While the men still have a couple of regular season games to play, this weekend saw the final league game for the rest of the club, as well as the opening playoff game, writes Arron MacDonald.
The Senior Women travelled to London Westside, keen to avenge a narrow four-point loss from a couple of weeks earlier. With both teams already in the playoffs, Coach MacDonald was looking at this as the “perfect warm-up” for the postseason.
However, the hosts had the better of the opening exchanges, using their size to control the glass.
Only Danni Cazey and Harriet Welham managed to register a field-goal in the first. Westside seized control of the game in the second, extending their lead to 18 points and making great use of their length to cause 13 first-half turnovers from the visitors.
In the second half, Ipswich upped the intensity level massively, and harassed Westside’s ball-handlers, while focusing on the offensive glass, however, they couldn’t bring the game back, falling 63-44.
The result saw the women fall to 10-4, however, with just two men’s games to play the club’s overall league record this year stands at an amazing 105-36, a win percentage of almost 75%!
With every team at the club with a winning record and none having lost more than seven games, seven of the club’s teams are play-off-bound.
Coach Noel Lambert saluted a crowd of over 100 supporters who vocally cheered-on the U13 Boys in their play-off debut at home to NASSA.
The Blues started strongly, dominating the first quarter 22-11, and extended the lead to 37-21 at the half through some excellent ball-movement and hard-nosed team defence.
NASSA keyed-in on leading scorer Veron in the second half, frequently sending him and Seb Mobee to the foul-line, and while the hosts edged the half, the strong first-half showing from the hosts had already effectively sealed the win.
Coach Lambert added: “I saw us develop in confidence today and do the simple things well, which made sure we advanced.”
Leading scorers were Veron (21), Rhakeem (13), Huggins/Mobee (10). The U13’s now move on to host Mansfield at 5pm on Saturday for a place in the national final fours.
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