Blackhawks Destroy Falcons, Headed for
Plate Final
A dominant performance from the Hunters on Friday
night earned them a place in the Surrey Plate final.
Woking led from start to finish and dominated almost
every aspect of the game throughout. Reigate put up some fight, but were no match for the Hunters, who continued their great
form from the past 3 games.
The Blackhawks will now go on to face either
Kingston SOB or Cobham Cougars in the final.
Best Loss Of
The Season?
The Hunters fought valiantly, but came up short
against the Royal Russell Raiders, losing 79-71 on Tuesday night.
It was a much closer game than that.
Shorthanded, but with 2 super-subs, Woking started this
game like they often do against Royal Russell – down by double digits. An
opportunistic steal and layup by Rick Lansdell sparked a 10-2 run by the home
team, which eventually resulted in a 1 point lead at the end of the quarter.
That was until the buzzer beating 3-pointer from near half court by the
visiting team.
The Hunters continued to work hard on both ends of
the floor. The defence was tenacious, and Royal Russell had no answer for
Francis Long on the break. Jim Grainger was hitting the offensive glass and
even a couple of his 3s went down. Meanwhile the Raiders were turning the ball
over and missing some of their layups. Despite all of this though, the visiting
team regained and maintained their lead until the 4th quarter.
The 4th opened with a furious barrage
from Long. 8 straight points from him brought Woking within 3 points of the
Raiders. Buckets were traded and after a 3-point play by Lansdell, the Hunters
went on a 9-2 run to tie the game at 71 with about 2 minutes left.
This is when Royal Russell showed their pedigree.
Woking could not convert any more attempts. Meanwhile, the Raiders hit their
free throws after Woking began fouling to stop the clock. And that’s how it
ended.
Terrific performance from the Hunters, but they just
couldn’t hold on at the end. Great performances from all involved, but the MVP
was Francis Long. Long scored on the break at will and was the reason Woking
were in this game. Also, superb effort from Rick Lansdell and
Jim Grainger, who both played the entire game.
Hunters Win Second Straight
Fresh off their dramatic win against Sunbury, the
Blackhawk Hunters were keen to carry some momentum into Tuesday’s game against
the Cheam Chargers. Once again, Woking snatched victory from the jaws of defeat
in the final seconds of the game.
The Hunters erased a 5-point Cheam lead in the final
minute of the game, taking the lead on a stone cold 3-pointer from Josh Hearn
with about 30 seconds left to go. The win moves Woking out of the relegation
zone as the season nears its conclusion, and gives the Hunters their only back
to back wins of the season.
In a game where the lead never went above 7 points,
it was always going to be the team that made the final push that would win.
Woking were up 5 after the 1st quarter, but
committed too many fouls in the 2nd quarter, letting Cheam back into
the game. Poor execution enabled the visitors to gain the lead and keep it
until the last minute of the game.
Down 70-75, Coach Dunderdale scored a long 2 on the
kick out from the post. Cheam failed to score on the ensuing possession and
gave up 2 free throws to Chris Paice shortly after
that. Both were good, so it was a 1-point game. Woking came up with a defensive
stop once again, enabling Josh Hearn to hit his 3-point dagger, giving the Hunters
the lead 77-75. Cheam had a chance to get back into it, earning a trip to the
free throw line with a chance to tie the game. Both free throws missed, and
Woking secured the rebound. A long outlet pass to Jim Grainger helped to run
down the clock and secured the win for the home team.
This was a team win. Everyone played their part and
chipped in, be it on defence, scoring or moving the ball to the right place.
Royal Russell are next on the list for Woking. Bring
it on.
W for Woking in Another
1 Point Game
In a battle for the bottom of the Surrey Premier
League, both these teams had something to prove in this Tuesday night game in Tomlinscote. In the end it came down to one shot.
Chris Paice hit a running
bank shot from the right side to give the Blackhawk Hunters the final lead of
the game with 3 seconds left in the 4th quarter. The Sunbury Sonics
had a chance to retaliate after a timeout, but failed to convert either of
their free throws, and Woking hung on to take the win.
This game was up and down for the whole night. A
dire first quarter from Woking had them on only 1 point for the majority of the
period, and only ending with 7. They were only down by 6 though, and tore
through the 2nd quarter behind the shooting of Simon Pleass to gain a 6 point lead going into the half.
The tables turned again in the 3rd
quarter, as Sunbury managed to regain the lead, thanks to Woking’s inability to
put points on the board. Down 7 again with one quarter to play, The Hunters
needed to pull together and work hard to get the win.
Thanks to the quick hands of Jim Grainger and Chris Paice, plus some good solid team defence and fastbreak attacks, the Hunters managed to claw back into
the game and set up the dramatic ending. The go ahead bucket by Paicey gave Woking their first lead since the beginning of
the 3rd quarter. Down 1 point with 3 seconds left in the game,
Sunbury inbounded the ball on a crafty play that sent their star player to the
hole for what could have been an easy layup. Paicey
recovered on the play well enough to foul the shooter and send him to the line
with a chance to win or send the game to overtime. Obviously feeling the
pressure, he missed both free throws and Woking claimed the game.
The Hunters face Cheam next, and will look to build
on this win.
Woking Lose 3 Straight, Look To Regroup
The Hunters suffered losses at the hands of Royal
Russell, Mole Valley and Kingston. The team will be keen to put these losses
behind them with upcoming tilts against Cheam and Kingston’s 3rd
team.
On to the
next one.
Hunters Defeat Sunbury at Tomlinscote
Woking picked up their first win of the season
against the Sunbury Sonics 70-51.
The Hunters never trailed in this game, despite
shooting no free throws. Woking came out strong, getting on the scoreboard
first and clamping down on defence. Chris Paice stole
the ball from the visitors seemingly at will, finishing on the fastbreak or dishing to a teammate to do the same. Jim
Grainger dominated the boards on both sides of the court, creating second
chance points or hurling touchdown-like passes down the court.
The home team allowed the Sonics back into the game
in the 2nd quarter, with a slew of careless fouls sending them to
the line repeatedly. This didn’t last though, with a full team effort enabling
Woking to extend the lead back to doulble figures and
keeping it there.
A great
effort by every player in this game, but the MVP spoils go to both
Chris Paice and Jimbo
Grainger.
Woking Lose away to Kingston SOB
No report
available.
Hunters Fight Hard, But Fall to
Kingston 3
The Surrey Premier League opening game started
really well for the Hunters, as tenacious defence and solid offense gave the
home team an early lead. Kingston fought back in the second quarter with a
3-point barrage, and Woking had no response. Kingston had a double figure lead
at halftime. This dipped to as low as 9 points at times, but the visitors
didn’t relinquish it despite the intensity and heart from the Hunters.
MVP: Jason Dunderdale, with great shooting and good
defensive pressure all game long.
On to the next one!
Stop Press!! LeBron
James To Sign With The Woking Blackhawk Hunters!
In a truly
dramatic and unexpected turn of events, NBA superstar LeBron
James has agreed to terms with the Woking Blackhawks. He will be playing for the
Hunters squad for the 2010/2011 season and is locked up for a further 3 years.
As per team
policy, details of the deal were not disclosed. However, it is believed to be
for £5 per 2-hour session – a record breaking arrangement for a star of LeBron’s calibre.
LeBron – who will wear number 23 if he can wrestle it away
from Dappy – had this to say: “I wanted to do
something different, but still put myself in a position to win a championship.
I can bring this Hunters team to the top of the Surrey league”. An unnamed team
spokesman added: “we’re excited to add LeBron to
Woking’s talent pool. We were lining him up for a position on the Flyers squad,
but Julio and Damien refused to reduce their minutes”.
If only this
were true.
We may not
have NBA superstars, but We will certainly have one
hell of a good season in 2010/2011. Keep training over the summer and we may
not even need LeBron.
Let’s get better.
Hunters Hatch Reports 2009-10
Hunters Win Again in Wessex
Cup, Advance To Semi Finals
Woking
brought grit and determination to the court on Tuesday night, coming away with
a 63-53 win against the Woodley Warriors.
The Hunters
opened the scoring with a pair of 3-pointers from Phil Coulthard
and Jason Dunderdale, but Woking had no answer early on for the Warriors’ star
player, who grabbed offensive rebounds seemingly at will.
This game was
close through the first half, with neither team able to maintain a lead any
greater than 5 points. Great scoring from Ben “Woodsville” Woods kept Woking in
the game, but 2nd quarter fouls kept sending the Warriors to the
line.
The Hunters
displayed their tenacious defence in the second half, effectively shutting down
Woodley’s best player. However, the visiting team’s guards took over and
started hitting jump shots with regularity. They had only hit one long range
shot up to that point.
Woking
refused to lie down. Dunderdale scored 8 points on 3 consecutive possessions to
really open up the lead. The defence came down like a hammer, limiting Woodley
to one bad shot per possession, and allowing Lucas and Coulthard
to get out on the break for easy buckets. “Dappy”
scored 6 tough points in the 4th to help maintain the lead, and
Woking closed out a 10 point victory.
Great
performances from everyone on the team, but the standouts were Ben Woods,
Victor Yarborou – for his great defensive effort on
the Woodley go to guy – and Coach Jason Dunderdale.
The Hunters will eagerly await their next opponent
in the semi finals of the Karl Taylor Cup.
Hunters Defence Brings
Wessex Cup 2nd Round Win
The Blackhawk
Hunters overcame a poor shooting night to beat the Chiltern Fastbreak
in the second round of the Karl Taylor Cup on Tuesday night, 55-54.
It should
never have been this close.
Woking
struggled to execute on the offensive end, firing up airballs,
missing open layups and fumbling the ball on several occasions. Cheap fouls
kept sending Chiltern players to the line to keep them in the game. Still, all
of this wasn’t enough for the Hunters to cough up this game, largely due to the
lockdown defence they executed.
Chiltern
raced ahead in the 1st quarter, outscoring Woking 21-11 by the end
of it. They were hitting mid range jumpers, driving floaters and 3-pointers
with ease, and Woking struggled to keep pace.
Coach
Dunderdale called for a defensive change in the 2nd, and that turned the game
on its head. The visitors couldn’t make the adjustment, and struggled to score
at anywhere near the clip they had in the opening quarter. Defensive stops lead
to easy points on the break, and improved the execution in the half court set.
Woking’s efforts meant they were within 3 at the end of the quarter, having
held the Chiltern Fastbreak to just 10 points.
The rest of
the game was a close affair. The Hunters continued to shut down the Fastbreak’s offense, but failed to capitalise for the most
part. Chiltern were kept in check so well, that they were called for a shot
clock violation on 3 separate occasions.
As the clock
was winding down in the 4th quarter, Woking had nursed the lead up to
8 points, but watched it slowly dwindle. Chiltern’s free throw shooting enabled
them to edge closer and closer. Woking also hit some clutch free throws towards
the end to keep it a 2 possession game. Chiltern got the ball back with just a
few seconds left in the game, down by 4. A series of desperation shots
eventually yielded a lucky 3-pointer as time expired, but it wasn’t enough.
Several Chiltern players appealed for a foul to be called on the play, hoping
it would send them to the line for a potential game-tying free throw, but the
referees never called it.
Game over.
The Hunters
escaped with the “W”, but also won a mental victory. After giving up 21 points
in the 1st quarter, the determined Hunters held Chiltern to just 23 points
for the rest of the game. With defence like that, they can play with the best
of them. All they have to do is score.
A
few memorable plays on the night.
Ben “Woodsville” Woods’ great execution of “4-High” leading to a lovely layup
by Lucas, Rick “Big Dog” Lansdell’s spinning reverse
layup on the break after a great leading pass from Coach D, Dan “The Man” Dean
collecting a loose ball below the basket and powering up for the bucket and the
foul, just to name a few.
Blackhawk Hunters Steal One
from Guildford
The Woking
Blackhawk Hunters were determined to end their losing streak and chalk up their
first win of the season. The Guildford Goats had something to say about that.
Woking
weren’t listening.
The Blackhawk
Hunters used an intense 4th quarter push to top the shorthanded
visitors 61-59 on Tuesday night.
The game was
a low scoring affair through 3 quarters. The Goats held sway for most of it,
but couldn’t break away from the scrappy Hunters. The lead flirted with double
figures at times, but Woking would always bring it back.
It was a very
close affair coming into the last minute. Coach Dunderdale called for the team
to foul and stop the clock, and Guildford missed a few free throws that would
have iced the game. Woking capitalised on the opportunity and reduced the lead
to 3 with about 10 seconds left in the game.
The Goats
brought the ball over the halfway line and immediately had it stolen by James
Dean. J-Dizzle sprinted down the court and found Arek Burak wide open on the right
wing, just inside the 3-point line. Burak calmly
stepped back outside the arc and let fly. With about 5 seconds left on the
clock.
Tied
game.
With no time
for celebration, the Hunters turned on the defence. Dan “The Man” Dean stole the
Goats’ inbounds pass and put up a strong layup to give the Hunters their first
lead of the quarter.
Guildford
called a timeout with one second left on the clock. It was down to Woking’s
defence to secure the win. The ball was advanced to half court after the
timeout, but the ill-fated inbounds pass was stolen by Rick Lansdell as time
expired.
Woking were led by James Dean’s 12 points, 4 assists and 4 steals. Rick
Lansdell and Dan Dean added 10 points apiece, while Phil Coulthard
added 7 points and 4 assists.
Play of the
game: James steals the ball at half court and finds Arek
who ties the game with a 3. Dan steals the ball again and hits a layup to
secure the win!
Away game Vs Sunbury
Sunday 22nd
November
Game venue:
Sunbury Leisure Centre
Nursery Road
Sunbury on Thames
TW16 6LG
Tipoff is at 3:15. Those selected meet at the venue at
2:45.
Home Game Vs Royal Russell
Game venue:
Tomlinscote
Tipoff is at 8:45.
Away game Vs Guildford
Game venue:
Christ’s College Guildford
Larch Avenue
Guildford
GU1 1JY
Tipoff is at 8:15. Those selected meet at the venue at
7:45.
The Hunters first
game against Kingston II on Tuesday was not played due to a wet/slippery floor.
The game will be rearranged
Their first game will
now be on Sunday 11th against Cheam Chargers