Rocks kick-off 2012/2013 with a win and a loss

The Glasgow Rocks kicked off their 2012/2013 BBL campaign with a 72-65 loss at the Newcastle Eagles on Friday night.

The Scots were, however, able to pick up their first win in the second leg of their north-east trip on Sunday with a 10 point victory over the Durham Wildcats thanks to 20 points from birthday boy Gareth Murray.

Coach Davis’ plans were hampered on the eve of the new season with the news that the club had released centre Meneptha Darden due to injury concerns over the 24 year old rookie. This left the Rocks a player light going into their battle with a Newcastle side that won all silverware available last season.

A poor first half from Glasgow saw the Eagles take a comfortable 35-21 lead. They were able to increase to 65-45 before a spirited fight back from the Scots that fell just a little too short. Gareth Murray led the way for the away team, scoring 16 points while Sterling Davis notched a 12 and 11 double-double.

The ever reliable Joe Chapman, however, led the game with 23 points and proved the difference between the two sides in what has become the biggest rivalry in recent years in the British basketball n was witnessed by nearly 2,500 spectators.

Rocks player-coach Sterling Davis has admitted that he is attempting to sign G.B. international Keiron Achara, but no deal was completed prior Sunday and again the Rocks went into a tough game against Durham a player short.

In the end, it didn’t matter as the Rocks managed a 92-82 victory over a Wildcats team that had claimed a six point win the previous night in Worcester.

The Wildcats, who won just three games last season, stuck with the Rocks and were never out of the game until the final couple of minutes.

Gareth Murray and veteran E.J. Harrison both went 7-of-11 from the field and notched up 20 points apiece as the Rocks recorded their first victory of the new season. Murray pulled down 11 rebounds for his first double-double of the season.

Both teams were playing their second game of the weekend and therefore rotated their players, with seven players on each side seeing at least 20 minutes of action, but it was the Rocks who were able to last the pace and emerge with the two points despite a solid team effort from a Wildcat side that will cause significantly more problems in their sophomore year.