UCP Marjon Plymouth Raiders Vs Cheshire Jets
(Friday 19th October)
Plymouth Raiders 100 Cheshire Jets 84
By Luke Johnson
The UCP Marjon Plymouth Raiders continued their winning ways and ensured their perfect start to the season was kept intact with a convincing 100-84 victory over the Cheshire Jets at a near sell-out Pavilions. Mike Ojo top scored for the home side with 27 points, including 17 in the first half. It was Ojo's work at the defensive end however that will please Coach Love the most. Whilst the stat sheet will show that former Raider and one of the league's best Chez Marks was the Jets' leading scorer with 25, Ojo's intensity and on the ball pressure took Marks out of the game for the most part and disrupted the flow of the visitor's offense.
The first few minutes was all Raiders, with a fallaway three by Jeremy Bell followed by a steal and dunk from Ojo igniting the crowd. The 6'3 shooting guard then drilled a long three of his own to give the Raiders a 13-4 advantage, who were getting everything they wanted in transition. Disastrous shooting from the Jets, coupled with strong defence from the Raiders gave them a 26-20 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter saw the Raiders further enhance their lead, with Ojo carrying on where he left off in the first, nailing another from downtown before a Bell and one play and a breakaway layup capped a mini 7-0 run. With 3:39 left in the period, a rapturous applause greeted home-grown product Anthony Rowe, who was making his first appearance for the Green Machine in over five months. While he only saw limited minutes, Love and Raiders fans alike will be extremely pleased to see the big man back on the court. A triple from veteran Shawn Myers cut the Raiders lead to four, before Irishman Colin O'Reilly, who finished the contest with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists, converted two of two free throws and hit a tough shot at the buzzer to give his side an eight point lead at the halftime interval.
In the third, a pattern seemed to repeat itself in which Raiders would extend their lead, before a frustrating lapse in concentration would allow the Jets back into the game. Good ball movement however, and with American centre Matt Schneck going to work on the offensive boards, finishing with 13 rebounds in total, meant that Raiders went into the final quarter up double digits. Raiders' effort on the rebounding front was certainly one of the reasons they were able to run away with this game, out-rebounding the Jets 47-30.
In the final quarter, Ojo kept the theme of the night going by hitting his fifth 3 of the game, finishing five of ten from beyond the arc, with the Raiders shooting an impressive 39% from three point territory, as well as 49% from the field. It was in the final twelve minutes of the game that Marks padded his stats, scoring 13 of his 25 when the game was done and dusted. Ojo was without question the star man on both ends of the floor, but Love will be happy with the contributions from Bell, O'Reilly, Schneck and Javarris Barnett, who may not have set the game alight with his scoring, but did pull down an impressive 15 rebounds to keep the Raiders 100% win percentage alive. Love will be looking for more of the same, minus the few lapses in concentration, when the Surrey Heat visit the Pavilions next Sunday.
