SHARPSHOOTING OFMAN FIRES KESTRELS PAST RICHMOND IN DOMINANT ROAD WIN

Image Courtesy of Dan Crowther

Jakub Ofman led the Solent Kestrels to a 93-45 win on the road against Richmond Knights to maintain pace at the top end of NBL Division 1. A 32-point barrage from the Itchen College product began in the very first minute, a three-point shot providing the away side’s first points of the game and 6'7 wing never seemed to look back.

The Kestrels went on an early run in the first quarter, building a strong lead with a number of makes from downtown. Ofman controlled the offensive end for the Southampton-based side, providing 22 of their first quarter points, gifting them a 29-11 lead at the end of the opening 10 minutes. An astonishing six threes from Ofman created a difficult challenge for Richmond to overcome, however, Jayden Carvalho hoped his three in the final possession of the quarter would trigger a momentum swing for his side.

Those hopes were instantly halted at the beginning of the second, with Andre Arissol and Ben Cope providing some offensive flexibility, but that didn’t stop Richmond from digging in. Aaron Williams scoring 4 points off of missed offensive chances for the Kestrels, but the visitors seemed to have an answer for every Richmond made bucket, this time Ethan Round entering the fray and another three-point shot by Arissol. An 18-point lead at the end of the first extended to 25 by the time the half-time buzzer sounded.

Jakub Ofman began the second half as he started the first, triggering a 17-6 Kestrels run. The offensive flow continued through until the very end, forcing the home side into defensive fouls and taking the likes of Ofman and Kitenge to shoot a number of free throws at the line and breaking up that flow to begin the final quarter.

Rotation of the five on the floor for the Kestrels gave some deserved minutes to the younger, fresh legs of Tom Blower and George Andrews. Despite the lead, Richmond continued the effort on home soil, Carvalho and Williams the standouts, combining for 27 points respectively. An incredibly strong away performance from the Solent Kestrels was capped off by an Elijah Lotriet three and takes them to an 11-2 record as they remain 2^nd in NBL Division One Pool B.

Top Performers:

Jakub Ofman – 32 points

Andre Arissol – 15 points

Kestrels will return back to SO14 next weekend with an exciting clash against 4^th placed London Stars, who will certainly mount a challenge to the Kestrels’ 7-game winning streak. Tickets for that game can be purchased here - D1 Men vs. London Stars - NBL Division 1 Men | Team Solent Kestrels