Massive Win for Hoods

The McDonald’s Nottingham Hoods are the only undefeated team left in Division 2 after a thrilling 100-89 home win against East London All Stars.

This was billed as the big one, the only two teams in the division who were undefeated and an East London All Stars team who had recorded some great results so far this season after being relegated from Division 1. But the Hoods were ready and immediately seized the initiative with an exhilarating first quarter performance, which destroyed a quality opposition and demonstrated what a talented group of players has been put together this season.

The first minute of the first quarter saw Lukasz Siczek set the large crowd at Wildcats Arena on fire starting with a rare 3 pointer on ten seconds, further points from Matt Wilson and two more from Siczek saw Hoods go 7-0 up with less than a minute played. The All Stars finally got on the scoreboard, before the Hoods impressive Spaniard, Miguel Lorenzo, started to drop in the points. With just 3 minutes gone, Hoods were playing the best basketball of the season, led by captain Kieran Wright. Mid-way through the quarter, last year’s MVP Alvaro Urbistondo began to fire up his game dropping two downtown threes, added to by Kirk Davis, Wilson and Siczek. A 6-0 for the Hoods closed an incredible quarter that saw them miss just 2 shots as they scored an incredible 39 points in the quarter to lead 39-18.

It would have been unimaginable for the Hoods to continue to amass points and a performance on that scale against a previously undefeated team but the Hoods stretched their lead out to 30 early in the second quarter through Kallum Dunn, Urbistondo and Siczek. It wasn’t until the final 5 minutes of the half that the All Stars found their rhythm and went on a 16-7 run, but the Hoods still had a dominant lead 63-42.

Head Coach, Phil Waghorn, was using his bench as the team moved into the third quarter and East London were stepping up their play and the visitors took the third quarter by 4 points, despite great work from Danny Wong, Liam Kelly and Luke Mitchell. By the time the fourth quarter came round, the game was long gone as both teams exchanged baskets before a lay-up in the dying seconds brought up the 100 points for the first time this season and a thoroughly deserved 100-89 victory. Luke4 Mitchell tied the club record of 8 assists in the game, with Lucasz Siczeck dishing out an impressive 7.

Hoods Scorers: Siczek 23; Lorenzo 22; Urbistondo 21; Wilson 10; Wong, Davis 6; Wright, Dunn 4; Anyaegbunan 2; Mitchell, Kelly 1.

 

In the Men’s Development League Hoods II were back on the winning trail beating Kingston Panthers 80-47 to remain in second spot.

Hoods Scorers: Franchi 13; McGregor 12; Williams 11; Spencer 10; Menakaya 7; Westley, Golchev, Apostolidis 6; Parry 5; Burrows, Robinson 2.

 

The Junior Hoods u14 boys put up a great performance against a strong Leicester Warriors but came out on the wrong side of a 57-35 away defeat.

This was avenged by the ever improving u18 team as they came through with a great away win beating Leicester Warriors 106-71

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