Basketball struggle through in Oxford cup tie

Warwick Men’s Firsts 59-44 Oxford Men’s Seconds

In this week’s BUCS basketball game, the men matched up against Oxford 2nds in the first round of the Midlands Conference Cup. The stakes were high, as losing this game would of course mean elimination.

The hosts got off to a slow start, ending a low-scoring first quarter 13-12 behind. In the second, Warwick changed from zone defence to man-to-man in an attempt to increase the pace of the game. This forced turnovers from the away side, who were forced to call timeouts and reassess. The end of the second quarter saw Warwick blow their ten-point lead, however, and going into the third their lead was precarious.

The third quarter saw veteran Max Holnaicher come to the fore, making steals and baskets in transition that kept the home side in the game. Oxford got into rhythm and found the weak chinks in Warwick’s armour, scoring several corner threes, but the game was still lifeless by the end of the quarter and the scores remained level.

The home side were in danger of throwing the game away but in the fourth quarter Warwick started to deliver. After continued forced plays and poor offensive decisions the starters took a rest, and the home side showed just how deep their roster is. Sam Sin in particular was on excellent shooting form, making three out of three attempts from outside the three-point arc.

The story of the fourth, however, was Stefan Filipovic. Injecting life into the sluggish Warwick side, Filipovic took over, scoring multiple layups in transition, drawing fouls and making clutch-free throws. The home side rallied around him, with huge noise from the home fans and bench.

This was a close game when it need not have been. The Warwick side need to break the spell they have been under in the last two games when they face Leicester in the next round of the Conference Cup. MVP rights go to Stefan Filipovic.

Stats by Yogesh Morjaria