Rebels split the weekend with a win and lose
First on Saturday the Essex Rebels Division 1 men’s team hosted the in – form Derby Trailblazers. Essex were looking to bounce back after a difficult weekend last week, whilst Derby were looking to continue a good run of performances.
The contest started with high tempo and was a great match up. Both teams were playing fast and putting pressure on the defence. At half time Essex were trailing Derby by 8 points. A slow start by the Rebels in the 2nd half saw Derby eek out a larger lead. However Essex fought back to make it a tight contest. The game finished 86 – 72 to Derby. Big performances by Rory Winter with 22 points closely followed by Captain Tom Childs 17 points despite the loss.
Sunday saw a quick turn around, with Essex hosting Cardiff Met Archers in the National Cup. Cardiff had a good win against Ipswich in the last round so the D2 team wasn’t to be underestimated.
Cardiff came out strong in the 1st quarter, with Essex slow to find their feet. Some big plays by Josh Moore for the hosts injected some life into the Rebels offence. Going into later in the game Essex began to utilise their size. Going inside and getting some scores inside the paint. The game finished with Essex coming out winners 90 – 59. Rebels were lead by Josh Moore with 18 points and followed by Ray Akpofure with 14 points.
Rebels Head Coach Ross Norfolk was pleased with the groups progress, “Saturday was a tough game for us but we showed that with a little more concentration down the stretch we can compete with some of the best teams in the league.”
Next weekend Rebels play away to Barking Abbey in a local derby.
