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Photos: Emilien Tortel
York 2nds fell to Newcastle 2nds 40-54 today in what proved to be a well-contested game. While the match up looked to be a David and Goliath-esque contest, bottom of the league York were able to keep pace with Newcastle who currently sit at the top of the BUCS Northern Conference 4B. However, it was Newcastle’s physicality that ultimately carried them through.
A cagey start to the match saw both teams struggle to score early on as both units played solid defence. It was York, though, who raced out to an early lead, producing some quality ball movement that resulted with captain Matt Chan draining several short-range jumpers.
Newcastle soon found their rhythm, however, and reined in the York lead through the play of their power forward, Hogg, and center, Ceckauskas. Easily the tallest players on the court, Hogg and Ceckauskas began to dominate the paint, pulling down rebounds on both ends of the floor.
Newcastle’s improved defence began to slow down York’s initially efficient offence, though York continued to score through starting point guard Georgi Hristov, who’s penetration Newcastle still couldn’t handle.
At the first quarter buzzer the score line read 10-11 and it seemed that if York could maintain their quality through to the half they’d be in with a shout.
The second quarter began much as the first did with York starting the stronger. York’s Matt Eckersley stroked home the first 3-pointer of the game while guard David Lee put up several pretty floaters. Despite York’s good offensive work they were struggling to handle Newcastle’s big men who continued to go to work in the paint, notably Hogg who showed off several pretty moves to get to the rim.
At 22-23 with 3:00 left in the half the game was still in the balance as both teams continued to exchange points. However, it was here that Newcastle took charge and began to show why they’re pushing for promotion. As the game began to shift from long possession basketball toward a fast-break battle, Newcastle’s captain Hall led a 0-7 run that saw the half finish 22-30. Despite the good work of Lee during this run, York’s shots simply weren’t falling.
As the teams warmed up for the second half it was clear that York would need to rediscover their shooting form from the first quarter in order to keep pace with the scoring of the Newcastle big men.
Unfortunately for York, the third quarter did yield the scoring they needed and proved to be decisive in the contest. While York once again started brightly, as more terrific ball handling from David Lee led to early points. Newcastle began to use the spacing that had opened up on the floor due to York’s attempts to lock down the Newcastle big men. Newcastle’s shooting guard Hall began to find his range, knocking down several long range jump shots, including two from beyond the arc, which pulled Newcastle’s lead out to 28-40 with 5:00 remaining in the quarter.
In a scrappy end to the quarter York continued to struggle from the floor as Newcastle’s captain took a strangle hold of the game from the point guard position leading his team on yet another 0-7 run that left Newcastle seemingly out of reach with the score reading 28-47. York were frustrated at what proved to be a sloppy quarter by their standards, was perhaps manifested in the scream of rage that came from forward James Thomas as yet another lay-up was missed at the end of the half.
The fourth quarter, however, saw York rally to produce their best basketball of the game. Newcastle continued to move the ball well at the beginning of the quarter, allowing them to pull their lead out to 21 points, the largest of the game, and while it seemed as though York were destined for a heavy defeat it was not to be so.
York began to move the ball as they had in the first quarter, producing opportunities that they finally began to convert. While it was a balanced scoring effort in the fourth quarter, including buckets from Lewis and Eckersley, that pulled York back toward Newcastle, it was the continued strong play of David Lee that proved the catalyst for York’s 12-3 run at the end of the quarter.
The final score of 40-54 seemed just, given the consistent play from Newcastle on both ends of the court, however York should take many positives from the game. The ball movement on display was superb at times and in light of the fact that the Newcastle big men combined to score 37 of their 54 points York should in no way feel outplayed.