Q1: 10-16

With the first play of the game for the Oddities, Duggan - no.96 put up a 3 point shot that would ultimately set the tone of the game; the Oddities weren’t here to mess around. Barely a minute later, Newark responded with an awe inducing contested 3 pointer from Rekstys - no.24. Both teams fought closely on defence, however it was the Oddities who caused the first foul of the game - fortunately leading to an unsuccessful play from Newark off the back of the turnover. Nkume - no.22, with some fantastic handles; and Nelson - no.11 with a quick 3, the Oddities were already pulling away with 7 minutes left in the quarter. Unfortunately, the Oddities couldn’t control their defence, racking up another 2 fouls in the quarter and ultimately causing the lead to reduce to a 7-7 tie with 5 minutes left in the quarter. However, this was short lived as they once again demonstrated their dominance; Papaionannou - no.23 leading the charge in the paint. This was backed up by Duggan, once again showing his skill with a confident 3 to end the quarter’s scoring. 

Q2: 12-23

Starting off the 2nd quarter, Papaionnou was back in the paint, already drawing a foul and making 1 of 2. Newark tried a great mid range but unfortunately could not connect. However a travel from Nelson in the next play gave them another opportunity. Newark were unable to capitalise on this, setting a theme for their gameplay throughout the 2nd quarter. Nkume now attacked the rim with incredible talent, floating in the air to make some fantastic layups. Newark’s defence and passion kept them in the game, with Zegunis - no.77 leaping over the out-of-bounds to grab the ball and keeping it in play. With Nkume and Duggan working in unison, combined with the Oddities brick wall defence, Newark could not compete and were clearly tiring. Could the half-time break bring a rejuvenated Newark BC to the court?

Q3: 20-41

Within 30 seconds of the 3rd quarter, the Oddities had already committed a shooting foul. However, Newark were unable to take advantage of the free throws. Fortunately for them, Duggan was not as hot as he was previously in the game; missing an easy 3 point shot. The Oddities bench were not disheartened by this, being a supportive anchor and revelling in the 11 point lead. Nkume was leading the scoring with some fantastic finishes at the rim, and Papaionnou remaining a dominant force in the paint. Rekstys - with 4 minutes to go - made a crucial heat check. This would bring confidence to Newark, with the scoring going up to 20 compared to the Oddities’ 34. With the Oddities missing 3 shots in 1 play, it showed hope for Newark to come back in the 4th quarter. This was short-lived as once again, Papaionnou would be a scoring leader, getting a brilliant putback from Malcas - no.16.

Q4: 31-50

Out of the gate, the Oddities remained a force to be reckoned with - Parkes - no.15 making an off balance mid range shot. It seemed that the biggest thorn in the side of Newark was their play style. The previously successful isolation plays of Newark did not work against the hounding defence of the Oddities. With some fantastic blocks and Duggan waving off teammates to make a deeper 3, Newark were unable to come close; not making a single shot in 4 minutes. However, with a crucial misunderstanding on offence from the Oddities, Newark were able to receive the ball from a turnover. Drawing good fouls and making some important shots, Newark were able to reduce the lead slightly. Reinforced by a big substitution, bringing on Stankys - no.19 and Mockus - no.15, the fresh faces hoped to bring fresh scoring to the team. This was successful as Newark were able to culminate in a great scoring final few minutes, to finish the game with a 31-50 difference. 

Although it was not the ideal game for Newark BC, it highlighted some great playmakers and scorers for the team - notably Rekstys - no.24 - and demonstrated the need for a diverse playbook in order to go up against teams with wide spread defence. Obviously it was a fantastic game for the Oddities, with Papaionnou taking my personal player of the game scoring a fantastic 55% on field goals. Ultimately, it was a great team dynamic that led them to the victory, however it also drew reflection on the need to reduce fouls - finishing the game with 12 in total. 

Newark faces off against the Bombers next week in what will be a fantastic matchup and a chance for Newark to put what they’ve learnt into practice. Will they go 0-3 or will this be their first win of the season?

You can find out first hand by joining us at 6:45pm on Thursday 3rd of October at The Deans College, Lincoln.

See you there.

NEXT WEEK’S GAMES: 

Hawks vs Tropics & Bombers vs Newark

Oddities Highlights:

• M. Papaionannou (#23) led Oddities with 12 points, shooting 55.6% from the field (5-9), and added 3 rebounds.

• Duggan (#96) contributed 13 points, hitting 3-10 from three-point range, and grabbed 4 rebounds.

• A. Nkume (#22) added 10 points, shooting 35.7% from the field (5-14), and provided 4 rebounds and 2 assists.

• K. Nelson (#11) scored 5 points and had an impressive 7 rebounds and 5 assists.

Newark BC Highlights:

• Rekstys (#24) was Newark BC’s top scorer with 15 points, shooting 40.0% (4-10) from the field, including 6-8 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed 4 rebounds.

• Stankys (#19) added 6 points, with 6 rebounds and 2 assists.

• Andrijavskas (#14) scored 4 points, shooting 100% from the field (2-2), and contributed 2 assists.

• Zegunis (#77) struggled offensively, shooting 11.1% (1-9), but managed 5 rebounds and 1 steal.

Team Performance:

• The Oddities shot 37.5% from the field overall, while Newark BC struggled with 25.6% shooting.

• Oddities were dominant on the boards, recording 30 rebounds compared to Newark BC’s 21.

• Both teams recorded 8 steals, with Oddities turning the ball over 8 times compared to Newark BC’s 4 turnovers.

• Newark BC shot just 5.6% from beyond the arc, while Oddities managed 25.0% from three-point range.

Scoring by Quarter:

• Q1: Oddities 16, Newark BC 10

• Q2: Oddities 7, Newark BC 4

• Q3: Oddities 18, Newark BC 6

• Q4: Newark BC outscored Oddities 11-9.

Final score: Oddities 50 - Newark BC 31