The Grizzlies U14s put in a top performance to beat strong opposition in Manchester Magic III on Saturday afternoon.
It was an game full of action where the Grizzlies players showed real character to take their chances, play on the front foot and also battle back when momentum swung against them.
Q1 saw the Grizzlies get off to a bright start, Jasmine opening the scoring with a well taken shot, closely followed by Elliot and Will grabbing baskets of their own to see the Grizzlies finish the quarter with an 8-4 lead.
Q2 saw the Grizzlies take control of the game after good defensive work combined with some neat baskets from Jesper plus three each from Elliot and Miles, taking the half time score to 22-9.
The Magic came out with renewed energy after the break, able to cause the Grizzlies real problems cutting through with some neat drives, racking up 16pts in the quarter and get themselves right back into the game. However, amongst that, another basket from Jasmine and two more from Elliot kept the Grizzlies in the lead 28-25 at the end of Q3.
With the game now in the balance, the final quarter evolved into an epic battle between the two sides, Magic were finding success through some good movement to create gaps in the Grizzlies defense, but further high quality baskets from Miles, Elliot, Enzo - and a huge 3-pointer from Will just when it was needed - saw the Grizzlies keep themselves ahead, and eventually able to clinch the win with a final score of 46-43.
Alongside seeing the team score a string of high quality baskets, just as importantly they once again showed a battling side to their game that has developed through the season - with the players matching up to their opponents physically, winning their individual battles around the court.
Coach Tom said; “It is always great to see us score high quality baskets, but what was even more pleasing was seeing the players battle through some tough moments to stay ahead and swing the momentum back our way. The team spirit has grown so much through the season and they showed it in bucket loads today - it was a fantastic win.”
MVP: Miles Byrom
MVP was awarded to Miles Byrom, who was at the heart of everything the Grizzlies did well, scoring 11pts, showing great skill, great pressing and a ton of determination to help take the Grizzlies to victory.
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