Slam dunk: Oxford rout Tabs
Cambridge failed to make an impression as Oxford dominated the Varsity basketball
Oxford 1sts................75 Cambridge 1sts..........71 Oxford 2nds...............79 Cambridge 2nds.........69 Oxford Women..........82 Cambridge Women...68 Last Sunday witnessed a reemergence of the Oxford dream teams. The Blues achieved a level of dominance not witnessed for several years as they swept the tabs in all of their matches this weekend. While Oxford Basketball Cocaptain Chris Buckhardt was elated with the result he was not the least bit surprised. “While it might seem at fi rst glance that such a superb showing by all three teams would be an unusual occurrence, returning home empty-handed is a familiar sensation for Cambridge.
Buckhardt notes that Oxford Basketball has replicated this feat in three out of the past fi ve years. The day began with a convincing win for the Oxford second team. After building a twelve point lead in the second quarter, the men’s seconds held on to win 79-69. Key baskets came from Tommy Duncan and Will Feldman, as Stuart Lee let loose back-to-back three-pointers to secure the win.
Despite strong leads throughout the match, seconds captain Ed Roche admitted, “Cambridge were strong opponents as we expected and it was always going to be a close game. That meant it was important for us to bring the same defensive intensity that we’ve been playing with all season and to retain our composure. It was a great team performance and I’m proud of the cohesion that the team has developed over the year.
The team awaits news of their fi rst opponent for the BUSA tournament beginning next week. The women defended their undefeated record with a thorough routing of Cambridge. Captain Josie Marks led the team to a convincing 82-68 victory. Within the fi rst two minutes, star centre Tonia Savchenko went down with a serious knee injury, and probably a season- ending blow. Despite this devastating loss, the women fought back, building on an already healthy lead.
They led by at least eight points throughout the match and by as much as 25 points. Becky Inkster and Tal Ofek also added important baskets while Steph Topp played tenacious defence. After the game, the Cambridge coach complimented Oxford on the effectiveness of its defence. Coach Kenneth Townsend concurred, noting that, “Strong defence was the key to this victory and a facet of the game for which we prepared for intensely.” The win is their fi fth in a row against Cambridge.
The women are now busy preparing for next week’s match against King’s College in London where they will be competing for a place in the BUSA tournament. The men’s Blues match was of particular signifi cance. From 1979-2003, the men’s Blues were undefeated in Varsity Matches. However, in 2004 and 2005, Cambridge managed to sneak in narrow victories.
In addition to the large crowd packing out the Iffl ey Road Sports Centre, the result of the men’s Blues match was anticipated from afar by many Blues basketball alumni. Among their ranks are included a former NBA all-star, an Olympic gold medalist, US Senator Bill Bradley and former US President Bill Clinton. Throughout the match, the team was led by shooting guard Luke Dotson and point guard Patrick Premand.
Kenneth Townsend, point guard and women’s head coach, hit an amazing buzzer-beating three pointer to end the fi rst quarter as the Blues led by six points. In the second quarter, Oxford, traditionally a shooting team, were hampered by missed shots and free throws and by half-time they posted a three-point defi cit. Unfortunately for Cambridge, however, Oxford big-men Mike Rivers-Bowman and Justin Puleo, began to cause all sorts of problems.
The fourth quarter saw Oxford visit the free throw line frequently as they solidifi ed a nail-biting victory and sowed the seeds for another Varsity winning streak, with a fi nal score of 75-71. Co-captain Chris McCallum claimed, “We were the bettercoached, better-prepared team and we wanted it more than they did. Nevertheless, year in and year out, no matter how bad or good the Cambridge side is, it always manages to be a close match.
The men’s Blues prepare for their BUSA tournament and a seventh national championship with a match against Sunderland next Wednesday.
23rd Feb 2006