LE MONT SAINT are just one game away from claiming their first Yorkshire Guernsey Division One title. They enjoyed a 75-59 win over their great rivals and reigning champions, Collins Stewart One, and followed up this stunning victory with an eight-point win over Collins Stewart Two.
They now need one more win from their two remaining games, which are against bottom-placed Island under 21s and Collins Two again. Another victory would ensure they finish level with Collins One but a better point difference would ensure they would be crowned the champions.
Despite the strong position they find themselves in, Saints’ player-coach James Tracey is taking nothing for granted.
‘Collins Stewart Two are a tough side with some good players,’ said the New Zealander.
‘We need to maintain the intensity for the rest of the season to make sure of it. It’s in our hands.
‘Everyone is starting to get excited now.’
In their 16-point victory over Collins Stewart’s first team, the match started off at a canter as both teams found the basket on a regular basis. Collins had the slight edge, though, as they led 22-17 at the end of the first quarter.
This acted to spur Saints on as they clawed into the lead at half time with the score 26-24 in their favour. Third quarter and Collins just could not buy a basket as shot after shot rimmed out.
They capitulated in the last two minutes of the quarter as Saints went on a 10-2 run to go into the fourth 53-46 up. The last quarter was littered with fouls as Collins tried to stop the clock and force Saints to shoot from the free throw line.
The tactic nearly worked as Tracey’s team converted eight of just 20, but Collins’ own shooting was even worse to ensure Saints took the honours.
‘I was really pleased and I think we had the right approach to the game,’ said Tracey.
‘It got pretty tense but I think we showed the more mature head. They were all jawing off on the bench when they should have been concentrating on the game.
‘They lost focus, whereas we kept ours.’
In their match with Collins Stewart Two, Saints had the rub of the green for the first three quarters to lead 55-37.
A rally by Collins in the last almost upset the apple cart as they scored 20 points to Saints’ 10.
But Saints had done enough to secure the honours.
‘Basically we lost our way when they started clawing it back,’ said Saints star Mark Barnett.
‘We should have killed them off but we took our foot off the gas. We started to try to do things not as a team but as individuals.
‘We started to try too hard. We had a quick time-out and we said if we keep our heads, we’ll win it and that’s exactly what we did.’
Article posted on 4th May, 2007 - 12.00am
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