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Photos: Ellen Rawlins
York suffered a cruel defeat at the hands of Sheffield Hallam, with a late surge from the visitors ending what was a captivatingly close contest.
The scores were all level at 62-62 with just three minutes remaining, but Sheffield converted a sequence of free throws to consign York to their seventh league defeat of the season.
York will feel they deserved victory, however, despite missing a number of key players including Paul Tobin, Jassen Liu and Theo Sideris.
But there are many positives which the team can take going into the big cup quarter-final tie against Northumbria 2nds next week.
York started the match the better side, as Colin Hill intercepted and scored within the first 10 seconds. Cameron Lange also looked to be in imperious form, scoring a further six points to open up useful 8-0 lead.
Sheffield gradually improved, however, scoring a treble of three-pointers to turn the deficit into an advantage.
However, York finished the first quarter well; Lange, Janis Zicans and Thomas Kiskis scored points to give York a narrow 19-17 lead.
York continued this form for the first five minutes of the second quarter, as Hill and Taptas both produced delightful baskets under intense pressure to push York 26-21 ahead.
But then York’s defence seemed to collapse. Sheffield were finding it easier to pick their way through and score simple lay-ups without playing particularly well. Sheffield led 28-37 at the half-way stage.
This was rectified in the third quarter, though, as Dan Baark made several dogged interceptions and dispatched his chances well. Captain Sam Bentley also grew into the game, scoring a classic three-pointer.
Kiskis remarkably knocked in a rebounded Lange shot, and Lange himself completed the York recovery with a routine basket to level matters at 53-53.
The match went into the final quarter with an electric atmosphere inside the main hall. The first seven minutes were frantic, with numerous misses by both sides reflecting the intense pressure.
Andreas Boedt coolly scored his two free throws and Lange scored two lay-ups to bring the scores to 62-62.
Sheffield had numerous chances to create a lead, but contrived to miss a number of free throws and simple lay-ups, meaning York were still in the game.
But crucially, Sheffield scored one of their chances and Boedt agonisingly misplaced a lay-up to give the visitors a 62-64 lead with 40 seconds remaining.
And a series of York fouls gave Sheffield an ever-increasing number of chances to score from free throws, and they duly took advantage, eventually winning 62-73.
Sam Bentley admitted afterwards: ‘We should have beaten them today. It’s disappointing because we were unlucky with several rolls. We also only had nine players in the squad… But there’s plenty more basketball to be played this season.’
Vision MOTM: Cameron Lange