Myerscough lose out in AOC National Cup

Having already secured a final four spot in the AOC Elite National cup it was now time for our second team to fight for their chance..

High tension and emotion from the start, All Saints drew first blood with two quick baskets in the opening minute. Myerscough came up empty on the first few attempts before Ryan Knowles broke the seal, followed by a steal and fast break by Kameron Shorrocks. Defence from the home team was  highly strung causing overzealous fouls and sending the visitors to the lines four times. A three from Matty Hodgkinson and a pair of three throws by John Challioner saw the first quarter close 18 -18.


Fouls seemed to be the common theme for the Myerscough as they got into the penalty quickly. The home team worked franticly to wear down the opposition on the defensive side of the floor trapping and switching but became too frantic and sent the visitors to the line a further 6 times! Ryan Knowles scored two tough baskets within the first two minutes of the second quarter, Myerscough not scoring again until three minutes left in the half coming in way of a three by Marcus Shields.  Despite offensive struggles and foul troubles allowing the travelling team to sit at the free throw line, the home side go into halftime only down by two points 33-35.

With foul trouble, sporadic shooting, and an overall tight first half, Myerscough needed to gain some composer and relax. Through better floor spacing and patience Myerscough did just that. Second year seniors Yannick Kablan and Kieran Skeffington carried the offensive load up until five minutes in the quarter. The home side finally found a way to not to not send the away team to the foul line although a controversial technical foul on Kameron Shorrocks didn’t help the cause. John Challioner re-ignited the offence with an electrifying play. Myerscough managed to close the quarter 52-47

 

Ten minutes of composer and Myerscough go through to their first final four opportunity. Showing physical signs of fatigue, Myerscough looked to take advantage of the shorthanded All Saints team. Not having his most effective game Adam Morris, opened up the scoring for the fourth quarter. All Saints with broken plays looked lost and disjointed offensively however, managed to draw consecutive fouls with their ball movement and probing guard play. Myerscough went on an 8-2 run which included vital scores from Harry Parr. Up nine with just over three minutes left and the home side believed that they had done enough to shut out All Saints however the side where anything but done. Finding a short corner field goal and being gifted a furthermore two more free throws. Myerscough soon realised it was only a five point game and two minutes remaining. All Saints had swung the momentum with an 8-1 run. Still up by two a Myerscough timeout was used to refocus, settle the nerves and come up with a definitive plan of action, a desperation drive off a broken play saw a Myerscough turn over and allow All Saints to score a devastating three!  

By design Myerscough had two great looks from the outside to steal the game from the road team but both shots came up just short of the mark. All Saints win 65-67  

 

Great determination by the visiting team to grind out the win, especially being undermanned and on the road. Great intensity by the home team, just a bit more focus to execute on both sides of the ball.

Quarter scores:  1st 18-18 2nd 15-17  3rd 19 – 12 4th 13-20 

Myerscough ease past County Upper in the EABL

 

Montel Dennis once again topped scored for Myerscough hitting 16 points in 17 minutes in the two sides first competitive fixture.

After a long trip County Upper started slowly as they struggled to deal with Myerscough’s defensive pressure. A 19 – 4 first quarter in favour of the home side was built upon in the second period as Myerscough held a 43 – 14 advantage at the break.

County Upper battled hard in the second half and played with great heart and spirit despite being up against it. Noah Petrovic stood out for the visitors on his way to 13 points but it was Myerscough who stretched out their lead to 41 points at the end of the 3^rd eventually taking the game 84 – 35.

Chris Bwana finished with 13 points for Myerscough whilst Earl Russell collected 10 points and 7 boards Martynas Vagdonas chipped in with 8 points for County Upper.

“I have to hand it to County Upper who battled and showed great character today, their record doesn’t reflect the way they are set up, they are a hard working team who play the right way” Commented Myerscough Head Coach Neal Hopkins after the game “We stuck to the task at hand and although I don’t think we were ruthless enough on the offensive end I am pleased with the way the guys handled their business”.

Next up for County Upper is a trip to Charnwood, whilst Myerscough host Noel Baker School on Monday evening.

Myerscough earn victory in the North East

A vital 87 - 61 victory helped move Myerscough's winning streak up to 8 as they took down Sunderland City Predators in the North East on Saturday evening. Missing key players on the night  there was a call up for U18 Kameron Shorrocks who featured in his first D4 game for Myerscough.

The visitors started brightly connecting on their first 4 attempts as they established a fast early tempo. Sunderland responded making their size count punishing the young Myerscough side to lead 23 - 20 after the first quarter.

Myerscough adjusted in the second period limiting Sunderlands offence. Capitalising on Sunderland uncertainty Myerscough jumped out to lead 40 - 34 at the half.

Myerscough came to life in the 3rd and found rhythm through Will Shaw who knocked down 4 consecutive triples to blow the game wide open. Kameron Shorrocks put an exclamation mark on the quarter hitting from long distance to see Myerscough lead by 22 going into the fourth.

Myerscough sat on their lead and dispite a mini revival from the home side were able to run out with the 87 - 61 victory to strengthen their playoff ambitions.

Will shaw who lead the team in scoring with 21 commented, "We knew it was going to be tough coming into the game, with the long road trip and the team missing key players. I thought we adjusted well, making big plays at big times to get a key victory and carry on our winning streak."

Next up for Myerscough is a home game against Sefton stars on the 22nd February.

Myerscough power past local rivals

 

Myerscough extended their winning streak to 7 games as they brushed aside local rivals Preston College on Sunday afternoon. With Preston College predicting a ‘boxing match’ in the pre-game build up, it was Myerscough who stepped up to teach the opposition a lesson in basketball in the 83 – 67 drubbing.

Myerscough started brightly darting out to a 15 – 8 lead after 4 minutes of play. Preston College responded before a 15 – 2 run blew the game wide open in favour of the home side. Myerscough’s relentlessness was rewarded as they punished every mistake the visitors made to hold a 32 – 18 lead after the first.

The second quarter took the same shape as Myerscough pushed the lead out to 20 points, taking total control of the tie. The visitors struggled to adjust and as the time wound down on the half found themselves with a huge mountain to climb, trailing 50 – 30.

A mini resurgence at the beginning of the third from Preston College was quickly halted by Myerscough who showed great maturity in defending their lead which moved out to 21 going into the final period, 65 – 44.

Myerscough moved out to lead by 23 after 1 minute in the fourth and with the win looking certain eased off. A flurry of buckets from the visitors moved the deficit to 16 and as the final whistle went Myerscough ran out with the 83 – 67 victory, recording their 14^th win of the league campaign.  

Myerscough’s Tadhg Hickey was pleased with the way his team played “The team performed well today as we showed our ability to maintain a high level of intensity throughout the game, each player made big contributions and I believe that if we build on our focus we will continue to achieve this season” Tadhg continued “The season is going well, we have placed ourselves in a position to succeed both on and off the court – it’s great to see”.

Next up is a trip to Sunderland for Myerscough who will continue their push for promotion.

 

Myerscough catch fire from deep to move past Gateshead

Myerscough connected on 14 attempts from deep to help their push for the playoffs in a 79 – 61 victory over Gateshead Phoenix on Sunday.

Myerscough started brightly nailing from 3 on their first two attempts against the Phoenix who came into the tie with a 7 win 5 loss record. The home side ran out to an 11 point lead midway through the first, Gateshead battled back to trail 22 – 16 after 10 minutes.

Myerscough moved through the gears during the early goings of the second, youngsters Adam Morris, Jordie Thomas and Kyle Elly all contributed in pushing the lead out to 17 before a 8 – 0 run from Phoenix pegged the deficit to 9 at the half, Myerscough with the 45  - 36 advantage.

The third quarter was a scrappy affair with neither side capitalising on the others sloppy play. Myerscough once again turned up the intensity during the fourth as they ran out with an 18 point victory 79 – 61, collecting their 13^th win of the campaign.

Myerscough’s Emmanuel Kabengele felt his team could have played much better on the day but was satisfied with the result saying “we played well in periods but we could have shared the ball more and created easier options, the team has to stay mentally locked in for 40 minutes, we have great talent but we have to make the adjustments to be where we know we can”.

Alex Roberts finished with 25 points, Kyle Elly with his performance of the season eased in with a number of important plays on his way to 14 points.

Myerscough have a well-earned weekend off before taking on local rivals Preston College on the 8^th of February.

Myerscough cruise past Moulton after rounded offensive effort

Myerscough College moved to 6 & 0 in the EABL after a comfortable win against Moulton College on Wednesday. Myerscough had 6 players in double digits with the standout performance coming from Cian Hickey who finished up with 12 points whilst dishing out 9 dimes in the 101 – 53 victory.

The hosts held a 18 point lead at the half after Moulton put in a spirited second quarter display not allowing Myerscough to build on their 25 – 7 first quarter.

Myerscough turned the screw down the stretch dropping 36 points in the fourth to run out with the 48 point victory.

Myerscough’s Cian Hickey said after the game “I thought the team played well with good intensity, I believe we are really establishing ourselves as a solid defensive unit”. Cian continued “I’m really enjoying the EABL, coming from Ireland it’s been a change of style and pace. I’ve settled in without any hassle and I’m relishing the competitive nature of the league, I believe we can compete with anyone”.

Linas Bajorunas led the way for Moulton with 18 points, Myerscough had 6 players in double digits, with Earl Russell picking up 14 and 8.

Next up is a trip to Charnwood for Myerscough whilst Moulton host Birmingham Met.

 

 

Myerscough keep winning streak alive

Myerscough made it 5 wins on the bounce after an outstanding defensive performance against local neighbours Lancashire Spinners 2 on Saturday. The hosts were made to work for every basket as Myerscough restricted them to a 33 point total in the 76 – 33 victory.

A fired up Myerscough started brightly darting out to a 6 point lead early on. In what was a scrappy first half Myerscough took it to the home team, holding the Spinners to just 4 points in the first quarter. Much of the same followed in the second period and despite not totally clicking on the offensive end Myerscough held a 38 – 15 lead at the half.

The Spinners established some rhythm during the third and played with the confidence that was missing in the first half. Into the final period and Myerscough turned the screw once more keeping the hosts scoreless for the first 9 minutes of the fourth to run out with the important 76 – 33 victory, moving to 12 wins 1 loss for the season.

With academy players Chris Bwana and Kiko Stavrev recently moving to the Manchester Giants youngster Jordie Thomas was included in the squad, Coach Neal Hopkins was impressed with his contribution “Jordie has the potential to go far, he is an outstanding athlete and has the skill set to match, we want as many of the younger guys as possible to be a part of this squad, with Chris and Kiko moving the opportunity is there for those who take it”.

Montel Dennis dropped a game high 15 points, Joao Paiva finished up with 11, whilst Cian Hickey had 9 for Myerscough.

Myerscough are at home to Gateshead Phoenix next Sunday hoping to earn another vital result.

Myerscough remain undefeated in the EABL

Wednesday afternoon saw Myerscough host Northwest rivals Priestley College in the EABL, the first fixture back after the Christmas break. Despite a spirited first half performance from the visitors Myerscough with 7 players in double digit scoring cruised to a 116 – 54 victory.

After a slow start from Myerscough, who were restricted by the well-disciplined Priestley side, the score at the break stood at 38 – 25 to the hosts. Priestley had every right to be pleased with their first half efforts and despite trailing had been the better team. Myerscough established rhythm in the second half and played at a pace the visitors struggled to match, eventually outscoring Priestley 78 – 27 over the final two periods to run out comfortable 116 – 54 winners.

Montel Dennis who finished with a game high 18 points commented after the game ‘I think we found it hard to get into rhythm after the Christmas break, eventually we got there and our second half performance was good, we know we have to make a lot of improvements in order to make the step up to the next level’.

Emmanuel Kabengele came out with 17 points 5 boards, Whilst Joao Paiva and Alex Roberts wrapped up with 16 a piece for Myerscough, Ollie Richardson led the way for the visitors finishing with 13 points and 5 boards.

Myerscough host Moulton on the 21^st January, Priestley make the trip to take on the undefeated Charnwood.  

 

 

England Selection for Alex Roberts

 

Alex Roberts represented England U18s at the recent Haris Tournament – an annual memorial event at the Amaechi Basketball Centre in Manchester, the 17 year old Level 3 Basketball studies student put together some outstanding performances as England finished third in the prestigious tournament.

 

Alex said after the event: “It was a really proud moment, representing my country is a huge accolade and it felt great to make a positive contribution having moved up the England ranks since I was 15, it was also massive to be playing in front of my family”.

 

“It was a  learning ground for the team and I as we were playing against established sides from Europe and America, I felt I did really well in adjusting to suit the style’s we came up against.  I felt very comfortable and relaxed which was a big development for me”.

 

The next step for Alex is to gain selection for the final squad which will travel to Austria in the summer for the U18 Division ‘B’ European Championships, “the plan is to work hard between each camp and really get after it at College – I know I have to keep my fitness at the highest possible level and keep working on my game every day”. 

 

There were also call ups for Matthew Hodgkinson who joined England’s U17 New Horizon’s programme and Academy Head Coach Neal Hopkins who began his role working with England U18’s as performance analyst, Myerscough's Sport Therapist Nick McCarthy continued in his work with the England U17 programme.  

 

 

Myerscough end 2014 on a high

Myerscough wrapped up 2014 in style as they put in classy performance against Leeds Tigers on Saturday, running out 103 – 63 winners. The W takes Myerscough to the top of Basketball England’s Division Four North going into the Christmas period with an impressive 10 win, 1 loss record.

Myerscough started brightly through a Tadhg Hickey triple, both teams traded points for the bulk of the first quarter until a Montel Dennis sparked run saw the visitors pull away to lead by 9 at the end of the period, 11 – 20.

With an active rotation Myerscough began to establish rhythm during the second. Focussed defence was the catalyst to crisp and precise transitional offence which saw the visitors extend their lead to 27 – 43 at the break.

Myerscough dominated proceedings in the second half against a Tigers team who are much improved from the sides reverse fixture, which finished 76 – 46 to Myerscough. The guests were clinical on the offensive end, demonstrating real maturity and understanding in systematically breaking down the Tigers defence. 17 year old Will Shaw banged four triples in quick succession after great ball movement to open up a 40 point gap.

Leeds couldn’t find a way back into the fixture and Myerscough walked out with the 103 – 63 victory.

‘The guys played with maturity beyond their years today’, Coach Neal Hopkins commented after the game, ‘it was great to see them play with total selflessness and trust, offensively that was one of our best performances to date, all of the guys made really valuable contributions – we have a long way to go but I think this group can achieve special things this year’.

Myerscough will rest up over the Christmas period before taking on Liverpool on the 11^th of January.

Myerscough show resilience in hard fought victory

An emphatic fourth quarter display was enough to secure a valuable victory over Tameside in Basketball England’s Division 4 North on Saturday.  Myerscough, missing key players due to injury turned around an 8 point deficit going into the final period to battle to a 16 point triumph, 78 – 62.

It was the away side that got off to the better start, converting in transition and bursting out to an 11 point lead mid-way through the first. Myerscough scrapped back to drag the difference to 6 going into the second quarter.

With nerves settled Myerscough dominated proceedings during the second period outscoring Tameside 22 – 7 to hand the home side a 40 – 31 lead at the break.  17 year old Adam Morris making his debut nailed the pick of the points, converting from deep after excellent ball movement from the hosts.

A rejuvenated Tameside came out fighting during the third and with a change in tactics panicked the home team. Sloppy play from Myerscough and a lack of composure allowed the visitors to take an 8 point advantage into the final period.

Down 6 with 8 minutes to go Myerscough switched gears. A Cian Hickey three sparked a revival, one that proved too much for Tameside who came into the fixture having only lost one game this season. The young Myerscough side showed resilience beyond their years as they battled through every possession holding the experienced Tameside to only 5 points to run out with a resounding victory.

Youngster Adam Morris was delighted with the teams display commenting ‘The team played with great energy at times and I think we showed we can be a force to be reckoned with, I was really excited to make the step up to the first team, it was great to have the chance to prove myself’.

The win momentarily puts Myerscough at the top of Division 4 North with an 8 and 1 record, next up is a trip to Leeds to take on the Tigers (20^th December) Myerscough will hope for a third victory on the bounce.

You can read the match report from last week’s victory over Kendal Warriors here; REPORT

Elsewhere Myerscough U18’s continued their winning ways taking down Cheshire Wire 74 – 64, to claim top spot in the Northwest conference going into the Christmas break.

 

 

Myerscough fall to first defeat

In the battle for top spot in Basketball England’s National League Division 4 North, the unbeaten Myerscough hosted Newcastle University Knights who also came into the fixture with a perfect record. The experience and class of Newcastle proved a step too far for Myerscough who crumbled to their first defeat of the year 47 – 82.

The young Myerscough team started brightly in what was a low scoring first quarter. Despite not connecting offensively Myerscough battled on the defensive end, restricting the free scoring Knights to just 15 points.

Myerscough continued to limit the traveling teams offense in the second period but failed to execute when needed, as time wound down on the half Newcastle held a 7 point advantage at 27 – 20.

Newcastle turned the screw after the break and began to make their experience count, punishing every mistake that the home side made. A failure to adjust put Myerscough in a 24 point hole with 3 minutes left to play in the third, a deficit the home side would not recover from.  

Newcastle pulled away down the stretch to claim top spot in the league leaving Myerscough with their first loss of the season.

Coach Neal Hopkins commented after the game ‘Newcastle are a class act, they are without doubt the best team we have played this year – we played well during the first half, we just lacked the execution we usually have’ Hopkins continued ‘unfortunately we failed to adjust after the break and started poorly which, at this level you simply can’t do – Newcastle punished our inconsistency, they were ruthless but we will learn from this – and I hope it will drive us to be better’.

Next up is a trip to Kendal where Myerscough will hope to get back to winning ways.

Elsewhere Myerscough under 18’s maintained their unbeaten start to the season, taking down local rivals Preston Pride 110 – 27. The U18’s now face Leeds Force in the 3^rd round of the National Cup hoping to earn a quarter final spot.

 

 

Myerscough cruise to victory over Sefton

 

 

Myerscough improve to 7 wins with 0 losses in Division 4 after commanding 99 - 46 victory over Sefton Stars last Sunday 

 

Sefton started off with a no fear mentality and took the fight to Myerscough seeing the score 11- 10 to Myerscough after the first 5 minutes. The insertion of the second platoon seem to get Myerscough going after a three by captain David Walsh and a great defensive effort lead by point guard Mason Maynard. Sefton Stars trailed 15- 22 at the end of the 1^stperiod.

With the intensity now raised, Myerscough started to apply pressure to the home team. The guards where denying the passes to the wings and the interior unit played physically and dominant forcing Sefton into bad shots and even a few 24 shot clock violations. The defensive effort only allowed 7 points this quarter, that with points in transition Myerscough went into the half time break leading 45-22.

Down but not out, Sefton stars showed great resilience after the break through their captain Dan Walsh. Kiko Stravrev responded with an offensive onslaught hitting 4 of Myerscough’s 6 baskets in the first 5 minutes. As the scoring rate picked up from both teams the 3^rd period ended 33-7.

With a secure lead Myerscough played loose, Tadgh rifled in four 3’s followed by a quick 3 in transition by Will Shaw. Nils Ozolins got in on the action by drawing a foul on the score making It a 3 point play. Sefton’s Iffy Emeka-Anyakwo battled hard in the paint all game and managed to grab 7 of the teams 13 points scored in the final period. Myerscough held onto a comfortable lead to finish up 46 - 99 at the end of regulation.

Myerscough now face undefeated Newcastle Knights on Sunday in what could be a huge game in defining final league position.

 

 

Open Evening (8th December)

 

Myerscough College will be hosting an Open Evening to showcase our highly successful basketball programme on Monday,  8^th December from 7- 9pm.

 

If you want to see the campus and get a feel for what the college has to offer why not come along? The event will serve as a great introduction to the college and is a real opportunity to find more about the range of basketball courses available here at Myerscough.

Designed to provide students with the unique opportunity to live and train as professional athletes, the Myerscough Basketball Academy will help you develop a comprehensive understanding of the game, whilst studying towards academic qualifications that are designed to provide the ideal pathway to university level degree courses or the professional world of Basketball.

Course tutors will be present and they can offer you expert guidance on what you can expect from studying at Myerscough College. In addition, you can also chat with staff from our admissions, finance, learning support and student services teams.

No appointments are necessary, you can just turn up on the evening.

We look forward to seeing you!

For more information on our Basketball Academy, check out our 'open day page'

 

 

 

Myerscough extend winning streak..

 

 

Myerscough recorded their sixth consecutive victory to top Basketball England's Division 4 North table following a commanding victory over Sunderland City Predators.

19 points from Chris Bwana as well as an impressive performance from Will Shaw helped Myerscough to a 109 - 50 victory against an experienced and hard working Sunderland side.

 

Myerscough dominated from the start and in patches demonstrated outstanding execution and team play, nailing on 10 attempts from beyond the 3 point arc.

Chris Bwana said after the game 'we played great team ball, we also did a great job staying active on the defensive end. I think we performed really well as a team, we had a lot of transitional baskets and communicated effectively'. Chris added 'Our goal this season is to go unbeaten and gain promotion to division 3, of course we want to be the best we can be as a team and go as far as we can, this result will definitely help us'.

Myerscough currently sit top of division 4 with a 6 win 0 loss record, next up is a trip to Sefton on the 23rd of November.

Elsewhere Myerscough U18's routed Bury Blue Devils in the North West U18's conference 110 - 59 to maintain their unbeaten start to the season!

Myerscough College vs. Milton Keynes

 

 

 

 

A routine double double from Emmanuel Kabengele along with 18 points from Montel Dennis was enough to earn Myerscough a vital victory against Milton Keynes.

In a free scoring and high paced game Myerscough and Milton Keynes, both undefeated in this year’s North Conference battled through every possession. Outstanding shooting from the charity stripe (18/20) and aggressive defence down the stretch were enough to guide the home side past a Max Denham led Milton Keynes 85 – 73.

Myerscough led from the beginning but Milton Keynes put in a battling performance to keep the score close throughout even pulling back a 13 point deficit to trail by just two at the break. The second half saw the home team outscore the visitors 40 – 30 to take the 12 point victory in what was a highly entertaining EABL encounter.   

Myerscough captain David Walsh said after the game ‘The game was fast paced with quick scores on both ends, Milton Keynes were well organised with a great mind set – I think offensively we played some great basketball and we did enough to secure the W’.

Emmanuel Kabengele finished with 13 points and 11 boards, Montel Dennis chipped in with 18 points whilst Chris Bwana dished out 6 assists for Myerscough. Max Denham finished with 19 for the visitors with Michael New finishing up with 18 personal for Milton Keynes.

Myerscough now face off against the undefeated Charnwood College, Milton Keynes host Tyne Met College.

 

 

Myerscough battle past Preston College

Myerscough recorded a fifth straight win in Basketball England's Division 4 North as they battled past local rivals Preston College on Sunday.

Trailing 16 - 8 at the end of the first, Myerscough showed great character to turn the tie around running out 69 - 56 winners.

Check out the highlights here; Myerscough vs Preston College

Myerscough take North West title

Myerscough College’s Basketball Academy have once again showed their quality after winning a prestigious regional tournament in style.

After a highly successful first year, the Academy have already had a fine start to the season, with the Under-19s side bagging their first silverware of the campaign by triumphing in the AoC (Association of Colleges) annual Inter Regional Basketball Tournament this week.


The event, held in Manchester, saw Myerscough come through seven games, winning every one en route to defeating Priestly College in the final. The success means that Myerscough will now go forward to represent the North West in the national finals, at an event to be played next year.


Head Coach & Course Leader, Neal Hopkins, said: ‘’This was a great team effort. I’m delighted with the win and this should help to put Myerscough even more on the map. The guys can’t wait to play in the nationals, it’s just reward for their hard work so far this year.’’


‘’We are continuing to grow and are building a strong reputation as the number one choice for aspiring players who not only want to be given superb playing opportunities, but also achieve high quality academic qualifications too. This is another forward step in that process.’’


Myerscough Basketball has gone from strength to strength, a little over a year after the course’s first intake of students in September 2013. Following a highly successful first year, both in terms of academic and playing success, the Academy has had a strong start to the season on the court. Representative sides play in the EABL (Elite Academy Basketball League), the AoC North West League, as well as playing in Basketball England's national league week in, week out.

by Dave Salmon

Myerscough earn victory in the North East

16 year old Alex Roberts led the way with 15 points as Myerscough battled to a hard fought victory in front of a packed house in Gateshead.

The fixture was a special occasion as Gateshead welcomed a very inspirational group of people to the game. ‘Oliver’s Army’ which is just that, an army of children and parents who came together to raise an astonishing amount of money in a short space of time for their school friend Oliver, who was suffering from a brain tumour. (http://gatesheadphoenix.wordpress.com/news/).

 

 

With a crowd of well over 300 in attendance a fired up Phoenix started quickly dropping 6 triples in the opening quarter, former BBL player Will Spragg caught fire early netting 12 points during the first. Myerscough kept their cool even taking a 4 point lead following back to back buckets from Earl Russell and Emmanuel Kabengele but a 10 – 3 run from the home side left the young Myerscough side down 3 going into the second.

Myerscough nullified the three point threat from Phoenix during the second and began to assert themselves on the game, Kiko Stravrev sparked a 9 – 2 run as the visitors pushed out to an 8 point lead. With time winding down on the half and a trip to the charity stripe for the home side, the quarter ended Myerscough up 43 – 36.

The Phoenix got off to a hot start after the break and piled the pressure on the visitors; Myerscough who struggled for rhythm had to wait until the 8^th minute of the quarter to find some composure following a pair from the line from Cian Hickey and an excellent finish from Montel Dennis. Myerscough held a slender 1 point lead going into the fourth.

Myerscough held their nerve capitalising on relentless defensive work to power together a 12 – 6 run to start the final period. The visitors showed maturity beyond their years as they controlled the quarter, running out with the win 73 – 66, extending their unbeaten start to the season.

Youngster Alex Roberts was pleased with the performance ‘it was a great venue and a great crowd, I think we showed our class during periods of the game and we did really well in securing the win considering it was our first real road game’, Alex continued ‘I’m really enjoying the season, I hope we keep improving as the season goes on and of course, we keep winning’.

The fixture also saw four brother re-unite, Myerscough's Irish contingent Tadhg and Cian Hickey faced off against Aodhan and Colm, bragging rights will be with the twins (Cian and Tadhg) this time.

Myerscough now take a weekend off before taking on local rivals Preston College on the 9^th of November.

Qtr 1; 24 – 21 Qtr 2; 12 – 22 Qtr 3; 15 – 13 Qtr 4 11 – 17
 

You can watch the whole game here; Phoenix vs Myerscough 

In the other weekend fixture our under 18’s set the tone taking down Sefton Stars on Saturday to keep their undefeated start alive in the north west conference, marching out 99 – 69 winners.

 

 

National Colleges Cup round up

 

With all three team in cup action this past week, here is a round up of the action:

The performance of the day came as our rapidly improving second team faced off against Loreto College:

Wednesday afternoon saw our Myerscough 2 travel to Manchester to take on Loreto 1 in the BCS Cup. After a closely contested game and despite a spirited effort from the Myerscough boys, the game ended 69-60 in favour of the home team.

Myerscough were in control from the initial tip running out to a 6 point lead early in the first quarter. Excellent team defence and superb passing saw this lead extend to 12 points mid way through the second period. Despite an excellent start, Loreto rallied behind excellent shooting from Joe Swindells to take a slender lead into the half time break (39-36).

Starting the second half Kieran Skeffington did a fantastic job of containing the shooter early and quick baskets from Matthew Hodgkinson and Yannick Kablan saw the away side go back up by a point. With the lead changing multiple times during the second half it was a short run of shooting again that saw Loreto take a 5 point lead heading into the final quarter.

After a time out late in the fourth, Myerscough fought back level but a few mistakes in the dying seconds of the game saw Loreto take the win with a nine point cushion (69-60).

Myerscough coach Peter Paraskeva was very positive after the game ' it was a fantastic team performance and considering this group of players have only been together for six weeks it's exciting to think what this team is capable of further down the road'.

Myerscough 2 now go into the half term break for a well deserved rest before taking on Runshaw 1 upon return at Home.

Running Quarter Scores: 
Q1: 14-21  Q2: 39-36  Q3: 54-49  Q4: 69-60.

Elsewhere our 1st team took down Priestley College with no less than 7 players in double figures in the 120 - 43 victory. Myerscough led from the tip and proved too much for Priestley who battled to the end.

In the final game of the day our 3rd team swept aside Blackburn College 120 - 20 to progress to the next round of the regional cup.