News and Match Reports
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JUNIOR SESSIONS - 2009 DATES
U12's and U14 Girls restart on Friday 9 January at Priory School.
U14 Boys - Session on Tuesday 6 January followed by 2 week break. Back full time on Tuesday 27 January
U16 & U18 Boys - Restarts at Portsmouth College on Wednesday 28 January. But extra session organised for the 7th, 14th & 21st January at Miltoncross School from 4.30-6pm.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Due to the low numbers turning up regularly to team training we have decided to suspend the session for the next term. U14 Girls are invited to the U12 session where we will run a seperate session if there are enough girls or a mix-in session if there aren't.
We are still keen to develop Girls Basketball and will look to restart the girls only session after Easter or next season.
CC Westfield Watford Storm 82 Portsmouth Smugglers 86
The Portsmouth Smugglers returned to their travels to face a Watford Storm side that is contending for the league title. With Watford currently being undefeated at home and only facing defeat once so far this term, it would be a tough game ahead. The Smugglers will be travelling with confidence though after beating local rivals Southampton in the first game of another double header weekend.
The final whistle saw Portsmouth win the game 82 - 86. It proved to be the Smugglers passionate defensive display that won them the game as they hit Watford with only their second loss of the season. This result will be a big contribution to the final standings in the table as it lifts the Smugglers back into contestation for a playoff spot whilst pulling Watford down into second place. Top scorers for Portsmouth were Ben Gray 23, Ryan Payne 21 and Clayton Milner 21.
The Portsmouth Smugglers will now face another double header before the Christmas break. Saturday will see Portsmouth travel to play top of the league Westminster Warriors in what should be an entertaining game. When both teams met first game of the season, Portsmouth were extremely unlucky not to take the win after leading by 8 with less than two minutes remaining. The Smugglers will then return to PGS to play in the quarter final of the shield against the Glamorgan Gladiators. Both teams met again early on in the season with Portsmouth winning a closely fought game. In this all or nothing game anything could happen as a place in the final four is the winner’s prize.
Written by Paul Goodale
Portsmouth Smugglers 80 Southampton Trailblazers 63
Though it looked to be one of the toughest weekend fixtures for the Portsmouth Smugglers there seemed to be a sense of great anticipation in the air as the weekend slowly approached. The Portsmouth Smugglers faced a double header weekend once again playing local rivals Southampton on the Saturday followed by a tough away trip to top of the league Westfield Watford Storm on the Sunday. Southampton Trailblazers have had mixed success so far this term though a few key players carried injuries in the early parts of their season. Southampton meet Portsmouth for the first time in the national league after establishing themselves as an experienced and strong division three team. The local rivalry between the two teams has brought the highest crowd attendance so far this season in what was to be a close and entertaining game of basketball.
The first quarter started with both sides playing with a great deal of pride as every play was passionately fought for. Clayton Milner showed his determination early on as he forced his way to the basket several times to score strongly contested layups. Ryan Payne introduced himself to the home crowd with some quick drives and passes that seemed to confuse the Trailblazers defense. Before the home side could take any advantage Corey Thompson and Karin Gaye began to make some fierce drives inside the lane to level the score line. Alex Byrne replied by hitting a three pointer for the Smugglers to then go on and gain an early lead. Though Portsmouth had an early advantage it wasn’t going to be too great as Mark Jackson hit several three’s from beyond the arc to keep it close. As the first quarter game to a close the visitors found themselves needing to make changes as both James Darios and Corey Thompson fell into foul trouble. The first quarter ended with Portsmouth leading by eight points.
Southampton needing to step up their offense to remain close found the answer in Mike Peel as he came into the game to immediately hit two three pointers to reduce the deficit. With Portsmouth seemingly beginning to lose their offensive edge Lawrence Rowe came off the bench to hit a three pointer whilst Emmanuel Davies added his strong presence to the Smugglers defense. A noteworthy play was made toward the end of the second quarter when Emmanuel Davies made an offensive rebound to then drive down the base line to score and up and over layup to the delight of the home crowd. The Trailblazers though had done enough damage as they almost took the lead with Liam Mitchell hitting several jump shots. The first half ended with the Smugglers just ahead by two points 40 – 38.
The second half began with both teams continuing to play passionately. Harry Veysey and Andy Aung proved to be vital as they controlled the defensive boards showing their strong presence in the key. It was the home side’s defense which really stood out in this quarter as the visitors were reduced to few scoring opportunities though James Darios did make some tough jump shots outside the key. It seemed to be Portsmouth inside displays that brought them the best opportunities as Clayton Milner, Andy Aung and Artur Wojewodka proved to be too difficult for Southampton defense. As the third quarter came to a close Portsmouth lead by five points looking determined to hold onto the short lead they had earned.
With everything to play for the fourth quarter began with Mark Jackson showing his experience by driving through the Smugglers defense with ease to score several jump shots. Portsmouth answered this challenge with Artur Wojewodka making some tough drives to the basket to add to his growing tally. Southampton now began to miss several key shots and Portsmouth took full advantage of this as they slowly increased the deficit. Corey Thompson and Karin Gaye tried to force themselves back into the game but the ball just wouldn’t fall Southampton’s way as Portsmouth continued to increase their lead. As the game came to its closing stages Artur Wojewodka made a noteworthy play by stealing the ball to then do a windmill slam dunk on the fast break to the delight of the loud home fans. The final score line saw Portsmouth win the game by seventeen 80 - 63. It proved to be the Smugglers defense though that gave them the win as the reduced the Trailblazers to only scoring twenty four points in the second half. With the help of a strong fourth quarter display Portsmouth made sure the home crowd left pleased with the final result. Top scorers for Portsmouth were Artur Wojewodka 21, Clayton Milner 12 and Andy Aung 12.
The Portsmouth Smugglers will now have to quickly recharge the batteries as they face top of the league Westfield Watford Storm, a side that is contending for the league title. With Watford currently being undefeated at home as well and only facing defeat once so far this term, it’s to be a hard away game ahead. The Smugglers will be travelling though with confidence after beating local rivals Southampton today in what was a most entertaining and exciting game of basketball.
Portsmouth Smugglers 76 Reading Rockets II 69
The Portsmouth Smugglers returned to their home court this weekend to face a double header against Hackney White Heat and the Reading Rockets. Saturday evening saw Hackney defeat Portsmouth in the league bringing their current form to two consecutive loses. The attention was now to turn the shield with a place in the fourth round up for grabs. Reading has so far had a poor start to their current campaign but in an all or nothing game anything could happen.
The first quarter started with Artur Wojewodka driving to the basket pushing the home side into an early lead. Andy Aung continued his strong displays gaining several offensive rebounds to get some easy points. Though both teams played strong defense it was their scoring inability which stopped either side taking any great advantage.
The second quarter saw the Smugglers trying to raise the pressure on the Rockets. Clayton Milner made some strong moves inside the paint to slowly give the home side a slowly growing lead. One noteworthy play was made when Lawrence Rowe fooled two opposing players with a pass for Clayton Milner who then scored a layup. Unfortunately for the Rockets A Parsons who had so far caused the Portsmouth defense problems fell awkwardly on his ankle forcing him to take a rest from the game. Without his inside presence the Smugglers pushed into a ten point lead by the end of the first half. The first half ended with the Smugglers in the lead 39 – 29.
The second half started with the Rockets showing how much they wanted the win with an impressive three point shooting display. S Tolloczko hit three three pointers in a row followed by L Rodgers who began to increase his tally with several unanswered three’s. Though Portsmouth scored with some strong inside play from Harry Veysey it was their defense that let them down as Reading scored twenty eight points in the third quarter alone reducing the deficit to two points.
The fourth quarter soon saw the home side trailing by four points as Reading took the lead and with the return of A Parsons the inside presence was restored for the visitors. Though Reading looked strong in the early minutes of the fourth quarter it was Portsmouth who began to play with a little more intensity than before. Ben Gray contributed with several steals whilst Clayton Milner made some strong drives to the basket and with Andy Aung proving too much to handle inside the paint, the score line returned in favor of the Smugglers in the last minutes of the game. With the Portsmouth defense reducing Reading to only thirteen points in the fourth quarter the final whistle saw them win the game.
The final score line saw Portsmouth snatch a place in the fourth round winning the game by seven. Though the Smugglers looked to be the stronger team on paper, the Rockets almost stole the game with an impressive three point shooting display in the third quarter. Top scorers were Andy Aung 23, Clayton Milner 16 and Artur Wojewodka 16
Sadly, this was to be the last game for Steve Davison who unfortunately for Portsmouth, is moving to France for the remainder of the season. In honor of Steve leaving the team bore matching headbands with his number upon them.
The Portsmouth Smugglers will now travel to face Wellingborough. With Portsmouth coming off two consecutive league defeats, Saturday’s game is a must win if the Smugglers want to remain in the contention for a playoff place.
Written by Paul Goodale
Portsmouth Smugglers 78 Hackney White Heat 82
The Portsmouth Smugglers returned to their home court this weekend to face a double header against Hackney White Heat and the Reading Rockets. Saturday evening brought Hackney White Heat to Portsmouth in a league game which the Smugglers undoubtedly wanted to win after a disappointing defeat last weekend. Hackney have seen defeat six times so far this season but did manage an impressive victory against the Eastside Eagles.
The first quarter started with Clayton Milner scoring with a quick drive to the basket around two opposing players. Alex Byrne controlled the offense and forced the visitors to look uneasy in defense. A noteworthy play was made by Alex Byrne when he took on three players only to pass the ball to Clayton Milner for an uncontested layup. Hackney also looked comfortable with the ball and Martin in particular made several hard jump shots to the disappointment of the home crowd. The first quarter ended with Portsmouth looking the stronger of the two teams leading by three points.
Hackney returned in the second quarter to quickly take the lead. Mbye proved himself to be too much for the Smugglers as he began to dominate the home side’s defense. His dominance motivated the other Hackney players as Pefreites-Smith also chipped in with several baskets. The first half ended with the Smugglers trailing by eight points 38 – 46.
Portsmouth began the second half trying to force themselves back into the game. Unfortunately for Portsmouth, Mbye continued to dominate the game taking his tally well over twenty points. Mid way through the third quarter the Smugglers found the answer to the Mbye problem as Emmanuel Davies stepped up to mark him man to man. This change of defense clearly upset Hackney as Emmanuel Davies completely took Mbye out of the game with his physical presence and sheer determination.
Though Portsmouth trailed by twelve late in the third quarter they fought their way back in the fourth reducing the deficit quickly. Martin tried to rally the visitors hitting some one handed shots but Alex Byrne answered right back with several jump shots and one especially long three pointer. Clayton Milner also began to increase the visitor’s frustration driving strongly to the basket to reduce the deficit to one point. However, just as it looked like Portsmouth was going to take the lead and win the game the home side began to miss several important shots. With a minute remaining the Smugglers made two poor passes which Hackney intercepted to score an easy layup down the other end of the court. These final errors proved to be essential as Hackney went on to win the game by four. The final score line saw Portsmouth lose the game by four. Though the Smugglers looked the better team for the majority of the game their change of defense to take Mbye out of the game came too late as he top scored the game with thirty points. Top scorers for Portsmouth were Clayton Milner 20, Alex Byrne 13 and Andy Aung 12.
The Portsmouth Smugglers will now return to the Mount Batten Centre tomorrow afternoon to play the Reading Rockets II for a place in the fourth round of the shield. Reading has so far had a poor start to their current campaign but in an all or nothing game anything could happen.
Brixton Topcats 74 Portsmouth Smugglers 60
The Portsmouth Smugglers travelled to the final of their three consecutive away trips to London to play against the Brixton Topcats. Brixton have only seen defeat once so far this term, losing to what seems to be becoming the toughest away fixture of the season at Glamorgan. With the Smugglers needing to keep within reach of the heights of the league whilst the Topcats remain undefeated at their home court it looked to be an exciting game ahead.
The first quarter started with neither team allowing the other to take any advantage. The visitors displayed an impressive defensive display reducing the home team to few opportunities early in the game. With the strong inside presence of Harry Veysey and Andy Aung the Smugglers began to dominate the defensive and offensive boards. With Alex Byrne bringing the ball up the court taking charge of the offence plays it wasn’t long before Portsmouth began to take a short lead before the end of the first break.
Steve Davison introduced himself into the game hitting a three pointer and making some quick inside passes for several easy points. Clayton Milner also began to make some strong drives to the basket and with Andy Aung dominating inside the key, the Smugglers looked very comfortable in front of a loud home crowd.
Late in the second quarter Portsmouth became a little complacent making many poor passes which Brixton took full advantage of through some fast breaks by Ashley. As more steals were made by Brixton Mondi-Castle began to hit his shots pushing the Topcats into a two point lead at half time. The first half ended with the Smugglers trailing by two points 33 – 31.
Though Portsmouth were down by two points at half time they still looked the stronger team so far throughout the game and this was made more disappointing as they were quickly down by seven early in the third quarter. With the Smugglers finding it hard to adjust to the different basket after the break it was again Mondi-Castle who began to increase his tally to the visitor’s frustration. Brixton also changed their defense to a full court press which seemed to unsettle Portsmouth. Only some strong inside play by Andy Aung and the outside presence of Steve Davison kept the visitors within a seven point deficit at the end of the third quarter.
The fourth quarter was too be as exciting as ever for the home fans as Portsmouth came out passionately trying to force themselves back into the lead. With Lawrence Rowe coming into the game to immediately score five points and the aggressive drives by Clayton Milner the visitors found themselves down by one point with five minutes remaining in the game. However, the outside shooting of Antonio and inside shooting of Mondi-Castle soon increased Brixton’s lead to twelve. Unfortunately for the Smugglers they couldn’t find a way back into the game after Brixton’s three point shooting display and found the Topcats defense becoming too strong to handle.
The final score line saw Portsmouth lose the game by twelve. Though the Smugglers looked the better team for the majority of the game their turnovers and reaction to a full court press proved to be their downfall. Top scorers were Andy Aung 17, Steve Davison 17 and Clayton Milner 8.
The Portsmouth Smugglers will now return to their home court to face a double header against Hackney White Heat and the Reading Rockets. Saturday evening brings Hackney White Heat to Portsmouth in a league game which the Smugglers will undoubtedly want to win after a disappointing defeat. Hackney have seen defeat six times so far this season so will have a point to prove on their travels. Sunday afternoon will bring a return for the Reading Rockets who played in the same division as the Smugglers last season. Reading will also have a point to prove as the Smugglers won both fixtures against them last season. With a place in the quarter finals only a few rounds away it will definitely be a game where anything could happen. Both games will be held at the Mount Batten Centre with an 8PM tip off on Saturday and a 4PM tip off on Sunday.
London Towers 68 Portsmouth Smugglers 79
The Portsmouth Smugglers travelled to the second of three away trips to London to play against the notorious London Towers. Both teams met last year in the Shield with the Towers showing their supremacy to knock the Smugglers out of the competition. With the Smugglers coming off a disappointing defeat last week the visitors were hoping to get back to winning ways whilst gaining some redemption for last years defeat.
The first quarter started with the Towers taking the game to the Smugglers forcing themselves into an early lead. Though the Towers led throughout the majority of the first quarter with some easy points gained by the tall forward Tom Adorian, the Smugglers remained close only trailing by as much as eight. As the quarter came to a close the visitor’s showed their experience making some eye pleasing plays. In particular, Harry Veysey, Andy Aung and Clayton Milner linked up impressively to take the lead by two points.
By the time the second quarter began the Smugglers were in full control of the game almost scoring with ease. Alex Byrne continued to lead the Portsmouth sides attack and with Andy Aung and Harry Veysey gaining countless offensive and defensive rebounds it was no surprise to see the Smugglers take the lead by over twenty points. Unfortunately for the home side the Portsmouth defense was too strong and the Towers were held to only scoring eight points in the second quarter. The first half ended 25 – 48 with the Smugglers controlling the game.
The second half began where the second quarter finished with the visitors keeping the home side at bay. Though Seb Springall made some strong drives to gain some points for London it wasn’t enough as Andy Aung and Clayton Milner continued to increase the Portsmouth’s gain. The third quarter ended with the Smugglers leading by twenty four points looking strong to take all the spoils from the game. However, in true Smuggler tradition the fourth quarter was too be as exciting as ever for the home fans.
The fourth quarter began with the London Towers fired up playing very aggressively. It looked to take the Smugglers by surprise as Max Curl began his onslaught of three pointers to put the game back into contestation. With Seb Springall contributing offensively with an impressive jump shoot display the Towers pulled themselves out of the fray and found themselves trailing by only six points. As the aggression in the game escalated there were several hard fouls and players from both teams soon began to show their frustration. It was the veteran Alex Bryne who showed his experience bringing the ball through a strong full court press to allow the Smugglers to score several unanswered points to remain ahead.
The final score line saw Portsmouth win the game by eleven. Though the Smugglers were in control for the majority of the game they proved their resilience after an aggressive comeback from the Towers. Top scorers were Andy Aung 17, Clayton Milner 16 and Steve Davison 14.
The Portsmouth Smugglers will now travel to the final of their three away trips to London to play against the Brixton Topcats. Brixton have only seen defeat once this term, losing to what seems to be becoming the toughest away fixture of the season at Glamorgan. With the Smugglers needing to keep within reach of the heights of the league whilst the Topcats remain undefeated at their home court it looks to be an exciting game ahead.
Written by Paul Goodale
Eastside Eagles 97
Portsmouth Smugglers 77
The Portsmouth Smugglers travelled to the first of three away trips to
London to play against top of the table Eastside Eagles. The Eagles have yet to see defeat so far this season but the Smugglers have been playing winning basketball and were hoping to give the Walthamstow based team a good run for their money
The first quarter started with the Eagles showing why they were joint top of the league moving the ball around the court quickly with confidence hitting several unanswered three pointers. Lavinier in particular made some strong plays inside to please the home fans. Before long the
Portsmouth side where trailing by twelve as the first quarter ended.
Though it was clear the Eagles had a strong team the Smugglers rallied together stepping it up at both ends of the court to reduce the deficit. Clayton Milner continued to show his importance to the team by making some strong drives inside. With Alex Byrne troubling the Eagles defense with his quick ball control and Harry Veysey proving his worth offensive the momentum swung in favour of the visitors. Steve Davison contributed to the game hitting three 3- pointers.. It was an impressive second quarter display for the Smugglers to fight their way back into the game. The first half ended with the game tied at 40 – 40.
The second half began with Eastside trying to regain an advantage once again but
Portsmouth continued to play hard at both ends of the floor. Prazych began to make several strong drives to the basket and outside jump shots as the Eagles slowing took a small lead which remained at 5 by the end of the third quarter 67-62. Though the Smugglers tried passionately to remain in the game with Clayton Milner and Harry Veysey playing out of their skins, the experience of the
London side; which included several former Division 1 and BBL players, proved too much.
Coach Mick Byrne feels that they are the team of the division and will be hard to beat especially at home.
Once they built up a big lead the home were not going to allow the Smugglers back into the game again, the game ended with the Smugglers losing by twenty, and a score line which didn’t really do the away side justice for their efforts. Top scorers were Clayton Milner 39 Steve Davison 18 and Harry Veysey 15.
The Portsmouth Smugglers will now travel to their second of three away trips to
London to play against the
London
Towers. Both teams met last year in the Shield with the Towers showing their supremacy to knock the Smugglers out of the competition.
Written by Paul Goodale and Mick Byrne
Portsmouth Smugglers 86 Bognor Pirates 73
The Portsmouth Smugglers played against local rivals the Bognor Pirates in the second round of the National Shield in what was an eagerly awaited game by both teams. Last season saw the Smugglers win both meetings between in the NBL with one close game at Bognor and a 51 point blow out. The playoff game to see who was promoted from the 4th was very physical with Portsmouth just coming out on top.
The first quarter started with Bognor taking the game to the Smugglers shooting the lights out with Adam Winnett hitting some tough outside shots. With the Smugglers down by twelve Clayton Milner showed his physical presence by making some noteworthy offensive rebounds and gaining some points to reduce the visitor’s advantage. By the end of the first quarter the Smugglers were possibly fortunate to only be down by two 21-23.
Alex Byrne began to make some impressive drives and passes to allow Steve Davison to hit some jump shots from beyond the arc. With Andy Aung and Harry Veysey stepping it up defensively the Smugglers found themselves taking the lead. The first half ended with the home side leading 51 – 40.
The second half began with Bognor trying to force themselves back into the game as Richard Lowe and Max Smith began to make some good offensively plays. Though the Pirates played passionately the Smugglers weren’t going to allow the visitors to regain the lead and had a twenty point advantage by the end of the third quarter.
With a twenty point lead the Smugglers stayed in control of the game as Lawrence Rowe played his best game of the season with 11 points. Some really uncompromising defence from Eman Davies made sure that the lead was preserved with some excellent fast breaks. Though the Pirates came back in the dying minutes of the game they couldn’t upset the home crowd as the Smugglers walked away with another win.
Smugglers have now taken their winning streak to five and have maintained their undefeated status at their home court. Top scorers were Clayton Milner and Steve Davison with 19 points piece and Andy Aung and Alex Byrne with 12 each
The Portsmouth Smugglers will now travel to the first of three away trips to London to play against the undefeated Eastside Eagles.
Written by Paul Goodale and Mick Byrne
Portsmouth City Smugglers 89 Guildford Heat II 69
The Portsmouth City Smugglers returned to the newly refurbished Mountbatten Centre to play the Guildford Heat who had not won this season. Both the floor and the lighting have been brought up to International standards. The scene was set for a showdown as the Heat were promoted with Smugglers from Division 4 and were the only team to beat them last season. Heat were also hoping to recover from a heavy defeat at home to Oxford the previous week, 39-101
The first quarter started with the ‘fired up’ Harry Veysey hitting some uncontested jump shots to take an early lead for the home side. With Portsmouth playing some strong defence, Guildford found it difficult to score inside though Lacey kept his team in the game with some good shooting.
Andy Aung and Clayton Milner began to show their physical presence at both ends of the floor whilst Ben Gray came on to take the point guard and lead the Smugglers offence. Though it was scrappy basketball at times the Portsmouth side began to slowly increase their advantage to seventeen. The first half ended with the home side leading 43 – 26.
The second half began with a change in defence for the home side. This disrupted their rhythm and allowed the Guildford team some space and resulted in Wilson and Holland hitting several three pointers. With Wilson scoring 15 points in this spell and taking control of the game the young Guildford side played excellent basketball as Portsmouth shooting wilted under the pressure. The momentum swung in favour of the visitors as they impressively came back into the game outscoring Portsmouth 33-15 to lead 59-58 at the end of the 3rd quarter, which left both the Smugglers and supporters in shock
The last quarter provided the crowd with something to shout about as they allowed Heat to score only 4 points at the start then Portsmouth woke up and scored 21 points without reply which put the game beyond Guildford’s reach. Steve Davison made a noteworthy play by making a big time rejection after losing the ball at the other end of the court. Portsmouth won the last quarter by 31-10. The experienced five of Veysey, Alex Byrne, Milner, Aung and Davison gave way for Larry Rowe, Paul Goodale, Eman Davies, Leon Bailey and Gray to seal the game by 20 points and move up to fourth place in the division.
Scorers were Veysey 21, Milner 18, Aung 13, Gary 14, Davison 9, Davies 6, Rowe 5, Bailey 2 and Goodale 1
The Portsmouth Smugglers will now play in the second round of the National Shield against neighbours the Division 4 Bognor Pirates. Last season the Smugglers won all three meetings between the teams with two close victories and one 51 point blow out. The game will be held at the Mountbatten Centre Saturday 25th with a 6pm tip off.
London Westside 81 Portsmouth Smugglers 89
The Portsmouth Smugglers went on their travels for the first time to play London Westside who had yet to win this season in two closely contended games. However, the Smugglers had now won two games in a row themselves and looked keen to start a winning streak.
The first quarter started with the home team controlling the pace of the game forcing countless turnovers. The London team also played a very effective full court press which the Portsmouth side struggled to overcome at times. With the visitors struggling to make an effective offence the home side quickly went ahead in the game by nine points by the end of the first quarter.
It was Azike who began to score inside with physical basketball whilst Miles hit several unanswered three pointers to take a strong lead against the Smugglers. With the match officials not calling several violations in favor of the Smugglers the Portsmouth side felt a little hard done by to be losing by seventeen points at the end of the first half. The first half ended with the home side leading 44 – 27.
The second half began with a rejuvenated Portsmouth side playing with a lot of passion attempting to stay in reach of the physical London team. Alex Byrne began to take charge of the ball making some noteworthy inside passes to decrease the deficit. Surprisingly the home team stopped playing their effective full court press early in the second half which seemed to help the visitors as they were only down by ten at the end of the third quarter.
In true Smuggler tradition the forth quarter was nothing short of exciting. As the Portsmouth bench began to raise their voices in support, the players on the court responded by playing with a great deal of pride. The momentum had now shifted in favor of the visitors. Clayton Milner was playing some strong inside basketball and with Steve Davison hitting two three pointers, the game was soon tied with minutes remaining. The London side didn’t really respond to the comeback of the Smugglers and though Ocidan hit some clutch jump shots, the fourth quarter ended with both teams still tied 73 – 73 looking at overtime.
In overtime Portsmouth continued to play hard giving the home team few chances to score. Harry Veysey, Andy Aung and Clayton Milner played exceptional defense to the frustration of the London team. Even though Westside went back into their full court press the Smugglers took the lead and looked unlikely to give it up. To the frustration of the home fans the London side gave two technical fouls late in overtime allowing the Smugglers to score easy points from the free throw line.
The final score line saw the Smugglers winning the game by eight. With this possibly being one of the biggest comebacks for the Portsmouth side, it was pleasing to see how they gained their first winning streak of the season. The Portsmouth Smugglers will now play the Guildford Heat back in their newly refurbished home court, the Mountbatten Center. Guildford won the corresponding fixture last season stealing away the possibility of the Smugglers winning the league undefeated. With the Smugglers wanting some redemption for this loss last season it looks to be an exciting game ahead, especially as it’s the first to be played on the new home court.
Portsmouth Smugglers 90 Glamorgan Gladiators 83
The Portsmouth Smugglers faced the Glamorgan Gladiators with both teams yet to gain a league win so far this term. With the Gladiators boasting several Welsh international players, the Smugglers prepared themselves for a tough physical game. The Portsmouth Smugglers easily progressed through the first round of the shield two weeks back and now hoped to gain their first league win of the season.
 The game started with both sides playing extremely physical not allowing the other to gain any advantage. Glamorgan set the pace of the game early on forcing the Smugglers to play fast paced basketball. It was Clayton Milner who made some strong plays to the basket early on giving the Smugglers a slight advantage. With the inside presence of the talkative Harry Veysey and Andy Aung the Smugglers began to muscle their way to a slight early lead. However, with the outside shooting of Jenkins for the Gladiators the game remained close though the Smugglers lead throughout the first half.
Portsmouth tried to increase the point difference but every time the Smugglers saw daylight, Glamorgan forced themselves back into the fray keeping the game very close. The first half ended with the home side ahead by one point leading 37 – 36.
The second half began with Portsmouth continuing trying to increase their advantage. Ben Gray (who broke his nose days before) came on from the bench and added to his increasing tally with some impressive shooting. The Smugglers ended the third quarter eleven points up looking strong. The only downside of the third quarter for the Smugglers was to see Andy Aung taken out of the game with five fouls.
It seems to be the Smugglers style this season to make the final quarter exciting for the home crowd and this game was no different. Portsmouth increased their lead to sixteen before Clayton Milner and Harry Veysey both received their fifth foul and were forced to watch the remainder of the game from the bench. Glamorgan tried to capitalize on the Portsmouth loss and began to come back into the game with some tough drives by Forename English.
With the momentum shifting in favor of the visitors the Smugglers struggled to hold onto their well earned lead. With three minutes remaining Glamorgan had tied the game after being down by sixteen. However, the Welsh side began to be in foul trouble themselves and soon had O’Williams and Jenkins watching from the sidelines. Emmanuel Davies made his presence known at both ends of the floor making important rebounds and a noteworthy rejection in the process. Paul Goodale contributed as well scoring late in the fourth whilst Ben Gray and Alex Byrne made foul shots from the line to guarantee victory.
The final score line saw the Smugglers ahead winning the game by seven. More importantly, Portsmouth showed an impressive squad depth after three of the starting five were fouled out of the game. Top scorers were Clayton Milner, Ben Gray and Steve Davison with 18, 17 and 15 points respectively.
The Portsmouth Smugglers will now go on their travels for the first time this season to play London Westside who have yet to win this season in two closely contended games. However, the Smugglers have now won two games in a row themselves and look keen to start a winning streak. Written by Paul Goodale
Portsmouth Smugglers 102 Lambeth Lakers 33
After a close and disappointing defeat in their opening game last week, the Portsmouth Smugglers had a full squad for their first game in the Shield against the Lambeth Lakers. This fixture was a repeat of last seasons opening Shield game so both teams were fully aware of what to expect from their opposition.
The game started with Alex Byrne playing as point guard controlling the pace of the play and making some noteworthy passes inside the key for some easy points. Steve Davison returned to national league basketball in style hitting four three pointers just in the first quarter alone. With the strong presence of Clayton Milner and Harry Versey in the paint the Smugglers dominated early in the game taking a 20-6 lead by the end of the first quarter. It was pleasing to see that the home team had clearly been working on their defensive play as the Lakers were reduced to only scoring twenty points by half time. The first half ended with the Smugglers dictating the game leading 47-20 with all 12 Smugglers players having taken part in the game..
The second half began with
Portsmouth continuing to work hard against Lambeth refusing to ease off the pressure despite the score line and using a new defensive system which took the steam out of the game. In the last quarter with 2 18 year olds Ben Gray and Owen Teasdale upping the pace Smugglers scored 35 points to the delight of the crowd. With the defence switching once again the Lakers were caught on the break time and time again by Artur Wojewodka. Ben Gray also continued the offensive assault as Lambeth tried to force themselves back into the game with strong play from Sutherland and Danso. Smugglers were just too strong at both ends of the court.
The final score line reflected the Smugglers dominance throughout the game as they won by 69 points, where they will meet old rivals Bognor Pirates in the next round.
This was an impressive defensive display only allowing Lambeth to score 33 points.. Portsmouth bounced back after the last minute defeat last and look like a team that want to prove themselves to the rest of the league.
Scorers were Steve Davison 20, Artur Wojewodka 19, Andy Aung 13,
Harry Veysey 12, Alex Byrne 8, Clayton Milner 6, Eman Davies 6, Owen Teasdale 6, Ben Gary 4, Leon Bailey 4 and Paul Goodale 2.
The Portsmouth Smugglers will now have two weeks to rest and prepare for another home league fixture against the Glamorgan Gladiators (who also lost their opening fixture) on the 5th October at their temporary home court PGS,
4 o’clock tip off.
Written by Paul Goodale
Contact Mick Byrne 07885-820829
mmickyb@aol.com
Portsmouth Smugglers 70 Westminster Warriors 77
After a previous exciting season for the Portsmouth Smugglers hopes were high as the new 2008/2009 season got underway against the Westminster Warriors. With both teams just falling short for a place in last seasons final it was always going to be an interesting opening game with neither team knowing what to expect from the other.
The game started with a Westminster playing extremely strong in the paint, driving hard to the basket at any opportunity but, with the Smugglers tough defense, the scoring remained low throughout the first half. Artur Wojewodka made his national league debut for the Smugglers and quickly introduced himself to the Warriors drawing foul after foul and scoring eight points in the first quarter. With Portsmouth missing three of its possible starting line up, it was disappointing to see the Smugglers get in foul trouble early in the first quarter. However, with Lean Bailey and Matt Bates stepping up their game defensively the Warriors struggled to maintain any lead. The first half ended tied at 33 points a piece with both teams playing physical defense that was hard to break down.
The second half began with Westminster coming out strong trying to gain an early lead. Jermain Purcell and Marlon Henry leading the attack for Westminster putting the Smugglers under pressure with Warren Adams playing some very physical defense that saw him taken to the ground on multiply occasions. However, Warren Adams was lucky not to see a technical foul as he collided with Paul Goodale in the key late in the fourth quarter. And it was the fourth quarter where the game hit its climax.
With the lively crowd getting behind their Portsmouth team, the Smugglers managed (through some noteworthy play by Harry Versey and Emmanuel Davies) to force themselves back into the game. With the momentum clearly behind the home team the Smugglers found themselves with an eight point lead with just over a minute remaining.
Basketball however, is a cruel game at times and this was made clear by Marlon Henry and Junior Williams who took control of the game by hitting some clutch three pointers. In the dying mo ments Clayton Milner drove hard to the basket scoring over several opposing players to give the Smugglers a one point advantage. The Portsmouth team only needed to stop the ball to secure victory. With tough defense down low they retrieved the ball but a steal by Adam Lovelock drawing the foul to take the lead. With nineteen seconds remaining the Smugglers had one last chance to claim victory but unfortunately the Warriors defense was too much. In these last moments it was again disappointing to see the Smugglers receive their second technical foul of the game. With the Warriors hitting their foul shoots and a half way line buzzer beater from Warren Adams the Portsmouth Smugglers fell to a frustrating defeat in the opening ga me losing by seven points.
The final score line didn’t really reflect the game at all as the Smugglers should have seen themselves win the opening fixture to the new season but instead they lost it themselves in the final minutes. Top scorers were Artur Wojewodka and Clayton Milner with 23 and 22 points respectively.
After the game Emmanuel Davies said, “it’s very disappointing to lose today but we should keep our heads up as we matched and arguably should of beat a team that are possible contenders for the league”.
The Portsmouth Smugglers will now have a week to rest and prepare for another home fixture in the cup against the Lambeth Lakers on the 20th September at their temporary home court PGS, 6 o’clock tip off.
Written by Paul Goodale |
