Oxford University Basketball Club

Transcription

1 I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E 1 President s welcome 2 Words from the captains 3 An update on Iffley 4 College League and Cuppers 5 Off the court 6 Looking to the year ahead President s Welcome By Tetyana Vasylyeva, President October 2017 The 2016/2017 season is over and we can certainly say that it was one to remember. Of the many things that made this year so special, I would like to highlight a few that I found the most valuable. Firstly, the captains: this year s squads have been extremely lucky to be guided by such inspirational leaders. Matt Townsend (M1), Virginia Schmidt (W1), Brett Diehl (M2), Claire Nesbitt (W2) and Merrilyn Groom (W2) dedicated 100% to ensure a successful season for their teams, both on and off the court. Thank you from all of us! Secondly, a huge thank you to the coaches that have been dedicated to OUBbC for years: Graham Nichols (W2), Mathias Rufino (M2), and Simone Rinco (W1). A separate thank you goes to Vassilios Copetinas (M1) the club has benefitted immensely from the addition of such an experienced and motivated coach. Thank you all for investing your soul and knowledge in the teams! Next, Varsity which did not go as well as planned, ending in 1-3 Oxford Cambridge. But it will be a day to remember. W1 won their first Varsity in the last four years! M1 lost 74-72, but delivered a thriller of a game with two overtimes. And most importantly, the support that all teams gave each other was overwhelming. A special shout out is deserved by W2. The team has been steadily improving in the last 3 years, achieving progressively higher rankings in their league. This culminated this year in W2 being crowned UNDEFEATED League Champions! The team were promoted to Midlands 2B and we wish them good luck for the upcoming season. Finally, the final 8s: for the first time in many years, both M1 and W1 extended their season to the competition held in Newcastle, proving to be among the best 8 teams in the country! Next year the plan is to go one step further and be among the top 4. From the whole 2016/2017 committee, I want to wish the upcoming players and committee members even more dedication, hard work, and luck to make the new season the best we ever had. Men s Blues: A successful season By Matthew Townsend (C) The Men's Blues excelled in the 2016/17 season, building on a strong 2015/2016 campaign. During the regular season, the team finished 7-3, with several narrow losses to first-place finisher East London, and several thrilling overtime wins, including one in the hostile arena of Southampton Solent.

2 Page 2 Oxford University Basketball Club The Men's Blues found success with a dynamic inside-out game. A deeper frontcourt than any opponent, including Alex Baron, Gabor Bakos, and Oskar Hoff, provided constant dominance in the paint. At the same time, sharpshooting newcomer Amer Comair and numerous veteran guards provided leadership from the guard positions. Coach Vassilios Copetinas joined the team this year and quickly built an effective strategy of play. A third-place finish in the regular season qualified the team for BUCS Super 8s. While we suffered a narrow loss to Durham (hindered by the absence/injury of the interior Baron-Townsend duo), the team secured a 5th place overall finish in BUCS when East London forfeited their match against the formidable Blues. Several overtime wins, including one in the hostile arena of Southampton Solent. The team wishes our departing players farewell, and thanks them for their myriad contributions over the past season(s). I also move on this year after a wonderful two years with OUBbC. The team has a bright future led by incoming captain Daniel Thompson and a strong core of returning players. Women s Blues: Champions of Varsity By Virginia Schmidt (C) The Season 2016/17 has been a successful one for the Women s Blues team. The team achieved the first Varsity win since 2013 and reserved a trip to the final 8s. The season started with a strong and competitive squad of 8 returning players and 6 new recruits. The central position of the outgoing point guard Elisabeth Lui Hin Ying was filled with the former Cornell NCAA player Sasha Truong. Despite the strong team, W1 had a difficult start into the season facing two painful defeats against London South Banks and the notoriously strong Cardiff University. Yet as the season progressed, coach Simone Rinco coordinated the group of individually skilled players into a team and W1 began winning games. Still, a trip to the final 8s tournament seemed unlikely before the Christmas break. However, the second half of the season looked brighter, as the communication and understanding among the players continued to improve. The Varsity match and the play-off game to the final 8s manifested the spirit of the team. The Varsity match was held in Cambridge and the teams were tightly matched. As the buzzer sounded at the end of the 4 th quarter we faced a draw. Yet after a nail-biting overtime, Oxford secured a win. The support of the fellow OUBbC members was phenomenal and helped to keep energy levels high. Only three days later W1 faced a committed St. Andrew s University for the playoff game at the Iffley court. With the memories of the sweetness of the Varsity win still fresh, W1 were determined to tick the box of the final 8 s ticket. The team dug deep to claim the game by a narrow margin, The season concluded with a memorable trip to the final 8 s tournament in Newcastle. The reduced Oxford squad first faced an exceptionally strong Durham University. Then the season ended how it had started with an expected loss against Cardiff University. However, this time the loss was less bitter in light of what the team had achieved over the season and with memories of an unforgettable time, friendships and sweet victories. This year we must say goodbye to two players who have shaped the identity of the team former Captain Lena Kolb and our indispensable Forward Emma Lyonette. We wish you all the best. The team achieved the first Varsity win since 2013 and a trip to the final 8s.

3 Page 3 An Update on Iffley Iffley sports hall has been undergoing major development over the past year. Phase 1 of the construction plan is well under way and the players returning to Oxford will be greeted by a freshly refurbished sports hall. The new reception is set to open at the start of October and a brand new second sports hall will open in the new year. This should solve issues of limited court time shared between the indoor university sports, and provide an impressive venue for this year s varsity matches. Men s twos: A tenacious attitude By Fergus Procter (C 2017/18) The season brought some bitter-sweet clashes against a versatile Cambridge team. The 2016/2017 season has been a mixed one for the Men's 2nd team. With some excellent wins, such as the team's performance against Loughborough at the start of the season, and despite some tough losses, the Two's have managed to secure a 4th place finish in their division. The season also brought some bittersweet clashes against a versatile Cambridge team. We defeated our light blue counterparts during both league fixtures, which contributed to Cambridge 2nd's relegation. In particular, the second league match played against Cambridge, which took place just a week and a half before the Varsity match, was an extremely rewarding win for the team. Despite Cambridge being in the lead for almost the entire game, M2 showed a mental fortitude and tenacity which lead Oxford to securing a victory. Sadly though, the confidence which was brought on by this victory was not enough to defeat Cambridge at the Varsity event. With an early, first match of the day start, the Oxford team came out onto the court with an intense and aggressive attitude, cheered on by the tremendous enthusiasm of dark blue supporters. Despite this, the M2 team were not able to dominate over Cambridge for any long stretch of time during the match. This, combined with a less than ideal shot efficiency as well as Cambridge's strong presence inside the post led to a Cambridge win. The season was concluded on a high note. After a hard defeat whilst playing away against an extremely physically and mentally tough Nottingham team, the Men's 2nd team managed to pull together to battle out a competitive match against Nottingham at home, sadly losing by a mere two points, but proud of the fight they put up. Altogether, a season which has had its ups and downs, but has without a doubt been marked by a consistent improvement. This is a consequence of coach Mathias Rufino and captain Brett Diehl's tireless work towards making training sessions frequent, intense and most importantly efficient. The team is sad to say goodbye to many players, which have been invaluable team members both on and off the court, but we look forward to next year's additions to the roster, and to continue building a strong and successful team.

4 Page 4 Women s twos: Remarkable achievements By Caoimhe Rooney The Womes had an incredibly memorable season after topping our league without a loss. This has resulted in promotion to a more competitive league for the first time in the team s history. As well as our success in the league, W2 were the only team in our division to progress to the quarter finals of the cup, where we put up a strong fight against Birmingham 1st and kept them at a lower score than their previous games. Throughout the year, the development of the players both individually and as a unit has been incredible, and has resulted in an extremely cohesive team and tightknit group. Turn-out to trainings has been excellent, which pleasantly allowed for difficult squad selection for the weekly matches. Alongside our undefeated performance in the league, the Womes took part in various friendly matches, including games against London-based team The Foxes, the annual Old Girls game against past players, a tournament in Birmingham, and participation in Alumni day. After beating Cambridge twice during the season, we nobly conceded during the Varsity game to raise the dampened spirits of our rivals at their home ground. Oxford University Basketball Club Following such a successful and thrilling year, we are extremely excited for the upcoming season and to push ourselves to an even higher standard. College League and Cuppers By Junming Samuel Liu This year has been yet another fun and competitive one for the college basketball league. Having played almost every week in the college league myself in Michaelmas term, the level of play was competitive yet accommodating, allowing players of a wide range of abilities to shine. Even when some teams struggled to rally enough players, other college members stepped up to fill a team to get a wellspirited match running. Trinity term saw the commencement of cuppers, the inter-collegiate tournaments between a determined group of Men s and Women s teams. On the Men s side, 14 teams competed. The top six teams were Balliol, Teddy Hall joint with LMH, St. Catz, and Wadham joint with Trinity. With most teams stacked with university players and solid college league players, the level of play had been up to the highest standards. Eventually, Balliol, with the invincible Matt Townsend took the crown. On the Women's side, six teams competed, each stacked with experienced players and with some guest appearances from netball players! The final was a clash between Hertford and Somerville. Despite Somerville putting up a great fight, the former won with a team of almost all-star caliber players. With the season within our reach, we will be attempting to organize a 3 on 3 tournament during Hilary term that any player can enter. Hopefully the addition of this will encourage players of all calibres throughout the university to play and enjoy the great sport of basketball. The only team in the division to progress to the quarter finals in the cup Cuppers Champions: Balliol Men s and Hertford Women s

5 Page 5 OUBbC at the End of Year Dinner W1 Players representing in China Club Members coaching at Oxford Spires Academy Off the Court Through the year OUBbC members have taken part in a variety of diverse and exciting opportunities. Amongst many social events including crewdates and drinks evenings, the end of year dinner at Balliol College was certainly a highlight of the social calendar. It was a lovely evening in which all four teams enjoyed great food, drink and company. Another highlight was the alumni day in which players, past and present competed in a day of intense 3 on 3 and 5 on 5 matches. In the evening we were honored to be invited for drinks with the Principal of Corpus Christi College and finished the day with food, drinks and some flawless dancing at Turl Street Kitchen. The alumni day was a great success and something we would like to make an annual event so if you are an alumnus reading this, get ready to get your basketball boots out! As part of the School s Sports Partnership, OUBbC players gave pupils at Oxford Spires Academy their first taste of basketball when they taught them the basics during training sessions in March. Finally, OUBbC made their mark across the globe when five members of W1 were selected to represent the club and the country at the FISU 3x3 International Tournament in Xiamen, China. The players competed against teams from China, New Zealand and Uganda. The team showed skill and determination in every match on the court, and had an amazing time exploring and enjoying the 5-star hotel accommodation, provided by the tournament organisers when off the court. The Year Ahead The following year will see big changes in OUBbC, as we wish many players leaving at the end of the 2016/17 season the best of luck. The committee taking the club through the following year is as follows: President: Zoe Fannon Treasurer: Declan Manning Secretaries: Lucy and Anna Williams College League Rep: Junming Samuel Liu IT Officer: George Pramatarov Social Secretaries: Virginia Schmidt and Tommy Pullan By Lucy Williams October 2017