Masterclass in team basketball as Hastings Outlaws beat full strength Worthing.

Worthing started a full bench with all 11 players available, in contrast to an injury ravaged Hastings side, travelling with only six players, unfortunately not including Outlaws talented young star players Fin Parkes and Ed Rose.

Hastings Pro Coach Lee Diett however had a master strategic plan, forging a solid team work ethic keeping a super tight 2-1-2 defence, and play counter offensives that stretched the Worthing back line. Any early foul trouble or another injury would spell disaster for the coach’s plan and the team’s hope of pulling off a smash and grab away win.

The first quarter got off to a blistering start as Outlaws 6’3” forward Louis Parsk and starting guard Josh Burt both sunk 8 points each, Parsk with commanding drop step hooks close to basket, and Burt with two massive long range three pointers that silenced the cheering home crowd.

Worthing didn’t know how to respond to this early onslaught and could only muster 11 first quarter points to Outlaws 23 at the buzzer.

The second quarter saw Outlaws only sixth man on the bench and talisman legend Joel Hunt come on and blast five unanswered points. This forced Worthing to change tact, bringing on four new bench players and try new offences to breakdown a solid Hastings Defence.

They now cut through the middle, rather than spread the ball wide, to drop a few more buckets scoring 12 in the quarter. Unfortunately for them Outlaws’ other Guard and Captain Mark Taylor-Jones found his rhythm to drain seven points on the counter resulting from a team passing master class, to end at the half time buzzer 23-36 up.

With only a five-minute half-time break as rest, Hastings’ usual third quarter slump had no place in this game. Every Outlaws player found the afterburners, running back on defence scooping up Worthing missed shots, and immediately handing the ball over to a lethal handles point guard Dino Edward.

His pinpoint counter offence quarterback style full court throws found a waiting Forward Parsk, scoring another 9 points. With Parsk needing a breather after non stop action, the counter offence approach gave Hastings Rookie Jaya Butler a chance to come off the bench and get on the scoresheet, using his 6’6” frame to out muscle the Ballers players in the paint.

The third quarter ended a tie 19-19 a piece, with Worthing still trailing the game 42-55.

The fourth quarter is usually when a basketball game is either won or lost, and a tired Outlaws team knew if they kept to the coach’s gameplay with a tight knit team defence and simple 3-2 style pass and move offence, they could pull off a great away win.

Quite simply, even with 11 players Worthing Ballers could not outgun the Hastings Outlaws, losing the fourth 11-14, and ultimately their final home match.

The final standings are yet to be finalised, however this great away win for Hastings pushed them temporarily into third position in Sussex Basketball League 2.

Scorers: 22pts Louis Parkes, 13pts Mark Taylor-Jones, 12pts Dino Edward, 11pts Joel Hunt, 09pts Josh Burt, 02pts Jay Butler.