Bognor Pirates turn up the heat to record first win

Hackney White Heat 56

Bognor Pirates secured their first National League win of the season.

They welcomed two new players to their roster with former Pirate Lee Barnes coming back as point guard and Derek Chester stepping up from Pirates’ Sussex League squad.

Bognor started well with great inside play from Rich Lowe netting him the first 12 points of the quarter.

Pirates defence was very strong, letting Hackney score only two points in the first five minutes.

Matt Robbins used the court space to take it to the hole to extend the lead at the end of the quarter to 22-7.

Bognor came out the blocks flying in the second quarter with some fast breaks from George Roythorne.

Both teams defended well but the first half ended 34-15 in Pirates’ favour. Hackney came out with a new energy and scored four three-pointers to bring the game back to a single-figure gap.

Ben Davenport came on to support the scoring with a tough three-pointer and hard defence. Bognor used their bench well to stop Hackney getting closer to them with good play from Matt Wakeling and George Roythorne.

The end of the third quarter saw Bognor lead 52-43.

Pirates were hungry for success and showed their power in the final quarter with Lowe coming back in the game and getting back to his inside scoring.

Hackney tried to press Bognor full court but it was easily broken down, with good passing throughout the Pirates team.

Bognor now have three consecutive away games, travelling to Oxford, Wellingborough and London Westside.

Scorers: R Lowe 23, M Robbins 14, G Roythorne 12, L Barnes 8, B Davenport 5, K Wilson 4, M Wakeling 3, C Watson, L Griffiths, D Chester, G Pridie.

University of Chichester Thunder 88 Team Gloster Jets 92

When Thunder welcomed Team Gloster Jets to the Bishop Otter campus, the hosts were looking for their fourth straight win; Gloster for their first of the season.

Thunder gave debuts to Godliman and Hield, while top scorer Bud Johnston was missing.

The opening stanza was laboured with both teams struggling to find rhythm. But with the scores tied at 10-10 Thunder picked up the momentum as Mitchell and Chiwuzie scored 13 unanswered points to finish the quarter 23-10 ahead. Some clever plays by Da Silva under the basket and Godliman draining a three from the perimeter saw the lead extend to a game-high 17 points for Thunder at the opening of the second quarter.

The Jets rallied and took advantage of tough offensive fouls given against Thunder’s big men Jarrett and Fawl, and the lead was squeezed to three points at halfway.

The third stanza opened with a flurry of threes from the Jets, with Fawl again punishing Thunder. But Mitchell and Chiwuzie again responded and Mitchell with two three-pointers saw Thunder take a nine-point lead into the final stanza.

Fawl again nailed a tough three-pointer, and with Keith matching his efforts Jets started the fourth quarter on fire.

Mitchell again responded with big plays but the Jets kept the score close until they took the lead with five minutes left to play.

Thunder responded well, Chiwuzie making an outstanding clearout after a turnover, setting up possession that was converted to give Thunder an 83-80 lead with just under a minute to play.

With the Jets under pressure, Jones was fouled setting up two free throws. The first was missed but the second was converted, only for the officials to controversially cancel the score because of infringements from a Thunder player.

With the Thunder players fazed by this latest call, the Jets scored a huge three to take the game into overtime.

It was tense but the Jets converted their free throws and won their first game of the season.

Top scorer was Thunder’s Mitchell with 32 points.

THUNDER: Coulter, Cahill, Godliman, Nyathi,

Jones, Mitchell, Da Silva, Johnson, Chiwuzie,

Hield.