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Jets Beat Vikings 44-32
Chester Wheelchair Jets continued their impressive run on Sunday with a 44-32 win over local rivals Liverpool Vikings. This now takes their winning streak to four games and leaves them with a 4-3 record and currently in third place in the table. This win was the most impressive of the four against a team who had beaten the Jets convincingly earlier in the season in the away game. Although weakened from the first game Vikings clearly came for the win and Jets showed some real class in emerging victorious. The first quarter was very much a case of testing each other out and finding exactly what game plan was going to work best.
Vikings went into a 2-6 lead early but with Chester showing offensive balance all of the starting five scored to leave the Jets 11-6 up after the first ten minutes.Jets utilised a mixture of zone and man presses all game and these continued to reap steals and Viking turnovers early in the second quarter building a 17-8 lead. However a failure by the Jets to convert easy opportunities led to a dropping of confidence which carried over into Chester’s Defensive efforts allowing Vikings right back into the game. Halftime came with the Jets holding slight edge at 20-17 but the momentum very much with Vikings.
The Jets went five minutes of the second period without scoring and such shaky stretches in the past have seen them struggle to recover and throw away winnable games. The team now displays much greater mental strength and clearly recognises these tough times are part of the game and it is the team who rides these storms best who usually comes out on top.
In the first half Chester had played the aggressive up tempo style of basketball they have been working towards, however they struggled for organisation offensively and defensively. A re-energising of confidence and a team talk on greater team structure at half time saw the Jets flying in the second half. Greater team work and improved ball movement on offence had Jets attacking the basket and creating better shots. Whilst on defence they shut down the main offensive threats of Dave Connor and captain Steve Orford for Vikings and forced the other players to have to step up and make decisions.The Jets continued this level of play right till the final whistle and from 31-23 at the end of the third the opposition never got within more than eight points.
All the Jets players scored and this more balanced attack, especially from the guards will force oppositions to play further away from the basket and open up more space for the forwards to go to work.
Andy Hickey and Pete Grime showed greater court awareness and offensive skill from outside, Peter Barron and Billy Flanagan scored crucial baskets and controlled the Jets offence, forwards Anna Jackson, Caz Ballard and Dan Spencer read the game well defensively and battled hard all game.
The remainder of the Jets who didn’t see court time – Pete Davies, Stu Mcneill, Philippa Ednay, Nathaniel Willaims and Megan Fuller - all played their part in the win and encouraging the team. A real positive atmosphere is growing at the games and they are well worth checking out.Chester will continue to hone their aggressive, up tempo, organised style when they take on Wigan away on Sunday and go for five wins in a row. The push is now on in the second half of the season for second place in the league and a playoff spot.
Scorers
Peter Barron 10 points
Pete Grime 9 points
Billy Flanagan 7 points
Anna Jackson 7 points
Caroline Ballard 5 points
Daniel Spencer 4 points
Andy Hickey 2 points | Todays Featured Images | | Todays featured Gallery Images
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