BUCS Final 8s 2013 - Day 1 Recap - Hoopsfix.com

BUCS Final 8s 2013 – Day 1 Recap

The 2013 BUCS Final 8s tipped off today, with a new format and new venue as BUCS try to bring all the different sports final events together on the same day. Aptly titled BUCS Big Wednesday, quarter finals and semi finals will be played throughout the weekend at Leeds Metropolitan University, before the two finalists return to Leeds on Wednesday to play for the chip in BUCS’ showpiece event.

Game recaps, stats and notes (to be updated throughout the day).

Game 1 (12:00pm)
Worcester beat Brunel 87-69

Defending champions Worcester faced a scare early as a resilient Brunel side refused to go down without a fight. Brunel led at the half by one, and it wasn’t until the fourth quarter that Worcester pulled clear. Stanley Ocitti was the man in the middle holding it down for Worcester, finishing with an efficient 27.

Worcester scorers: Stanley Ocitti 27, Daniel Belgrave 14, Kalil Irving 14/Brunel scorers: Louis Sayers 29, Jordan Crawford 12, Eni Araba-Jacobs 12.

Game 2 (12:00pm)
Durham beat Northumbria 90-61

In one of the most physical contests I’ve seen in a long time, Durham pulled away in the second half to book their place in the semi-final. With both teams jawing and throwing elbows at each other throughout, Northumbria, who were without one of their starters, Siman Stewart, due to injury, couldn’t overcome the bigger, stronger Durham side.

Durham scorers: Andrew Keister 22, Mike Baldarelli 17, Paul Elderkin 16/Northumbria scorers: Jack Thompson 17, Jamie Glen 15, Ivan Emanuely 9.

Game 3 (4:00pm)
Leeds Met beat LSBU 65-57
Despite LSBU’s Petkus’ best effort as he drained nine threes on his way to 33 points, Leeds Met advanced to the final four with an 8 point victory over Southbank.

Dave Ajumobi was unstoppable at times for Leeds Met, who saw 11 players get on the scoresheet.

Leeds Met scorers: Dave Ajumobi 20, Henry Wilkins 12, Rob Marsden 12/LSBU scorers: V. Petkus 33, A Vaiteikas 11, Uche Umekwe 5

Game 4 (4:00pm)
Loughborough beat Glasgow 82-67
In a game that was a lot closer than everyone expected, Loughborough couldn’t lose Glasgow until the final minutes as they booked their place in the semi-finals.

Loughborough were playing without Jamell Anderson (remember what happened last time he played against Glasgow?) due to Leicester Riders commitments, and Glasgow capitalised, taking a 1 point half time lead and running Loughborough close until the final minutes.

Loughborough scorers: Will Maynard 23, Jerelle Okoro 16, John Gould 14/Glasgow scorers: Callum Nicol 22, A. Alilovic 22, U. Zasimuaksas 13.

Schedule for Sunday

2pm: Durham vs Worcester (semi-final)/Northumbria vs Brunel (points playoff)
4pm: Leeds Met vs Loughborough (semi-final)/LSBU vs Glasgow (points playoff)

Notes

  • The recurring theme that is coming up over and over with everyone I speak to? Everybody misses Sheffield. Weird to be in Leeds, and it seems everything is being put into Big BUCS Wednesday with this weekend being much less of a marquee event. It’s very anti-climatic.
  • Don’t ask what the “points playoff” games are all about – no-one seems to know how BUCS plan on ranking places 5-8 as they’re missing the last two games they’d usually have. The whole thing seems to be very poorly thought out…
  • Worcester in the running for their third consecutive title and seventh in ten years – absolute dominance . I find it hard to see anyone beating them. Interestingly, they will meet Durham in the semi this year; both teams have met in the final for the past two years, so we are guaranteed at least one different finalist.
  • Small crowds on day one, with most spectators being other teams.
  • I’m not the only one with major issues with the men’s & women’s games being played at the same times (previous years it has always been women and men playing on each court at same time slots – it’s near impossible to film two games at the same time!); coaches are unable to watch/scout opposing teams for future match-ups, spectators have to pick and choose, and players miss out on watching opposition.
  • Pretty much all the score-lines on Day 1 aren’t truly reflective of the games; all of the underdogs ran the favourites close and competed for the majority of the games, it proved for a much more compelling day of hoops than originally expected.
  • No major highlights, although Leeds’ Dave Ajumobi missed a lob from Henry Wilkins that would’ve raised the roof.
  • It was clear from the game’s early moments that Durham and Northumbria was getting heated and if the refs didn’t take control a fight would break out. I called it early, and sure enough before the game’s end it boiled over with players having to be separated.
  • Watch raw highlights from Day 1 here.
  • In the women’s competition, Durham blew out Southampton Solent by 75ish (score TBC), Loughborough beat Northumbria 57-51, whilst Cardiff Met escaped with a 3 point win over Sheffield Hallam, and Leeds Met blew out Oxford to advance. The women play at 10am and 12pm on Sunday.
  • For regular updates throughout the rest of the weekend, follow @Hoopsfix on Twitter.

Thoughts? Who are you backing?

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