GLEN PRESENCE INFLUENTIAL FOR LIONS

By Jordan Clarke

A dominant start and strong second half helped the Teesside take down Myerscough Academy.

On a day where there was seemingly a lid on the rim for every three-point attempt, Lions resilience in the paint and on the defensive end saw them take a 76-63 victory.

Teesside started with a high tempo defensively, and with the help of two three pointers from Tom Horvat, and another from Noah Saa, Teesside held a 13-6 lead early on.

Horvat had the hot hand to open the game, and he finished the first quarter on eight points as the Lions stretched their lead out to 10 points, 21-11.

The second quarter began with the Lions struggling to make shots from distance. This allowed the visitors to make their way back into the game, with Daniel Nwauzu finishing well around the basket. With four minutes remaining in the half, the momentum-filled Myerscough managed to tie the game 30-30.

Coach Bojev was not happy and called a Time-Out, which had the desired affect as the Lions gritty offensive rebounding efforts late in the second quarter, and a monstrous slam dunk from Aaron Maxwell, saw the hosts regain control, along with a six-point advantage heading into half-time, 38-32.

Early in the second half, Aaron Maxwell finally broke the 14-minute long three-point drought for the Lions as the lead began to stretch in their favour.

The speed of Faaris Mughal was too much for the Myerscough defenders to deal with, and his ability to finish at the rim helped him to nine third-quarter points.

Taylor Campbell and Joe Heyes were a constant threat for Myerscough, but the Lions continued to run away with the game.

A 24-16 quarter in favour of the home side saw the Lions take a 14-point advantage into the closing quarter, 62-48.

The Lions as a team became dominant within the paint. Second chance opportunities were aplenty as missed shots were being picked up by a red shirt.

With three point attempts still not falling for the Lions, they had to rely on their defensive abilities to keep their advantage healthy.

Big blocks from Jamie Glen and Noah Saa partnered with steals from Thomas Wylie and Luca Gaillet held the visitors to only 15 fourth quarter points to secure a big win as the end of the season nears.

Lions finished the game with 46 paint points. Tom Horvat led the team in scoring with 20 points to go alongside his nine assists and four steals.

Jamie Glen was named MVP with his 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and four blocks, in addition to a game presence that went beyond the stats line.

Teesside remain in fourth place with an 11-8 record ahead of next week’s game against closest rivals Derbyshire Arrows which will be played at East Durham College.

Tickets are available now at TeessideLions.com

Photos by Tobi Iyiola

MVP: Jamie Glen

Top Scorers

Teesside: Horvat 20, Mughal 18, Glen 12

Myerscough: Nwauzu 16, Campbell 8, Smith 7