WILDCATS OPEN LEAGUE CAMPAIGN WITH A WIN

Durham Wildcats continued their best-ever start to a season as they clocked up an away victory in their first league match of the campaign.

Medway Park Crusaders     (26, 45, 60) 74             Durham Wildcats       (20, 48, 62) 81

After travelling the length of the country, and missing Stephen Jones, who had examination commitments, the Wildcats made a slow start on their visit to Kent. Facing a well organised team, with two seasons experience of playing in Division Two, the game remained nip and tuck throughout, and was only decided in the closing minutes.
The Wildcats did score the first basket, with a put-back by Michael Davies, but big Brad Smith split the Durham defence to level the scores. The Crusaders continued to trouble the Wildcats’ usually dependable defence, while denying their visitors room at the other end, and only sterling work on the boards by Davies kept Durham in touch, as four offensive rebounds helped him to their first five points of the game.
With Smith continuing to treat the Durham defence as a minor inconvenience, and James Harris finding his shooting range, Medway Park moved 18-11 ahead. Mark Elderkin finally connected with a 3-pointer, to cut the deficit, only for Smith to show that he has more than just an inside game, as he replied in kind.
A “trey” from Tolis Apostolides cut the margin to four again, but two from the line by Smith and a Harris “3” gave the Crusaders their biggest lead of the game, at 26-17, before Paul Elderkin beat the buzzer from beyond the arc to cut the gap at the break to six.
Paul narrowed the margin further on the restart, with an emphatic fast-break dunk, but the home side responded with five unanswered points, including a third “trey” of the game by Harris. With the Wildcats having already committed four team fouls in the first 1¼ minutes, Medway Park were threatening to break the game open.
However, another “trey” from Paul began a run that changed the complexion of the game. Back on defence Paul then took a steal on defence, and set off on a fast break which was halted as Smith pulled him back. Two shots and possession resulted from the “unsportsmanlike” foul, and Paul converted both free throws and hit a jump shot to rub salt into the wound.
Kalil Irving did hit 1 of 2 from the stripe, to briefly interrupt the surge, but Durham continued to dominate, with a dunk by Anthony Trigg, a fast break by Scott Morton, a Mark Elderkin “3” and another Morton fast break. The 1-16 spurt took them from 31-22 down to 32-38 ahead, as their defence did its job and the offence flowed as a result.
The home side steadied, however, to edge back, and two “3”s in the closing minute from their captain Sam Betts helped them to cut the lead further, and the Wildcats took a narrow 3 point advantage into the locker room at the half.
It was the Crusaders who again dominated on the restart, with an 8-0 run that put them back ahead, 53-48, and four minutes had elapsed before Scott Morton gave Durham their first points, with two from the line.
The momentum swung one way and then the other, and the final four points of the quarter, from Mark Elderkin, restored a narrow advantage for the Wildcats, 60-62, at the final break.
Trigg opened the final stanza with another dunk, and after Crusaders’ captain Sam Betts replied with 1 of 2 from the stripe, Tolis Apostolides took a steal in mid court and was halted by an “unsportsmanlike” foul by Betts. Tolis converted 1 of 2 from the stripe, as did Trigg when he, too, was fouled, but neither side could stamp their authority on the game, as missed shots from the line cost valuable points both ways.
The game was still wide open with five minutes to play, as a Betts “3” nosed the Crusaders ahead again, 69-68.
This was the signal for the Wildcats to raise their defensive intensity again, and when Brad Smith fouled out (on a game-high 28 points) with 4½ minutes to play, Medway Park lost one of their most potent offensive threats.
Four unanswered points (all from the line) put Durham back in front, approaching the final minute, and when Mike Davies scored off a pinpoint pass from Scott Morton it opened a four point advantage that left the Crusaders needing to foul to prevent the Wildcats from running down the clock.
Three of six from the line, and another basket, down the stretch, was enough for the visitors to get the job done, as Damian Lyons and Kalil Irving also fouled out for the home side.
It was hardly a vintage performance as the Wildcats stretched their unbeaten start to the season to seven games in all competitions, but as coach Dave Elderkin confided to his opposite number Mads Ollsen, “That’s the hardest we’ve been played this season.”
“We’ll spend the whole week on shooting practice” commented Elderkin, reflecting on his team’s accuracy and shot selection. “It was our improved defence in the closing stages saw us through, and the bench players did a great job of keeping us in contention throughout.”
Paul Elderkin, with 22 points, led the scorers for the Wildcats, who had five players in double figures, and seven with points, compared with just five scorers for Medway Park, four of whom had double figures.
Mike Davies recorded a “double-double” of 13 points and 15 rebounds, with seven of the latter coming in the first quarter. 
Wildcats’ Scorers: Paul Elderkin 22; Mark Elderkin 15; Michael Davis 13; Scott Morton 12; Anthony Trigg 10; Tolis Apostolidis 7; Notis Chalkidis 2; Rafa Vilar-Franca.
Crusaders’ leading Scorers: Brad Smith 28; Sam Betts 15; Kalil Irving 15.