Back to training on...

Leadonites Basketball resume training, after the Christmas and New Year's break, on Thursday, 4th January 2018.

A reminder of training nights and timings:

TUESDAY
- 7:30 to 8:30 = CUBS (Year 7 and younger)
- 8:30 to 9:30 = SENIORS (Year 11 and Year 12 with some Inters thrown in for numbers sake)

WEDNESDAY
- 6:45 to 8:30 = Mish-mosh session (Year 8 plus players from year below and above - also open to year 10 by prior agreement with Head Coach)

THURSDAY 
- 7:30 to 8:30 = JUNIORS (Year 8 plus players from Years 7 and 9 by prior agreement with Head Coach)
- 8:30 to 9:30 = INTERS (Year 9, Year 10 and Year 11)

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MATCH RESULTS - U17 @ Worcs Bears

Sunday, 17th December 2017
Worcester Bears Pre-Xmas Invitational

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Worcester Bears (NL) U16 91 vs 47 Leadonites Basketball U17

(Q1: 22-11 / Q2: 28-18 / Q3: 14-11 / Q4: 27-7)

Worcester Bears U16s currently sit top if the Midland Conference of the U16s National League. Leadonites started off this match like a house on fire, racing out to an 11-5 lead, but that pace simply could not be maintained and Bears lead 22-11 at the end of the first. Thereafter it was a lesson in gym-style basketball as Bears simply ran their fast break style of play to perfection and the score deficit mounted up. Despite a final quarter collapse it was still a very good effort from our boys and girl. Back to training court in January and plenty of things to work on.
Tom_D 17 points
Kaisan_T 14_points
James_S 10 points
Teo_C-W 6 points
Special mention to Blandine_B who becomes only the third girl to ever play for Leadonites.

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MATCH RESULTS - U15B @ Worcs Bears

Sunday, 17th December 2017
Worcester Bears Pre-Xmas Invitational - Under 15s-B

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Game 1: Worcester Bears U15B 38v20 Leadonites U15B (ht: 15-8)
Time and again Leadonites defence was caught out by the Bears fast break and baseline cuts, leading to a disappointing result. Much to work on defensively from this match. Josh_S top scored with 10 points.

Captain Joseph_F breaking out of defence

Samuele_M fronting up defensively

Michael_F putting up a jump shot

Ed-J caught passing out of defensive traffic

Samuel_N shooting 

Michael_S bringing the ball up court

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Game 2: Shrewsbury Storm U16 29v32 Leadonites U15B (ht:15-13)

A poor first half that earned some harsh, and as it turned out premature, comments at half-time from Leadonites coach Chalkley. A true team effort from all 8 boys in the second half pulled this one out of the bag. Mentions in Dispatches for Ed_J (6 points) and team captain, Joseph_F each for their best performances in a Leadonites jersey yet. Fin_C top scored with 13 points including 3 of 4 free-throws at the death.

Finlay_C driving past a Storm defender

Michael_S shooting

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MATCH RESULTS - U14-B @ Worcs Bears

Sunday, 17th December 2017
Worcester Bears Pre-Xmas Invitational - Under 14s-B

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Worcester Bears U14B 74v37 Leadonites U14B 
(Q1: 18-8 / Q2: 12-8 / Q3: 23-9 / Q4: 21-12)
With neither side playing their NL or main YBL players this was a chance for other players to get valuable game-time in a full 4x10-minute game-clock quarters match. Some nice positives but also several things to work on in training.
Thanks to Sandra D for helping out with the coaching.
Well Done to Captain Tom_S with 10 points and Toby_B with 15 points; welcome to the Leadonites Double-digit club, boys. :) You each owe Ben_L a thanks for a chunk of assists.

Thomas_S making a defensive block

Ben_L fronting up defensively

A typical Joseph_F manoeuvre as he steals the ball from a Bears opponent 

Thanks to Indriani Richardson (Worcester Bears) for the use of the action photographs.

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MATCH RESULTS - U12s @ Worcs Bears

Saturday, 16th December 2017
Worcester Bears Pre-Xmas Invitational - Under 12s

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Game 1: Worcester Bears (Orange) 31v2 Leadonites (ht: 17-0)
Bears U12 first team is the best team for their age in the 3-counties and the gulf in class shone through. But the Leadonites boys competed and this is all good preparation for next season's U13s YBL.

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Game 2: Worcester Bears (Silver) 7v12 Leadonites (ht: 2-4)
A very equal game with the score at 7-8 with just a minute left to play.

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MATCH RESULTS - Mid-season Friendlies

Mid-season Friendlies
@ Ledbury Leisure Centre (sports hall @ JMHS)
Saturday, 9th December 2017
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Leadonites U17s 75-66 Worcester Wolves
(Q1: 26-13 / Q2: 20-19 / Q3: 16-17 / Q4: 13-17)
**** **** **** ****
A devastating first quarter followed by two very close quarters then an end of game marred by ill-discipline.
Congratulations to James S. who, in his club debut, set a new club single match scoring record with 32 points. Other scorers were:
Kaisan T - 15 points 
Tom D. - 14 points
Kieran R. - 6 Points
Lewis C. - 4 points
Josh S. - 2 Points
Ed J. - 2 points

Top score for Wolves was Luke J, with 28 points.
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Leadonites U15s 56-24 Stroud Sharks
(Q1: 12-4 / Q2: 14-4 / Q3: 14-9 / Q4: 16-7)
**** **** **** ****
With both teams missing key players from their line-ups this was an opportunity for others to get game time. Top scorer was Josh S. with 22 points. Other scorers were:
JJ H. - 12 points
Mike F. - 8 points
George R. - 4 points
Ethan W. - 4 points
Sam N. - 2 points
Ed J. - 2 points
Joseph F. - 2 points

Top scorer for Sharks was No.11, Wheeler, with 13 points.

Upcoming Matches

Saturday, 9th December 2017
@ Ledbury Leisure Centre (sports hall @ JMHS)

LEADONITES U17s Vs WORCESTER WOLVES U17s (1:15pm tip-off)

With 2017 almost at a close Leadonites U17s will take to the court for their first match of the season when they entertain Worcester Wolves U17s of the YBL. Having had such a successful 2016/17 season the current seniors came close to dissolution over the summer and then had the ignominy of having to withdraw from the YBL WMFS Trophy in September. But the Seniors training group, now in their last season with Leadonites youth programme, have nine players to select from with seven returnees and two newbies, though one player is unavailable after an autumn broken arm. 

For their part, Worcester Wolves are five games into their YBL U17 South Division regular season sitting fourth out of seven teams with a current record of 2 wins and 3 loses; having lost 59-47 away to Frankley Falcons last time out. This match comes ahead of the following week's tough home match with WBA D-Squad who are on a run of two wins from two. Wolves head coach, Gareth Dalley is no stranger to Leadonites having been the training session assessor for Leadonites head coach, Matthew Chalkley, when he was undertaking the level 2 coaching award. Gareth also filled in as a coach, at short notice, for a Leadonites intramural friendly match a couple of seasons ago.


LEADONITES U15s Vs STROUD SHARKS U15s (3:15pm tip-off)

Stroud Sharks have been proud members of the Basketball England National League Regional Conference set up for some years but are now on a break from those competitions. They are no strangers to Leadonites with the two clubs having played each other at various age groups last season, and this, at Gloucestershire College's Glozball CVLs. In fact many of the players competing in Saturday's friendly will be familiar with each other with last season's U14s Glozball CVL. It was against Stroud Sharks that last season's U14s Leadonites team got their first win of the campaign in what was otherwise a tough (3-21) losing season. But the Sharks won out with an overall series record of three wins and just that one defeat against Leadonites.

Game 1: (04/02/2017) Stroud Sharks 24 - 8 Leadonites (ht: 16-2)
Game 2: (24/02/2017) Stroud Sharks 8 - 10 Leadonites (ht: 8-4)
Game 3: (01/03/2017) Stroud Sharks 16 - 13 Leadonites (ht: 5-6)
Game 4: (29/04/2017) Stroud Sharks 22 - 9 Leadonites (ht: 8-7)

This will be an interesting contest with Leadonites U15s, now under the stewardship of head coach Ian Robb and his assistant, Rich Davis, currently on course for the YBL end of season play-offs.

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Congratulations to Irene

Irene Wilkinson has become the first Leadonite to become fully qualified as a Level 2 Table Official.

Last summer six volunteers undertook the Basketball England Table Official Level 2 course that was held at the Halo Swimming Pool complex in Ledbury, with all six passing. However, to become fully qualified a candidate must then complete four matches that are signed off by a BE Level 2 graded referee; two matches on the score sheet and two matches as the score board operator/time keeper. Evidence of these are then sent away to the regional assessor before Basketball England issue the certificate.


Four more of those Leadonite volunteers should complete their mandatory matches and become fully qualified by the close of this season.

 

(Irene seen here, closest to camera, on table duties at Coventry Tornadoes in September 2017)

Thank you to all of our adult volunteers because without you this small club cannot operate.

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