Ipswich
Basketball Club
'The Bobcats
& Tomcats'
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INDEX |
All Game Reports For Season 2005 - 2006 Game 19 - Sat 4 March - PAWS LONDON CAPITALS 79 - 93 IPSWICH TOMCATS Ipswich made it 3 wins in a row with a professional performance on the road in London. The Tomcats, who were without the services of top-scorer Jacob Swift, started the game well, going inside to Lee Greenan who was six inches taller than any other player on either roster. However, the London side were shooting well from the perimeter and managed to keep the scores close. The score after the first quarter was tied at 27. In the second Ipswich began to find their form and it was Aaron Mosley and Christian Daley who provided Greenan with support as the Tomcats open up a double-digit lead. The ‘Cats’ dominated to boards and the allowed Luke Fry to direct the visitors offence at a high tempo as Ipswich went in to the half-time break with a ten-point lead. The host’s won the third quarter and showed signs of stealing a victory, but again it was the combination of the impressive Aaron Mosley and Lee Greenan that held the fort for Ipswich as they maintained their lead and went into the final ten minute period up by eight points. The final period saw Luke Fry remind everyone of what a great player he is. PAWS had no answer for Lee Greenan and so Fry made it his job to get him the ball, four assists in the period had the Tomcats up by seventeen points, before the home side hit a big three pointer. However, Fry then showed the other aspect of his game with back-to-back long-range three pointers and opened up a twenty-point lead. PAWS went on a mini run to reduce the final score to fourteen points but the game was out of their reach. “It’s an old saying that it’s a sign of a good team when you can play badly, away from home and still win. When you also take into account that we didn’t have Jacob today then maybe we weren’t as bad as we first thought. Lee was devastating today, Aaron Mosley was superb for the second week running and Christian Daley is a different player at the moment – And, we tend to take for granted just how good Luke Fry is. He’s a fantastic player, and more important to this team than even he realises, those two big shots sealed the game for us. He’s awesome” said Tomcats Coach Nick Drane. TOP SCORERS: GREENAN 33, MOSLEY 17, DALEY 16 Game 18 - Sat 25 February - IPSWICH TOMCATS 95 - 78 HARINGEY WARRIORS A massive crowd at Westbourne was witness to a thrilling game which saw Ipswich win in impressive style, and keep their slim play-off hopes alive against a strong Haringey side. The Tomcats first ever International player, Jacob Swift, opened the scoring with a jaw-dropping break away dunk in the opening seconds of the game, before Haringey replied with a put-back from an offensive board. However, Swift collected a pass from Sam Saggers and threw down another dunk, which saw Ipswich get off to the perfect start. Ipswich opened up an 11-2 lead and forced the visiting Coach into a time-out. The break worked for the visitors as they held Ipswich to no field goals for the remaining five minutes of the quarter and finished the period with an 18-13 lead. Ipswich exploded out of the blocks in the second behind the double act of Christian Daley and Lee Greenan, who brought the house down with a massive two-handed throw down off an end-line play. Jacob Swift got in on the act and Luke Fry knocked down a long three pointer as Ipswich regained the lead. Further baskets from Daley and Bradley Potter, who made an outstanding contribution in the period, helped Ipswich open up a nine-point gap going in at half time. The third quarter was a tight affair, Haringey closed the gap to five points before Ipswich extended the lead again. Bruce Crowley stepped up and Christian Daley, Lee Greenan and Jacob Swift handled the scoring load for the Tomcats who maintained their discipline and held off the Haringey charge. The lead was eight points in favour of the hosts going into the fourth. The fourth period was where the Tomcats showed their depth. Luke Fry’s foul trouble meant that he would start the fourth period on the bench, and the Tomcats would have to play without their most influential player. However, Jacob Swift took charge and directed the Tomcats offence, James Fairs made a big play before picking up a head injury and Sam Saggers knocked down key free throws. Fry was re-introduced into the game with six minutes to go. Lee Greenan made a strong move to the basket, this was followed by a steal and lay-up from Fry. The, Aaron Mosley played a phenomenal two minutes, picking up three steals and connecting on eleven points in that time. The final score saw Ipswich win 95-78. “Haringey are a great side so this is a measure of how far this team has come. Nobody was outstanding, but everybody was steady and that’s what you are looking for. We’ve had a number of outstanding individual games this season, particularly from Luke and Jacob but this kind of balanced attack is far harder for opposing teams to defend. It was also the first time the team hasn’t panicked when Luke Fry isn’t on the floor, which is testament to Jacob and the way he has changed his game in recent weeks. Christian and Lee are forming a great understanding and the role players were massive today,” said Tomcats Head Coach Nick Drane. TOP SCORERS:Greenan 24, Swift 23 and Daley 13 Game 17 - Sat Feb 18th - Brighton Cougars 38 Ipswich Tomcats 117 Ipswich proved that they are a far more than a two-man team as they travelled to Brighton missling key players. Star players Luke Fry and Jacob Swift were unavailable for selection and with Aaron Mosley also away and Luke Andrews and Eben Thompson injured for the rest of the season, it was up to some of the less experienced players to stand up and be counted. However, Ipswich did have one trick up their sleeve in the massive frame of Lee Greenan, the 6’ 92 new recruit from Colchester who was making his debut for the Ipswich side. From start to finish Ipswich looked a class above their opponents, putting on one of their best performances of the season. The first quarter saw James Fairs (captain for the day in the absence of Luke Fry) open the scoring from the foul line. Baskets then followed from Adam Burrows and Greenan before Fairs again knocked down a shot from the stripe as Ipswich played outstanding defence. Christian Daley, playing his best basketball of the season, began to find his form on both ends of the floor and scored six points in a minute as Ipswich won the quarter 25 – 8. The second quarter saw the partnership of Greenan and Daley begin to blossom as they combined for twenty five points in the quarter, buckets from Adam Burrows and Bradley Potter also saw the Tomcats extend their lead. On the opposite end of the floor Ipswich were playing outstanding defence, forcing their opponents to turn the ball over. Ipswich lead at half time 60-16. In the third, yet again Greenan and Daley dominated, but Sam Saggers took the time to find two quick baskets and Bruce Crowley showed his potential with six points in the period. Brad Potter scored off the dribble and James Fairs also found the basket with a mid range jumper. Ipswich had again extended their lead, it was 86-23 going into the fourth period. The fourth period saw Brighton connect on fifteen points, their best quarter of the match, but it wasn’t enough to slow Ipswich who’s aggressive defence, and disciplined offence allowed them to again extend their lead. Adam Bell was back from injury and enjoyed extended court-time and Sam Calver racked up four assists as the Tomcats less experienced players proved their worth in a truly excellent performance. Coach Nick Drane said after the game “Some teams would have taken it easy on a team like this but our boys are relentless and that’s the way I want them to be – There are no prizes for giving teams a chance at this level. Five of the players that I used today are not regulars in the team, and they wanted to show what they could do. It certainly makes things interesting when the big-guns come back this week, Aaron Mosley, Jacob and Luke Fry are all so important to us so there should be some intensity at training this week as nobody is going to give up their spot easily. The most pleasing performance of all the great performances today was that of Christian Daley. He contributed in every area of the game, played superb defence, worked on the boards and lead us in assists. He has a massive amount of potential – His physical gifts are on par with Jacob’s. Lee Greenan showed why I’ve wanted him all year, he was devastating. At full strength this team is scary!” TOP SCORERS: Greenan 45, Daley 29, and Crowley 10. Game 16 - Sun 29 Jan - Ipswich Tomca6ts 20 - 0 Kingston Wildcats Game 15 - Sun 22 Jan - JAZ Middlesex Uni 94 - 73 Ipswich Tomcats Game 14 - Sat 21 January - IPSWICH TOMCATS 61 -13 SEVENOAKS SUNS Ipswich faced one of their toughest games when they entertained the Sevenoaks Suns at Westbourne High in the Southern Conference of the RAF English National League on Saturday. It was a game they had hoped to win to keep their push for the end of season play-offs firmly in their own hands. Sevenoaks had been in the top two or three in the league all season and indeed beat the Tomcats in their previous encounter by a close 6 point margin. Saturday’s game was always going to be a close affair and so it proved with the Tomcats taking the final shot which would secure either victory or defeat. The Tomcats started cautiously as they found the zone defence deployed by Sevenoaks hard to penetrate which in turn stifled their normal free running game. It was the Suns that took the early advantage with early baskets and leading by five points. However a time out by coach Nick Drane eventually had the desired effect as the Tomcats showed more patience on offence with Swift, Andrews and Fry all contributing points. The quarter ended all square at 10 points all. In the second quarter it was much the same as the first with both sides toiling to gain an advantage. A three-pointer from Swift was quickly answered by six points from the Suns giving them a small advantage at the mid point of the quarter. Burrows and Andrews continued the scoring for the Tomcats but as had been the pattern of the game Sevenoaks replied and at half time the Tomcats held a slender 1 point advantage leading 26-25. The third quarter started with a momentum grabbing three-pointer from the hard working Saggers but unfortunately it was Sevenoaks who reacted the stronger and went on a crucial nine point run without reply from the Tomcats. Despite valiant efforts to put pressure on the Suns through strong defence which saw bodies flying all over the place it was very much nip and tuck for the rest of the half. At the end of the quarter Sevenoaks held a decisive ten point lead 47-37. The fourth quarter saw Ipswich play their best quarter of basketball when they once again displayed their ‘never say die’ attitude. The Suns continued to match the Tomcats scoring and by the mid-point of the half had actually extended their lead to twelve. It was then that Saggers and Mosley came to life and between them scored ten points. With two minutes to go but still trailing by eight the momentum was firmly with the Tomcats. Another large crowd, who were by now very vociferous, willed them on and when Swift hit a vital three-pointer it nearly brought the house down. The Suns replied but then another Swift basket and a massive Eben Thompson three-pointer meant with a minute to go the Tomcats trailed by only two. Sevenoaks kept their cool in the final minute running the clock down with possession basketball and despite 3 time-outs by coach Drane the Suns scored a vital basket which was answered by two free throws from Swift. With eight seconds on the clock to go, the crowd in a frenzy, it was down to the final offence with the ball finally in the hands of the Tomcats. The opening was created and the three point shot, for victory, was put up and agonisingly ringed out as the final buzzer sounded. This meant that the Suns had held on for a two point victory 63-61. To say this was a hard fought game would be an understatement with both sides realising that victory was important in their respective drives to the prestigious end of season play offs. However this loss for the Tomcats does now mean that their destiny may rest on other results rather than being in their own hands but there are still many games to be played before the end of the season. All in all another terrific performance by the Tomcats in their first season at this level and the game today is all part of that vital learning curve. Coach Nick Drane and his entire team should be congratulated on the magnificent progress made to date. Players and scores: - S. Saggers (14), E. Thompson (3), J. Fairs. L. Fry © (9), A. Mosley (4,) A. Burrows (2), B. Potter, J. Swift (21), C. Daley and L. Andrews (8). Game 13 - Sat 14 January - BADDOW EAGLES 87 - 79 IPSWICH TOMCATS The Ipswich Tomcats U16’s winning streak stopped at six as the undefeated Baddow Eagles burst their bubble and continued their inevitable storm to the National Play-Offs. Ipswich travelled to Essex with an under strength team but still matched their more experienced opponents basket for basket for almost the entire game. The first quarter saw Baddow Eagles storm out to an impressive lead, and things were looking ominous for Ipswich. However, Captain Luke Fry lead by example and Aaron Mosley came off the bench to give the Tomcats a spark as they clawed their way back into the game and finished the period down by just three points. In the second things were a lot tighter as two fine teams seemed to match each other basket for basket. For Ipswich Luke Fry and Jacob Swift were causing problems as well as Aaron Mosley and Adam Burrows. At the other end of the floor Mosley was also keeping Baddow’s 6’7 big man quiet, but Baddow are far more than a one man team and the score at half time was tied at 42. The third quarter was very similar to the second. Luke Fry knocked down two long range efforts and Christian Daley began to find his form. At the other end of the floor Sam Saggers and Adam Burrows were solid under the boards but still Baddow matched Ipswich. The fourth quarter saw the home side begin to open a gap. They had done their homework and were keeping Jacob Swift quiet. With Christian Daley in foul trouble and Luke Andrews and Eben Thompson absent Ipswich were stuck for offensive options for the first time this season. The lead grew to as much as eleven but Ipswich didn’t quit and reduced it down to four with a Swift lay-up, but two free-throws with just one second remaining meant Baddow edged a thrilling encounter by just six points. “We really missed Eben and Luke Andrews today. But, I told the boys before the game that I didn’t want any excuses and that I still expected us to come away with a win. After six wins in row, and some pretty impressive performances we were well within our rights to believe we could pull this off today, but in all honesty we didn’t play smart basketball. Our shot selection was not good and that’s because we were static on offence. Defensively we gave away far too many easy buckets in the paint and you are going to get punished when you play against a team of Baddow's calibre. However, there are also a lot of plus points. A six point loss on the road against an undefeated team with two key players missing and another in foul trouble is a decent performance, I just expect to win every game and so do the boys! I have watched the tape of the game and know what needs to be done, it’s just a case of doing it in practice as we haven’t got time to sit and sulk, we’ve got two big games next weekend against Sevenoaks and Middlesex. After next weekend we will have a real idea of who’s going to make those play-offs.” Said Tomcats Coach Nick Drane. TOP SCORERS: Fry 24, Swift 18, Mosley 14 and Burrows 11. Game 12 - Sun 8 January - IPSWICH TOMCATS 101 - 82 WALTHAM FOREST SPITFIRES Ipswich underlined their play-off credentials with another impressive display, which saw them move into first place in the Southern Conference of the English National League. The Tomcats exploded out of the blocks, starting the game with a 10-2 scoring run lead by Luke Fry and Luke Andrews before the Spitfires Coach called a time-out. The visitors, who beat the Tomcats by just four points on the opening day of the season, then mounted a charge of their own. In a run and gun first quarter between two high scoring teams Ipswich won the period 31 points to 21. In the second the tempo was again high, the teams traded baskets. Ipswich were struggling with Waltham Forest’s pressing defence while the visitors were having their hands full containing Christian Daley and Jacob Swift. The Spitfires won the quarter but the Tomcats still held a six-point lead going in at half time. The third quarter was all Waltham Forest. Ipswich seemed to lose their heads and Waltham Forest capitalised and took the lead for the first time in the game. Jacob Swift was being kept quiet and the Tomcats were subsequently finding baskets hard to find. The Spitfires won the quarter by fifteen points and held a nine point lead going into the fourth period and were very much looking like leaving Westbourne with an impressive victory. The fourth quarter saw Ipswich play their finest quarter of basketball of the season. Adam Burrows and Aaron Mosley were introduced into the game to give the team some stability and slow their opposition down and then once the Waltham Forest storm was over Jacob Swift and Adam Burrows began to take over on offence while the defence of Luke Fry and Sam Saggers held off the Spitfires. In an excellent foUrth-period performance Ipswich scored forty points, sixteen from Jacob Swift, and held their opponents to just twelve. The final score was 101 – 82 in favour of Ipswich who have made it six wins in a row. “That fourth quarter performance was remarkable. When a team pins you down like they did in the third most teams would have crumbled. But, this team is full of guys that won’t quit and that was reflected today. There is still so much to improve on, like why we were so bad in the third, but we are top of the league and playing very well so for now we can reflect on the positive’s – Sam Saggers and Adam Burrows, the two youngest players on the team stepped up today and were massive and when we needed our leaders to stand up and be counted Luke Fry, Christian and Jacob again pulled it out of the bag in the fourth. Baddow next week will be the biggest test of the season, first versus second, it should be a barn burner” Said Tomcats Coach Nick Drane. TOP SCORERS: Swift 38, Burrows 16, Fry 15 and Daley 14. Game 11 - Sat 17 December 2005 - IPSWICH TOMCATS 120 - 77 East Kent Crusaders Ipswich went into the Christmas break in style, and team records dropped like fly’s as the Tomcats recorded their third forty-plus point win in four games and increased their winning streak to five. The first quarter was closely contested. Luke Fry made two three-point plays and Eben Thompson was able to get out on the break as Ipswich picked up early scores. However, East Kent were looking sharp and they connected on a number of perimeter attempts. Ipswich won the quarter by seven points. In the second Ipswich upped the tempo. Jacob Swift eventually found his scoring touch and began dominating the game with his ability to make tough shots. At the other end of the floor Luke Andrews, Sam Saggers and Christian Daley dominated the boards which allowed Ipswich to reduce their opponents chances of second chance points and this saw Ipswich begin to extend their lead. Jacob Swift closed out the half with a spectacular throw-down as Ipswich had extended their lead to seventeen points. In the third East Kent gave the hosts a real scare. The visitors reduced the lead to eight points and forced Tomcats Coach Nick Drane into a time-out. Ipswich re-focused and it was then that Jacob Swift when on a one-man mission to put the game out of reach. The pressing defence caused East Kent into a number of turnovers and Luke Fry and Jacob Swift capitalized when Fry fed Swift for another dunk. Swift attacked the basket every time he got the ball and by the end of the quarter the lead had been extended out of their opponents reach. Jacob Swift picked up a remarkable thirty points in the third quarter alone! Other baskets from James Fairs and Bradley Potter saw Ipswich play their best basketball of the season. In the fourth Ipswich showed a real killer instinct. Not satisfied with their lead they continued to increase it. Luke Andrews was causing the biggest problem for East Kent, the Tomcats Forward carried on where Jacob Swift had left off and attacked the basket. With six minutes left in the quarter Swift re-entered the game and was instantly on the receiving end of Luke Fry’s playmaking. Another ten points in the period for Jacob Swift and buckets from Sam Saggers and Eben Thompson rounded off a great performance for the Tomcats. “That was a great performance – Particularly the last three quarters. We do conceded quite a lot of points but that is a lot to do with the tempo that we play at. Our defence was actually very good today, I dread to think how many turnovers we caused. Offensively when Luke Fry and Jacob play like that we are going to cause any team a problem, but when you add into the equation Luke Andrews presence in the paint we have got some great options. Luke Fry’s ability to bring others into the game is outstanding and Jacob’s ability to put the ball in the basket is remarkable, fifty-three points is just amazing and if you look at the score sheet you will notice that he didn’t score in the first quarter! We are playing really well right now, it’s a shame that it’s the Christmas break!” Said Tomcats Coach Nick Drane. TOP SCORERS: Swift 53, Andrews 20, Saggers and Fry 12, Thompson 10 Game 10 - Sat 10 December 2005 - ESSEX & HERTS LEOPARDS ‘B’ 42 - 90 IPSWICH TOMCATS Ipswich made it four wins in a row with a business like display in Hertfordshire. Luke Fry opened the scoring with a three pointer before The Leopards answered with a basket of their own. Ipswich didn’t look themselves and were struggling to find their rhythm on a small court. Jacob Swift scored all of the rest of the Tomcats points in a disappointing first quarter performance that saw the visitors win the period 13-11. In the second Ipswich were a different team. Their defensive intensity was awesome as they forced their opponents into a number of errors that enabled them to get into the running game. Luke Fry found Jacob Swift on the break for a lay-up and then Swift returned the favour as he put Fry in for an easy two. At the other end of the floor Christian Daley was all over the defensive boards and Sam Saggers was everywhere as usual. Adam Burrows connected on two straight jump shots and Luke Fry made a number of great moves to the basket and another three as the Tomcats outscored Essex and Herts thirty three points to four in the second period. The score at half time was Essex and Herts 15 Ipswich 46. In the third Ipswich took their foot off the gas but still extended their lead. Jacob Swift was free-scoring and Christian Daley was dominating the paint with his rebounding and shot blocking. Eben Thompson and Bradley Potter also got themselves involved in the scoring as the Tomcats won the quarter and now lead 62 – 25. The fourth was opened with a basket from Eben Thompson and then two foul shots fro Luke Fry. Essex Herts kept fighting but Ipswich again extended their lead. Jacob Swift scored consecutive three-point plays and Luke Fry again played in Eben Thompson. Thompson was again on target when he connected form three-point land after a great pass from Bradley Potter and Bruce Crowley had his best game of the season as he rebounded brilliantly. Aaron Mosley wrapped things up with a strong drive to the basket as Ipswich ran out convincing winners 90 – 42. “That was a good win in terms of our push for the play-offs but the players know that they can play a lot better, and we will need to if this dream of making the play-offs is to become a reality. We have come so far, we’re twice the team we were at the start of the season but unfortunately the way the fixture list was it meant that we had two really strong teams in our first two games. We got great games out of some of our unsung hero’s today. Adam Burrows had a brilliant game, Eben looked great again, Christian Daley grabbed a ton of rebounds and Bradley Long is starting to make a real claim for major minutes” said Tomcats Head Coach Nick Drane. TOP SCORERS:Swift 31, Fry 19 and Thompson 11. Game 9 - Sun 4 December 2005 - IPSWICH TOMCATS 20 - 0 PAWS London Capitals. PAWS failed to show up and phoned to say they only had 3 players available just one hour before tip??? England Basketball are investigating. Game 8 - Sat 26 November 2005 - HARINGEY WARRIORS 70 - 74 IPSWICH TOMCATS Ipswich produced an awesome display to record their best result of the season as they overcame the odds to move up to fourth in the league table. Ipswich guard Luke Fry, opened the scoring with a strong drive to the basket before Haringey connected on a put-back. Once again, it was clear that Ipswich were to be involved in a close encounter. Christian Daley was dominating the boards as ever and this enabled Ipswich to get out in to their running game which saw Jacob Swift begin to get his offence going early. A strong baseline drive from Fry in the final minute gave Ipswich a slender three-point lead at the end of the first. The second quarter was where Ipswich played their best basketball. The lightning quick combination of Luke Fry and Eben Thompson at the guard positions was causing Haringey no end of problems and Sam Saggers, Luke Andrews and Christian Daley dominated the paint. However, Ipswich were dealt a blow when Swift picked up a third foul and in the process took a heavy blow to the face. The Tomcats were forced to play the final six minutes of the half without their primary offensive weapon and number one scoring option. But, Luke Fry stepped up to the challenge, as did Eben Thompson and Adam Burrows. Fry was everywhere as Ipswich extended their lead. The half was brought to a close when Luke Fry connected on a buzzer-beating mid-court three point attempt as well as being fouled. Ipswich held a twelve point lead at half time. The second half seemed to last forever. Haringey’s pressing defence was taking its toll and Ipswich had the weather the storm. The home team brought the game within four points before Jacob Swift, back in the game, albeit in a lot of pain, began to dominate the game both with his scoring and rebounding. Ipswich’s lead had been split in half as they lead by six going into the final period. The final period was a real scrap. Haringey tied the game up with four minutes to go and they looked to have the momentum. But in Luke Fry and Jacob Swift Ipswich have a phenomenal one-two punch. After a time-out by Coach Nick Drane Ipswich used the clock to slow the pace of the game down, eventually they got the ball to Swift who took advantage of a one-on-one match up and went to the basket. On the other end a steal and lay-up by Swift saw Ipswich with a four point lead. However, Haringey answered with a long range effort to reduce the lead to two points and a Tomcats miss at the other end meant that the home side had the ball with less than twenty seconds to go. A strong drive to the basket was met by the brilliant Sam Saggers who sacrificed his body and took a charge. Ipswich now had the ball, Aaron Mosley was fouled and with the Warriors in the penalty Mosley had the chance to increase the lead to four points. Mosley stepped up to the line and calmly sank both free throws to give Ipswich a famous victory. Final score Haringey 70 – Ipswich 74. “That’s was a big victory for us. Haringey are a very good team and to come into London, in a hostile environment, and face another delayed tip-off, another game with one referee on a court that wasn’t brilliant shows great character. The boys fought harder today than in any other game and ultimately that’s what the difference was. However, we ran our offence very well at times and our defence is getting better all the time. Aaron Mosley was Mr. Cool with the game on the line, Sam Saggers took a massive charge with twelve seconds to go and Christian Daley showed that he is a great player even when not scoring – and that’s a real compliment. But, I must say that our two leaders were just magnificent today. Luke Fry’s performance in the first half was incredible, particularly as we didn’t have Jacob on the floor. Jacob showed a different side to his game today, he scrapped for everything, he took a lot of hits, pulled a lot of boards and played the game of his life” said Tomcats Coach Nick Drane. “We’ve since found out that Jacob actually broke his nose in the first quarter and played through the pain for the rest of the game” added Drane. TOP SCORERS: Swift 30, Fry 17 and Mosley 7 Game 7 - Sat 19 November 2005 - IPSWICH TOMCATS 95 - 53 BRIGHTON COUGERS Ipswich got back to winning ways after two tough games against the top two teams in the division. Ipswich couldn’t have asked for a better start when Jacob Swift stole the ball and hammered down a spectacular dunk for his first points of the game after just thirty seconds. Brighton, who didn’t have much size in their squad struggled to contain the athletic Tomcats who ran their offence excellently to pick apart their opponents defence. Christian Daley was dominating the paint with his superb rebounding and improving post game and Luke Fry was able to get open on the perimeter and connect on two early three point attempts. Ipswich held a double digit lead after the first quarter. In the second Ipswich new-boy Eben Thompson was introduced and the electrifying guard was the catalyst for the Tomcats to spark their defence into life. Ipswich’s pressing defence caused a number of turnovers for their opponents and the lead began to grow. The half was brought to a close in emphatic style as Sam Saggers stole the ball and fed Swift for another eye-popping break-away slam. Ipswich lead at half time by twenty-five points. In the third Ipswich continued their dominance although they took their foot off the gas slightly. Consecutive three-pointers from Eben Thompson and Luke Fry got the crowd excited as did a Sam Sam Saggers ‘and one’. In the fourth Ipswich again extended their lead while in cruise control. Bruce Crowley enjoyed his best spell of court-time of the season and picked up a number of rebounds and steals. Thompson found Christian Daley for a spectacular alley-oop lay up and Ipswich continued to dominate. Ipswich ended up winning the game by their largest margin of the season 95 points to fifty three. “It all came together today. We played our best defence of the season, we were far more disciplined than in any other game and everybody did their job well. Eben Thompson gives us another dimension at both ends of the floor and he takes some of the pressure off Luke Fry who now has somebody who is able to help him handle the ball. Christian Daley had a massive game today, if you look at the stats he had eighteen points and fifteen rebounds, that’s awesome. Luke Fry dished out ten assists, his ability to bring others into the game is amazing and Jacob has hit thirty-four points today, he also helped more on the boards which was great to see and his two dunks were out of this world.” Said Coach Nick Drane TOP SCORERS: Swift 34, Daley 18 and Thompson 16. Game 6 - Sun 13 November Sevenoaks Suns 81 - 75 Ipswich Tomcats (No Report Available) Game 5 - Sat 5 November - IPSWICH TOMCATS 78 - 85 LIV BRENTWOOD FIRE Ipswich’s mini winning streak came to an end on Saturday as the undefeated Brentwood Fire edged them in a thrilling encounter. The two teams exchanged basket’s early. For the Tomcats, as we are now accustomed to, it’s was Jacob Swift on the end of Luke Fry’s play-making that was the main weapon for the home team. Brentwood edged the quarter 15-14 as it was again clear that it was going to be a close game. Brentwood started the second quarter at breakneck speed as their full-court press caught the Tomcats off guard and they opened up a seventeen point lead. However, after a time-out by Tomcats Coach Nick Drane Ipswich mounted a phenomenal comeback. Aaron Mosley scored off a put back and Luke Fry finished off a fast break but it was Swift who took the game over with a phenomenal 16 points in three minutes meaning that Ipswich had pulled the score back within three at the interval. The third quarter saw Brentwood again put a big run together, opening up another big lead, this time nineteen points. However, Ipswich would not lie down and behind Sam Saggers great defence and the offence of Christian Daley once again Jacob Swift it was Ipswich who managed to reduce the lead to eleven points. Brentwood opened the fourth with six unanswered points again extending their lead to seventeen but a big three from Luke Fry as well as buckets from Aaron Mosley, Sam Saggers and Christian Daley meant that Ipswich were still just about within touching distance. Two more baskets from Daley, another four quick points from Swift and a three from Fry saw Ipswich reduce their visitors lead to single digits and the momentum was with the home team. However, a succession of silly fouls when they were in the shooting penalty meant that Ipswich handed Brentwood a number of chances to extend their lead while the clock was stopped and in the end time ran out for the Tomcats, who now have to travel to league leaders Sevenoaks Suns next Sunday, and get a win if they want to maintain their push for a play-off berth. “We played against a very good side today, the best team I think we’ve played so far and we again showed that we are right there with the best teams in the division. It’s an obvious thing to say but once again the inexperience of my players could have been the difference. After all that hard work those silly fouls at the end cost us dear. But I can hardly complain, we are sixth in the table on basket difference, all of the other teams near us in the table lost so we are still joint third on points. Sevenoaks will be the toughest away game of the season but if you look at their results then there is reason to believe that we can get a win there. We have a chance to get a positive record at home the following week against Brighton. The boys are all very disappointed and that’s a good sign, they want to win every game and that’s exactly the type of mentality that I am trying to get them to have. They didn’t quit, Aaron Mosley and Sam Saggers were phenomenal today with their hustle and defence and Christian Daley showed everyone his talents. Once again it’s hard to fault the performance of Luke Fry and you also can’t ignore that Jacob has again scored thirty-plus points”. Tomcats Head Coach Nick Drane. TOP SCORERS:Swift 32, Daley 15, Mosley 11 Game 4 - Sat 29 October 2005 - Kingston Wildcats 67 - 85 IPSWICH TOMCATS Ipswich Tomcats built on their home win against Middlesex two weeks ago with a business like performance on the road against the Kingston Wildcats. Ipswich, who were without leading rebounder Christian Daley, showed they had a deep bench as Adam Burrows and Sam Saggers enjoyed their best games of the season as the visitors dominated the game from start to finish. As usual, it was Luke Fry who dictated the pace of the game, the point guard has been at the heart of the team all season and it was him who laid on a number of assists for Jacob Swift to find his scoring touch early. Ipswich won the quarter 23-17 and Swift was looking in an unstoppable mood as he collected fourteen points in the quarter. The second quarter was where Ipswich effectively won the game, it was again Fry and Swift leading the way for Ipswich but team captain Luke Andrews began to dominate the paint as he helped himself to eight in the period. Ipswich blew the game wide open and went into the half time break leading by twenty points. The third quarter was much tighter but again saw Ipswich extend their lead. Luke fry connected on a strong move to the basket and Adam Burrows and Jacob Swift both hit three-pointers as Ipswich Coach Nick Drane began to rotate his bench and give minutes to the less experienced players in his squad. Ipswich again won the quarter and held a comfortable twenty-five point lead. Ipswich started the fourth slowly but Luke Andrews connected on six straight points before fouling out. Bradley Potter scored on a put-back and Jacob Swift again scored off strong moves to the basket before retiring to the bench. Bruce Crowley laid on a beautiful pass for James Fairs to pick up his first field goal of the season before Fry wrapped things up with a long three-pointer. Tomcats eventually won the game 85-67. “This was a great result for us. It’s been a rough few weeks obviously with the loss of Aaron Caldwell but what the boys proved today is that what we may have lost in terms of one player, can be gained by the rest of the team pulling together, training harder and being more disciplined in the way they play. Jacob and Luke Fry are developing a great understanding and Luke Andrews is getting better each game, if we keep developing then its going to be a fun season. Sam Saggers was awesome today, considering he didn’t get on the court for the first two games he is now an essential player for us – and that’s what we are all about, developing players.” Said Tomcats Head Coach Nick Drane. TOP SCORERS: Swift 33, Andrews 17, Fry 11 and Burrows 11. Game 3 - Sat 15 October 2005 - - Ipswich Tomcats 83 – 76 JAZ Middlesex University Tomcats Earn First Victory Ipswich Tomcats U16 Cadet Men hosted the Jaz Middlesex University on Saturday at Westbourne for their third league game and put together their best performance yet, as they recorded their first win of the season. Middlesex started the brighter of the two teams with four unanswered points before Ipswich settled into their offence and picked their opponents defence apart when Aaron Caldwell found Luke Andrews open under the basket for an easy lay up. Caldwell then connected on a three pointer to put the Tomcats up by a point. The Jaz replied with two baskets of their own and it was already obvious to the big crowd at the game that they were in for another close and exciting battle. Luke Andrews was the dominant force for Ipswich. The Captain struggled on his National League debut two weeks previous but was beginning to show why his coach had such faith in him as he collected seven points in the first period. It finished with the Jaz holding a slender lead 22-18. Ipswich came racing out of the blocks in the second quarter with some fantastic team-work. Aaron Caldwell, Christian Daley and Jacob Swift were all on the receiving end of Luke Fry’s outstanding playmaking ability. However, it was the introduction of Chris Gray into the game that saw the Tomcats catch their opponents off guard. Gray, who was the Tomcats U14 MVP last season showed that he could perform at the older age group with six quick points as the hosts won the quarter 29 points to 13. The third quarter saw Middlesex reduce the Tomcats lead with a number of strong moves to the basket, but the Tomcats kept their heads and it was their main two scorers Aaron Caldwell and Jacob Swift who kept their lead intact with some excellent offensive execution. Luke Fry’s buzzer-beating three pointer meant Ipswich held a five point lead going into the fourth. The last period became a battle of wills. Ipswich had lost their last two games despite holding leads mid-way through the fourth period and it became a mental battle. For the Tomcats it was again Aaron Caldwell prepared to take the big shots as he knocked down a series of open jumpers. In addition to this Luke Andrews asserted himself on the defensive boards which allowed Luke Fry to feed Jacob Swift on the break. However, when the Jaz took a lead with three minutes to go there was a chance that Ipswich may again throw a victory away. Not this time, Luke Fry’s composure on the ball meant Ipswich were able to control the tempo and when Christian Daley, Jacob Swift and again Fry all connected from the free-throw line it was clear that the Tomcats would be celebrating their first win of the season. Christian Daley’s jump shot on the buzzer was the nail in the coffin as Ipswich won the game 83-76. “If we didn’t win today then I think we would have faced a real problem mentally when it came to close games. However, what the boys did today is what they didn’t do in the two previous games and that is kept their composure. Our big players all brought their ‘A Game’ today and our role players off the bench were just brilliant. Aaron Caldwell and Jacob Swift are always going to put points on the board but they both contributed in other areas and really lead the team. Luke Fry was his usual outstanding self and I’ve also got to say that Chris Gray was fantastic, he gave us another dimension. While all this was going on Aaron Mosley, Luke Andrews and Christian Daley were doing all the dirty work that may sometimes goes unnoticed – But not on this team” Said Tomcats Coach Nick Drane. “This is just one win, let’s hope it acts as a catalyst for the team to go on from here – We can still improve in all areas of the game and we are going to need to if we want to make the play-offs” Added Drane’s assistant, James Harvey. Sat Oct 8 2005 - Game 2 - Tomcats 77 - 91 Baddow Eagles TOMCATS EDGED BY EXPERIENCED EAGLES The Ipswich Tomcats played their first home game of the U16 season at Westbourne High School on Saturday and once again proved that they are able to compete with the very best teams in the National League. The Baddow Eagles arrived with a reputation for being talented, organised and extremely disciplined and they were every bit what was expected. However, Ipswich we every bit their equal for all but that last five minutes. Baddow opened up an early lead in the first as the went of a 12-6 scoring run before Jacob Swift tied the game up with three strong drives to the basket. Luke Fry’s defence was sparking the home team’s offence as Aaron Caldwell and Luke Andrews connected early. The Tomcats ended the first quarter with a slender lead. The second quarter was again a tense affair with the teams trading basket. First Baddow went ahead then Ipswich came back and took control themselves. Again it was the outstanding Luke Fry who was the most influential player for the Tomcats setting up Adam Burrows on a number of occasions as they went into half time down by just three points. Again, the third quarter was close, but the Tomcats looked to be on top when they picked up their defensive intensity and didn’t allow the opposition any easy baskets, it was once again Luke Fry setting the example for Ipswich who was setting up Caldwell and Swift for easy scores – The Eagles were struggling to contain the Tomcats when they attacked their basket. The Tomcats led by a single point going into the fourth. The final quarter, much like the previous week saw Ipswich’s inexperience show – In front of a big crowd, making a lot of noise, the Ipswich players got a little overexcited and starting shooting the ball too much from the perimeter. Baddow dominated the boards and went on a 10-0 scoring run finishing the game with a fourteen-point victory.
“The boys played very much like they did two weeks ago in Ware.
We only showed discipline in short spurts of the game and that was evident
because when we were controlled, we played the game at our tempo and attacked
the basket and dominated to rebounds. However, for long periods of the game we
let them have too many second chance points and settled for too many jumps shots
offensively. Unfortunately I only have a limited amount of time-outs to correct
the way we are playing. Top Scorers: Caldwell 27, Swift 15 and Burrows 12 Sat 1 Oct 2005 - Game 1 - WALTHAM FOREST SPITFIRES 77- 73 IPSWICH TOMCATS TOMCATS LOSE IN CONTROVERSIAL STYLE The controversial circumstances surrounding the National League Eastern Conference encounter between Waltham Forest and Ipswich has unfortunately overshadowed what was a quite outstanding game of basketball. The Tomcats travelled to London to play their first league game of the season against a team that made the National Play-Offs last season and were welcomed by what could only be described as a difficult atmosphere. With no match officials to be seen for nearly 45 minutes after the scheduled tip-off time the Tomcats were able to have an extended warm up and an opportunity to really stretch their legs after their long bus ride. The game eventually started, albeit late with only one referee and two spectators standing in for the absent table officials. However, Ipswich didn’t allow this to distract them as they raced out to a 7-0 start. Luke Andrews and Christian Daley both connect which ensured that they had both already collected more points than the previous week. Leading scorer Jacob Swift finished a lay up and was fouled off a pass from Daley as the Spitfires Coach was forced to call a time out. The hosts made six unanswered points before Aaron Caldwell began to dominate the game on both ends of the floor. The 6’4 all-rounder connected on a sweet baseline jumper as well as a drive to the basket as the visitors started looking like opening up an early lead. Luke Fry continued on from his outstanding game the week before as his playmaking skills allowed Swift to continue his fast break onslaught. The Tomcats won the quarter by 6. In the second the Spitfires were a different team, while the Tomcats seemed to go to sleep for a while. Aaron Mosley was introduced for Ipswich and his defensive hustle sparked the Tomcats into life as they weathered the Waltham storm and kept things close, a three pointer on the buzzer gave the Spitfires a 42-32 lead at half time. Ipswich Coach used half time to calm his players who were becoming increasingly affected by the hostile courtside crowd who had continued to heckle them throughout the first half. The game plan was simple for Ipswich, playing against a team with only eight players, getting to the basket and drawing fouls was what they were instructed to do, and they did brilliantly. Swift continued to rack up points and Christian Daley was a different player from the week before. In addition, Adam Burrows and Aaron Mosley played key roles off the bench as it allowed Drane to keep his key players fresh. Big baskets from Aaron Caldwell and Aaron Mosley saw the Tomcats tie the game before the hosts hit two unanswered three’s to extend their lead to nine going in to the fourth. Unfortunately, it was in the fourth quarter that the real controversy started. Aaron Caldwell continued his excellent all round display as he scored, rebounded and created for others – Christian Daley, Luke Fry and Jacob Swift continued attacking the basket as the Spitfires got themselves in major foul trouble. With three minutes to go the Spitfires had lost three players who had fouled out, the Tomcats game plan was working. However, when Swift collected his third foul mid-way through the quarter the table official held up foul maker number ‘5’ which meant he had also fouled out. Drane and Swift were adamant that it was his third and protested but the referee ordered Swift to the bench. It was later discovered after the game that Jacob Swift only had three fouls on the official score sheet. The Tomcats and Spitfires exchanged baskets for the final three minutes but three unforced errors lead to the Spitfires opening up a seven-point lead. Caldwell’s three pointer as time expired was not enough, but reduced the final deficit to just four points. “Obviously there are issues surrounding this game that we will address on Monday but it is important that we focus on the basketball and not the technicalities. We’ve come here off the back of a real lesson last week in Ware and showed what we are really about. There is still a load of stuff to be worked on but they have proved that they belong in this league – We worked hard during the week to rectify those things we did badly last week and it paid off. We will do the same this week and I’m sure that the first league victory won’t be far away” Said Tomcats Head Coach Nick Drane. He also added “They weren’t just playing against a good team but against some quite aggressive taunting from the sidelines, and some interesting officiating” TOMCATS TOP SCORERS: Swift 22, Caldwell 21, and Daley 14
"TOMCATS GIVEN BAPTISM OF FIRE BY LEOPARDS" Ipswich Tomcats U16’s played their first competitive game in the National Cup on Saturday and were shown what the National League is all about by one of the favourites for the National Championship, Essex and Herts Leopards. Aaron Caldwell’s bucket that tied the game at 2-2 had the visiting supporters believing that an upset could be possible, but 24 unanswered points from the hosts meant that Ipswich were up against it from the start. However, starting point guard Luke Fry managed to get the Tomcats running game going with some superb playmaking and it was Jacob Swift who benefited most from Fry’s brilliance. Ipswich put together an excellent second quarter run, winning the quarter with Swift collecting 19 points in the period and at half time the Tomcats had a glimmer of hope as they were back within sixteen points of their opponents. The Leopards, who had three players expected to earn England cap’s this season, including two players standing 6’6 and 6’8, put together a phenomenal display in the third as they squashed any thoughts of an upset by the Tomcats as they held Ipswich to no field goals in the quarter and just three points, all from foul shots. The forth was again one sided, although the Ipswich Coach used this period to give minutes to his entire bench to ensure that they all got an experience of playing at this level. Leopards eventually won by an impressive margin 90 points to 38. “I told the boys before the game that this team would be very good and they certainly were. However, I will say that it was our first competitive game and the boys were a little overawed by the situation. There were periods of play where we did very well, in the second quarter in particular. There is a massive amount to work on if we are to compete with these teams but I believe we have the talent to do so. It is up to James (Harvey) and I as coaches to prepare the team for these matches, there are things that we didn’t do well but we have identified them after watching the game tape and we believe we have the ability to surprise a lot of teams this season” Ipswich Coach Nick Drane Top Scorers: Swift 21, Caldwell 10, Mosley, Crowley, Potter 2 |