10.10.2014: Knights - Troon Tornadoes 72:69

Troon Tornadoes travelled to The Peak in Stirling to face the Knights in the Scottish National Basketball League's game of the week and what an exciting game it was. 

With The Peak packed out after the Knights Primary League a full strength Troon squad, led by American player coach Donald Sampley, including past Scottish Internationals Ifedade Thomas, Andy Pearson and Jonny Petit looked strong enough to provide a real test for Stirling. 

The Knights, playing their third home game in a row, started with a young team full of talent too with the starting five having one of the lowest average ages in the National league. 

The first quarter got off to a great start for Knights who found themselves 7-0 up after nice play from Matthew Dick and Gergo Jenei. Troon soon found their own run and the quarter ended 18-17. A high scoring 21-21 second quarter saw Donald Sampley turn back the years to hit some long three pointers which kept his team right in it. Knights Captain Jack Burgess was putting on his own shooting clinic scoring nine in the quarter and with good play from Daniel Chok and veteran Jamie Manuel, the Knights maintained their slender one point advantage at half time 39-38. 

After an exciting interval for the home fans with the throw a duck competition, the game started in the third and it was the visitors who took control with Jonny Petit and Ifedade Thomas combining for 14 points as Troon took the lead by as much as seven points. Knights were able to hang on in the main due to the scoring of Austrian U20 player Adam Hammerschmidt who scored eight in the quarter to see Knights facing a 57-53 deficit going into the final stanza. 

In a thrilling fourth quarter the Stirling men started to find their groove and backed by the large home crowd, were able to put some stops together whilst at the other end Jack Burgess caught fire again and hit 11 in the quarter leading his team to a slender lead. Thomas and Shankland hit some big scores for Troon but with Knights three up and rebounding well,  an unsportsmanlike foul on Burgess which saw him nail his two free throws plus his team retain possession, the game was all but over. A buzzer beater attempt to tie the game from Sampley failed to connect and the Stirling natives celebrated another fine win. 

 

Top scorers for Knights were the starting five in double digits, Jack Burgess on 20, Adam Hammerschmidt 14 and Daniel Chok, Gergo Jenei and Matt Dick on 10 each with valuable contributions from the bench. For Troon, Sampley had 15, Thomas 14 and Ngondala 10. 

 

Knights Men's Coach Mark Duncan 'The fight and determination is there but we still lack execution and the ability to finish teams off and overall our defence needs to improve however last season we knew we were rebuilding and had players playing senior for the first time. Now, we have already equaled last year's number of wins so the only way is up. It's all very positive.'

 

Troon Player-Coach Donald Sampley added 

"I thought it was a very well played game by both teams, but Stirling executed their offense better and hit big shots to pull away in the final 4 minutes of the game. I haven't seen a better atmosphere at a national league game, the crowd was great, a lot of fun to play in front of fans like that."