MATCH REPORT: ROCKS BEAT CHESHIRE IN TENSE GAME
The Glen Luss Glasgow Rocks battled with the Cheshire Phoenix in the BBL Cup at the Emirates Arena, with the Rocks winning this close contest in the fourth quarter despite both teams going back and forth on the scoreboard for the whole game.
The first quarter started off with Cheshire hitting two free throws, but this was quickly turned around by the Rocks as a tip-in at the rim by Jaycee Hillsman and a made layup by Jordan Harris gave the Rocks their first points of the night.
Despite this, it was the Cheshire Phoenix who started the first quarter off in better scoring style, taking an early five-point lead, although both teams had yet to find their shooting form with a low scoring start to the first quarter.
The second half of first quarter was a completely different story for the Rocks as they found their feet in the game taking their first lead of the night after a huge dunk from Jordan Harris put them up by two. The first quarter ended with two made free throws from Hillsman, however, a Cheshire three cut the Rocks lead back down to just one point, Rocks lead 19-18 after the first.
The second quarter started off at a fast pace as Cheshire knocked down another three but again the Rocks had a reply as Jonny Bunyan hit a three of his own before Ali Fraser made a short jumper adding another two onto the scoreboard for the Rocks.
Both teams continued to go back and forth on the scoreboard in the second quarter with no team taking a bigger lead than five points in the game which belonged to Cheshire right at the start of the first.
Going into the interval it, Cheshire had tied the game up at 33 apiece before Jordan Johnson hit his first three of the game retaining the lead for the Rocks, but this was short lived as a 5-0 run from Phoenix now gave them the lead, with the pendulum swinging both ways in this tight contest. This run continued for the Cheshire side as they were ahead at halftime albeit a slender lead on the game which had been a tight contest right from the first whistle, with a halftime score of 48-44.
It was the Phoenix who started off the second quarter in better style as another 5-0 run gave them the biggest lead in the game so far going up by nine points. However, the Glen Luss Glasgow Rocks came back with a run of their own outscoring the Phoenix 12-2, as Ali Fraser scored the Rocks first points of the half which was followed up by four made threes from Hillsman, Johnson and Murray with two, which saw the Rocks get hot from deep and regain the lead.
Going into the fourth quarter, the Rocks looked to keep their momentum in the game as five quick points from Jordan Harris saw the Rocks push out their lead, however, a late barrage of threes from Phoenix and a buzzer beater to end the quarter saw them take a 71-69 lead over the Rocks going into the last quarter.
All still to play for in the fourth as both teams have battled the full game, it was the Rocks who started off the scoring in the quarter as Jonny Bunyan hit his second three of the night
and then followed that up with a long two keeping his team in the game early in the quarter. Both teams continued to score back and forth in the fourth quarter as it was proving to go right down to the wire with the scores still tied with five minutes left to play.
Late on in the game, Jordan Johnson seemed to carry the Rocks on his back as he nailed a clutch three pointer before going coast to coast for the layup. This energy only seemed to spark the rest of his teammates as a three pointer from Gareth Murray and a hook shot from Ali Fraser gave them an eight-point lead in the game. The Glen Luss Glasgow Rocks managed to hold on to this lead, beating the Cheshire Phoenix 100-93.
MVP of the game was Jordan Johnson, who finished with an incredible double-double of 21 points and 15 assists, with an honourable mention to the other four starters who all finished with 15 points.
Next up for the Rocks is another BBL Cup match against the Sheffield Sharks down in Sheffield for a 4pm tip-off on the 24th of October.
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