To the Essex Sports Arena! …on Saturday afternoon
The Essex Rebels Women were hosting Newcastle Eagles as their league campaign continues to unfold with this new look Rebs team and Coach.
It’s a shame that Our House wasn’t exactly buzzing for the occasion. It was disappointing to see a very empty arena. The 4pm tip off time wasn’t exactly family Halloween friendly with armies of little ankle biters getting ready for an evening of nuisance.
Newcastle weren’t frightful but their gold kit was something of an eyesore. This was a game in which both teams looked well matched, with little to choose between both defence and attack.
I admit to having only half an eye on the early stages of the ball game. I was struggling to connect my noise cancelling headphones to the second half of the Forest commentary away at Brentford. As ever with tech, if it takes longer than 5 minutes to sort something out, then give up.
Farewell Forest, basketball it is then.
The first quarter was rather physical. There were some vicious elbows flying around as both teams traded points. Rebels were trailing 20 to 23 at the first buzzer.
Although the Rebs had a full bench that was dressed, there was little movement from new Head Coach Tor Freeman. This was disappointing as it’s not as if his bench options weakened the team considerably.
The game continued to be evenly matched, with Newcastle taking a single point lead into half time with the scoreboard showing 40 to 41.
Despite the rather barren Essex Sports Arena, this didn’t stop the Spooky Cam appearing on the big screen at the break. No surprises that we weren’t dressed up for the Halloween occasion.
WHADDYA mean I’m in fancy dress? This is my usual look.
Boo!
The third quarter came and went. Not a lot happened apart from more points being traded. Eagles were 64 to 62 ahead.
This was always going to be a close game as we headed into the final quarter. There was little to separate the teams. Eagles number five was proving to be a pesky little player, setting up each play.
A couple of big three pointers from Liv Partridge gave the Rebels some momentum. At one stage we had a Coogan and a Partridge on the court for the Rebels.
Aha!
More big three pointers came from Captain Claire Paxton. She’s such an outstanding leader. On these occasions she does a lot of the grunt work to set up play and then somehow manages to deliver when it comes to finding the big shots.
And so it came to Rebels trailing by three points with 34 seconds left on the clock. A timeout was called from the Rebels' bench.
The set play failed to deliver the three points he needed. Rebels had to foul to give Newcastle the free throws so they could regain possession.
Newcastle sunk each shot with from the free-throw line.
An audacious three pointer right on the buzzer from Paxton wasn’t enough. A heartbreaking defeat for the Rebels as they went down 83 to 82.
