Amy Wright, left, pictured during the Island Games, top scored for Guernsey in their first National League win of the season with 18 points. (Picture by Steve Sarre, 0799765)
THE Guernsey women got their first win in the 2009-10 National League campaign with a good victory over Bristol Flyers.
The senior island side are in their second year in the English Basketball League Division Two Midlands and South West.
They began this season with a 56-42 defeat at the hands of City of Birmingham Force before going down 61-40 to Bristol Storm.
However, taking on the Flyers at the Bristol Academy of Sport at the weekend, the Sarnians came away with a 54-35 win.
The visitors were short on numbers with only nine available and without guards Emma Pattimore and Rochelle Vaudin looked a little vulnerable.
But any thoughts that those players would be missed were dispelled within the first quarter as a rampant Guernsey team set off like a train.
The starting five of Kerri Brown, Amy Wright, Gemma Batiste (nee Loveridge), Kat Daunt and Emma Hicks were solid on defence, slick and confident on the offence and aggressive all over the court.
After a number of steals, Guernsey got out in transition and opened up a 19-5 lead – a position they would not relinquish.
Throughout the remaining three quarters, the Greens rotated their bench and everyone who came into the game did what they were asked.
Every quarter saw the lead grow and midway through the fourth it was as many as 23.
Wright and Brown were particularly impressive as they scored 18 and 12 respectively in the win.
But the overall team performance was the most pleasing aspect for the Guernsey coach Pat Ogier.
‘It’s always a good feeling to get a win under your belts, but it’s so much more pleasing when you play like that,’ he said.
‘We competed for 40 minutes, played tough, sensible defence and made good decisions.
‘The big guys did a great job on the boards, getting us running in the open court and our guards handled the ball really well and were superb from outside making a number of three pointers.
‘We picked up a couple of injuries with both Kat [Daunt] and Hicksy [Hicks] picking up leg and ankle injuries, but we have a three-week break now, so I hope they will be fit.
‘Emma [Pattimore] and Roch [Vaudin] will also be back in the line up, so we should have a really strong team to face Plymouth and Taunton on 28-29 November.’
Article posted on 6th November, 2009 - 2.29pm
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