The weekly roundup is back! Check out the the scores and coaches' thoughts from week 5 of the National league season.
It feels crazy to think we are already one month in to the new National League season and it's been brilliant to see another week of development rounded off with some big performances in league play at the weekend.
Let's see how it all went down as we roundup week 5 of the 2023/24 National League season.
Saturday 28th October 2023
Doncaster Eagles vs COLBA I
U18 Men North I Conference
Result: 34-106 (W)
Player of the game: Josh Norton
Coach Matt Newby: "It was an exceptionally strong start from our starters that developed a significant split, and the nature of the game afforded us the opportunity to get strong outputs from all 12 players. Doncaster rallied on several occasions, which made the game interesting, but when we asserted ourselves, both in the half-court and full-court, we managed to extend the lead. Significant outputs came from a number of players, notably Josh Norton had a triple-double of 40pts, 23rebs, 10blks, however there was excellent creativity from our perimeter in Max Stead, Marcello Maffezzoli and Akil Simpson."
COLBA II vs COLBC U18 Men
U18 Men North I Conference
Result: 74-58
Player of the game: Nako Mokete
Coach Jake Shuttlewood: "Another game for the U16s Gold stepping up to the U18s Conference. The matchup which saw an all COLBC game with the U16s Gold facing against the U18s. It was a game which showed the talent within the club at both 16s and 18s alike. The U16s continued their high energy transition to create a gap which allowed everyone to see the floor and contribute to a high quality in multiple ways. This is the boys first win of many more for the season!"
COLBC U16 Girls Black vs Mersey Mavericks
U16 Girls North Conference
Result: 59-49 (W)
Player of the game: Jasmine Muir
Coach Katie Lamond: "Fantastic team performance from the U16s Black today! Another game where both teams fought until the final moment. Many positives from our game today, the first being our ability and desire to rebound the ball. Offensive boards being a major contributor to our score. Incredible effort by N0.8 Rebeca Dragomir who had multiple scoring opportunities just from her desire to keep the possession.
Another positive aspect of our game was the girls ability to see the floor, give strong passes ahead for quick offensive scores. Matched with moments of great spacing to aid our transition. N0.12 Elisabeth Asonmwonri putting on an incredible passing display, along with showing her ability to finish strong and the basket. A few moments in the half court where we relaxed on our offensive movement, and switched off on defence , which allowed Mersey back into the game, who stepped up their intensity in the second half of the game. However the girls managed to take back the control, find their patience to take the win at home."
COLBC U16 Boys Gold vs Newcastle Eagles
U16 Boys North Premier
Result: 60-95 (L)
Player of the game: Yassin Otify
Coach Sam Messam: "Tough day at the office, Newcastle came into LBU with a purpose and set to it from the opening tip. The visitors were aggressive and well coached as they moved the ball well and executed with precision. The bright sparks for the us were Ivan Ausekar who rebounded well and took the opportunity to contribute to the game at both ends of the floor. Yassin Otify also enjoyed his introduction to a positive contribution to the game, hustle, effort, and had work was second to none!"
Bradford Dragons vs COLBC U16 Boys Black
U16 Boys North I Conference
Result: 54-73 (W)
Player of the game: Briel Lipo
Coach Jake Shuttlewood: "A game which faced two Yorkshire based teams for the first time in the season. We looked strong in the start and even separating the game nicely on a 10 to nothing run. We struggled to keep the lead as Bradford hit some clutch threes to close our lead to 2 at the half but after settling down and focusing on our defence we allowed ourselves to slowly create the lead. The defensive consistency allowed us to force turnovers and create fast-break opportunities which we had been working on in practice! A great game overall which everyone contributed to!"
Teesside Lions vs COLBC U14 Boys Black
U14 Boys North I Conference
Result: 69-15 (L)
Player of the game: Alexander Newhouse
Coach Alex Scott: "The team started slow as we struggled to get into a flow offensively. The defense however was great as we got plenty of good stops led by some incredible defense from Oscar Mason. However, Teesside dominated the boards which is where most their points came from in the game. After the half we came out significantly improved as Alex Newhouse started to man the offense. while teeside did well to deny the middle which forced us into lots of jump shots that on other days may have gone in. All in all a slow start left us in deep whole but the team showed great promise on both sides of the ball in the last 2 quaters which we will hope to replicate in the future."
Sunday 29th October 2023
Sheffield Elite vs COLBA
NBL Men's Division 3 North
Result: 58-54 (L)
Player of the game: Jack Hill
Coach Matt Newby: "In another Yorkshire derby game, we came up against an experienced and talented Sheffield Elite, who have a balanced roster including veterans of high-ranks in the national league and BBL, and upcoming players from their academy ranks. We found a stronger level of connectivity within our own team and showed strong half-court performances on both offense and defense. This game was potentially an opportunity missed, as in a game where only several possessions separated the teams for a high proportion of the game, we made errors at key junctures which would have put us in a position to get it over the line. That said, with more work on the practice floor, particularly on our pick and roll coverages, transition offences and understanding the rhythm of the game, I feel we will move forward."
LDM vs COLBC U14 Boys White
U14 Boys North I Conference
Result: 24-104 (L)
Player of the game: Daniel Perry
Coach Olly Kerwin-Clegg: "An always eagerly anticipated fixture saw many of the U14 White get their first taste of an inner city derby. Whilst the boys played strong team defence in the first quarter, led at the perimeter by Liam Brostoff-Jordan, we unfortunately struggled to initially capitalise as LDM pounced on second chance points.
However the second quarter saw a shift as the boys came together to battle for every possession having the best defensive quarter of our fledgling season. Throughout the game, our understanding of offensive space improved and and players felt more confident making assertive drives to the basket notably Daniel Perry and Jenson Latham- Gonzales. A performance to be proud of for sure as the boys United as a team supporting each other in their entirety"
Rounding off the fifth weekend of the National League season, COLBC Director Matt Newby was
confident that the programme is continuing to develop in the right fashion.
"In another busy week, we saw Coach Lamond's U16s Girls Black put in a strong shift against Mersey Mavericks, where we would see girls from several generations contribute significantly to the result. Our U16s Boys Gold would take higher learning from a tough loss against Newcastle, but rebound with a win in the U18s conference against our U18 Men, and the COLBA were firing on all cylinders with a win at Doncaster and a hard-fought game against Sheffield Elite in Men's Division 3 resulting in only a 4 point loss.
On top of a win for Coach Shuttlewood's U16 Boys Black who edged local rivals Bradord Dragons, our community numbers remain robust with 150 young people engaging in community basketball over the first weekend of the half-term."
You can secure your tickets now for our next big home game on Saturday 11th November as welcome the Calderdale Explorers to LBU Arena, by clicking the link below.
https://www.cityofleedsbasketballfoundation.com/event-details/division-3-men-vs-calderdale-explorers
The roundup will return next week after a 9 game slate on week 6 of the National League season.