This Is Guernsey

By Aaron Scoones

GUERNSEY women’s basketball side will play their first national league match on their home court next week.

League regulations mean that the Greens cannot play their England Basketball League Division Two South-West fixtures at Beau Sejour.

They instead have to play their ‘home’ matches at Hamble Community Sports Centre, just outside Southampton.

Earlier on in the season they were due to play at UWIC Archers II but problems with the university side’s court meant that the match had to be postponed.

Second-placed UWIC asked for the game to be replayed in Guernsey and, after approval from England Basketball, the match is going ahead at 11.30am, Saturday 27 February on court one at Beau Sejour.

Seating is being put up on court two and Guernsey coach Pat Ogier is hoping for a big home crowd.

‘I’m ecstatic. It’s a great chance to show off what we’ve been working hard at,’ he said.

‘We’re bringing over a quality side and it will be good to show where we are and for the girls to play in front of home support. We’re really looking forward to playing at Beau Sejour and getting a big home support and hopefully getting a win.’

The match will also be officiated by leading European referees John Wells and the inimitable Roger Harrison, who have both overseen inter-insulars in the past.

Table officials from England Basketball will also assist.

But before the UWIC match, Ogier’s team, who are third from bottom in the league, play bottom-placed Plymouth Marjon tomorrow before meeting third-placed Solent Suns the next day.

Both matches are taking place at Hamble.

Ogier is expecting two hard games.

‘Division Two is quite up and down, everyone is beating everyone,’ he said.

‘The standard is quite similar across the board. Even though Plymouth are bottom, we don’t want to take them for granted.

‘They’ve pushed teams all the way this year and Solent are a good side. It’s going to be a tough weekend.’

Also making news in female basketball is that the Yorkshire Guernsey Women’s League witnessed a major upset at the weekend when Kleinwort Benson pipped Cannon Asset Tropics by one point at 55-54.

Tropics have not lost a league match in a number of years.

‘It was a great game and it was totally enjoyable to be a part of it,’ said Ogier, who also coaches Tropics.

‘It was a really, really positive game of basketball and a great advert for the women’s game.’England Basketball League Division Two South-West: UWIC Archers II to visit the island

Article posted on 19th February, 2010 - 2.29pm