Southend Swifts 73 Hemel Storm 97

Under-18 Men’s National Cup First Round

 

THE under 18 men saw Swifts welcomed Premier South team Hemel Storm to Seevic College for the first round of the cup.

Swifts had the better of the opening exchanges to the game, taking a 12-6 lead midway through the first quarter behind eight points from Declan Gould.

Hemel regrouped and took a 9-0 run to take the lead at 15-12, but Swifts were not dismayed as four more points from Gould and a basket from Paul Jeboda kept them in contention.

The teams traded baskets to open the second period with Hemel maintaining a lead at 33-24, but Swifts had the next eight. The scores came from Jeboda, Tom Butt and Jamie Matthews.

After a timid start to the second half, Storm found their rhythm at both ends of the court. However, Swifts were not ready to lie down.

Scott Williams opened the final quarter with a three-pointer and this was followed up with a balanced attack from the offence as scores came from Jeboda, Matthews, Butt and Gould to ensure that the game finished on a high-point for Swifts despite Hemel taking the victory 97-73.

Jeboda and Gould both top scored for Southend with 25 points, followed by Williams with 10. In the earlier national league under 18 mens South Two conference clash between Greenwich Titans and Southend Swifts the Titans came out on top, winning 65-55.

The travelling Swifts league campaign started poorly as they struggled to create any sense of composure on offence.

Baskets from Declan Gould, Dan Davies, Paul Jeboda and Josh Powell kept their team in the contest trailing 13-8. However worse was yet to come. By half time they were trailing 6-17.

With their pride at stake, Swifts found more cohesion on offence meaning that after a quarter they won 22-20; they still trailed 56-39. Jeboda had eight points in the quarter, followed by Scott Williams with six. Southend saved their best for last with a dominant defensive final quarter. Harry Harwood was able to disrupt the flow of the Titans passing. However, it was too little too late, as the home side took the victory 65-55.

In the National League U16 Boys’ South Conference Swifts lost 69-44 to Islington Panthers at SEEVIC College. Panthers opened the scoring with a three-point shot but great play saw Matt Kerridge and Jacob Thorne working well on the offensive boards. By half time the Panthers were ahead 46-26. The third period was a strange, tight affair, with the Panthers deserving their 69-44 victory.

In their National League Under-14 South One Conference clash Hertfordshire Warriors went down 115-41 to an on form Southend Swifts.

The points tally came from Cheyenne Deridisi, Georgia Powell, Charlotte Redhead, Katie Bennett and Lilly Annim.

Other points came from Tegan Jackson and Eleanor Butt. Other major contributions came from Powell, Poppy Herd, and Molley Gould, while Redhead top-scored with with 36 points.

In the Under-16 girls’ national Cup first round clash Swifts beat Ipswich Bobcats 60-43.

l THERE was a close 78-77 overtime victory for Southend Swifts when they came up against Ipswich Academy in the National Under-14 Boys’ East Conference.

Southend Swifts youngest boys’ team set out with some trepidation for their first ever National League game against Ipswich. The match was nip and tuck and Southend took the early lead. There was excellent play by Dan Adebayo and Thomas Sowoolu who scored six points each. Top scorers for Swifts: Sowoolu 24, Adebayo 23, Skinner 14, Smith 12.