Division 1 Women's Match Report
KESTRELS STIFLE RIDERS TO TAKE VICTORY AT HOME
Team Solent Kestrels Women were back at home on Saturday 20th Octobe 2018, playing host to the East Midlands based, Loughborough Student Riders. The Riders entered the game in great form, after beating Southwark Pride and Oxford Brookes in the early weeks of the season. The Kestrels were also coming into the game off the back of consecutive wins in the past couple of weeks.
The game started at whirlwind pace with the Riders getting off the mark first with a jump- shot from Holly Wright, quickly followed by a mid-range bucket from Kestrel’s American guard, Geena Gomez. Kestrels continued to attack the hoop with baskets from Krisztina Velkey and Gomez, whilst Eloise Sneddon kept the Riders’ defence honest by scoring from the outside. The Kestrels enjoyed a 6-point lead before the visitors found their rhythm, attacking the mid-range, with Dawson coming off the bench and scoring a quick 4-points. However, it was the Kestrels who looked the more convincing in the first quarter, led by 8-points from Velkey, pushing the hosts ahead, 19-12.
In the second quarter, the Kestrels defence went into high-gear, protecting the paint and limiting the opposition’s attack to the mid-range and 3-point line. Despite an early 3-pointer from Rider’s Lauren Saa, the visitors struggled to find their range from the perimeter. The Kestrels too were not firing on full throttle, but some good phases of ball movement allowed the Kestrels to get contributions from their bench with Jerram, Karpova and Wöellenstein coming into the game and making solid contributions. The Riders were held to just 7-points in the quarter, whilst the Kestrels added a further 11-points, to go into the half, 31-19.
In the second half the Riders defence went into overdrive, creating panic for the Kestrels offence, which until this point had looked patient and decisive. The Riders began to set the tempo which triggered their offensive production. Despite early back-to-back threes from Gomez, it was the Riders that went on a 6-point run to end the period, down by 14 at the end of the quarter.
After making some adjustments in the break the Kestrels went to work at both ends of the floor. TSK’s offensive production was given a boost by Andrea Kurkowski, who scored eight of her game high 20-points in the early part of the quarter. With a lead as big as 25-points in the fourth, Kestrels had contributions from all 12 players. Despite a late run by the Riders, with Lauren France scoring all 11 of her points, the game was ultimately dominated by a gritty defensive performance and a balanced inside-out attack that prevented the Riders from establishing their trademark run n gun style play.
Coach Lee was pleased after the game, saying “We’ve spent a really focussed week on our defensive principles and communication. We have a roster tailor-made to be a real defensive presence and I feel today’s result is a testament to how good we can be at the defensive end. Offensively, we had some big performances, particularly from the inside, which is great considering we were missing one of our regular starters. It’s nice to be back at the top of the table, but the season is long and we still have plenty of work to do.”
Game Leaders:-
Team Solent Kestrels: A. Kurkowski 20, G. Gomez 17, K. Velkey 10,
Loughborough Riders: H. Dawson 12, L. France 11, H. Davies 6
The game started at whirlwind pace with the Riders getting off the mark first with a jump- shot from Holly Wright, quickly followed by a mid-range bucket from Kestrel’s American guard, Geena Gomez. Kestrels continued to attack the hoop with baskets from Krisztina Velkey and Gomez, whilst Eloise Sneddon kept the Riders’ defence honest by scoring from the outside. The Kestrels enjoyed a 6-point lead before the visitors found their rhythm, attacking the mid-range, with Dawson coming off the bench and scoring a quick 4-points. However, it was the Kestrels who looked the more convincing in the first quarter, led by 8-points from Velkey, pushing the hosts ahead, 19-12.
In the second quarter, the Kestrels defence went into high-gear, protecting the paint and limiting the opposition’s attack to the mid-range and 3-point line. Despite an early 3-pointer from Rider’s Lauren Saa, the visitors struggled to find their range from the perimeter. The Kestrels too were not firing on full throttle, but some good phases of ball movement allowed the Kestrels to get contributions from their bench with Jerram, Karpova and Wöellenstein coming into the game and making solid contributions. The Riders were held to just 7-points in the quarter, whilst the Kestrels added a further 11-points, to go into the half, 31-19.
In the second half the Riders defence went into overdrive, creating panic for the Kestrels offence, which until this point had looked patient and decisive. The Riders began to set the tempo which triggered their offensive production. Despite early back-to-back threes from Gomez, it was the Riders that went on a 6-point run to end the period, down by 14 at the end of the quarter.
After making some adjustments in the break the Kestrels went to work at both ends of the floor. TSK’s offensive production was given a boost by Andrea Kurkowski, who scored eight of her game high 20-points in the early part of the quarter. With a lead as big as 25-points in the fourth, Kestrels had contributions from all 12 players. Despite a late run by the Riders, with Lauren France scoring all 11 of her points, the game was ultimately dominated by a gritty defensive performance and a balanced inside-out attack that prevented the Riders from establishing their trademark run n gun style play.
Coach Lee was pleased after the game, saying “We’ve spent a really focussed week on our defensive principles and communication. We have a roster tailor-made to be a real defensive presence and I feel today’s result is a testament to how good we can be at the defensive end. Offensively, we had some big performances, particularly from the inside, which is great considering we were missing one of our regular starters. It’s nice to be back at the top of the table, but the season is long and we still have plenty of work to do.”
Game Leaders:-
Team Solent Kestrels: A. Kurkowski 20, G. Gomez 17, K. Velkey 10,
Loughborough Riders: H. Dawson 12, L. France 11, H. Davies 6
TSK HOLD ON LATE TO SECURE VITAL ROAD WIN IN BIRMINGHAM
Image Courtesy | Mirror Box Studios
On Sunday 14th October Team Solent Kestrels Women hit the road to face Team Birmingham Elite at the The Factory Young People’s Centre. Both Teams had won one and lost one game, so this fixture would start to create some distance between the teams and give each a sense of the competition depth across the league. Kestrel’s starting small forward, Krisztina Velkey returned to the line-up, whilst Birmingham had a full-line including stand out guard, Rebecca Brindley and former BBL player, Lisa Greenaway.
Whilst the Kestrels got off the mark quickly with Geena Gomez scoring 8 of the Kestrels first 10-points, both teams traded baskets in the early going. Rebecca Brindley was not to be out-done and Kestrels struggled to keep a body on her, as she hit 8 of Team BIrmingham’s 10 first-quarter points. However, it was a balanced attack from Kestrels that dominated the play and led to them jumping out to a 10-point lead, finishing the quarter, 20-10.
In the second quarter, the west midlands outfit made adjustments, and whilst Brindley continued to plague the Kestrels defence, big performances from Lucy Buxton and tough defence from Greenaway kept the hosts in the running. However, efforts to guard Gomez out of the game proved largely futile, as she scored another 12-points in the quarter. It was the Kestrel’s bench that proved the difference though with Kristina Karpova coming in to add 7-points of her own with notable contributions from Stevie Ellis at both ends of the floor. The half ended with Kestrels extending their lead by 2-points, 46-34.
In the second half Team Birmingham refused to go away and battled to create problems for the Kestrels at both ends of the floor. Brindley created match-up problems for Kestrel’s defence, whilst offensively the Kestrels seemed to lose some of the focus and composure shown in the first half. A tight third quarter allowed Birmingham to stay within striking distance, even though the Kestrels held onto a 10-point lead.
With 5-minutes left in the game, Solent made some costly unforced errors, which allowed Birmingham back into the game. With 1:21 left on the clock and a 6-point lead, Brindley made a deep three, reducing the deficit to just 3-points. Kestrels immediately turned over the ball, which led to a fast break lay-up by Greenaway. However, Jackson made a key jump-shot to settle the visiting team, followed by a couple of big free-throws by Andrea Kurkowski. Despite a last ditch attempt to stop the clock, Jackson was fouled in the act of shooting and made a final free-throw to close out the game for TSK, final score 81-76.
Coach Lee was pleased after the game, saying; “We played some excellent basketball in the first quarter and that was the difference in a game where both teams showed-up to play. However, equally important was our ability to close-out a game where the opposition finds its feet and momentum in the second-half. It’s clear that some opponents bring out the best in certain players. Brindley has been relatively quiet in the first couple of games this season, but she always comes to play when the Kestrels are in town. Today was a really positive step in our overall development as a team, so I’m pleased with the manner in which we secured the win.”
Game leaders:-
Team Birmingham Elite: R.Brindley 34, J.Cooper 14, L. Buxton 13
Team Solent Kestrels: G. Gomez 30, K.Velkey 12, E.Jackson 11, A.Kurkowski 10
Whilst the Kestrels got off the mark quickly with Geena Gomez scoring 8 of the Kestrels first 10-points, both teams traded baskets in the early going. Rebecca Brindley was not to be out-done and Kestrels struggled to keep a body on her, as she hit 8 of Team BIrmingham’s 10 first-quarter points. However, it was a balanced attack from Kestrels that dominated the play and led to them jumping out to a 10-point lead, finishing the quarter, 20-10.
In the second quarter, the west midlands outfit made adjustments, and whilst Brindley continued to plague the Kestrels defence, big performances from Lucy Buxton and tough defence from Greenaway kept the hosts in the running. However, efforts to guard Gomez out of the game proved largely futile, as she scored another 12-points in the quarter. It was the Kestrel’s bench that proved the difference though with Kristina Karpova coming in to add 7-points of her own with notable contributions from Stevie Ellis at both ends of the floor. The half ended with Kestrels extending their lead by 2-points, 46-34.
In the second half Team Birmingham refused to go away and battled to create problems for the Kestrels at both ends of the floor. Brindley created match-up problems for Kestrel’s defence, whilst offensively the Kestrels seemed to lose some of the focus and composure shown in the first half. A tight third quarter allowed Birmingham to stay within striking distance, even though the Kestrels held onto a 10-point lead.
With 5-minutes left in the game, Solent made some costly unforced errors, which allowed Birmingham back into the game. With 1:21 left on the clock and a 6-point lead, Brindley made a deep three, reducing the deficit to just 3-points. Kestrels immediately turned over the ball, which led to a fast break lay-up by Greenaway. However, Jackson made a key jump-shot to settle the visiting team, followed by a couple of big free-throws by Andrea Kurkowski. Despite a last ditch attempt to stop the clock, Jackson was fouled in the act of shooting and made a final free-throw to close out the game for TSK, final score 81-76.
Coach Lee was pleased after the game, saying; “We played some excellent basketball in the first quarter and that was the difference in a game where both teams showed-up to play. However, equally important was our ability to close-out a game where the opposition finds its feet and momentum in the second-half. It’s clear that some opponents bring out the best in certain players. Brindley has been relatively quiet in the first couple of games this season, but she always comes to play when the Kestrels are in town. Today was a really positive step in our overall development as a team, so I’m pleased with the manner in which we secured the win.”
Game leaders:-
Team Birmingham Elite: R.Brindley 34, J.Cooper 14, L. Buxton 13
Team Solent Kestrels: G. Gomez 30, K.Velkey 12, E.Jackson 11, A.Kurkowski 10
KESTRELS LOSE OUT TO IPSWICH DOWN THE STRETCH
Saturday 6th October saw the Team Solent Kestrels Women play host to Ipswich for their first home game of the season. Ipswich arrived with a depleted squad, after falling foul to a last- minute stomach bug. Whilst the Kestrels missed their starting small-forward, Krisztina Velkey, the return of Jodi Jerram was sure to provide some added depth to an already formidable roster.
The game saw both unbeaten teams come out firing. Kestrels got off the mark quickly, attacking the Ipswich defence on the inside with Gomez, Jackson and Kurkowski putting the home team ahead by 4-points early (10-6). Ipswich, however, were quick to respond with game leader Harriet Welham taking her team on her back with 14 first-quarter points. Little and Taylor-Willis combined for a further 12-points to end the first quarter and take a commanding 9-point lead into the second quarter, 19-28.
However, not to be outshone on their home court, the Kestrels rallied in the second and pressed home their own defensive effort. Whilst Welham continued to be a thorn in the Kestrels’ defence, Ipswich were held to just 11-points for the quarter. Kestrels forwards, Kurkowski and Jackson, proved too much for Ipswich on the inside, whilst Gomez and Jerram provided balance by attacking from mid-range and the perimeter. The Kestrels offensive barrage and defensive intensity turned the tables by the half, giving them a 5-point lead, 44-39.
The crowd enjoyed another strong showing by both teams in the third, as the Kestrels and Ipswich exchanged punches with both starters and bench players making big plays. A variety of players contributed in the third, but Silvias Cante 100% shooting ensured that the Kestrels closed-out the quarter the stronger team, extending their advantage to 7-points, going into the 4th.
However, it was Ipswich who took the initiative in the 4th. Whilst both teams attacked and pressured, it was Ipswich who would find some offensive rhythm down the stretch, outscoring the home team by 12-points and taking the win, 79-84.
Coach Lee remarked after the game “It’s frustrating to lose a game when we played so well in three out of four quarters. However, allowing Ipswich to score 28-first quarter points and allowing Harriet Welham to get 31-points makes winning any game hard work. We need to close out games with the same level of confidence and patience that got us the lead. Nevertheless, we’re still learning. There was definitely more positives than negatives and we’ll bounce back very quickly.”
Game leaders:-
Ipswich: H.Welham 31, E.Little 17, E. D.Cazey 12
Team Solent Kestrels: G. Gomez 22, E.Jackson 17, A.Kurkowski 14
The game saw both unbeaten teams come out firing. Kestrels got off the mark quickly, attacking the Ipswich defence on the inside with Gomez, Jackson and Kurkowski putting the home team ahead by 4-points early (10-6). Ipswich, however, were quick to respond with game leader Harriet Welham taking her team on her back with 14 first-quarter points. Little and Taylor-Willis combined for a further 12-points to end the first quarter and take a commanding 9-point lead into the second quarter, 19-28.
However, not to be outshone on their home court, the Kestrels rallied in the second and pressed home their own defensive effort. Whilst Welham continued to be a thorn in the Kestrels’ defence, Ipswich were held to just 11-points for the quarter. Kestrels forwards, Kurkowski and Jackson, proved too much for Ipswich on the inside, whilst Gomez and Jerram provided balance by attacking from mid-range and the perimeter. The Kestrels offensive barrage and defensive intensity turned the tables by the half, giving them a 5-point lead, 44-39.
The crowd enjoyed another strong showing by both teams in the third, as the Kestrels and Ipswich exchanged punches with both starters and bench players making big plays. A variety of players contributed in the third, but Silvias Cante 100% shooting ensured that the Kestrels closed-out the quarter the stronger team, extending their advantage to 7-points, going into the 4th.
However, it was Ipswich who took the initiative in the 4th. Whilst both teams attacked and pressured, it was Ipswich who would find some offensive rhythm down the stretch, outscoring the home team by 12-points and taking the win, 79-84.
Coach Lee remarked after the game “It’s frustrating to lose a game when we played so well in three out of four quarters. However, allowing Ipswich to score 28-first quarter points and allowing Harriet Welham to get 31-points makes winning any game hard work. We need to close out games with the same level of confidence and patience that got us the lead. Nevertheless, we’re still learning. There was definitely more positives than negatives and we’ll bounce back very quickly.”
Game leaders:-
Ipswich: H.Welham 31, E.Little 17, E. D.Cazey 12
Team Solent Kestrels: G. Gomez 22, E.Jackson 17, A.Kurkowski 14
NAIL BITING FINISH SEES TSK PICK UP NARROW VICTORY ON THE ROAD
Saturday 22nd September saw the Team Solent Kestrels Women take to the road for the season opener against Sevenoaks Suns. Whilst Sevenoaks are new to the division, Coach Lee was keen to make-up for the loss faced against Sevenoaks in last year’s quarter-final of the Cup.
US guard, Geena Gomez opened up her account with free-throws from the foul-line in a first quarter that would see both teams struggle to hit the mark. Whilst the Kestrels took the initiative to lead 12-15, a late 3-point bucket from Suns’ Hutchinson, tied the game at fifteen a piece to close the first quarter. In the second quarter, two of Kestrel’s newest signings, Gomez and Hungarian born, Krisztina Velkey, combined for 8-points, which saw Kestrels amass an 11-point lead. But it was the Suns who finished the quarter strongest, attacking the Kestrels’ defence at will. Sevenoaks’ Bennet scored 6 unanswered, allowing the Suns to swing the contest back in their favour, going into the half-time break, 32-29 up.
During the break Coach Lee asked his players to play with more discipline at the offensive end and a greater sense of urgency at the defensive end. However, it was the Suns who came out firing, going up by 7, before Jackson, Karpova and Gomez combined to close the gap. Despite a solid run of play by the youthful Suns, Kestrels finished the quarter ahead by 2-pts, 44-46.
The crowd, which included Kestrels’ own U14 girls who had travelled from their own game earlier that day, were treated to a thrilling final-quarter in which neither team could break the elastic. In the dying seconds of the game, a great defensive effort prevented the Suns from taking the lead, followed by a nice piece of skill by Gomez, which led to her going to the line. Gomez missed the first, but sinked the second to seal the game.
Coach Lee commented after the game, “This is the first time I’ve left this court with a win in over 5-years, so I’m thrilled with the result. Though, we might feel like we should have won by more, it’s the manner in which we won that should be the major takeaway from today’s game. Sevenoaks never quit and put us under pressure the whole game. We didn’t always make good adjustments, but we executed our game plan when it mattered the most.”
Game Leaders:-
Sevenoaks Suns: K.Bennet 17, K. Whyte 11, E. Hutchinson 10
Team Solent Kestrels: G. Gomez 19, K.Velkey 15, M. Curson 8, E. Jackson 8
US guard, Geena Gomez opened up her account with free-throws from the foul-line in a first quarter that would see both teams struggle to hit the mark. Whilst the Kestrels took the initiative to lead 12-15, a late 3-point bucket from Suns’ Hutchinson, tied the game at fifteen a piece to close the first quarter. In the second quarter, two of Kestrel’s newest signings, Gomez and Hungarian born, Krisztina Velkey, combined for 8-points, which saw Kestrels amass an 11-point lead. But it was the Suns who finished the quarter strongest, attacking the Kestrels’ defence at will. Sevenoaks’ Bennet scored 6 unanswered, allowing the Suns to swing the contest back in their favour, going into the half-time break, 32-29 up.
During the break Coach Lee asked his players to play with more discipline at the offensive end and a greater sense of urgency at the defensive end. However, it was the Suns who came out firing, going up by 7, before Jackson, Karpova and Gomez combined to close the gap. Despite a solid run of play by the youthful Suns, Kestrels finished the quarter ahead by 2-pts, 44-46.
The crowd, which included Kestrels’ own U14 girls who had travelled from their own game earlier that day, were treated to a thrilling final-quarter in which neither team could break the elastic. In the dying seconds of the game, a great defensive effort prevented the Suns from taking the lead, followed by a nice piece of skill by Gomez, which led to her going to the line. Gomez missed the first, but sinked the second to seal the game.
Coach Lee commented after the game, “This is the first time I’ve left this court with a win in over 5-years, so I’m thrilled with the result. Though, we might feel like we should have won by more, it’s the manner in which we won that should be the major takeaway from today’s game. Sevenoaks never quit and put us under pressure the whole game. We didn’t always make good adjustments, but we executed our game plan when it mattered the most.”
Game Leaders:-
Sevenoaks Suns: K.Bennet 17, K. Whyte 11, E. Hutchinson 10
Team Solent Kestrels: G. Gomez 19, K.Velkey 15, M. Curson 8, E. Jackson 8
TSK VICTORIOUS IN PRE SEASON TEST VS. CAMDEN
On Saturday 15th September, St. Mary’s played host to the first game of the season for this year’s Division 1 Women in the form of a pre season match up.
As preparations continue and new signings join established players, Team Solent Kestrels faced-off against Camden Panthers, a veteran team that normally plies its trade in the London league.
Both teams started off tentatively in the first quarter, with the Kestrels stuttering to a 1-point deficit in the first, 9-10. In the second quarter Kestrels new American guard Geena Gomez, a former starter at San Diego State, showed her class early getting the Kestrels into the game with a couple of early buckets, before Andrea Kurkowski started to connect from close range. Nevertheless, it was the Panthers who dictated the tempo, led by guard Yamaguchi, who would eventually claim a game-high, 18-points.
The Kestrels regrouped at half-time and entered the third with a renewed sense of intensity on the defensive end, holding the Panthers to just 11-points. It was Estonian newcomer, Kristina Karpova who got hot from the perimeter in the third and dropped 13-points in the second-half. The Panthers kept up their assault in the fourth with balanced scoring from their starters and the bench. However, with big time-outs for both teams in the closing minutes, it was the Kestrels that closed out the game for a 3-point win, 60-57.
Kristina Karpova and Geena Gomez top scored for the Kestrels with 13-points a piece. Yamaguchi led all scorers with 18-points, with the Panthers’ Ascorreta and Lepanen contributing 9-points each.
Head Coach CJ Lee commented after the game; “The result wasn’t important, but its always good to get off the mark with a win. For us we’re dealing with a steep learning curve. We have lots of new faces and bags of talent, but creating discipline and chemistry takes time. Julian and I really like where we’re at given that the season is still a couple of weeks away and I’m excited to see how far this team can go.”
As preparations continue and new signings join established players, Team Solent Kestrels faced-off against Camden Panthers, a veteran team that normally plies its trade in the London league.
Both teams started off tentatively in the first quarter, with the Kestrels stuttering to a 1-point deficit in the first, 9-10. In the second quarter Kestrels new American guard Geena Gomez, a former starter at San Diego State, showed her class early getting the Kestrels into the game with a couple of early buckets, before Andrea Kurkowski started to connect from close range. Nevertheless, it was the Panthers who dictated the tempo, led by guard Yamaguchi, who would eventually claim a game-high, 18-points.
The Kestrels regrouped at half-time and entered the third with a renewed sense of intensity on the defensive end, holding the Panthers to just 11-points. It was Estonian newcomer, Kristina Karpova who got hot from the perimeter in the third and dropped 13-points in the second-half. The Panthers kept up their assault in the fourth with balanced scoring from their starters and the bench. However, with big time-outs for both teams in the closing minutes, it was the Kestrels that closed out the game for a 3-point win, 60-57.
Kristina Karpova and Geena Gomez top scored for the Kestrels with 13-points a piece. Yamaguchi led all scorers with 18-points, with the Panthers’ Ascorreta and Lepanen contributing 9-points each.
Head Coach CJ Lee commented after the game; “The result wasn’t important, but its always good to get off the mark with a win. For us we’re dealing with a steep learning curve. We have lots of new faces and bags of talent, but creating discipline and chemistry takes time. Julian and I really like where we’re at given that the season is still a couple of weeks away and I’m excited to see how far this team can go.”
