Wildcats Win Silverware

Durham Wildcats         (23, 52, 78) 96
Westminster Warriors  (16, 31, 56) 70

Durham had never beaten Westminster, who eliminated them from the play-offs in Division 3 last season, and who ended their unbeaten start in Division 2, just before Christmas.
This, though, was different, as, showing no signs of the exertions of the previous afternoon, they led from the first basket to the final buzzer to win their first ever Cup final, in a tough, and often physical game.
A 10-1 start, capped by “3”s from Paul and Mark Elderkin, showed their intentions by the mid-point of the first quarter, but Westminster showed their resilience as six different players contributed as they hauled themselves back to 14-12.
The Wildcats, too, had options, however, and all five starters had points (including a second “trey” from captain Mark Elderkin) as they edged away again to lead by seven at the first break.
Durham are usually noted for their third quarter performances, but this time it was the second period that proved decisive. They weathered the intense full-court pressure of the Warriors to edge steadily away during the first six minutes, to a 40-24 lead. Warriors then assembled a seven point run, to cut the margin to nine, but in the last three minutes of the half the Wildcats shut out their opponents completely, and posted the last twelve points (including a “3” apiece from Michael Davies and Paul Elderkin), for a commanding 21 point advantage.
Durham knew that Westminster would continue to battle, and they held the margin steady to 60-40, before six unanswered for the Wildcats gave them their biggest lead of the game at 28, and they took a 22 point cushion into the final stanza.
A “3” on the restart from Rafa Vilar-Franca put Durham 81-56 ahead, and the 14 point turnaround that had given Westminster the victory at the end of last year began to seem a distant memory.
It seemed as though the Warriors had received the same message, as they could muster only seven points in as many minutes – a tally equalled by Stephen Jones in an 8-1 spurt that put the Durham team 89-61 ahead.
Coach Dave Elderkin gave his support players, who had already made significant contributions at times during the game, an extended run, with just one starter on court for the closing minutes, as the Wildcats celebrated an emphatic victory.
Scott Morton [pictured left] proved unstoppable throughout, with his game-high 29 points all coming in the first three quarters, which together with his seven assists rightly earned him the Most Valuable Player Award.
It was by no means a one-man show, however, as Durham had three players with more points than Westminster’s leader, and every one of them made a strong contribution.
Courtside announcer John Walker summed it up well when he told me “The big difference between them was Durham’s teamwork. Time after time on the offence they were unselfishly looking for that extra pass which would give a team-mate an easy score.”
Durham : Scott Morton 29 [+7 reb.]; Paul Elderkin 15 [+9 reb..+5 assists ]; Stephen Jones 15; Mark Elderkin 10 [+6 reb.]; Michael Davies 9; Notis Chalkidis 9; Anthony Trigg 5; Rafa Vilar-Franca 4; Tolis Apostolidis.
Westminster : Jonathan Johnson 10; Luke Baker 8 [+8 reb.]; Damian Harris 8 [+9 reb.]; Yannick Bulambwe 8; Henry Wilkins 6; Ola Ogidan 6; Junior Williams 6; Mantas Drungys; Jackson Gibbons 4; Warren Adams 3; Karolis Stepanavicius 3; Marvin Addy 2.