Basketball: Warwick 68-69 Birmingham

In the highly anticipated season-opener, the Warwick Men’s basketball team were marginally edged out 69-68, in a tense yet thrilling game that went right down to the wire, against last season’s conference champions, the (University of) Birmingham Lions.

In what was a relatively low scoring game, both sides got off to a slow start with Warwick trailing 7-5 halfway through the first quarter. One of Warwick’s new star post-graduates, Francesco Rivaldi, got off to a great start offensively scoring 8 first quarter points. However, a couple of consecutive three-pointers from the home side kept them narrowly ahead.

Three technical fouls early on for Mantas Staliunas and Coaches Sadek Malas and Ender Cevik ensured Birmingham, who made 6 of the ensuing 8 free throws, kept their lead until the end of the first quarter at 19-18.

The second quarter started in the same manner as the first, with both teams defending tightly and offering very little offensively, bringing the score to 26-23, six minutes into the second quarter. Great work on the offensive glass from Jonas Rimavicius and Darren Callanan kept Warwick close, but the home side were able to hold onto their lead until the half, 31 to 30.

The game took on a new dimension in the second half with a hostile Birmingham crowd getting more involved in the game. Whilst Warwick starting off defending superbly, recording four consecutive blocks on one play and causing the Lions to commit back-to-back shot clock violations, three baskets in quick succession from Birmingham’s star point-guard enabled the home team to stretch the lead to 9, their largest of the game at 45-36. However, the first real signs of successful offense from the visitors put Birmingham into foul trouble and enabled Warwick to claw their way back into the game and take their first lead, closing the quarter at 50-49.

Warwick began what become a thrilling fourth quarter strongly, extending their lead to 8 through dominance in the key. Yet again, the Lion’s star guard took control, with two consecutive mid-range jump shots and a calmly stroked three-pointer to keep the home side in the game.

Stagnant offense from both sides followed however, ensuring a close finish leaving the visitors ahead 65 to 59 with only 3 minutes remaining. Warwick’s downfall was in the end self-inflicted; the visitors were unable to close the game off with a string of 8 missed free throws (1 from 11 in the quarter) and their inability to get back and defend on several of Birmingham’s fast breaks left the game too close for comfort, with Warwick leading 68-66 with less than 10 seconds remaining.

The atmosphere in the Lion’s Den acted as a sixth-man and ultimately the pressure was too much for the visitors. With Birmingham’s final possession of the game, a relatively wild circus-shot, with two defenders contesting, thrown up from behind the arc miraculously went it, to the home side’s fortune, allowing the Lions to take the lead for the first time since half-way through the third quarter, 69 to 68.

Warwick were able to call a timeout and stop the clock with 1 second remaining, barely enough time for one last-ditch attempt, which was ultimately in vain.

However, despite losing the match, Warwick appears to be off to a promising start to the 2011/12 campaign, narrowly losing a game which they had in their grasp.

After such a tight opener, the stage is set for an intense rematch when the two sides meet again at Warwick in January.

_The team hope for your numerous support, to try to rival, and hopefully better, Birmingham’s hostile atmosphere, not only in January, but throughout the season. Warwick’s next fixture is against our bitter rivals Coventry, so please do come and show your support._