Raiders ease to win over Rocks
The game plan was to get out and run, and this is exactly what the UCP Raiders did, leaving behind them a battered and beaten Rocks outfit who suffered their second heavy defeat in as many days.
Missing their star and catalyst Ej Harrison, the Rocks desperately needed others to step up and were perhaps confident that Michael Green would pick up the extra slack. Green however, couldn’t figure out how best to break through the Raiders defence – finishing the game shooting 2/12 and turning the ball over 6 times.
Raiders were also missing a vital component with Michael Ojo sitting out the game due to suspension, this was hardly noticeable in the end as his team-mates more than made up for his absence – Jones in particular finding form and finishing the game with 16 points to his name.
If the opening 8 minutes were anything to go by, we were in for a close one. Both teams traded blows and it was the Rocks who had the edge at 19-15 late in the first quarter. The Rocks moved the ball swiftly and found their shooters who dutifully converted from outside, they looked good and if Raiders were to take this one, they were going to have to take things up another level.
Not content to just take things up another notch, the Raiders hit the Rocks with all they had, as they strung together a 16-0 run which left the boys from Glasgow stunned and helpless – Bell instrumental at both ends, leading the Plymouth onslaught. The first half played out with the Raiders up with a commanding 18 point lead at 48-30.
The closest the Rocks could get to the Raiders after the break was 54-41, the little fight they had was soon knocked out of them as the were winded by a 20-2 blow. Defensively Raiders put on a master-class, shutting down every available option for the Rocks before getting out on the break and scoring in spectacular fashion.
The Raiders were producing the type of performance they’ve been striving for since the start of the season, the chemistry was evident for all to see throughout the entire 3rd quarter. When Anthony Rowe got fouled hard by Rocks player coach Sterling Davis, it was his team-mates who picked him up and defused the situation. Instead of collapsing the boys in Green collected their heads, and continued the rampage.
Starting the 4th up 74-43 coach Love used the period to try out his bench, newly acquired Jamal Williams impressing and hopefully showing enough to earn himself a spot in the rotation. Williams showed us all in attendance his smooth all round ability, and will no doubt prove to be a valuable back-up covering either the 3 or 4 spots. Plymouth University student Jordan Seeley also made his debut and knocked down a 3 thus insuring that every Raider got on the score sheet. The final score of 94-67 a credit to by far the most dominating performance seen by a Raiders team in a long while.
Follow Sean Porter on twitter @SeanPorter7
