Eagles swoop over Bandits (From Dorset Echo)

Eagles swoop over Bandits

8:30am Saturday 11th February 2012 in Local Sport By Echo Reporter

SOUTHAMPTON EAGLES 119

WEYMOUTH BANDITS 81

DEPLETED Weymouth Tandoori Bandits failed to gain revenge over the Eagles.

Having lost at home to the Eagles by one point earlier in the season, Wey-mouth, who were struggling for players, went down to their Southampton hosts.

Coach Che Osborne gave debuts to five young players and one of these, Gerry Legg-Saunders, started at point guard.

He moved the ball well and in the first quarter the Bandits used this season’s new offensive strategy to good effect, using excellent movement to create multiple open shots. Andy Steel was particularly effective, shooting well and driving strongly to the basket.

Jamie Dixon, came on as replacement point guard, and fellow debutant James Ward both made some powerful moves to the hoop, and the Eagles’ feathers were ruffled as the Bandits edged a high-scoring quarter 26-25.

In the second quarter the Eagles started to recover and with strong offensive and defensive rebounding, started to make their superior height tell. However, this did not stop the smallest player on the court, young debutant Steve Reece, from showing that good 'boxing out' gets you defensive rebounds. With muscular work under the boards from Kyle Houlden and strong moves to the hoop from Chris Canham and Ian Manley, the Bandits earned trips to the foul line, to keep them in the game. A particularly acrobatic scoring move from Legg-Saunders and continued excellent play from Steel were highlights of this quarter, the latter scoring 22 of the Bandits’ first-half points as the home side took a 55-44 half-time lead.

As the second half started, Osborne looked to stop the inside threat from the Eagles with a change of defence to zone. This worked well but unfortunately the Eagles started to find their range with outside shots.

As the Eagles focused their attentions on offence they began to yield space on defence, giving Bandits’ forward Ian Manley multiple looks at his favourite 12ft jump shot, and he did not disappoint, scoring 12 points in the third alone.

By the fourth quarter, the Bandits were clearly tiring and despite spirited defence from Giles Heaman and good fast breaking by Canham, they could not convert the numerous breaks into points on the board while the Eagles finished strongly.

The hosts ran the floor well and the exhausted Bandits could only foul as they sent the Southampton side to the free throw line seven times on their way to a 119-81 defeat.

Bandits: A Steel 31, I Manley 23, C Canham 12, J Ward 5, G Heaman 4, G Legg-Saunders 4, K.Houlden 2, J Dixon, S Reece