Saturday 28 November 2015 Bristol Flyers 70-83 Worcester Wolves

For the second night in a row Worcester Wolves imposed a defensive stranglehold on their opponents when completing a weekend of consecutive wins by triumphing 70-83 at Bristol Flyers on Saturday.

Coach Paul James praised his players’ intensity after Friday’s 76-66 victory over Leeds Force, and was again able to highlight their ability to limit the other team’s offense, saying: “You have to learn how to play defense. Bristol is a tough place to come to, and to then hold them down to just 70 points shows what our guys can do when they work as a unit.”

Seven of Wolves’ squad had significant minutes on court and all seven of them contributed near-enough double-figure returns, allowing James to express further approval: “Everyone had a hand in the win. It was a real team effort. I’m very proud of them,” he added.

Josh Cameron was introduced to the action after just three minutes and he responded with 19 points and a bagful of assists. Perris Blackwell and Javier Mugica each tallied twelve points, followed closely by Jay Couisnard and Pavol Losonsky with eleven points apiece. Ben Eaves and Disraeli Lufadeju rounded off the balance of the scoring by both hitting nine points.

Wolves fell behind early when their former guard Roy Owen finalised a 14-3 start for the hosts. Cameron opened his personal account and then drilled the ball to Blackwell for his teammate to also debut on the scoresheet. A Cameron triple was followed by rat-a-tat scores for Mugica, helping the visitors into a 19-21 advantage at the close of the first period.

Neither side was able to pull clear of the other over the remainder of the half. Doug McLaughin-Wiliams sank successive three-pointers to edge Flyers 38-36 ahead as the sides entered the locker rooms.

A set-play after the interval saw Lufadeju float a shot home from the left corner to re-take the lead. Continuing accuracy from distance saw Worcester draw away to 56-62 by the third quarter’s end.

The final period saw Wolves place a cover over their own basket. Bristol’s attacks were repeatedly repulsed by stifling defense. Wayward passes were accompanied by rushed shot attempts. Four scoreless minutes led to a Flyers’ time out once an embarrassing airball from McLaughin-Wiliams had drawn howls of derision from a large Wolves’ following amongst the crowd.

Points from the free throw line were all that Bristol could muster until their forward Mathias Seilund finally broke the drought after a further two minutes had elapsed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the meantime Worcester kept their side of the scoreboard ticking over nicely. Players on the bench and travelling supporters were all brought to their feet when Cameron threaded a pass to Blackwell who in turn placed it in the hands of Couisnard for a powerful slam and a decisive 60-73 cushion.

The match ended with more points snapped up from turnovers, completing a winning weekend for the Wolves and boosting them up to second place in the British Basketball League.

It will be nearly two weeks before Worcester are back in action when third-placed Midlands rivals Leicester Riders visit the city on Friday 11 December. James is welcoming the opportunity for a break, saying: “I was very concerned about tonight’s game being our second in two days, but it’s great that I can now give players a few days off. We have some guys who are really beat up right now.”

When the combatants last met in September Wolves sank to a 54-88 reversal. James feels that it will be a different affair this time around, adding: “When we played them before it was very early in the season when we still had players finding their roles. We’ll now be much more ready for them, rested and looking to put on a show for all our loyal fans back at the University of Worcester Arena.”