Division II.1
Galaxy Walkers won by 21 points, led by their MVP Svejstrup who had another strong stat line with 24 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steal and 2 blocks. De Bodt also had a strong performance for the Walkers with a 19 point, 16 rebound double-double while adding 4 assists as well. New jersey2’s star, Birtwhistle, scored 30 of his teams 68 points, but it took him 28 shots to reach that mark. Only Manzano was able to add double digit scoring for new jersey2 as they shot 26% from the field.
New jersey2 have a big ask to turn the series around given they have to overturn a 21 point loss in game 1 in to two wins, but anything can happen in BB if the luck falls your way.
Division II.2
Van Orshaegen missed a game tying 3 pointer at the buzzer as Borac Basket maintained HCA in the series with a 97-94 win over Gophers. Kurtiss shot 10-14FG for a team-high 24 points for Borac which proved crucial in the win. MVP Lianjie had a game high 29 points for Gophers but they came up just short. Borac’s star MacNeish struggled with 8-23 shooting but he offered 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals to help Borac pick up the win.
Game 2 is big for both teams, as this game shows that the series can go either way. Both teams will be desperate to win game 2. Borac don’t want to risk a one game showdown, while Gophers need to win to keep their season alive.
Division II.3
Osmaston produced the offensive performance of the finals so far as they scored 136 points on 59%FG on their way to a massive 53 point win over Camden Kings. MVP Samuel had 33 points for Osmaston on 11-16FG (7-93FG) in 29 minutes, showing why he was almost unanimous MVP of the league. Relinque and Johnson also added 20 points each on combined 13-19 shooting. Otvos did match Samuel’s 33 points, but it took him 32 shots to reach that mark as he was a -44 in the game for Camden.
It's a big ask for Camden to overturn a 53 point loss, but they head home for game 2 where they will fight as hard as they can to get a win and force a game 3.
Division II.4
Durham Wasps are one win away from the division II.4 title, and an unbeaten season as they beat BC Newmarketas 102-84 behind 24 points, 18 rebounds and 3 blocks from Zelinka. Young star Forrest scored 23 points and added 8 rebounds on 9-16 shooting. Vasseur and Jucys both had 23 points each for Newmarketas, but they couldn’t overcome the 31 rebound deficit in the end. Wasp were able to grab 24 offensive rebounds in the game which is where Zelinka profited mostly from.
Game 2 is hosted by BC Newmarketas as they look to upset Wasps’ quest for an unbeaten season. If they are to succeed the tactical choices from Newmarketas will need to be much better than in game 1.