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 Play-off
Qtr-final 19/4:
CHESTER JETS 84 (22,
42, 65)
(Gregory 33, McCord 21, Davis 17)
SCOTTISH ROCKS 89 (21, 43,
65)
(Myers 27, Berry 18, Perre 14) STATS
The Jets' season came to an unexpectedly early end at the Northgate
last night as the Rocks got their first win over Chester since March
2000 - 13 games ago. So, the Jets won't be going to the Final Four weekend
in Birmingham in May, despite 33 points from Kenny Gregory and double-double
performances from John McCord and Calvin Davis.
The other two quarter-finals played last night ended with wins for Sheffield
Sharks (90-83 v. Lions) and Newcastle (85-102 at Tigers). The Semi-final
line-up will be settled Sunday evening when Brighton play Towers.
Keep an eye on the site over the close season, I will update on comings
and goings etc. as soon as any news comes in.
Mike Jones 19/4/03
Match report from Mike Devitt:
On the face of it this game should have been the warm up for the Jets
on their way to the championship weekend in Birmingham. In their way
was the Scottish Rocks, a side with a season's record of 0-4 against
Chester, a side that had given Chester their best victory of the season
in a 120-95 masterclass at the Northgate in January. Not only that but
Kenny Gregory had trained well all week and Physio Adrian Mercer reported
as clean a bill of health amongst the squad as he had been able to in
living memory. The stage was therefore set for the inevitable passage
of the home team to the next stage. Just one minor drawback - no-one
had told the Rocks that this was the way the script was supposed to
be written - and after one of the most pulsating games that the Northgate
has witnessed in recent years it was the Scottish outfit that booked
their short break in the Midlands over the Mayday holiday weekend.
The jump-ball that set the game in motion should have given omen-spotters
the first hint that all was not going to be so cut and dried. Over the
past two seasons I must have written variations on the same start line
of "Calvin Davis tips the ball to John Thomas to set up the first Chester
attack" - well not tonight - Shawn Myers contested the jump - but Ryan
Huntley was pressing Mookie and there was no clean possession - a scenario
repeated at all the quarter starts - just a small detail but one that
demonstrated Rocks determination to make nothing easy for the home team.
In the event Pero Cameron swept up the loose ball - fed John Thomas,
whose dribble and shot finished with the ball being scuffed behind by
Philip Perre and from the resultant inbound Kenny Gregory opened the
scoring with a routine lay-up. The gap was increased to 5 moments later
when Calvin converted from behind the arc. The see saw nature of the
game was then set in motion when Rocks hit the next 8, courtesy of the
impressive Ryan Huntley [6] and a steal and coast to coast drive by
Perre. It had to be admitted that a couple of turnovers by a strangely
hesitant Jets defence contributed significantly! Pero Cameron pulled
back two with a characteristic drive into where only the brave will
venture and picked up a bonus shot for his pains. Uncharacteristically
he missed it - thus setting the tone for the night for the Jets from
the stripe - in such a close match - if they had merely maintained their
season's average the end result could have been so different. Ted Berry
then opened the gap to three before Kenny Gregory slid a precision pass
into Calvin Davis on the drive and the emphatic finish brought it back
to a single point game. Chester then took the lead again briefly when
John McCord hit a rare brace from the line following a foul by Billy
Singleton - he did manage to miss the extra one granted by the ex-Jet's
unguarded verbal observation which was regarded as worthy of a Technical
from the man in grey. Neither team was able to sustain their rhythm
for any significant length of time and the period closed out with the
Jets holding the minimum advantage at 22-21.
It was much the same story in the second, though for a short while it
appeared that the Jets would pull away when an early run saw them into
a 31-23 lead courtesy of a John McCord put back from a Calvin Davis
miss, a rare perfect set of FTs from Calvin following a Perre foul,
a typical Pero trey from the eastern borders and two from the line from
Kenny G following a foul adjudged intentional from Huntley when he seemed
to want to remove Kenny's vest from him as he floated past him en route
to an uncontested shot. But if we thought that was the preface to a
period like the 40 point extravaganza of the previous weekend's game
against the Towers we were soon to discover that it was not! Back came
the Rocks again - with Myers and Berry outstanding and with around a
minute to go Sheckles tied things up again at 39 each. John McCord gave
the Jets a three point advantage again with a mid length jumper and
one out of two from the stripe following a Berry foul - but just when
a final thirty seconds of calm possession would have seen the home team
into the half time break with a narrow advantage - they managed to turn
the ball over twice - allowing first Berry and then Bunyan to score
and the buzzer went with Jets trailing by 42-43!
The third quarter continued the see-saw nature of the match-up. Chester
pulled out to 48-45, with Pero Cameron's drive and shot added to a Kenny
Gregory left handed finger roll and a coast to cast run following a
Perre turnover - but ex Jet Shawn Myers seemed to be on a one man mission
to show what Robbie Peers had been missing. Calvin Davis powered home
an alley-oop pass from John Thomas but a Ted Berry trey and a juggernaut-style
drive by Billy Singleton gave the Rocks a narrow advantage at 52-50.
A John McCord jump shot and Pero three soon turned that around but the
Shawn Myers show was on the road and single-handedly, it seemed, he
put the Scottish outfit into a 60-57 lead. Significantly in this period
of play, Calvin Davis picked up his fourth foul and he was withdrawn
from the action - with a significant effect under the boards at both
ends. A 6-0 run fuelled by Kenny Gregory saw the advantage returned
to the Jets with less than a minute of the quarter to go - but once
again they could not keep possession of the ball and Myers and Sheckles
tied it up at 65 each at the buzzer.
So the season had boiled down to this final ten minutes - whoever kept
their nerve the better would progress and for the rest that would be
it. Kenny Gregory and John McCord gave the assembled faithful hope in
the opening exchanges as they bagged a bucket apiece, but a Berry 3
and a brace of charity donations from Huntley - given for a fifth foul
by Calvin Davis who exited the game and in all probability the Jets
organisation to a standing ovation from the crowd - saw the lead swap
hands yet again. Kenny Gregory hit another jump shot, but Berry and
that man Myers again saw Rocks in the ascendancy once more at 74-71.
from here on in jets were permanently playing catch up, but for all
the efforts of Kenny Gregory and John McCord they only managed at best
equality throughout the rest of the game. At 80-80, there occurred perhaps
what was a little cameo of the game itself - John Mc missed the second
of a pair of frees which would have given Chester a lead with two minutes
left. Sheckles then hit a long range jumper for 2, Pero missed a three
from an open position - John McCord tied it up with a jumpshot at 82s
with 1.43 to go - Perre hit two for 82-84 and Kenny Gregory bagged both
frees after a foul by three same player. 84 each and less than a minute
to go - but Chester could not find a clear opening - they turn the ball
over and Sheckles takes full advantage from close in. A final attack
by Chester, but another turnover and Perre joyously shoots home. Kenny
Gregory fouls to try and regain possession - Perre hits one from two
and the game [and for Chester the season] is over ! On balance this
was probably a fair result - the Jets played at less than their best,
but that was because they were never allowed to get into their stride
by a determined Rocks outfit who clearly wanted the victory more!
So ends a strange mixture of a season - some sublime moments of fearsome
attacking basketball where alley oops and no-look passing were the order
of the day, some inspiring performances when injuries had ravaged the
squad, but also some lows - in particular two games one home and one
away v Milton Keynes and the cup final v the Bears! It was always bound
to be something of an anticlimax following the Jetwash season and on
balance it must be regarded as successful - a trophy, a top three finish
and a cup final appearance will top most if not all of the other teams'
achievements. Perhaps the most difficult factor is the uncertainty about
what is going to happen next season but this is probably not the time
or place to start that discussion!
All that is left for this season is for me to post my own list of thanks.
First of all thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read my own
very personal observations on the games, either on the website or in
the programme. Also a big up to Mike Jones, ably aided and abetted by
Rhiannon, who has maintained what is clearly the best website of any
in the BBL [ and further afield] - always up to date and full of relevant
information. Pete O'Loughlin and Dave Livens have ensured that the Jets
programme has been the best in the League this season and of course
the players and coaching staff have given us all something to watch
and enthuse over all season. A fond farewell to ALL those who will depart
the organisation this year and good luck to them all whatever their
endeavours and wherever their destinations. I'm already looking forward
to whatever next season will bring - here's hoping it's worth looking
forward to!
Mike Devitt 19/4/03
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Big
Billy's back 13/8
Jets
sign Nurse 6/8
Jets
sign hot-Rod 23/7
Double
Whammy 3/7
Calvin
back on board 8/5