Team Solent Kestrels exited the National Cup at the quarter final stage on Saturday afternoon as they came up short in a to the wire battle with NBL Division 1 side, Reading Rockets. Kestrels led early on and despite a valiant second half come back after being down 20, would eventually drop to an 83-96 defeat.
Andre Arissol had 20 points to lead TSK whilst Greg Durand added 17 and Russ Gariepy 15.
Team Solent Kestrels edged a competitive first quarter, maintaining a narrow lead for most of the period against a strong Reading Rockets side. The Kestrels showcased strong offensive contributions from Isa Brandon and Andre Arissol, including success from beyond the arc and consistent finishes in the paint. Despite their efforts, turnovers and missed opportunities allowed the Rockets to remain within striking distance. Justin Hopkins was pivotal for Reading, contributing with triples and paint finishes. The Kestrels’ weathered the Rockets transition barrage and ensured they ended the quarter with a slight advantage.
The second quarter saw an intense battle between the two squads, with both teams trading momentum. Kestrels displayed resilience, with standout plays from Ash Briggs, who proved to be a difficult match up inside for the hosts whilst, Andre Arissol, who added points from from the foul line and converted on a tricky lay up attempt. Despite trailing at times, the Kestrels' were able to keep them in the contest as half time approached. The Rockets would string together a 7-2 run to close the period and that saw TSK trail 43-50 at the half time interval.
It was the hosts who swung the game in their favour in the third period as the Rockets extended their lead to double digits. TSK made spirited attempts to close the gap, with Andre Arissol and Isa Brandon working tirelessly to push the offence. However, Reading’s Mitch Clarke and Hopkins piled on the pressure and gave the home side a 48-69 lead with a little over 4 minutes left in the quarter. Despite a late-quarter push, including defensive stops a driving layup from Brandon, the Kestrels ended the period trailing 77-61, facing an uphill battle in the final period.
The fourth quarter saw TSK fighting hard to close the gap with standout efforts from Greg Durand, who contributed with key three-pointers and Russ Gariepy, who displayed versatility with his scoring also, the Kestrels struggled to capitalise on critical opportunities however. While the Kestrels showed moments of promise down the stretch cutting the gap to 9 with just over 3 minutes to play, the Rockets' consistent offense proved too much to overcome, TSK losing 83-96.
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