Finsbury Phoenix battled London Basketball School to a hard fought 57-57 draw in the Islington men’s basketball league despite having too few players to field a full team. Finsbury had to forfeit the match, which will be recorded as a 20-0 reverse, but both teams played on regardless.
The first half was played at a frantic pace, with points racked up by both sides in the dozens, and captain Bola Ogidan showing his composure and skill in equal measure.
After netting several points the Islington-based team took the half at 32-30 and enjoyed a much needed cool-down on the bench.
The second half began at a slower pace, as both teams tightened their defences. Enthusiastic play from Adolfo Thavede gave Phoenix a welcome boost as he drove towards the opposition’s hoop again and again.
Despite his efforts, Phoenix found themselves 49-53 behind as the clock ticked down but managed to claw back eight points to their opponent’s four, ending the game on a 57-57 tie.
Speaking after the game Ogidan explained that the team’s biggest problem was a lack of players, citing “different commitments” as the main problem they faced. Thavede also weighed in, explaining “We were down 23-17 in the second half. We realised what the score was and gave it all we could to close them down.”He added: “The other two games we played show that we are a good team. We can match all these guys – as you saw in that game.”
