Leeds Carnegie 73 Reading Rockets 72
EBL Division 1 Saturday 17th January 2010 Carnegie Centre, Leeds Metropolitan University
With undoubtedly one of their best performances of the season to date, Rockets returned south having suffered the narrowest of defeats to second in the league, Leeds Carnegie.
It truly was an end to end game from tip to buzzer as Leeds took the 1st and 3rd quarters and Rockets the 2nd and 4th - each with margins of between 6 and 10 points. Despite the long journey and 15 minute delay to the start, it was Rockets who scored first and then saw 3 shots rim out as Leeds went on a 10 – 0 run. Rockets pulled back the deficit through improved effort on the boards, a Kenny Saunders dunk and finger roll and 6 points from Rockets' captain Ryan Lohfink. The quarter ended with the score at 19 – 14 in Carnegie's favour but Rockets' defence (which ultimately was complimented post game by Leeds Carnegie's Head Coach Matt Newby) was now imposing itself more effectively.
The second period saw Rockets outscore Carnegie 23 points to 15 to go into the locker room with a narrow 3 point lead. 17 year old Adam Thoseby and Kenny Saunders top scored with 6 personal points each but most notable was the great team effort as everyone stretched every sinew to try and secure a win in the opening game of 2010 after an enforced 4 week break. Lukas Aleksandravicius and Louis Sayers scored at crucial times with the highlights being a brilliant cut by Saunders to receive a superb piercing pass from Thoseby, a Saunders steal and coast to coast score which Fenny Falmagne repeated, only to finish with a slum dunk. Robbie Parker hit the first three of the game with 15 seconds to the interval but a Carnegie 3 cut Rockets lead to 37 – 34.
A 9 – 2 Carnegie run saw the lead change hands and Leeds kept the lead varying between 4 and 7 points throughout this third quarter. Leeds regularly stood on the free throw line as Rockets were in team foul trouble with Parker and Lohfink collecting their 4th personal fouls, removing much of Rockets' experience at this level to the bench. Nonetheless this was a defiant and determined team performance with 6'10" 21 year old Jason Sayers and high leaping Kenny Saunders scoring 14 of Rockets fourth quarter points as they strove for victory. Falmagne and Jon May took superb charges epitomising the character being displayed and a May tip in saw the scores level with two minutes to go. Leeds finished a break and hit one from two from the line to take a 3 point advantage, but Saunders scored two to see Rockets one point down into the last minute. A tough travel call stopped Rockets from edging in front. When Leeds hit two points from the foul line with 15 seconds remaining, Falmagne went to the line with 9.2 seconds on the clock and Rockets 3 points adrift, knowing 2 points wouldn't be enough so having scored the first, he purposely hit the rim with the second shot hoping Rockets would get the rebound and a chance to level and go into overtime. Unfortunately Leeds took the rebound and when Rockets fouled, they hit 2 from 2 to leave Rockets 4 down. A Saunders 3 made the score 72 – 73 and though disappointed with the result, Rockets Head Coach Sasa Punosevac was pleased with a much improved team performance setting things up nicely for the remaining of the league season.
Top scorers for Rockets were Kenny Saunders 21, with Jason Sayers and Adam Thoseby on 11 points.
