In a game that was within our grasp, we fell short in a low-scoring affair against York Eagles III. The final result reflected costly mistakes and missed opportunities, overshadowing some promising defensive moments.

First Quarter:

We struggled to execute the zone press efficiently, leaving us vulnerable to fast breaks from York Eagles. Despite the defensive lapse, Sunny emerged as a standout player, applying aggressive pressure. His defensive tenacity resulted in a couple of steals and forced turnovers, which briefly disrupted York’s rhythm. However, the inability to capitalise on these opportunities meant that we couldn’t close the gap in the first quarter.

Second Quarter: Turnovers and Missed Finishes

Turnovers continued to plague us in the second quarter and York Eagles punished us with more fast-break points. We managed to tighten up defensively, again led by Sunny, but couldn’t translate those stops into points. Poor finishing at the rim, particularly on layups, meant the team missed valuable chances to shift the momentum.

Third Quarter:

The third quarter mirrored the struggles of the first half. We displayed poor decision-making with our shot selection and ill-advised passes. While we managed to get some stops, our inability to convert fast breaks and layups was a recurring theme, hampering our chances to claw back into the game.

Fourth Quarter: 

In the final quarter we struggled with rebounding and got out-rebounded on both ends of the floor, and York Eagles capitalised with second-chance points. The lack of boxing out underscored our struggles as we allowed York Eagles to maintain their lead in what was a tightly contested, low-scoring game.

Post-Game Analysis

The team has great potential and we’re showing signs of improvement defensively, however we’re still battling recurring issues (rebounding, turnovers, off ball moment & shot selection).

Positives

It was great to see Esey back on the court after a trip to A&E last and still drop 19 points (took a blow to the face last week in the game against Sharks Blue). 

The team is showing growth defensively, with Sunny setting the tone as one of the main defensive players. The has been getting consistent stops, but they need to convert these stops into points.

Top 3 scorers: 

Esey 19 points 

Dylan 7 points 

Aiden 6 points 

Player of the game for Elite - Sunny - For an excellent defensive display and overall energy on the court (steals & assists)