WILDCATS’ UNBEATEN START ENDS IN LONDON

Westminster Warriors          (21, 43, 57) 77
Durham Wildcats                   (24, 44, 64) 75

The Wildcats’ unbeaten start ended on Saturday night, in a remarkable fashion at Westminster. Having led for most of the game, the visitors were ten points up with 5 ½ minutes to play, but failed to score in that remaining time, allowing the Warriors to snatch a narrow victory.
The game began well for Durham, with a 5-11 spurt, culminating in a Paul Elderkin “3” and the same player converting a massive “allez-oop” dunk, from a pass by Scott Morton, that had even the home crowd on their feet roaring approval.
With only Yannick Bulambwe really threatening the Wildcats’ defence, the margin stretched to nine, at 11-29, but when Westminster raised their intensity it knocked the visitors out of their rhythm, and the Warriors put together ten unanswered points to take the lead, 21-20.
Four successful free-throws from Scott Morton, however, put the Wildcats back ahead, and they led by three at the first break.
The second quarter was much more evenly contested, with never more than six points separating the teams, and the lead changing hands no less than eight times. Three “treys” from Scott Morton contributed much to Durham’s cause, but cheap turn-overs in the last four minutes ensured that the home side stayed well in contention, as the Wildcats took a slender 1 point cushion into the half time interval.
Durham opened the third quarter with Paul Elderkin’s third “3” of the game, and a basket from Mark Elderkin, to open a six point lead, and they held that lead for the next five minutes. A great spell of pressure by the visitors was then rewarded with six unanswered points from Mark for the biggest lead of the game, 50-62.
As the game became increasingly physical, the Wildcats’ errors returned to their game, but they still held a healthy seven point lead at the final break.
The margin hovered between seven and ten points early in the final stanza, and when Mark hit a “3” off a Morton assist, the 65-75 lead looked as though it had set up a potential victory.
The Warriors, however, had other ideas, and after calling a Time Out they set about closing the gap. Their key offensive player, as they did so, was Karolis Stepanavicius, who hit the next seven points, to take his tally for the quarter to nine, while the Wildcats contrived a series of errors from misplaced passes, to misjudged shots, fouls and travelling violations.
With a minute remaining the gap was down to two points, and the excellent crowd were roaring encouragement for the home side. As Durham continued their failure to find the basket, captain Junior Williams, who had had a quiet game thus far, hit consecutive baskets, and though he missed the bonus shot after the second, Westminster had the lead back, at 76-75, with 36 seconds to play.
There was still time for Durham to save the game, and with seven seconds to play Anthony Trigg, who earlier in the game had effortlessly slotted home a pair of free throws, found himself back at the line. This time, however, neither effort succeeded, and Westminster rebounded the ball, only to turn it over, with time running down. An off-balance Scott Morton put up a “Hail Mary”, which rimmed out, and when Stepanavicius was fouled on the rebound, as time expired, he extended the Warriors’ comeback run to 12 unanswered, with 1 of 2 from the stripe.
Wildcats’ scorers: Scott Morton 23; Paul Elderkin 14; Mark Elderkin 13; Steve Jones 9; Rafa Vilar-Franca 4; Michael Davies 4; Notis Chalkidis 4; Tolis Apostolidis 2; Anthony Trigg 2.
Westminster scorers: Karolis Stepanavicius 23; Yannick Bulambwe 16; Jonathan Johnson 10; Ola Ogidan 7; Henry Wilkins 6; Jr Williams 5; Marvin Addy 4; Ryan Martin 2; Jermaine Purcell 2; Jackson Gibbons 2; Patrick Orvarkliah.