The Freeman Show

BBL Championship – Saturday 3 December 2011
Worcester Wolves Vs Mersey Tigers

After a disappointing run on the road Worcester improved to a 5-2 record in front of their home fans Saturday night.

Unlike Tuesday, the Wolves’ ability from long range was on show and their outstanding shooting guard Tommy Freeman was in devastating form.

The former Ohio Bobcat put daylight between these two sides in the first and it was his burst in the final ten that saw off any challenge from Garbelotto’s men. The young Indiana native led the scorers at the end of the contest with 30 points.

To confine the MK game to the history books Freeman stepped up early to drain one from long range and was ably assisted by a strong start from Fernandez, also scoring from the perimeter.

Wolves looked like they had been putting in the court hours and were working the openings well early on. So much so that Tigers’ Coach Tony Garbelotto was quickly in to rant mode. The away side kept with the visitors though as Worcester could only maintain a 5-6 point lead.

Less than six in and the Wolves were dealt a blow as Gordon picked up his third personal foul and it was time for a long stint on the bench. Despite the close score, the way the early exchanges had played out suggested that the loss of Gordon wouldn’t hurt the Wolves too much.

It’s been seen once or twice already this season, but cometh the close score line, cometh the man as Sherrad Prezzie-Blue has nailed three after three when his side have had their lead threatened. And as Worcester continued to engineer the looks from distance they opened up a nine point lead thanks to a big three from their point guard.

The Tigers kept coming throughout this game and kept Worcester honest, but against a better side on the night Worcester’s failure to do pretty much anything on the boards could have cost them dear. It wasn’t until the re-introduction of Gordon late on that they were able to come up with anything by way of rebounds.

With approximately three minutes left in the first Freeman came again and this time over guarding hands he shot the ball high and in for three. Then Watts was introduced by Coach James and immediately joined the party, with his own basket from distance giving the home side a commanding 17 point lead as a dominant quarter timed out.

It was an interesting five that came out in the second for Wolves. After an unusually early introduction for Van-Beest late in the first, he was joined by Zimnickas, Jones, Fernandez and Watts. David Aliu for the Tigers (who was a threat all night), took it upon himself to start attacking the Worcester lead. However, the Tigers were not able to make quick enough inroads despite Wolves failing in possession. Zimnickas was the guilty party on several occasions for the home side on a poor night at the basket for the forward.

Gordon, Freeman, Kaslauskas and Prezzie-Blue were all reintroduced at the same time and as they were back in the home lead was nine.

Not normally wanting to comment on the officials’ performance and without naming names, it was a bad night for the on court referees with the Wolves subject to several clearly incorrect decisions which left the crowd unimpressed.

Both teams were guilty of giving away the ball too easily in the second as Worcester maintained a ten point lead. Aliu continued to chip away for the visitors; as the quarter wore on Mersey’s number 11 (notwithstanding the officials) had been the difference as efforts from long range cut the lead to six at the half.

The second half is where Worcester saw the impact of their failure on their own boards. They opened the quarter with a quick burst to take the lead out to ten again, but the Tigers from then on were given too many chances on their own possessions allowing Aliu, Douse and others to pull it right back to just a one point game.

Prezzie-Blue kept them at arm’s length with crucial baskets but as Gordon was being used offensively for Wolves, Tigers took advantage on more than one occasion with a quick transition to get Douse in to space. The third continued in the same vain. Worcester stretched out their lead and the Tigers pegged them back again. A Freeman lay-up at the buzzer made it 66-60 Wolves having held their lead from the start.

With ten left the game was Worcester’s to win or lose.

They started in determined fashion with two more from downtown from Freeman giving the Tigers a mountain to climb with 13 points the difference. The game’s MVP then helped himself to two more to take the score out to 78-63. Gordon was reintroduced to the game and came up big in defence.

Tigers kept coming but it was Freeman’s quarter and Freeman’s night as once again he ripped in to the paint; this time floating the ball up, in to the basket and drawing the foul. Despite his usual accuracy from the line he couldn’t take the ‘and one’ on offer.

Worcester showed a better zone defence than we had seen all night and were forcing the Tigers to do everything from outside. As the quarter wore on Tigers weren’t out of it, but Worcester were using the shot clock well and as the foul count built on the visitors the Wolves drew fouls in the backcourt which got them to the line.

Aliu came again with two late three-point baskets in the last minute to make things a little nervier. It was not going to affect the outcome however, as the home side took the game 93-84.

On a night when Worcester’s shooting improved dramatically from last time out, they suffered on the boards and were at times wasteful in possession. But when they needed a result they got a result from a tough encounter by working the openings and taking their opportunities from distance.

And this performance only serves as a warning that when it all comes together for this Worcester side, they have the ability to beat all comers.

The Wolves and a coach load of fans travel to Guildford today hoping to make it four out of four for the season against the Surrey side. The Heat however have been on an extended break having not taken to court in anger in almost a month, and they will matchup today with new faces on their roster.

Worcester Wolves 93 (30,43,66) Freeman 30, Gordon 12, Watts 12
Mersey Tigers 84 (13,37,60) Aliu 27, Douse 21, Hesson 19