Cheshire beat Giants 83-81 in unforgettable night
This isn’t a proper game report. This is a description of the most intense and possibly most enthralling two minutes and eleven seconds of basketball this country has ever seen. Gabe Haskins vouches for this in the above image.
A last half second shot to win a game, controversy surrounding a time out that was or was not, and a victory that for either side would make all the difference right now; Cheshire’s 83-81 win over Manchester Giants revived a long overdue rivalry.
The first three and three quarter quarters pale into insignificance, as the real drama occurred with just 2:11 left on the clock at the Northgate Arena.
It was a very tight game throughout, but with Cheshire in command for the majority of the play, it was not until late on that basketball fans were treated to what can only be described as a mesmerising last few minutes.
The debate that was started yesterday on UKAmericanSportsFans.com concerning refereeing decisions almost came to the fore again, as 50:50 decisions on charges against Cheshire let Giants creep back in to the game, but Stefan Gill’s mighty fine accuracy from outside the arc was also to help Manchester’s resurgence, by scoring the final ten points for his side, despite them being in foul trouble.
Then came a moment that will forever live long in the memories of Cheshire fans from now until the end of British basketball time.
Chez Marks, who admitted to stealing the ball away from Shawn Myers with mere moments to go (“He wouldn’t have pulled off the shot” – that’s fighting talk Mr Marks – see you on the practice court to battle that out with Myers), hit a three pointer, sat on 80-81, to win the game. With the “press bench” sat directly in line with the shot, captain Marks sat on the floor to watch his attempt get nothing but net as the Northgate crowd erupted.
But wait. This was not over. Or was it? Nobody knows.
Giants’ coach Jeff Jones called for a time out with 0.4 seconds left on the clock. He was adamant, he still will be adamant, even after reading this report in three or four days time, he will be adamant that he did.
If there was, then the resulting shot could have maybe bettered Marks’, but for everything it was worth, Cheshire perhaps needed this win more than anyone else.
Cheshire coach Matt Lloyd was left flummoxed somewhat and stumped at times for words post-game: “What a finish – we were up by ten with six minutes to go, we tried to take time out of the clock, which had its pro’s and con’s. Turnovers are costly and we try to keep them as low as we can, but we’ve tried to improve with our rebounds and protecting our paint.”
Coach Jones had plenty to say though after the game, particularly surrounding the issue of the mystery time out, but something we may never know the answer too: “0.4 left on the shot clock, I called a time out, we should have had the ball. They started the clock, we inbounded and they let it run out. They [the table officials] said I didn’t call it but I did, I didn’t feel like I did; I did. As soon as he [Marks] got the offensive rebound and spun around, I called a time out.”
Despite the bookmakers putting Cheshire as a slight favourite, Jones believes his side were going in as the team on top, and were in the right position to assert a victory over their local rivals: “We should never have been behind. We didn’t play well or execute well. We let the pressure of being a favourite for the first time on the road get to us, but Cheshire fought for their lives tonight and they did well.
“We’re not doing the little things we need to do well; they are learning how to win which British kids don’t necessarily get to do in this league and they are finding it hard. Stefan Gill did a fantastic job for us tonight and he didn’t deserve to lose but it is just one of those situations.”
Play of the game: Chez Marks’ buzzer beating three at the death. I will get the clip of this shot if it kills me. I promise.
Game MVP: Chez Marks, but in all seriousness, there were a few to choose from on the Cheshire side of things. Gill for Giants deserves a big mention too.
Top scorers:
Cheshire: Marks (31), Bland (22), Haskins (15)
Manchester: Gill (31), Watts (11), J. Jones/Eaves (10)
Next up
Cheshire: (A) Newcastle Eagles – 23/11
Manchester: (H) Glasgow Rocks – 30/11
