Basketball Academy Miss Out On Final
The Sixth Form College Solihull AASE Basketball Academy were agonisingly defeated in overtime in the West Midlands Cup Semi-final, 79-88 away to Lordswood on Monday.
Jordan Dawes (26 points, pictured right) led the way, ably supported by Ben Timms (pictured below left) with a double double of 22 points and 14 rebounds.
The first quarter saw the home side come out looking to pick up where they left off the previous week and scoring the first five points. They kept the Academy scoreless for the first three minutes. However, Solihull found their range over the next three minutes and went on a 10-2 run of their own to open up a slender three-point advantage. A 12-4 run by Lordswood saw them gain the upper hand going into the last minute, but five unanswered points from Musurarwa enabled Solihull to end the quarter tied at 19-19.
The second period again saw the home side start the slickest and when Nelson hit a shot from behind the three-point arc they had opened up a 32-27 lead with just two minutes of the half to play. This seemed to spark the Academy into life, and a basket from McKen followed by two back-to-back three-pointers from Dawes and Rudge and two long two-pointers from Withe enabled them to secure a 12-0 run, closing out the half 39-32 in front.
The third quarter saw the teams trade baskets and with just seconds in the quarter remaining the Academy had a 59-51 advantage, but Nelson hit a long three-pointer on the buzzer to allow the home side to close within five points at 59-54.
This seemed to have a negative effect on Solihull, who came out in the final quarter very flat, enabling the home side to dominate the first six minutes and eating up the deficit. Lordswood opened up a 68-62 lead. A time-out bought back the focus for Solihull and lead to a 9-3 run, levelling the score entering the final minute. Withe put Solihull two points in front with 35 seconds to go, but Forbes got it back level with 15 seconds to go. The Academy held the ball with just five seconds to go, allowing Dawes to penetrate and put up a fifteen-foot jump shot which went in and out and saw the game go into overtime.
Overtime belonged to Forbes, who scored 14 of Lordswood’s 15 points and the Academy bow out of the competition the had won last season.
“We had the right shot to win it, it just did not drop,” commented Coach Richard Parker after the game. “For the second time this season we have taken on a side who have handed us a bad defeat and had a chance to get them. We just came up short. I am really proud of the student athletes we have, they have given everything this season both on and off the court. It is disappointing not to be going to a final but with this being our last ever game it will stick in the memory for us and we know that we left it all out on the court.”
