Warwick Basketball hit their stride

Warwick Men’s 1sts 73-51 Nottingham Trent University Men’s 1sts

The men’s encounter looked likely to be a closely-matched affair, with Nottingham’s size and strength apparent from the warm-ups. With the game underway Warwick men lacked height and were forced to rely on a backcourt heavy with guards.

A thrilling opening took the away team by surprise, however, with Warwick racing to a 9-0 lead and forcing the Nottingham coach to call a timeout to address his team’s defensive frailties. The first quarter ended with Warwick boasting an impressive 19–11 lead.

In the second quarter Omer Rub once again showed his veteran skill, penetrating deep into the Nottingham 3-2 zone and dishing off to a hot-handed Jack Thomas. The signs of victory were there and by the third quarter, Warwick looked likely to record a convincing triumph.

Nottingham clutched to stay in the game, hindering Warwick’s efforts with big three-pointers from their sharpshooters. However Warwick’s pressure in the fourth quarter proved too much for the opponents and they were able to extend the lead to double figures.

Coach Chifamba rotated his bench well and Warwick showed just how deep its roster is this year with Ken Kwan, Ventsislav Georgiev and Michiel Puelinckx making strong contributions on the defensive end. This week’s MVP rights go to Omer Rub for an exceptional first-half display.

Warwick Women’s 1sts 46-34 Cambridge 1sts

The women faced off against table-topping Cambridge hoping for that elusive first win to reward their hard work. With a late tip off, the women were prepared and ready to play, storming to a quick lead and dominating the visitors.

Anne Antoni’s Warwick debut saw a great performance of shooting and post play helping the home team to a ten-point lead to close out the half. Meanwhile, Julia Boca made huge contributions on the offensive end, making deep twos and threes and showing off her capabilities as a premier shooting guard.

Big defensive plays from Danai Antoniou prevented Cambridge from getting a hold on the game and despite brief lapses Warwick was able to hold onto its lead coming into the final quarter. A late rally from the away team saw the hosts’ lead cut to six points, but Warwick women showed their composure and managed to finish with a double-digit lead.

A great result with Warwick women getting their first big win in the BUCS basketball league, MVP was awarded to Anne Antoni who top-scored with ten points in her first appearance.