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Match Report - Edmonton Storm

COACH ELDERKIN'S COMMENT

Coach Dave Elderkin was delighted with the win, and its implications, but was characteristically cautious in his assessment. “That’s the first part of the job done, but if we want the title we still have games to win” he said.
“Promotion is possible, but not guaranteed, as we still have to prove to the Association that we meet the required standards, on and off court, to play in division one.
“We know there are still things we have to work on, and if we can take the title it will boost our claim, and I’m sure we can put forward a very good case.”
Not that the delighted Wildcats’ players had much time to celebrate, as, within half an hour of the finish they were in the mini-bus and away on the first stage of their journey to London for the following day’s Final.

Action Photos by Mac White

Michael

Above Michael Davies and below Scott Morton

Scott

Wildcats Weather the Storm


Durham Wildcats   (26, 45, 62) 90
Edmonton Storm   (16, 36, 57) 80


Stephen JonesAfter their six-game unbeaten start in the league came to an end with double defeat in London, just before Christmas, commentators questioned whether the Wildcats could stay the course. The team have answered that in emphatic style, and on Saturday night they notched up their ninth consecutive league victory in just six weeks, to ensure they can finish no lower than second.
Visitors Edmonton were themselves on a good run, and not out of title contention as they had hauled themselves up to third place, but the Wildcats established an early lead, with Paul Elderkin contributed eight points (beginning and ending with a “3” in a 10-4 run that put them 14-8 ahead at the mid point of the first quarter.
A brace from Stephen Jones [pictured left] helped to extend the margin to 20-12, but the Storm continued to work hard, and they had six players contributing baskets in the period, as they edged back to within four. The last six points belonged to Durham, however, as they took a ten point lead into the break, with Anthony Trigg taking an offensive rebound and putting the ball home as the buzzer sounded.
The Wildcats threatened to break away on the restart as a “trey” apiece from Scott Morton and Michael Davies took them 32-18 ahead. Edmonton had other ideas, however, and Tayo Odulaja was beginning to cause problems for the Durham defence. By the middle of the quarter the visitors were back to within five, 34-29, with a 2-11 surge capped by a Ben Clarke “3”.
The introduction of Notis Chalkidis gave the Storm something different to think about, and the Greek big man helped himself to six points in the 9-2 run that put Durham 12 up again, and the home side took a nine point cushion into the locker room.
The visitors came strong again in the third, with Odulaja and Leon Bernard proving virtually unstoppable, and alarm bells were ringing when a 2-9 burst pulled them back to within three points, at 54-51.
The visitors had effectively closed down the area under the basket to Wildcats’ attacks, but they could do nothing about the Mark Elderkin “3” that put Durham back on track, and another basket from the captain restored an eight point differential to steady Wildcats’ nerves.
With both sides playing intense defence there was no further score from open play in the final three minutes, but the Storm outscored their hosts 3-6 from the free-throw line, to leave the game still finely balanced at 62-57.
This was the time for one team to take game by the scruff of the neck, and the Wildcats did just that. Chalkidis, Jones and Paul Elderkin hit the first six points of the final stanza, to restore a double digit lead, and a 13-4 surge across the middle of the quarter, book-ended by a “3” apiece from Jones and Elderkin, gave them their biggest lead of the game, 81-65.
Still the Storm were not blown out, and five points from the impressive Odulaja helped them to trim the deficit to nine. It narrowed further, to six, as Paul Elderkin fouled out, with a game-high 29 points, including three “3”s and three fast-break dunks, with 2½ minutes to play, but this still did not deter the newly resilient Wildcats.
A basket “and one” by Jones going into the final minute settled any remaining nerves, and once Odulaja fouled out Edmonton had lost their most potent attacking threat. The visitors were forced to foul to stop the clock, and Durham kept their cool to hit five of six from the stripe down the stretch, to secure the prospect of back-to-back promotions..


Wildcats: Paul Elderkin 29; Stephen Jones 16; Scott Morton 15 [+8 assists] ; Notis Chalkidis 11; Mark Elderkin 7; Michael Davies 6; Anthony Trigg 4; Rafa Vilar-Franca 2; Tolis Apostolidis.


Storm: Tayo Odulaja 27; Pierre Henry-Fontaine 12; Leon Bernard 11; Mansour Mbye 11; Joe Matthews 8; Joe Pereira 4; Ben Clarke 3; John MacCauley 2; Leigh Cascoe; Dami Fakanle; Kywan Henry [dnp].