KESTRELS SEE OFF DIFFICULT BARKING ABBEY TEST TO STAY PERFECT IN NBL DIVISION 1

Image Courtesy of Justin Cowlard

Most good things come in twos, the opener of this weekend’s double header sure was in a 72-63 win over Barking Abbey to remain unbeaten. 26 points from Jordan Simpson on his home debut paired with Andre Arissol’s 20 piece pushed the Kestrels through the pressure of the away side as Ash Briggs was dismissed with one technical foul and one unsportsmanlike.

Louis Weaver, Arissol and Briggs opened the scoring, each with neat finishes around the rim to score past the young front court of Barking.

In a game with history with previous meetings, the Kestrels’ 8-2 run to begin already gave the home side an edge in what was expected to be a cagey affair.

That run was felt courtside, but so was Simpson’s emphatic leap to hammer the basketball down with a dunk to the roar of the Kestrels’ bench and the Solent Sports Complex crowd.

Simpson got the job done on the defensive end too, forcing a turnover and went coast-to-coast with a lovely finger roll lay-up to make it 18-4.

Oskaras Striuga boosted the spirits of the away team, lacing a three but Matthew Daines responded with his very own triple to plug the differential back to 12.

Briggs began feeling himself to start the second quarter, with five points, three of which coming with a shot from behind the arc.

Kailyn Panchal-Bedward closed the half with a tough finish off the glass to give the Kestrels a 39-28 lead going back to the changing rooms.

The tough finishes didn’t stop there as Simpson and Arissol opened up the third period with raw power to the window to kickstart the Kestrels’ offence for the 2^nd half.

The two combined as Simpson slipped in the corner and drove into a double team, only to find Arissol behind him in an acrobatic manor to lace the three and extend the lead back to 13 at 49-36.

At just 17, Oskaras Visockas was tasked with plenty of the ball for Barking off of the bench, and for good reason, the youngster able to get to the free throw line and nail shots from behind the arc to bring Barking back into reaching distance of the Kestrels’ lead.

The game flipped on its head as Ash Briggs was ejected from the game for a second technical foul, leaving the Kestrels without their starting big man.

Now, the youth were to be tried and tested but importantly trusted to overcome this hurdle and come away with the win… Barking didn’t make it easy, however.

A 54-46 lead going into the final ten minutes, that 8-point differential ebbed and flowed in the fourth with Solomon Dobson-Smith ringing the register from corner, only for Koby Rival to respond with a three of his own.

Visockas continued to get to the free throw line, going 3 for 4 over two trips to cut the Kestrels’ lead to just 3.

Barking had bridged the gap, but the Kestrels’ confidence on offence remained and so did Simpson’s ability to run in transition.

The confidence on offence carried over into each and every defensive assignment, Rival with an important strip on Dobson-Smith just as the Kestrels found their footing once again.

Simpson’s hit and run offence was in full effect in clutch time, this time a confident top-of-the-key three with two minutes left on the clock.

That would put the game to bed, with a stop and start finish, the Kestrels close out the game as 72-63 victors.

The Kestrels move onto a 6-0 record in the league, with a National Cup match to follow on the Sunday.

Box Score - FIBA LiveStats

Watch the game - 31.10.26_Senior Men vs Barking Abbey - NBL Division 1 Men - YouTube

The Men’s squad head out on the road once again to play the Cobham Cobras next Sunday and come back to the Solent Sports Complex on the 14^th of November to play league leaders and fellow unbeaten team Oaklands Wolves.

Tickets for that game are available here - Senior Men vs. Oaklands Wolves - NBL Division 1 Men | Solent Kestrels

The hardwood will be swept ready for the Women’s squad to play in the next round of the National Cup against the Brent Bulls next Sunday (8^th of November), tickets for that match are available here - Senior Women vs. Brent Bulls (National Cup) | Solent Kestrels