Recap
In a much improved performance, that rewarded the consistent hard work and effort that have been put in by all involved with the team, the Newcastle Eagles U16 Academy girls went to overtime and took their first win of the season in a hard fought battle with Sheffield Hatters.
The focus for the home team as the game got underway was spacing and physicality. Coach Marina Fernandez demanded a high level of performance from the girls in which they were to communicate well and defend with purpose, determined to narrow the defeat of 47-81 in their previous encounter.
Within minutes, the girls showed their drive to live up to the high expectations of their coach. With the first quarter being that which usually saw a big lead for the opposition, the home team knew they couldn’t let the Hatters get too far ahead. Ellison Burke put in some great movement both on and off the ball, which helped to spread the defence allowing the Eagles the chance to drive to the basket with Lexie Walton finding her way through for an open layup. At the other end of the court, improved rebounding was evident with the girls showing their strength with their boxing out. A high foul count from both teams resulted in free throw opportunities at both ends of the court with Grace Rae, Ellison Burke and Katherine Bird all converting their first half chances. The Eagles girls knew they had to stop the fast cuts that were being executed by Sheffield in order to keep them within striking distance. The first half ended with the Eagles within one point with a score of 36-37.
The Eagles girls continued to fight hard in the second half with great support from the bench helping to keep the energy levels high. Grace Rae worked hard on offence, making some impressive shots and Sophie Hawkins took advantage of her speed with some fast breaks. Strong defensive play from Seraphine O’Neill and Cleo Wealleans-Watts limited the chances at the basket for Hatters and stopped the execution of their inbound plays which were well-read by the home team. Lexie Walton continued to distribute the ball with accurate, strong passes and the girls continued to convert their chances. Both sides continued to be in foul trouble but the scores remained close. As the 4th quarter drew to a close, Ava Bensley managed to put up a vital 2 which gave a full time score of 72-72 leading to overtime.
The Eagles girls knew exactly what they needed to do as overtime got underway. With reminders from Coach Fernandez about the key principles they had been focusing on, and the anticipation levels running high, they maintained their intensity at both ends of the court and tried to use the clock to their advantage. Spacing and ball movement were well-executed with careful shot choices being made in the main. A win in overtime, following another vital last-minute 2 from Ava Bensley, gave a full-time score of 80-77 to the Newcastle Eagles Academy: a well-deserved win following an excellent team performance.
