HAWKS PLUCKED AND STUFFED IN THE FINAL QUARTER!

December 6, 2021

TROJANS 1 HAD TO PULL OUT ALL THE STOPS BEFORE OVERCOMING AYLESFORD HAWKS FOR THE SECOND TIME IN THREE WEEKS AND ONCE AGAIN THE DAMAGE WAS DONE IN THE FINAL QUARTER.

TROJANS WON THE GAME 70-52, BUT THIS DOES NOT TELL THE WHOLE STORY OF A THRILLING GAME AT HEREWARD COLLEGE, AND, ALTHOUGH THE HOME SIDE LED FOR THE ENTIRE FORTY MINUTES, THEY WERE BUCKLING IN A POOR THIRD QUARTER WHICH SAW HAWKS REDUCE THE DEFICIT TO JUST TWO POINTS.

WHAT THEY HAD NOT RECKONED WITH, WAS A BARN-STORMING OPENING TO THE FINAL TEN MINUTES OF PLAY, WHEN EVERYTHING THAT HAD GONE WRONG FOR TROJANS IN THE PENULTIMATE PERIOD SUDDENLY WENT THEIR WAY AND THE 46-44 SCORELINE SAW A FURTHER THIRTEEN POINTS ON THE HOME TALLY BEFORE THE SCORER NEEDED HIS PEN FOR THE VISITING COLUMN..

BY NOW IT WAS ALL OVER AND, TRY AS THEY MAY, HAWKS WERE DONE FOR AS MARK LARNER CONTINUED HIS SPARKLING FORM WITH A SEASON-HIGH 39 POINTS FOR TROJANS, WHILE HAWKS’ M BARRAUD, WHO LANDED THREE CONSECUTIVE TRIPLES IN THE OPENING PERIOD MADE 19.

ONE POINT OF INTEREST WAS THAT THERE WERE ONLY FIVE SETS OF FREE-SHOTS IN THE ENTIRE MATCH, A TRIBUTE TO THE FINE DEFENSIVE PLAY FROM BOTH SIDES.