WILDCATS BOOK A DATE AT THE PALACE
Durham Wildcats (27, 51, 76) 103
Plymouth Marjon (16, 32, 59) 83
Durham Wildcats have an invitation to the Palace on Sunday 28th February. No, not that one! The National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace is the venue for the Patron’s Cup Final, and the Wildcats booked a place in their first ever Final, with a convincing victory over Plymouth Marjon on Saturday night.
The team from Devon knew exactly what to expect, after their league visit to Newton Aycliffe three weeks previously, and they had prepared well, having played their home game the day before earlier than usual, enabling them to break the long journey from the South West between Saturday night and Sunday morning.
However, the Wildcats had learned their lessons from the previous night, and after a 2-4 opening they posted a 25-4 spurt in which Paul Elderkin helped himself to a “3” and two huge fast-break dunks, while Scott Morton provided four assists. All five starters had scored by the third minute, and Michael Davies (8 points) and Stephen Jones (6) showed up well at both ends of the court.
Mark Gillbard was the only Plymouth player posing a realistic scoring threat in the first period, and he contributed four of Marjon’s eight points to close the quarter, as they reduced the margin to eleven at the break.
Durham responded with nine unanswered points early in the second, to lead 35-18, and although Plymouth responded, woeful shooting from the free-throw line (2of7 in the next five minutes) saw the visitors trail by 22 going into the final minutes of the half, and the Wildcats’ cushion was 19 at the interval.
Plymouth managed to hold their own for much of the third period, with the lead still at 21 going into the final two minutes, but the game was becoming very scrappy and tetchy, and when Gillbard fouled out, with a foul and a Technical Foul, Paul Elderkin hit 4 of 4 from the stripe and then drained a “trey” on the possession-after to take the score out to 74-46.
Paul had an incredible 17 points in the quarter, including three “3”s and a dunk, but the Wildcats’ discipline was beginning to waver, and he was the next player to pick up a “T” for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time to the officials, and in the closing minutes captain Mark Elderkin fouled out with two Technicals. This time Plymouth kept their composure at the line, and their 2-13 surge to end the quarter included 8of8 from the stripe.
Coach Dave Elderkin used the break to restore his players’ composure, and though the visitors took the first five points of the final stanza, to cut the margin to twelve, a Rafa Vilar-Franca steal set up young John Morgan for an easy fast-break, and Rafa himself added the next basket, for an 80-64 lead. A Morgan “trey” settled any residual nerves, with the lead back out to 17.
Russell Martin was beginning to cause problems for the Wildcats’ defence, with three “3”s in his eleven point haul, but Anthony Trigg was playing well under the basket, and contributed seven points in the closing spell as Durham cruised through to the final with a 20 point victory.
All ten of the Wildcats’ players contributed points, and while Paul Elderkin led all scorers with 30, Scott Morton weighed in with a “double-double” of 13 points and ten assists.
Wildcats: Paul Elderkin 30; Steve Jones 15; Michael Davies 14; Scott Morton 13; Anthony Trigg 9; Mark Elderkin 7; John Morgan 5; Notis Chalkidis 4; Tolis Apostolidis 3; Rafa Vilar-Franca 2.
Plymouth: Sean Porter 19; Matt Peard 12; Russell Martin 11; Mark Gilbard 11; John Peake 11; Adam Hatchell 7; Tom Woods 6; Henry Spring 6..