The Solent Kestrels continued their unbeaten run with a 114-72 win over the London Stars at the Solent Sport Complex. Isa Brandon grabbed the headlines with a 33-point and 12 rebound double-double alongside an emphatic alley-oop finish late on.
Ilias Taiwo continued his hot form with 18 points and 9 rebounds, including three dunks in the first half whilst Elliot Dadds scored 15 and Will Taylor notched 12 off the bench.
The start of the game saw an even matchup as the two sides raced to try and be the one to stretch out a lead. It was all even at 14-14 midway through the first but a moment of inspiration from Russell Gariepy turned momentum the home side’s way after intercepting a pass and then hitting a three pointer on the transition which gave Solent belief, ending the first quarter 34-16.
The second quarter saw a change in tempo and gameplan as the visitors focused more on perimeter shots and drawing in fouls, which saw mixed success. The new focus of attack allowed the Kestrels points in transition, the highlights beings Taiwo’s dunks. The Stars weren’t easily shaken though and went into the halftime break losing 60-38.
The third quarter saw a lot of quick, slick passing moves from both teams but whilst the defensive efforts of Solent kept the visitors scoring low, their own shooting wasn’t at its usual high standards, allowing the Stars to stay in touch with their opponents. The Kestrels remained ahead though as the third quarter ended 80-58.
The final quarter saw a depleted away team start to falter in the face of their fatigue. Brandon and Taylor kept the score running up as Ashley Briggs ensured the defensive side of the Kestrels stayed strong as the clock ran down. A final three-pointer from Matt Hughes sealed the win in the penultimate home game of the season.
The Kestrels are next in action at the Westminster Warriors this Saturday, 5.30pm.
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