This Is Guernsey

Andy Stephens gets to the ball under the basket, despite being surrounded by Subaru opponents. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 0582428)

Collins Stewart 62, Le Mont Saint Subaru 51
COLLINS STEWART are the 2008 Yorkshire Guernsey Division One champions.

They overcame Le Mont Saint Subaru in front of a packed balcony at Beau Sejour last night in a winner-takes-all match. The reds’ player-coach Jeff Stuart is known for preaching the team ethos and it was no different after his side won by nine points.

‘Tonight was a demonstration of what we do, which is that we roll as a team from one to 12,’ said the big Welshman. ‘It was a great game to finish the season and both teams played well. But we played better.’

Stuart was actually modest about his own achievements. He ended up as the game’s top scorer with 18 points and did a fantastic job shutting out Subaru’s biggest threat, island centre Mike Beausire.

Stuart was playing in the inside for Collins as regular centre and captain Nigel Govett was on the sidelines organising the team with a dislocated knee that he picked up during their recent league match with Le Mont Saint Fiat.

Govett gave special credit to the younger members of the team – Matt Sawbridge, Aaron Walden and Scott Rowe – who all featured heavily in yesterday’s victory.

‘The juniors were in the team to learn stuff from us, but by the end of the season we were complementing their skills rather than they were complementing ours and that shows how much they’ve come on,’ he said.

As expected the match kicked off at a ferocious rate.

With arms flailing around, the in-form Mark Barnett picked up three fouls before the end of the quarter.

That was a blow for Subaru as they to be careful with the amount of time Barnett could have on the court to save him getting into foul trouble.

As a result, when he was off they lost their shape somewhat.

However, the match remained tight with the score at half-time 28-25 to the reds.

In the third quarter Collins began to assert their dominance.

Guard Jamie Roussel made some crucial points and with Stuart effective under the basket, they had stretched to an 11-point lead going into the fourth at 47-36.

Subaru made a good stab at getting back into it and reduced that lead to three points, but when Beausire was fouled out with a couple of minutes left, Collins had the match wrapped up.

Beausire was clearly very disappointed to have lost the league.

It made it a double blow for the whites as they had lost the Division One Knockout Cup final to Collins Stewart Inferno.

‘I’m extremely gutted,’ he said.

‘I thought our defence was good but nothing was falling for us.

‘We made it difficult for ourselves. We weren’t getting open shots.

‘Our offence let us down.’

Article posted on 21st May, 2008 - 2.29pm