Basketball

There was a top of the table look to the first division meeting of East Durham and Houghall Academy and Nissan at Peterlee this week.

The clash fitted the bill in every sense as a tremendous game finished at 89-64 to Academy who dominated the opening ten minutes as Ronny Gordon, John Simpson and Keith Dolby had a field day to give Academy a 31-8 lead by the end of the quarter. The next ten minutes was a total turnaround. Nissan found the starter motor to win the quarter 27-10 thanks mainly to baskets from Bill Spragg, Neil Thorne and Lee Davie and when the half-time buzzer sounded the Academy cushion was down to 41-35. The second half was basketball at its best, albeit somewhat on the physical side as neither side gave any quarter under the boards, but as the clock ticked the Academy lead grew and with six minutes left they were clear at 78-55. Gordon and Simpson led the Academy charge with 25 points apiece, best for Nissan were Spargg and Thorne with 21 and 19 points apiece.

Teesside Huskies A were back to something like their best as the beat Middlesbrough Mavericks 77-63 in a pool game of the Division One Cup at Middlesbrough. All five players contributed to an excellent first half team display for Mavericks and as a result they reached the interval with a 36-24 cushion. The second 20 minutes was a complete turn-around. Huskies began to crash the boards and Tony Hanson cashed in with 14 points in a row and a 38-29 Mavericks lead was cut to just 45-43 with twelve minutes left. Those final minutes belonged to Huskies thanks to Nick O'Hara-be and Usman Cmera who shared 28 of the 34 points which swept Huskies to a much needed victory as the second half scored 53-27 to them.

Cmera and O'Hara-be finished with 27 and 25 points each, Hanson chipped in with 16 for Teesside Huskies A. Four players shared most of the Middlesbrough Mavericks: Ian Viveash (25), Andy Reid (14), Andy Buchanan (10) and Richard Rowden (10).

Another Tees derby took University of Teesside to Stockton where they lost 88-71 to Norton, also in a pool game of the Division One Cup. A trio of three-point baskets from Ian Nicholson helped put Norton on the road to success with a 23-15 first quarter. Mat Ellis was in great form for the students though and he kept the Norton lead to 42-31 as the interval arrived. The third quarter was even cut and thrust as Glen Urban, Tony Smelt and Lee Woolams all enjoyed good spells for Norton, only to be countered by George Kiriakou, Michael Bouclas and Ellis. Norton's strength in depth ensured success as five players hit double figures; Urban (28), Nicholson (15), Woolams (13), Johnson (10) and Smelt (10). Ellis was excellent with 30 points for University, whilst Kiriakou and Bouclas chipped in with 15 and 11.

There was a shock in store the hitherto unbeaten second division leaders Consett Steelers who lost 69-63 at Willington Parkside. Willington had the lead at 20-17 and 34-30 at the end of the tenth and twenty minutes respectively, but it was baskets from Grant Wakefield and Craig Dawson during the third quarter which finally began to make Willington believe that they could win the game as they stretched out a 55-48 cushion. Steelers are not leaders of the second division for nothing though and with 60 seconds left they were back to 64-63 down. Dawson came up trumps with four points and victory for Willington. Dawson led the home scoring with 21 points, Wakefield and Steve Hardy added 15 and 12. Garry Gowans hit four three-pointers in his 26 whilst Matthew Patterson collected 21 for Consett.

Results - Division One: East Durham and Houghall Academy 89 Nissan 64 .

Division One Cup (Pool Games): Middlesbrough Mavericks 63 Teesside Huskies A 77; Norton 88 University of Teesside 71.

Division Two: Hartlepool Hornets A 127 Hartlepool CJ Hydraulics A 63; Willington Parkside 69 Consett Steelers 63; Shildon Strollers 66 Belmont Reds 67; Peterlee Video 60 Old Houghtonians 55.

Division Three: Young Houghtonians 82 Durham Saints 68; Spennymoor Exiles 81 Teesside Huskies B 110; Durham Saints 66 East Durham and Houghall Community College B 56; Trimdon CCA 94 Hartlepool CJ Hydraulics B 64.

Womens Division: Newcastle College Wildcats 71 Whickham 50; Durham Knights 30 Sunderland Nissan 65 ; Nunthorpe Boro Bruins 43 University of Teesside 71