BELGIUM 111 - 112 ENGLAND
The campaign started welcoming a strong Belgium side who looked very powerful inside as well as containing a lot of depth in all positions. We started the first quarter the better of the two sides and quickly established a good lead with decisive attacking play getting shooters open for jumpshots as well as preventing the Belgian's getting into a rhythm by playing solid defence. However, in the second quarter, Belgium managed to carve out some good opportunities and found themselves back within a single point game, mainly thanks to their big men who started to get hot from the field. At half-time, we led 55-48. The third quarter was a replica of the first seeing us get a variety of team-mates open from the three point line with Centre, Stu Feldman, nailing 4-4 from downtown to see us cruise to a sixteen point lead with one quarter to play. For some bizarre reason, we let the game slit and allowed Belgium a pathway back into it with the Belgian's rediscovering their pizzazz and draw level and take the game to OT. In overtime, it was closely contested with both offences getting the better of each other. In the dying seconds of the game and from an improbable position, we hit our three last three-pointers, one coming from Phil MacNeish and two from Dirk Witten to snatch the win and get the campaign off to an illustrious start.
What can I say? What a game that was to watch. So up and down and demoralising how it looked like we let all the good work slip because of a horrendous last quarter but thanks to our great three point shooting (21-36 for the game!) we managed to pick up the win and start the campaign well.
Next week we have Cyprus.
Last edited by js8 at 2/29/2016 5:43:28 PM