GUERNSEY have again fallen just short of claiming back-to-back National Basketball League wins.
Coach Pat Ogier (pictured) was left a frustrated man as his side lost to Guildford by seven points the day after overcoming Cardiff Celts.
‘It’s the same old story – another 50% weekend,’ Ogier said.
A tricky match in Cardiff awaited Guernsey and after a slow start, they came away with a hard-fought 72-58 victory.
Celts had the better of the first half as they led 33-31 with some long range shooting which Guernsey struggled to deal with.
Amy Wright was having an exceptional defensive game and Liz Kerr produced some solid offensive numbers to keep it close.
The second-half was all about the team as all 12 played their part to nudge ahead of Celts and go on to extend the lead.
A real team effort saw Guernsey surge ahead to lead by as many as 20 before Celts went on a late run to close the gap to 14, but it was not enough.
MVP Kerr was impressive, scoring 26, but she was well supported by Jenny Rees and Wright with 10.
Guernsey were looking to make it a successful double-header for the first time as they face Guildford in Hamble the following day.
Guildford started well and through ex-England point guard Claire Laytham they exposed some weak defensive positions to stun Guernsey with a 13-point lead at the end of the first.
After some stern words and a change to a zone defence, Guernsey bounced straight back with a 19-2 run sparked by MVP Emma Hicks’ long-range shooting to lead by six at the half, 29-23.
In the third Guernsey extended the lead to 10, but were caught cold as Guildford finally found some three-point form, hitting six in the quarter to cut the deficit to two points with one quarter remaining.
Guildford were now in control as they pushed on and took the lead with six minutes left.
Guernsey’s inability to close the game out and their lack of experience really showed as Guildford denied them scoring opportunities and forced them to take bad shots to eventually run out winners 53-60.
‘We played well on Saturday and rotated the squad well to keep everyone fit for Sunday so tiredness or fatigue shouldn’t have been an issue,’ Ogier said.
‘The Celts game was won through hard work and determination and was a real team effort, something they can all be proud of. But against Guildford we were a little flat and inexperienced at times, which ultimately led to our demise.
‘We need to show a bit more grit and be willing to get down and dirty when games are on the line and I am looking for a marked improvement in the Celts re-match.
‘The playoffs might be out of reach but there is a lot of pride at stake in the remaining four games as we look to claim a winning record for the season.’National League: Guernsey coach Ogier aiming for winning record
Article posted on 6th March, 2009 - 2.29pm
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