WARWICKSHIRE Bears head coach Tom Masterson praised the performance of his side after they defeated Cardiff Met Archers 77-38 in their first home game of 2017.
The victory moved the table-topping Bears on to 15 points in British Wheelchair Basketball League First Division South.
It was a shaky start for the home side as the Archers found the basket regularly in the opening period, but it was the hosts who held a narrow 18-15 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Bears came out firing after the restart and began to dominate the game as a strong defence limited the visitors to just five points in the second quarter.
By the midway point the Bears held a 36-20 lead and were in a comfortable position, which allowed coach Masterson to make a series of changes.
The changes allowed the hosts to play with even more fluency around the court as they continued to build their lead and by the end of the third quarter they were 56-28 up.
In the final period Masterson gave several players on the bench valuable playing time as the Bears never let up the pressure and player of the match Siobhan Fitzpatrick celebrated her birthday in style by finishing off the game with a successful three-point basket to cap a fine performance.
“It was a great performance from all the players,” said Masterson.
“It was even more satisfying to see no let-up on the performance from any line-up that was on court.
“I have to give a special mention to our birthday girl Siobhan who was awesome, she really did deserve to be chosen as our most valuable player.”
The Bears are next in action on February 12 when they host Birmingham Black Cats, while the Bears’ second team play Hampshire Harriers.
The Bears are always seeking new players and sponsors. Anyone interested in either should email [email protected] or call 07946 518354.
