Rebels Come Close Against the Rockets

Essex Rebels Division 1 men travelled to the inform Reading Rockets. Essex were on the hunt to snap a losing streak whilst Reading were looking to secure the 4th place spot.

Both teams started out by finding some offensive flow early. The Rebels were knocking down shots from the outside thanks to guards Jake Eynon and Owen Chose. The first quarter was even 22 – 22.

Going into the second, Essex needed to find a way to stop Readings Troy Cracknell as he was pitching in from both the inside and the perimeter. A late surge of defensive intensity allowed the Rebels to get a few stops in a row and converted the easy scores. The Rebels found themselves with some breathing room, however, it was short-lived as Reading came back firing. Going into the half Essex were up 2, 47-45.

After the break saw a nip-and-tuck encounter. The game’s flow continued with both teams trading scores and trying to step up their defensive efforts. Jake Eynon was the go-to guy for the Rebels, providing the threat from the outside whilst assisting with some solid looks for his teammates. 

The final stanza saw the Rebels only down 1, but a slow start saw Reading go on a 6-0 run to stretch their lead. A quick timeout by Coach Maiden allowed Essex to regroup and get organised for the final push. The Rebels were able to claw back early after the timeout but some costly turnovers down the stretch meant Reading were able to break and get some easy scores on the board. The game finished with Reading taking the win 101 -91.

Jake Eynon had a huge game for the Rebels scoring 40 points, dishing out 11 assists and 5 catching rebounds whilst Owen Chose had 26 points.

A much-improved performance by Essex showed that they could compete with some of the top teams in the league. Jake Eynon stepped up in a big way to help the team’s chances.

The Rebels season finishes next week as they take on Manchester Magic at home on Saturday at the Essex Sport Arena.