Basketball

Willington Wasps produced the Durham League's first division performance of the week with a 112-74 success at Hartlepool against HQ Engineering Hornets.

A great start set up Wasps win. Paul Campbell set the ball rolling with a three-point basket and Wasps led 17-2 after five minutes. A time-out settled Hornets, but Wasps had moved on to 31-10 by the end of the first quarter. Wasps kept up the pressure on the restart as Campbell sank another brace of three-pointers, Dave Smith collected 10 points and Simon Lloyd stretched the lead to 60-28. Hornets did match Wasps in a 26-25 third quarter as Luke Thompson and Dan Farrell ran into form, but matching is not catching and Wasps advantage was still 86-53 with ten minutes left. The final quarter was more of the same, Hornets chasing, Wasps always able to top anything they did.

Teamwork was the key for Willington Wasps as all seven of their players hit double figure scores; Campbell (22), Smith (20), Ben Scorer (19), Summerville (18), Sam Scorer (12), Lloyd (11) and Baxter (10). Bailey and Thompson did best for Hartlepool HQ Engineering Hornets with 22 and 19 point apiece.

Nissan maintained their lead at the top of the first division table with a comfortable 93-47 win at home to University of Teesside.

Bill Spragg and Lee Davie hit most of the points in a 16-9 surge in the second half of the first quarter which gave Nissan a 23-11 cushion. In the second quarter it was Ian Barrow who joined Davie in a run of 15 unanswered points which started in the second minute and ended in the sixth minute with Nissan in control at 44-15. The two quarters which made up the second half followed a distinct pattern. In each case an even five minutes was followed by a five minute spell in which Nissan tightened their grip on the game. In the third quarter it was Gary Simpson and Spragg who hit most of the points in a 19-0 run and in the last quarter it was Chris Maddison and Davie who did the damage to give Nissan the win.

Steve Whitehead Joinery and Double Glazing Middlesbrough Mavericks were pushed all the way to the wire by guests Belmont Reds at Yarm, but they did manage to hold on for a 63-61 victory.

With five minutes left to play an even slog had given Mavericks a 51-50 advantage. The then lead changed hands with each offence during the next few minutes and the last 60 seconds started with Mavericks 59-57 ahead. Two free-shots from Viveash stretched that to 61-57, but two free-shots from Richard Huntley and a field goal from Ian Hewitt tied the scores at 61-61 and overtime looked on. Mavericks had other ideas though and they went to the inside strength of Pawlak who came up trumps with the winning score moments before the buzzer.

The second division fixture of the week took Hartlepool Hawks ND on the short trip to Trimdon where a tremendous game gave them a 103-98 victory over Trimdon Community College Associaton.

Up until Christmas life had been a breeze for Trimdon CCA. They were unbeaten, were favourites to win the second division title and were untouchable on their own court. Now in the space of two weeks, two defeats have blown the chase for the championship title wide open.

Much of the game was a personal shoot-out between Lee Norton for Trimdon and Luke Thompson for Hawks. The first half was just that and when the dust settled at half-time the two sides were locked together at 42-42. Hawks were first to show on the restart and Thompson gave them a two or three points edge which, no matter how hard they tried Trimdon could not dull, although a fourth quarter fight-back, initiated by Norton, did cut the gap to just 100-98 as the last minute started. It was Thompson and Hawks who then came up trumps as he hit the match winning three-point basket with fifteen seconds on the clock.

East Durham and Houghall College A also threw a spanner into the works which make up the Division Two title chase this week when they beat Consett Steelers 80-62 at Peterlee, which means that each of the top three teams has now lost two games.

With 26 minutes of the game gone the score-sheet read College 45, Steelers 44, and a close finish seemed inevitable. College then hit 13 points without reply to take a match-winning grip on the game at 58-44 thanks to new signing Colin Dockerell. Any hopes of a Steelers recovery were then put firmly into place as College opened the last quarter with a 17-5 surge which put them out of touch at 75-52.

Old Houghtonians won a roller coaster of a game with Shildon Strollers 69-59.

In the womens division defending champions Tyneside enjoyed a 102-53 success away to Newcastle College Wildcats.

East Durham and Houghall Academy top the womens table at the moment, they are also still unbeaten and they completed a demolition job on Nissan Sunderland with a 80-20 victory at Peterlee.

Nunthorpe Boro Bruins had 32 points from Sarah Hindmarch and 22 and 15 respectively from Kathleen Ashwell, Ruth Barron in their comprehensive 101-40 success against the inexperienced youngsters who make up Tyne and Wear Juniors. Lauren Young and Hollie Waterstreet hit 13 apiece for Tyne and Wear Juniors.

Division One: Hartlepool HQ Engineering Hornets 74 Willington Wasps 112; Middlesbrough Mavericks 63 Belmont Reds 61; Nissan 93 University of Teesside 47.

Division Two: East Durham and Houghall College A 80 Consett Steelers 62; Specsavers Wear Valley Wolves 66 Durham Saints 53; Shildon Strollers 59 Old Houghtonians 69; Hartlepool CJ Hydraulics A 67 Middlesbrough College Academy B 126; Trimdon Community College Association 98 Hartlepool Hawks ND 103.

Mens County Cup: Consett Steelers 83 Durham Saints 65.

Division Three Cup: Young Houghtonians 59 Hartlepool CJ Hydraulics B 56; Specsavers Wear Valley Wizards 51 East Durham and Houghall College B 70.

Womens Division: Northumbria 67 University of Teesside 43; Newcastle College Wildcats 53 Tyneside 102; East Durham and Houghall Academy 80 Nissan Sunderland 20; Nunthorpe Boro Bruins 101 Tyne and Wear Juniors 40.