Varsity: Basketball – Warwick 61 Coventry 65

Given that Warwick and Coventry had shared the spoils of their two Midlands 1A regular season encounters this season, the Varsity XXI Basketball fixture was always going to be a close game.
On the back of a recent run of form in the play-offs, Warwick entered the game full of confidence. Without influential players such as Tadas Jonusaukas (the team’s top scorer this season) and Benas Petkevicius, however, the game was always going to be a hard fought battle.
The Coventry Basketball team has been continuously improving and for the first time in several years finished with a better league standing than Warwick.
The game started with Coventry scoring the first break away two points, yet with Warwick’s point guard Joe Francombe leading the way Warwick soon took the lead and ended the first quarter on top.
It was clear at this point that both teams implement very different styles of play with Coventry isolating their point guard whilst Warwick chose to pass the ball around the perimeter.
Having said this, Coventry’s athleticism and size made it hard for Warwick to get anywhere near the hoop. The second quarter thus saw Coventry grasping the lead down to their defensive effort.
Whilst Warwick’s defence proved effective, it was their continuously struggling offence that meant Coventry entered the break with five-point lead.
In a comical moment, but one that reflected the intensity of the opening half, a hustle for a loose ball just in front of the Warwick bench led to the Coventry centre destroying the Warwick bench and flattening substitute Ashley Payne-Reid.
After the break both teams traded baskets with Daneillius Uznys heating up from the perimeter scoring consecutive baskets from range. After several minutes of the third period Warwick had pulled themselves back into the game.
As the quarter progressed, however, numerous offensive rebounds from Coventry’s towering front line meant the enemy stayed in front. Nevertheless, their lead remained within touching distance. As the game entered the home straight, it was obvious that it was opening up and whichever team could look after the ball and increase their defensive presence would end up earning a point for their respective universities.
The final period starter with Coventry’s main man Stephen Danso setting the bar on offence, increasing their lead, yet this was to be short lived. Warwick benefitted from several fast breaks and perimeter shots to close the game to just four points, having been down by as many as nine.
Yet the clock was against our Warwick team and they had to implement the tactics of long range three pointer attempts in order to close the game. Josh Rafferty’s long range three pointer closed the game again once more, but proved to be false hope as Coventry held on for victory with the score standing at 65-61.
The team would like to thank those that came to the event and showed their support.