Nailsea beat UWE Phoenix 64 - 62

November 5, 2006 on 8:36 pm | In General

After a perfect start, Nailsea Basketball hoped to carry their momentum into the second month of the season. On 1st November 2006 the fledgling team did just that, winning their home fixture with UWE Phantoms.

From the tip off it was clear that the Phantoms were a serious team, coming out strong, disciplined and looking like a good match for the home side. Nailsea player/coach Jason Boulton put on a show in the first quarter, using a mix of outside shooting and strong drives to break down the UWE defense. Boulton finished the quarter with 13 points, on his way to a game high 26 points and the MVP nomination. The away team kept the game tight, crashing the boards and coming up with loose balls throughout the quarter, as time expired Nailsea held the lead 18-16.

The second quarter saw the teams continue to play on level terms, guards Jake Watkins and Simon Baker, and forward Nick Oldfield carrying the scoring load for Nailsea, with the Phantoms continuing to benefit from offensive rebounds to sink easy baskets near the rim. Both teams played a physical game throughout the quarter, scrapping for possessions and trading elbows in the paint. Despite Nailsea’s hard work the game remained close approaching the half, UWE scoring two baskets in the final two minutes to close the half trailing by only two points.

Following the halftime break the intensity and pace of the first half continued, Nailsea using a zone defense in an attempt to break the away side out of their rhythm on the offensive end. UWE countered with a display of strong outside shooting to ensure Nailsea never pulled more than a few points ahead. Forward Jon Moore continued his reliable inside play, battling against tough interior defense to score inside. The Phantoms had the best of the quarter, and the period finished with the away team holding a slender lead.

With the crowd rooting for the home team and making sure that each UWE possession was accompanied by an abundance of distracting noise, the fourth quarter saw Nailsea rally back from their third quarter deficit. Captain Jason Boulton regained his first quarter form, driving the lane and scoring to restore Nailsea’s lead. With less than two minutes left in the game Nailsea held a seemingly comfortable seven point lead, after a timeout the Phantoms used a tough full court press to force two Nailsea turnovers in quick succession, the resulting baskets left Nailsea with just a two point cushion. UWE could not force another turnover however, the game finishing with Nailsea taking the hard fought win, 64-62.