Basketball - Exciting Entertainment Before The Break

Five home matches, including a rescheduled one in midweek in which CB Algeciras (2011) reversed its decision not to play at TSH, provided exciting entertainment for the growing number of spectators which matches in the Cadiz League are attracting to the TSH, which includes a sizeable number of visiting fans. A total of 28 matches have been played since it all started on 18 October, 13 of these away, and another 13 at home, as well as 1 in La Linea and 1 in Los Barrios, when the opposition opted not to play here. Competition takes a break this weekend as it is a holiday weekend in Spain.

UNDER 18 MEN: GABBA 75 - San Felipe Neri (Cadiz) 65 (18-19; 24-10; 10-11; 23-25).
Played at breakneck speed throughout, with intensity, thrills and spills, and a consequent high number of turnovers, it was, nevertheless, exciting to watch. In the only quarter which was clearly dominated by one of the teams, GABBA built the foundations for its eventual win, basically through its team effort in both defence and attack. This is the basketball that this team must deliver, for a whole match, when they play in the FIBA tournament next summer. It was just this one quarter in this match but it proved that it can be done. Thirteen points up at half-time and then 18 after just 1 minute of the third quarter, but the visitors finished well to edge the quarter. It was much of the same in the last quarter, with GABBA captain Marco O Connor controlling the situation throughout, a last effort from the visitors narrowing the eventual final score. O Connor led the scoring with 17 points, ably supported by Javi Felice on 15, Tom Appleton on 13, Lee Davis on 11 and Kingsley Sylvester on 10.
This team will now play in the second phase in Group 3, made up by the third-placed teams from the 6 Groups in the first phase. The winner s reward is a quarter-final eliminator against the second team from Group 1, made up by the 6 first-phase Group winners.

UNDER 16 BOYS: GABBA 53 - CB Algeciras (2011) 71 (14-17, 16-20, 8-21, 15-13)
A hard-fought first quarter was just won by the team from across the Bay, who played a very aggressive full-court defence, often committing blatant fouls which, however, went unpunished by the referees. The team fouls count at the end of the quarter was 12-3 against GABBA, who stayed in touch up to half-time, in spite of the provocative attitude of one of the officials, which sparked off serious protests from the spectators.
CBA wrapped up the match in the third quarter and, as the referees now turned on the visitors in the last quarter, in a pathetic attempt to give the team fouls count a balanced look, GABBA edged the last quarter. Ben Lejeune was GABBA s top scorer with 13 points.

UNDER 16 BOYS: GABBA 78 - Cadiz Gades 67 (24-18; 14-20; 20-19; 20-10).
This contest, played by 2 evenly balanced teams - GABBA had won in Cadiz 3 weeks ago in overtime - was won and lost in the last 5 minutes. A 19-4 run for GABBA in the first quarter was countered by Gades to reduce the deficit to 6 at the end of the first quarter. A late 8-0 burst from the visitors tied the score by half-time. GABBA were ahead for most of the third quarter but a string of turnovers allowed Gades a brief lead. GABBA were 1 up at the start of the last quarter but, with the teams trading baskets, Gades were 67-66 up midway through. That was as far as they got, Shae Felice sinking 2 three-pointers in the blink of an eye to launch a 12-0 final assault that won the match. Lejeune led the scoring with 23 and Felice got 20. This team, like the Under 18 s, has 7 months to prepare for the FIBA tournament in the summer and, on this showing, have to improve on all aspects but, notably, it needs to drastically reduce the number of turnovers.
They are now in exactly the same situation as the Under 18 Men, going to Group 3 in the second phase but, in their case, coming up against 7 other third-placed teams from the first phase.

UNDER 16 GIRLS: GABBA 66 - Montera (Los Barrios) 36 (17-15; 16-8; 18-6, 15-7).
Our girls remain our only unbeaten team and, apart from a spirited reaction from the visitors, late in the third quarter, were manifestly superior in every aspect of the game. Every one of the 12 GABBA players got meaningful court time, with only 3 getting more than 20 minutes and none getting less than 10 minutes. Brylee Costa and Erin Doherty, with 11 points each, and Daniella Martinez on 10, led the scoring.

UNDER 14 BOYS: Don Bosco 40 - GABBA 60 (15-17; 11-18; 10-8; 4-17)
Assured of first place in the Group before the game started, our boys travelled to Rota and started the last quarter just 7 points up, but put the result beyond doubt in the last quarter. Ralph Falero Manktelow got 18 points and Max De Haro 15. The team will now face the winners of the other 7 groups in what will, no doubt, be a much tougher competition, with the first 4 placed teams qualifying for the quarter finals.

UNDER 14 GIRLS: GABBA 76 - San Felipe Neri (Cadiz) 77 (24-18; 11-25;21-14; 20-20).
This is a case of leaving the best for last, in terms of sheer, nail-biting, edge-of-the-seat excitement. I have never witnessed a girls U14 match played with the level of commitment and intensity, and no mean skill, like this one. GABBA started strongly, going 7-0 up but the visitors stayed in touch and were just 6 down at the end of the quarter. They continued in this vein in the second quarter, getting 12 points before GABBA got their first points in the 6th minute, to be 43-35 up at half-time. It looked grim for GABBA as SFN raced to 47-35 in the first minute of the third quarter but, in an incredible 8 minutes, GABBA fought back to 47-44 (5th minute), lost the momentum to trail 57-49 (8th minute), but another burst brought them to just a point down (56-57) by the end of the quarter. The teams could not be separated in the first 5 minutes of the last quarter, at which stage GABBA led by 65-64, but then SFN rattled off 9 straight points to lead 73-65 with under 3 minutes left, only for GABBA to repeat the feat and regain the lead (74-73) a minute from time. SFN had the last say, scoring two baskets for GABBA s one to clinch this marvellous contest by a solitary point. Every player in this match will, no doubt, remember it for a long time. Briella Bagu led our scoring with 27 points, Erin Doherty got 25, Chloe Balban 12 and Lily Mauro 11.