Greenwich Titans U14s vs London Lewisham Thunder– first home game of the season
Titans won the tip and stormed to the basket for a lay-up. Lay ups after lay ups followed and at the end of the first quarter they were up by 38 points.
In the second quarter the opponents exploited the defensive weakness as Titans were slow in getting back to defend their basket. Even so Titans continued to add to their score.
In the third quarter Titans remained competitive dominating the away team increasing their lead. Titans ran a motion offense with players effectively passing and cutting and moving the ball well. You could see the confidence in the players as they were taking open shots.
In the final quarter 27 points were added to Titan’s tally making the final score 106. The team had much to celebrate, this was a good solid win for them.
Top 3 Scorers
• Nischan – 31
• Jakub 28
• Kenneth 23
The Titans U18 squad were facing a double header this weekend and hoping to come out of it undefeated, however it wouldn’t be easy as their first competition was a well-established side in Youngbloods.
Greenwich Titans U18s vs London Lions Youngbloods Nitros
The game started off fast, which played into the Titans hands as they went ahead early. The ball moved well and the team seemed to be happy to get the basket as driving lanes were created. However this wouldn’t be the trend all game, as the Nitros found their rhythm they also got good looks at the basket and utilised a structured offence to create the shots they wanted.
Despite a slight lead at the half the game was far from over, the Nitros came out aggressive in the second half and got key points from the post, they also upped their defensive efforts causing turnovers and poor shots for the Titans. Baskets were traded and the Titans lead narrowed until some key jump shots from James Aboaba and key assists from Tobi Ojo created a comfortable flow for the Titans and put the Nitros on their back heels.
Titans went on to win 74-56 with James Aboaba leading the way with 22 points and Seun Babalola with 16.
Greenwich Titans U16s vs Hackney Royals
The return of our starting guard Kristan Lynch made the difference in this encounter, with what was a scintillating back and forth contest between 2 teams who are trying to establish themselves in the league.
Starting under 14 guard Jakub Rak played valuable minutes after shooting guard Korai Halil got injured after only 5 minutes.
Samuel Olotu led the team in scoring with an array of thunderous dunks and transition scoring which left the spectators looking on in amazement. Both guards handed a number of assists and hit some big 3 pointers in the 3rd quarter to keep Hackney within striking distance.
Top 3 Scorers
• Samuel – 25 Points
• Kristan – 17 Points
• Jakub – 5 Points
The end result was a 4 point in (62 – 58) for Titans and a platform that they can build on for the next stretch of games.
Coach Ashley highlighted that even though he was happy with the result, he expects more production from the bench.
Greenwich Titans U18s vs Islington Wolves (National Cup)
Part two of the double header saw the Titans face off against the Islington Wolves, this was a cup game so everything was on the line. The wolves featured a small quick line-up which was new for the Titans but they rose to the challenge in the first quarter storming out to a 24-12 lead.
In the 2nd quarter the Wolves threw on a full court press which, with the use of their quick line up startled the Titans into a poor scoring quarter and the giving the Wolves a one point lead. A lead which they quickly relinquished as the Titans came out energetic, getting steals and rebounds from misses and turning them into fast break points.
Some big three point shots from Seun Babatola and James Aboaba helped bolster the lead as the Wolves were stunned and never regained confidence. Titans went on to win 80-66 and will face the Durham Eagles in the next round of the cup.
Greenwich Titans vs East London All Stars
The flagship game of the weekend saw the return of a rivalry that started long before Greenwich Titans even existed “NASSA” or East London All Stars as they are now known is a match that always lives up to its billing.
Yassine Bouraidah, (yes that one), the former Titans All Star and a key part of the team that won the division 3 last season returned to play for the away team. This clearly did not sit well with the supporters as they booed his every possession creating a cauldron of noise which led to the referee asking the crown to quieten down.
After a disappointing first half where Titans found themselves down by 17 points, the team made some defensive adjustments and were able to get a number of stops which kick started the offence. Louis Annan was key to that offensive spark with his ability to attack the basket of the dribble and hit both open and contested shots.
The change in offensive intensity meant that the Titans guards were able to find more space by attacking the basket and then finding the rolling inside players.
Top 3 Scorers
• Jake Murphy – 21 Points
• Louis Annan – 17 Points
• Arturu Noha-Pascual – 10 Points
Period 1: 11 – 16 Period 2: 13-25
Period 3: 27 – 15 Period 4: 30-18
The second half was the best that Titans have played this season and the ice cold Arturu finished the comeback at the free throw line as East London threw everything they could to remain in the knockout competition.
Greenwich Titans emerged victorious defeating East London All Stars by 81 – 74 and will now progress into the 3rd round where the reward will be a home game against Division 1 outfit Worthing Thunder.