LLJBC U18 Team played the Sleaford Hawks in a friendly on 7 Dec. It was a really good game, and a nice challenge for the young team whose ages range from 14 to 18. The first quarter was balanced with the teams figuring out their opposition’s style and how to counter them, Hawks starting with a 2-1-2 zone and moving to a 1-2-2 to mitigate LLJ’s 5-out style, while LLJs looked to break quickly and shut down the Hawks’ low triangle. At the end of the quarter Hawks took a 2pt lead.
The second quarter saw more of the same probing with honours even and still 2 points between them at the half.
The Hawks started pulling away in the 3rd before MVP James Carter finished the last 3 minutes of it with a trio of 3s, hitting a rapid 12 points (of his 23 total) to bring the U18s back into it.
As the team grew in confidence they became more physically competitive, a fantastic achievement for the young squad. Unfortunately, despite drawing the last quarter, experience payed off and the Hawks won 66-59 but the team are learning and improving.
Thanks go to the Sleaford Hawks for visiting us and providing such a well-natured and enjoyable opposition.