Basketball News

A trip to Peterlee at the start of the week gave Mavericks a 104-60 success against East Durham and Houghall College A, and they followed that up at the end of the week with a 77-67 triumph at home to Nissan.

Height made the difference at Peterlee. The Mavericks big men, Wayne Bailey, Marek Pawlak and Andy Buchanan gave them early control of the boards and put them in the driving seat at 26-13 by the end of the first quarter. Mavericks sowed the game up with good starts to both the third and fourth quarters. Half-time had passed at 54-32 to Mavericks and when Paul Connery and Pawlak shared most of the points in a 13-0 re-start the Middlesbrough side were very much in control. John Bergin and Ian Barrow had done well in the middle of the game for East Durham, but any lingering hopes which College might have had were well and truly dashed when Pawlak and Connery again featured in a 22-2 seven minute burst at the start of the final quarter which left Mavericks in 98-47 heaven.

Pawlak was at his best to finish with 38 points for Middlesbrough Mavericks, four other players hit double figures; Connery (18), Buchanan (13), Bailey (13) and Andrew Swanson (10). Three players scraped into double figures for East Durham and Houghall College A; Barrow (12), Bergin (11) and Malcolm Johnson (11).

Nissan are a much tougher prospect than College and Middlesbrough Mavericks had to fight much harder for their 77-67 win despite the fact that Nissan fielded only five players.

Nissan made what is rapidly becoming their trademark slow start and with Rob Bryson conducting Mavericks had a 13-1 advantage after just five minutes. Nissan chances went begging throughout the contest and with eight minutes of the second half gone Mavericks were sitting on a 20 point lead at 59-39. They then almost gave it away. Arran Hope and Neil Thorne suddenly hit them with 15 unanswered points and the deficit was cut to 59-54. A time-out, some harsh words and a 12-2 response which included a pair of three-point baskets from Andy Reid got Mavericks back on track.

Bryson this time took the honours for Middlesbrough Mavericks with 22 solo points, Reid and Marek Pawlak added 15 each. Thorne was outstanding with 31 points for Nissan, Hope and Barry Fenwick chipped in with 14 and 13.

The Nissan season does seem to be going from bad to worse and just one night later they lined up against Teesside Huskies with the same five players and with the same outcome, this time a 94-67 reverse.

Nine points without reply at the start of the second quarter put Huskies in the driving seat and by half-time they had all the impetus, a 48-25 cushion and the outcome was almost settled. Everyone who came off the bench did the business for Huskies, but the Nissan heads stayed up and once again it was Arran Hope who lifted their spirits and the third quarter was their best. Huskies did finish the stronger.

Five players collected double figure scores for Teesside Huskies; Deng (19), Richard Stoker (16), Rob Harland (13), Tom Applegarth a(13) and Hanson (10). Hope was the pick for Nissan with 24 points, Neil Thorne and Steve Dixon notched 14 apiece.

University of Teesside recorded their first Durham division one victory of the season with a narrow 75-70 win over neighbours Norton A in their derby at Stockton. It is the fireworks season, but this derby was the first to produce the fireworks often associated with derbies as University picked up 28 team fouls and a below strength Norton 41 free shots.

The first half was even. Steve Lowde, Ian Nicholson and Martyn Kelsey shared most of the points for Norton, whilst Michael Bouclas replied for the students although it was the former who took the break 35-30 to the good. University won the game in the five minutes immediately after the jump ball which started the second half. Nikos Mandalis and Chris Harnish this time did the damage and the five minutes scored 21-8 and gave the students a match winning 51-43 cushion. Things then got a bit physical as Norton won themselves 27 free-shots. Unfortunately they missed half of them as University held on.

Bouclas and Harnish led the University scoring with 15 points each, Sam Rowley and Mandalis added 14 and 13. Best for Norton A was Lowde with 22 and Nicholson collected 17.

The one second division league game played gave Old Houghtonians their biggest Durham League win for many a year when they beat guests Durham Knights 111-45.

A relatively even first quarter belied what was to follow and scored just 27-15 to Houghtonians. The rest of the game however was a procession to Knights basket. James Mackintosh set the ball rolling and his lead was picked up by first Simon Lloyd and then Paul Carr and by the interval Houghtonians had opened up a 63-26 cushion.

Five players Finished in double figures for Old Houghtonians; Mackintosh (23), Lloyd (21), Carr (21), Scorer (20) and Wood (10). Adam Woodhouse and Fred Bjelland managed 15 and 13 each for Knights.

A couple of preliminary round games of the Division Two Cup were played.

Peterlee Video beat Hartlepool CJ Hydraulics A 109-71 in their tie at Peterlee after a relatively even first half had scored 43-31 to Video. The second half was a different ball game as the Hydraulics defence went awol and Peterlee grabbed 66 points. Percival was the pick for Peterlee with 35 points as Trevor James and Kris Millhouse did well to net 24 and 21. Three players shared most of the CJ Hydraulics points; Keith (27), Colin Knight (20) and Griffiths (16).

Shildon Strollers scored an unexpected 61-39 success in their tie with Consett Steelers, although the north west Durham outfit went into the tie without three of their start five players.

The height of Richard Parsons gave Strollers a prefect 10-0 start, and although Steelers did recover the damage had been done and they trailed into the interval 32-22 behind. The second half was not quite a repeat as this time the Strollers surge came at the end when a strong finish netted them 12-4 final few minutes.

Parsons finished with 20 points for Shildon Strollers and he got good support from Craig Lowe on 13. Brendan McNeaney was the only Steeler in double figures with ten points.

In the womens division Tyneside were at their flowing best as they gave a 107-34 basketball lesson to their young neighbours Tyne and Wear Cadettes.

A devastating start which netted Tyneside 22 points without reply set the tone. Zoe Vickers, Taacha Brown and Vicky McMurray had shared the points and although Laura Calder then managed to get the Cadettes offence going the end of the first quarter had Tyneside 32-7 to the good. The last ten minutes of the game scored 30-2 to Tyneside as they blew the youngsters away.

Brown and Vickers were unstoppable for their 36 and 34 respective points, as Kelly Geach and McMurray collected 16 and 10. Only Calder was in double figures with 11 for Tyne and Wear Cadettes.

Division One: East Durham and Houghall College A 60 Middlesbrough Mavericks 104; Norton 70 University of Teesside 75; Nissan 67 Teesside Huskies 94; Middlesbrough Mavericks 77 Nissan 67.

Division Two: Old Houghtonians 111 Durham Knights 45.

Division Two Cup (preliminary round): Peterlee Video 109 Hartlepool CJ Hydraulics A 71; Consett Steelers 39 Shildon Strollers 61.

Division Three: East Durham and Houghall College C 54 Spennymoor Exiles 49; Hartlepool Hawks 99 Belmont B 61; Durham Saints 71 Young Houghtonians 90; Hartlepool CJ Hydraulics B 65 Specsavers Wear Valley Wolves 46.

Womens Division: University of Teesside 54 Newcastle College 81; Northumbria 58 Whickham 25; Tyneside 107 Tyne and Wear Cadettes 34