Liverpool 74-78 Worcester Wolves

Saturday 1st February 2025

By Colin Taylor

Worcester Wolves notched their fourth win from their last five outings with a hard-fought 78-74 success at Liverpool Basketball Club on Saturday.

A back-and-forth afternoon looked to have finally settled in favour of Liverpool as they sat on a 74-68 lead with only a couple of minutes remaining.

However, Worcester stepped up to rattle in ten points without reply and snatch away the victory.

Injuries and illness meant that Coach Dean Blake was able to call upon just six players to take on the full-strength hosts, leaving him beaming as he praised the performance of his short-handed roster.

“Liverpool really gave us a game today,” said Blake. “We went down but the biggest thing I stressed to the players was to stick together and keep communicating.

“A couple of plays went our way at the end – they threw the ball out of bounds, a ball went off someone’s foot, and we took advantage.

“The guys were disciplined, smart and worked for each other knowing they didn’t have to reach and foul because someone else would still be there to help them if they got beat.

“I can’t thank the players enough, I’m so happy for them.”

Fin Rennie was in the thick of the action from the outset, spinning and driving for his own points and handing the ball off for James Davis to convert.

A Wilfrid Santhe shot rolled around the top of the net before dropping through to put Worcester 20-15 to the good entering the second quarter.

Rennie froze defenders to provide an easy lay-in for Dume Okibe and then confidently set his feet for a wide-open three-pointer.

Jacob Dearman connected from the very same spot on the court to aid a 38-36 visitor’s advantage before Liverpool veteran Max Jones introduced himself to the action and enlivened home supporters with a pre-half-time buzzer-beating long-range success.

Jeremy Lievin passed off to fellow big man Davis to nudge Wolves back ahead after the interval and further demonstrated his court-awareness with a cute baseline-assist to set up a Rennie score.

Multiple lead-changes saw Liverpool begin the last quarter 62-57 in front.

As the match wound down with the home side still holding the upper hand, Davis and Rennie baskets began the comeback.

Now clinging to a mere 74-73 edge, a nervous Liverpool attack saw the ball thrown into empty space and a moment later Santhe making a dynamic dash to the hoop to place his side into the box seat.

Lievin calmly slotted in a double of free throws, prompting a host’s time-out to set up their last roll of the dice.

With 15 seconds remaining it was Jones who was again shooed forward in an attempt to replicate his first-half last-gasp triple. As his desperate hurl went astray it was left to Santhe to grab the rebound and seal the win from the foul-line.

Rennie powered to a 21 points and 12 rebounds stat-line. Davis also achieved double-double status, hauling himself off his sick-bed to punch in 15 points and pull down 16 boards.

Santhe pranced to 19 points, Lievin tallied ten, Dearman eight and Okibe contributed five, rounding out Worcester’s band of super-six performers.

“Everyone gave their all today,” added Blake. “I have to especially praise Jacob Dearman and Wilfrid Santhe – in games like this where they have to play the full forty minutes I have to give them the grace to make mistakes because they’re going to get tired.

“But they’re so experienced and so know what they’re doing that they make my job easy. I’m privileged to work with them.”

Now standing in seventh place in National Basketball League Division Two, this Saturday 8th February (7.30pm), sees Wolves welcome fourth-placed Derbyshire Arrows to the University of Worcester Arena. Tickets are available here for the Super Saturday of basketball where the Wolves women will open the event when they take on London Cavaliers.

“Our final stretch of six games to close the season will be a test of our ability. James has been sick and didn’t practice all week and even took a knock to the eye today, but we should now get more guys back from injury and illness and look to take some more wins,” ended Blake.