NATIONAL CUP FINAL AWAITS KESTRELS AFTER SEMI FINAL TRIUMPH OVER BCU

Image Courtesy of Dan Crowther

Solent Kestrels booked their place in the Men’s National Cup Final with a commanding 84–54 victory over Birmingham City University at the Solent Sports Complex on Saturday evening. Backed by a vocal home crowd, the Kestrels combined defensive discipline with balanced scoring to pull clear early and never looked back. Luke Busumbru was the man of the hour as he led all scorers with 26 points, whilst Wayne Kitenge anchored the paint with 11 points and 13 rebounds and Andre Arissol added 12 points on his return from injury, as Solent dominated both ends of the floor.

The Kestrels set the tone in the opening quarter, moving the ball sharply and converting early chances to establish control. Busumbru and EthanRound provided the scoring punch, while Solent’s defence limited BCU to just 15 points in the period. Strong rebounding ensured the hosts closed the first quarter with a deserved 23–15 lead.

Momentum stayed firmly with Solent in the second quarter as their pressure defence began to tell. Kitenge and Arissol were effective inside, generating second-chance opportunities and stretching the advantage. Birmingham struggled to find rhythm against the Kestrels’ defence, and Solent went into the interval with a 17 point advantage at 49–32.

BCU showed greater resistance after the break, edging the third quarter as they looked to claw their way back into contention. Solent briefly lost some offensive flow, but key baskets and defensive stops prevented the visitors from building sustained momentum. Despite being outscored in the period, the Kestrels still carried a commanding 62–49 lead into the final quarter.

Any hope of a late comeback was extinguished by a dominant closing stretch from the hosts. Solent suffocated BCU defensively, conceding just five points in the final quarter while stretching the lead to as many as 30. Controlled game management and contributions from across the rotation sealed an emphatic win and sent the Kestrels through to the National Cup Final in style.

Kestrels will take on Manchester Magic in next month’s National Cup Final at the University of Worcester Arena, Sunday 25th January 2025. Stay tuned for all ticketing infortmation.

The club will now head into a mid season break for two weeks before the squad travel to Barking Abbey on the opening weekend of the new year (Sat 3rd. Jan). You can catch Solent back in action at the SSC against London Elite on Saturday 10th January 2025, tickets for that game are on sale now; https://www.solentkestrels.co.uk/tickets