After last weeks defeat to Sheffield, Uni were hungrier than ever to bounce back against a strong Teesside squad.

They may have felt harshly done by to go into the break behind after what seemed to be a very even first quarter. The team displayed considerable ambition to get into the oppositions danger areas. However the away teams defence held firm and were clinical with a handful of breakaway moves to take an early lead of 12-18.

Teesside began to take control of the game early on in the second quarter with a host of two pointers. The away team scored an impressive 28 points in a section of the game that they largely dominated, with Teesside pulling out block after block and interception after interception. This was followed up by impressive breakaway attacks that left the home side struggling to keep up, as the teams headed in at the break with the visitors 46-26 ahead.

Leeds were already facing an immense task. Some of Uni’s best play came at the beginning of the second half. Killian Stanley showed some nimble movement in the pacey breakaways, finishing them in style with a number of lay-ups. Their domination had many of us thinking that a comeback was on the cards, but Teesside had other ideas. The away side scored a number of baskets towards the latter end of the quarter, leaving Leeds with little hope going into the final period.

Leeds had all but accepted that they were heading for their second defeat of the season. Nevertheless, Teesside’s complacency in the final quarter meant that this was the only period of the match when Uni outscored their opponents.

Overall, the Gryphons gave a good performance that would have left them feeling uplifted, despite the outcome, a final score of Uni 64-82 Teesside. The side face lower-league Bradford next time out in the cup, a match the team will desperate to win in order to get their form back on track.

 

Daniel Nixon

 

Image courtesy of Lucie England-Duce