantage thanks to Devitt’s sharp shooting.
The Raptors managed to narrow the gap to 10 points after a jumper by Aitor Estrada before a 3-pointer from Devitt increased the lead to 13. The Raptors were then hit with a double-technical foul for arguing with the officials they were made to pay as Pearson and Devitt nailed all 4 free-throws.
Devitt had 10 points in the period as he knocked down two 3-pointers and all four of his attempts from the free-throw line in another accomplished performance by the Magic guard.
The Magic bench dominated their opponents; scoring 51 points as the reserves played out the entire 4th quarter and scored all but two of their 32 points in the period.
Greg Pearson scored 10 of his 14 points in the period and Kayin Darbey scored eight points in a one sided 4th period in which the Magic scored 24 unanswered points and led by as many as 48 points.
The Magic will host the Burnley College Blaze in the second round on Sunday October 23rd at 5:00pm.
Top Scorers
Manchester Magic – Tom Devitt 19, Greg Pearson 14, Toloe Bagheri 11
Rossendale Raptors – Ionet Slabu 11, Mark Cowell 9, Matthew Ngara 8
Juma Ngqobongwana
Twitter.com/Ngqobongwana
20 September 2011
Magic Rout Knights And Roll Into Round Two Of National Cup.
Manchester Magic 88 – 63 Newcastle under Lyme College Knights
A new-look Manchester Magic side opened up their National Cup account with a convincing win over Newcastle under Lyme College Knights.
Starting centre Toloe Bagheri finished with 17 points and eight rebounds and Loick Pouale scored 14 points off the bench in a game that saw the home side lead from start to finish.
The visitors were led by 15 points from former Harlem Globetrotter Shawn Jamison who also snagged 12 rebounds, but his side were unable to recover from a slow start which saw them trailing 20-6 after just 5 minutes.
A terrific first half saw the Magic score 64 points as they scored with ease but trailed off in the second half in what was a good team performance to open the season.
A pair of free-throws by Magic guard Liam Johnson increased the lead to 16 before a layup by Jamison sparked an 11-4 run for the visitors capped by a layup from the Knights Ryan Adams.
Adams was a constant threat for the Knight and finished with a very respectable stat line of 15 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Bagheri knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner to halt the run but Adams continued to cause problems for the home-side and he found Jamison for a layup with six seconds left in the quarter to pull narrow the gap to 29-21 at the end of the first.
The Magic won the battle of the boards securing 46 rebounds to their opponents 34. They also held a commanding 38-5 advantage in points off the bench. All 11 Magic players saw court-time as coach Paul Middleton rotated his players frequently with none playing more than 25 minutes.
The visitors had another slow start in the second period as Bagheri and Pouale went to work; scoring the Magic’s first seven points as part of a 9-0 run. The home-side pressured their opponents into two quick turnovers early on which Pouale converted into a layup and a ferocious two-handed slam on the break.
Adams and Jamison score five-straight points for the Knights before the Magic increased the tempo and reeled off a 10-2 run capped by Jake Nichols steal and layup to push their lead to 52-30 with 4:13 to play in the half.
Nichols shot the ball extremely well and finished with 10 points and 3 steals make five of his six attempts from the field in just 13 minutes.
The home-side closed out the half with a 9-0 run as the Magic’s Tom Devitt scored five of his 11 points. He knocked down a pair of free-throws to give them a 64-34 lead at the interval.
Credit to the visitors as they made a quick start to the second half as they went on a 9-2 run capped by Adam’s offensive rebound and layup to cut the lead to 66-41. They tried their best to cut into the deficit and managed to outscore the Magic 18-12 in the third quarter and by 11 points to eight in the fourth.
Ultimately, they came up short but they can take heart from their second half performance where they managed to hold the home side to just 24 points. The Magic play in the First Round of the National Shield at home against Rossendale Raptors on Saturday 24th September.
Top Scorers:
Manchester Magic – Toloe Bagheri 17, Loick Pouale 14, Danny Pilkington 12
Newcastle under Lyme College Knights – Ryan Adams 15, Shawn Jamison 15, Sebastian Brundson 14
Juma Ngqobongwana
Twitter.com/Ngqobongwana
12 September 2011
New Start For Magic
After making a major decision to go to Division 3 from Division 1, the youngsters who make up the bulk of the team have been working
extremely hard in their pre-season preparation.
Most of the team are our current Junior players, with additional players being young (Danny Pilkington, Liam Johnson, Niel Gillard,
Yann Fasbender) with some older heads to give leadership to the team, notably Toloe Bagheri and Joe Sullivan.
With the new philosophy of promoting our own youngsters, we hope that we will be strong enough to move up the Leagues, with the
long-term aim of returning to Division 1 with our talented young players.
Entry fee for all home games, League, Shield and Cup, will be £1 for all ages. Good support is essential to move our Senior team
forward - come along and watch the exciting brand of basketball we are promoting.
A full squad list will be published shortly. The full seasons's fixtures are now on the website.
