Birmingham ran out onto the court third in the Premier North division, sitting behind Northumbria and Loughborough. With a spell-binding 62-37 victory, we the our mighty Lions stay in the running for the title.
In the first quarter, Birmingham played a sparkling brand of ball. Worcester struggled adapting to the high paced, pin point accuracy of the Lions’ play. Crisp entry passes to Goal Shooter Katarina Short resulted in several buckets and saw the score line at the end of the quarter at 16-9 to UoB.
Birmingham’s class shone through in their ball movement, set play running, and off the ball movement. With the pace not relenting, Worcester responded by becoming more physical during the second quarter. With this increased aggression, the Lions could have become flustered, but instead tempered their mood, falling into clinically precise cutting and passing, as well as locking all the doors on the defensive end. Like an oiled lumber mill, Birmingham cut through the opposition’s defence, and at the half time whistle, the score line stood at 33-17 to the home squad.
Worcester responded with pride and grit after half time. The visitors dove in the passing lanes and crashed for rebounds off missed baskets with renewed fervour. However, Birmingham’s depth was commendable as they could rely on their team unity to counter every punch thrown by a buoyed Worcester outfit. A late by Birmingham run kept Worcester at bay with the score entering the final quarter at 47-30.
Despite the comfortable score for the Lions, there was no hint of complacency visible on the Sports and Fitness centre floor. Precise lengthy passes and an increased tempo rocked Worcester’s defence. The scoreboard flooded with UoB goals. This tempo coupled with tenacious rebounding, saw the Lions quash any last vestige of Worcester resistance. The final whistle sounded a 62-37 victory for Brum.
This young squad, of which five of the starters are freshmen, has a lot of promise and a very bright future. They played with a fluency and consistency up and down the bench that was impressive of such a young outfit. If the mighty Lions continue their clinical play, they stand in good stead to move forwards in their hunt for the Premier North title.
