17/05/2025
Our U16's played an epic Playoffs Semi-final against Horsham Hawks Basketball Club Purple last week.
The Hawks fielded an incredibly strong, physical side, with several of the players coming fresh from the Final 4's of the National Prem Championship in Manchester a few days before.
But this 🐻 Bears team has grown throughout the competition, and this was the game they put together a near-complete team performance. Bears dominated from the off in offence and defence. Reuben and Safi kept the scores ticking over, whilst the 🐻 again showed why they've got the meanest defence in the league.
The first quarter ended with an impressive 25-13 🐻 lead. It did come at a cost, though, with our best-performing player accumulating 4 personal fouls. With him benched, this meant a leaner second quarter in terms of points. And yet even when we emptied the whole bench, the defence stood firm against a very determined Hawks frontline, ending the quarter 14-11, but crucially maintaining a 9 point lead at the halfway point, 27-36.
Being a semi final, it was inevitable the opposition would have their moment, and the third quarter was it. Their 3's man started dropping a series of buckets, accumulating an impressive 15 points in the quarter. We also had our own drama with one of 3's specialists rolling his ankle and being forced off for the rest of the game. Hawks took the quarter 24-14 but not the lead, with the score at the end of the 3rd 🦅 51-59 🐻.
It felt like that was as good it as it was going to get for them, and so it proved. Our man of the match, Safi returned to tighten the defence, and even with four fouls to his name, made it through the final quarter unscathed. The rest of the team put their foot on the accelerator, with Alex capping a dynamic, energetic all-around performance. Levi found his boots and started doing some damage. Herbie continued his epic comeback from a season-ruining knee injury. Wilbur was resolute in defence and effective in attack. Ashley and Dan came on and played their part. And Max got his now customary scene-stealing end-of-game baskets.
Q4 12-23.
A final score 63-73, 10 point win for the Bears 🐻.
Heroes, everyone of them.
