BUCS Final 8’s Day 2 Recap

Following on from Day 1 at the BUCS Basketball Final 8’s, a much better overrall day of basketball today compared to yesterday with some very-almost-big upsets. Check out very mini game reports below (I’m ready for bed!), a schedule for tomorrow and then some of my random thoughts and notes from today…

Men’s
Game 1: Leeds Met vs Oxford
I didn’t think Oxford would even appear in the semi’s, so I predicted (and honestly believed), they would get blown out by 20 to a powerhouse Leeds Met Carnegie team. Sure enough, as I predicted Leeds Met were up 28-14 after the first quarter and playing the most beautiful basketball that has been seen at the Final 8’s thus far. Their defense, their ball movement and pretty much everything they were doing was perfect. Mike Medved came out strong having 9 points and 5 rebounds in the first 6 minutes and you could see he was hyped. Unfortunately, he also picked up a couple of quick fouls and would be in foul trouble the rest of the game.

Albert Margai was playing nice with a couple of big threes, and Ladi Brown was doing what Ladi does best-a little bit of everything. With 5 minutes left in the first half, the lead had ballooned to 20, with Carnegie up 40-20 on Oxford. Game over as far as I was concerned. The way they were playing was unstoppable and I simply couldn’t see any team let alone Oxford beating them.

Then, out of nowhere there was this huge momentum change. Within a 5 minute time span, Oxford had cut the lead to 7 behind the play of big man Stephen Danley who scored (at least) 6 straight including a big two handed dunk. Leeds Met went into the halftime break looking disorganised and unable to handle the pressure, but held the lead at 42-35.

In the second half I expected Carnegie to put a huge focus on Danley seeing as he was pretty much the only one doing anything, but straight away on Oxford’s first possession he scored. And then again and again. Danley was unstoppable for Oxford but remained down 58-51 at the end of the third.

A few minutes into the fourth, after Danley scores another 4 straight points, Mike Medved fouled out for Leeds which was inevitable after battling foul trouble all game. With just under 6 minutes left in the game, Oxford were within 2. Danley secured an offensive rebound and put it back in to tie the game and following a stop at the other game, guard Pocius hit a three to give Oxford their first lead of the game!

Fast forward a little, and the game was tied at 78 with 47 seconds left with the ball in Leeds’ hands. Danley did a great job of blocking a jumpshot and Oxford advanced the ball, dribbling it out waiting to make their move. Oxford missed it and Ladi Brown secured the rebound, as he went to throw up a prayer before the buzzer sounds, the refs called a travel on him with 1 second remaining! Huge call. Oxford possession, 1 second for 1 shot. Danley got a good look, but it bounced off the rim and the teams headed to OT.

In OT, point guard Albert Margai straight up took over scoring 6 straight points for Leeds, he was backed up by Ladi who had 4 of his own including a flip over his head and-1 MJ-esque shot on the fast break before fouling out. It was enough though as Leeds held on for the win 92-88.

Almost a huge upset, but a great game to watch and a well deserved place in the finals for Leeds Met.

Game 2: LSBU vs Worcester
After Worcester proved themselves beatable with their performance against London Met yesterday, I was pretty confident LSBU were going to take this. Worcs’ problems were added to with Harry Disy’s ankle injury yesterday leaving him on the bench in a brace. LSBU came out hard (as they always do) and were up 28-18 after the first quarter.

Big Armand was causing them huge problems, crashing the offensive boards and getting putback after putback. It was more of the same in the second quarter, with Worcs just not looking like they cared. LSBU took a 44-33 lead into the halftime break.

In the second half LSBU came out with a quick 10-0 which pretty much sealed the game. Reigning champs Worcester looked disinterested and gave up way before it was over, ultimately losing 87-63 to LSBU.

That sets us up for an LSBU-Leeds Met final tomorrow!

Game 3: Durham vs London Met
Durham won this one (I think as many expected) comfortably, 87-74. Despite Paul Elderkin and Scott Morton playing well, it was nice to see some of the role players step up a little, in particular Anthony Trigg who must have had a double double and took some of the dunking hype from Paul with a couple of dunks of his own (Paul did end up smashing two big ones at the end though).

London Met, like Worcester before them, looked disenterested and showed the least heart I’ve seen from a London team in a long time. A deserved loss. They will go through to play Loughborough tomorrow in the 7th/8th place playoff.

Game 4: Northumbria vs Loughborough
This made two scrappy games out of two for both teams, in what turned out to be a heat affair with a number of (minor) tussles and hard fouls. Northumbria ultimately ended up winning comfortably, pulling away in the second half 82-64 for the victory.

German big man Nils Steuber was pretty unstoppable for Northumbria, getting a ton of offensive putbacks and drawing fouls. Despite the Loughborough coach going nuts at his players to shut him down, it was no use as he scored time and time again. Chris Pearce also placed decent for Northumbria, finishing a lot of fast break layups, rebounding the ball and setting the tempo defensively.

Northumbria advance to play Durham in the 5th/6th place playoff tomorrow.

BUCS Basketball Women’s Final 8’s Scores
Read the full recap of Day 2 of the Women’s BUCS Basketball Final 8’s.

Tomorrow’s Schedule
Men’s
9am London Met vs Loughborough 7th/8th Place Playoff
11am Oxford vs Worcester 3rd/4th Place Playoff
1pm Durham vs Northumbria 5th/6th Place Playoff
5pm Leeds Met Carnegie vs London South Bank FINAL

Women’s
9am London Met vs Southbank 3rd/4th Place Playoff
11am Brighton vs Loughborough 7th/8th Place Playoff
1pm Northumbria vs Sheffield 5th/6th Place Playoff
3pm Leeds Met Carnegie vs UWIC FINAL

Random Thoughts/Notes

• If you want a lesson in how to dominate a basketball game without scoring, you need to watch Ladi Brown

• BUCS Finals 8’s Dunk Watch Day 2: A bit more of a lively day for dunks than yesterday with a couple of Elderkin 2 hand power dunks, Anthony Trigg with a nice fastbreak throwdown and a Steven Danley two handed. Dunk of the day though, goes to Leeds Met’s David Siddal who threw down a huge two handed putback dunk that echoed through the arena.
• I mentioned this in my tweets yesterday, but the biggest difference between London teams and every other is that they are stronger, play harder and are more aggressive.
• All the teams have to sit on those old school PE benches you used in school. Kinda funny watching 6’9+ bigmen with their knees in their faces try to get comfortable. Dunno why the didn’t draft in chairs.
• Leeds Met point guard Albert Margai has gotten so much better offensively. The defense was always there.
• In the Men’s Trophy final, Reading dismantled Bradford 88-65. Reading’s Kearney hit a beyond half court buzzer beater at the half.
• The University of Sussex beat MMU Cheshire for the Women’s trophy
• The airballs continued today. Including two airballed free throws….

There’s your Day 2 recap from the BUCS Final 8’s here in Sheffield, time for bed! I will be live tweeting the games tomorrow, so check out the Hoopsfix Twitter account if you want to be kept in the loop! Who do you think is going to win it all?!