Basketball: Success for Morpeth comes at the double

Dec 16 2010 The Journal

MORPETH Basketball Club’s two senior teams both recorded resounding victories at the weekend.

The club’s first team, the Mavericks, took on Oxclose Cougars in a TyneMet Division Four game at the Riverside Leisure Centre and cruised to a 95-46 victory.

It was a game in which Morpeth’s perimeter players were on fire, with Steve Potts, Matt Davidson and Yildirim Bayazit doing real damage from behind the three-point line.

Against a younger and less experienced Cougars team the Mavericks flew out of the traps, and there was no way back for the visitors after they found themselves 28-6 down at the end of the first quarter.

Although Morpeth took their foot off the gas during the second and third periods, they finished strongly in the fourth.

It was a result which will give the Mavericks confidence going into their Division Two Knockout Cup semi-final tie away to All Saints Sabres on Friday night, with the final just two days later if they come out on top.

Not to be outdone, Morpeth’s second team the Magic travelled to take on TyneMet Division four newcomers All Saints T-Wrecks on Friday night and recorded a 57-41 victory.

Magic starter slowly and found themselves trailing 13-10 at the end of the first quarter, but some stern words from acting coach Mike Walsh saw the league leaders proceed to win the next three quarters to secure the win.

Meanwhile, one of Morpeth’s Under-12s Joe Short had a surprise visitor as he recovers from illness in the Royal Victory Infirmary in Newcastle – none other than Newcastle Eagles player-coach Fab Flournoy.

Joe and his parents were thrilled that Fab took time out from his busy schedule to pop in and visit the Morpeth youngster.