After a slow start, in which Birmingham took a brief 4-6 lead, the Wildcats settled into their accustomed defensive and offensive rhythm, with a 17-2 spurt, including a “3” apiece for Mark Elderkin and Stephen Jones, and a massive fast-break dunk by Paul Elderkin.
Leading 21-8 Durham seemed to have taken control of the match, but 8 points from Uche Umekwe, who began to find space under the basket, helped the visitors to stage a recovery that brought them back to within five. An Anthony Trigg “trey” on the buzzer gave the hoem side an eight point cushion at the first break, but they knew they had it all to do again.This they duly did, as they dominated the second quarter, and a 15-3 surge, to which Notis Chalkidis [pictured left] contributed seven points, took them 47-25 ahead. Birmingham tried to respond in the closing minutes of the half, but a Paul Elderkin “3” took the Wildcats into the locker room with a 21 point advantage.

Within three minutes of the restart Durham enjoyed a 26 point advantage, 60-34, but the visitors’ aggressive defence was beginning to unsettle their hosts, and that proved to be the biggest lead of the game.
In the next seven minutes the Wildcats were restricted to just six more points, while Matthew Watson was the major contributor as Birmingham pulled back to trail by just fourteen at the final break.
Durham held their own during the opening of the final stanza, but Birmingham’s defence continued to rattle them, and, despite a brace of “3”s from Paul Elderkin [pictured below], they had edged back to 78-67 going into the final three minutes.
It was Paul, again, who stopped the rot, as he hit a huge “trey”, which swished through the basket despite him being fouled … and he duly stepped to the free-throw line to sink the bonus shot. The four-point play put Durham ahead 82-67, and Paul iced the win with five of the last six points of the game, including his fifth “3” of the night.

It was a battling performance by the Wildcats, who found themselves under pressure for long periods of the game, but the spirit of this team is best summed up by Scott Morton, who had been being sick for most of the previous night, but was still suited up and ready to play by tip-off!

“All credit to Birmingham,” commented coach Dave Elderkin, “they were a much better team than the last time we played them, in the Patron’s Cup”.
“We played well for the first half, but after that the players let themselves be distracted by the number of fouls being called, and they lost focus.”

Wildcats’ Scorers: Paul Elderkin 33; Notis Chalkidis 13; Scott Morton 13; Stephen Jones 9; Mark Elderkin 8; Michael Davis 5; Anthony Trigg 4; Tolis Apostolidis 2; Sam Chambers.
Birmingham leading Scorers: Uche Umekwe 23; Matthew Watson 17; Andy Blakeway 16