Two local derbies brought positive results for the high-flyers in Division One as the pressure mounts at the top.
Tile Hill Trojans 1 beat their second string with the utmost of ease, with Trojans 2 having their evening ruined as three of their squad cried off with work calls, and the two potential replacements from the Third team were both nursing nasty finger injuries. But the remaining seven turned out and had the temerity to go ahead in what was a sluggish start by both teams. However, once the league leaders managed to get going they tore into their seconds and led 39-10 just after the initial quarter had finished, going on to pressure their colleagues, steal or intercept passes and race to the other end to cash in. Leading the way was Mark Larner who took the ball time and again from inside his own half before driving through to land some sublime points for the Firsts. He went on to record 27 with Austin Dickson adding 15 and 12 coming from Seconds’ Bhuwan Limbu as his side floundered.
Despite being short on their team-bench Hawks proved too good for plucky JM Grizzlies who were once both part of the oldest club in the Warwickshire Basketball League. Grizzlies were planning to spend a season in Division Two but went up as part of a league reorganisation and have struggled throughout the season. They came good against their former parent club though and led 18-17 after the first period. Hawks edged ahead in the second, which brought little for the scorer to inscribe, and as the game moved into the second-half scoring was still something of a rarity. Hawks the initiative though to lead 51-36, when Harry Adaway brought Grizzlies offensive play to life. He added three three-pointers to make it six in the game and as Grizzlies reduced the margin to ten, but it was too little too late for what would have been a sensational ending. Ricky Fennell led Hawks with 26, one more than Calvin Moore while Adaway’s 24 was some consolation for Grizzlies.
Arden Griffins faced a proverbial “banana-skin” at Coventry College until the final quarter when Sam Workman broke the College hearts with some sublime shooting which spearheaded a Griffins’ burst to take the points. Workman was the star of a 17-3 run inside five minutes to floor the Coventry side and keep alive Griffins’ hopes of landing the title.
Five-man Cracovia Stratford put up a tremendous showing at Tamworth, but despite their heroics, they could not prevent Tigers from chalking up win number eight. It was 51-51 inside the second-half, when Neil Evans suddenly plundered three triples to open it up as the Stratford quintet ran out of steam. Tigers went on to win 90-70 but the bulk of their scoring came in those final fifteen minutes.
In Division Two Rugby Rage continued their unbeaten run with a 78-41 home win over Nuneaton Predators with Guntars Trabliks hitting 21 points, and Mike Kearsley was the star for Westwood Rhinos who whipped Tile Hill Trojans 3 56-27 at Hereward College.
