Retford 52 - 57 Worksop (29th Sep 2011)

Retford Basketball team were hoping for a win against local rivals Worksop in the opening game to their new league campaign, but were left disappointed due to a lack of players available. The five man squad finished within touching distance of Worksop - the final score 52-57.

Retford have been working hard throughout the summer in preparation for their first season in the Sheffield Basketball League. New signings and good improvements throughout the roster left Retford confident for a fresh start.

Retford had a positive start to the game, immediately demonstrating that they were not going to give up any easy baskets, a strong presence from Stephen Harrsion and Rob Bray meant that loose shots were gathered, however, poor finishing on offence left Retford trailing 10-4 after the first quarter.

Retford worked hard in the second quarter and started with a 6-0 run, Worksop were not giving up though and fought back to gain an 8 point lead. Good defence on both ends of the court kept the side’s close during the quarter scoring 12 and 11. Retford went into half time trailing 21-16.

Worksop adapted their defence in the third quarter, playing a 2-2 zone and man marking Dan Hobden who contributed 21 points in the game. This helped Worksop to gain an 8-2 run at the start of the quarter. Retford would respond late in the third quarter and managed to cling onto hope leading into the fourth quarter with the scores 39-27.

A tired Retford squad gave it their all in the last quarter, deploying a full court press defence pressuring Worksop from the start. Retford went on to close the gap to within 3 points in the quarter thanks to two clinch 3 pointers from point guard/coach Matt Sadler and Forward/Captain Rich Pedley, who finished with 18 points. Retford continued their efforts but it wasn’t enough, and the match finished 52-57.

Although Retford have lost their first game, they will be confident about their future after only losing by 5 points against last season’s SBL Plate winners without a full complement of players.

Coach’s player of the game: Dan Hobden for having 21 points and 5 steals in an excellent, all round performance.

Retford 66 - 51 Sheffield Suns (20th Oct 2011)

Retford Raiders Basketball club ran away with victory in an up tempo game against Sheffield Suns, final score 66 – 51.

Sheffield Suns are the first team to play against Retford’s full squad and struggled to keep up with Retford who controlled the pace from start to finish.

Retford’s captain Rich Pedley opened up the score board with a sneaky steal from the tip, sparking a Retford 10-4 run from the off. Confidence was shining from Rich Pedley and Dan Hobden as they went on to increase the lead to 16-7. However, poor execution on offence and several turnovers cost Retford their 9 point lead and they finished the quarter leading 19-16.

Retford were slow to react in the second quarter and their defence was poor, this allowed Sheffield to take the lead for the first time in the game, ahead 21-24. Retford would take a time out and change the defensive tactics. With a substitution and debut for Ben Coy, Retford would gain much needed motivation, and added intensity on defence. The change of tactics would see Retford execute a zone defence which allowed Retford’s back line to collect 26 rebounds during the game. Rich Pedley and Dan Hobden continued to push the scoring and contributed to a 9-0 run. Up tempo basketball lead to Retford finishing the first half leading 39-29.

Retford had a productive start to the second half and used their height to their advantage as Ben Coy collected 6 defensive rebounds in the game. The continued fast pace of the game allowed Dan Hobden to take advantage of his speed, gaining 8 easy points in the first half of the quarter. He would go on to score 25 points in the game with a shooting percentage of 75%, this aided Retford to extend their lead to 20 points. However, a lapse in defence combined with poor passing would see Sheffield gain a 7-0 run in the dying minutes of the third quarter, reducing their deficit to just 13, trailing 55-42.

In the final quarter, Rich Pedley would seal the deal with an extra 8 points to keep the game out of Sheffield’s reach. He would contribute 25 points in the game and 9 rebounds, shaving a double double. The game would finish 66-51.

Retford definitely needs to make an improvement for the next game Vs. MLS Sharks on Thursday 3rd November, sloppy passing cost the team 14 turnovers throughout the game, and a better team would have capitalised on them.

Coaches player of the game: Richard Pedley for an excellent 25 point, 9 rebound haul, along with some solid finishing in the final quarter to close the game out.

Retford 65 - 49 MLS Sharks (3rd Nov 2011)

Match report to follow shortly.

Retford 53 - 47 Hillsborough (10th Nov 2011)

Retford were looking to keep the pressure on league leaders Worksop, while trying to record 3 straight wins for the first time in over 3 years. Hillsborough – the 2009/2010 division champions, would be a formidable opponent.

Retford went into the game with an unfamiliar look about them. Their newest recruit Ben Coy, and player/coach Matt Sadler stepping into the starting line up due to absences of other key players, and Geoff Schwarz making his season debut.

It didn’t take this unit long to gel. Retford played their tough team defence making life hard for Hillsborough early on. Gareth Moffatt and Ben Coy dominated the rebounds, and linked up well offensively. Ben started strong with 8 early points, while Dan Hobden (5 points) and Gareth Moffatt (4 points) helped Retford to run out to an early 17 – 5 lead. The quarter finished 17 - 7.

In the second quarter Hillsborough looked to make up for their poor start. They applied a full court press, and looked to get out on the break at every opportunity. Retford stuck to their game plan on offence and had good opportunities but could not get shots to drop. This coupled with an excessive number of turnovers allowed Hillsborough not only the opportunity to get back into the game, but saw them take the lead. Retford managed only 6 points to Hillsborough’s 17 in the quarter and trailed 23-24 at the half way point.

Needing a spark Retford looked to apply their own full court defence. This resulted in a number of Hillsborough turnovers, but Retford couldn’t capitalise as their shooting woes continued. Although Retford managed the first 4 points of the quarter to temporarily re-capture the lead, Hillsborough hit some big shots from range, and continued to push the tempo. Going into 4th quarter Retford trailed 35 – 39.

After two frustrating quarters filled with uncharacteristic missed shots, and a worsening defence, Retford needed to change the momentum. They switched to a 2 -3 zone defence and it paid dividends immediately, with Retford getting 16 consecutive defensive stops, keeping Hillsborough scoreless for over 7 minutes. This allowed Retford to put together a 14 – 0 run, helped by Dan Hobden and Rich Pedley getting out in transition - resulting in a 10 point lead. Hillsborough had one final push, and reduced Retford’s lead to 6 in the last minutes. A final defensive switch saw Retford man mark Hillsborough’s point guard and main offensive threat – Dan Hobden had the responsibility and was able to hold him, and therefore the team, scoreless from this point, to close out the game. Ben Coy kept a cool head, and helped the team to see out the game on the offensive end.

Poor shooting, excessive turnovers and individual mistakes went unpunished as a result of an excellent team ethic, work rate, and a tough, versatile defence. Final Score: Retford 53 – Hillsborough 47.

Coach’s player of the game: Ben Coy for an impressive 17 point, 14 rebound double double, and an excellent defensive performance.

Retford 65 - 48 Foulstone (24th Nov 2011)

After a good start to the season, Retford would face a formidable opponent in the form of Foulstone Flyers. Foulstone motivated even more so, by the fact that a win would see them go level with Retford in the division’s second spot. Retford got off to a flying start, opening up an early 9-0 lead. Their tough defence made it difficult for Foulstone to get going, and saw them score only 2 field goals in the first quarter. Meanwhile Retford were looking good. Dan Hobden showing what an all-round offensive threat he is with 10 points in the quarter, including two from behind the three point arc. Retford led 16 – 8 at the end of the first quarter.

At the start of the second quarter Foulstone started to chip away at Retford’s lead, and silly fouls allowed them the chance to do so. Foulstone hit 6 freethrows early in the quarter but some good work in the post from Ben Coy, helped to ensure that Retford’s scoring continued – he would finish with 6 points in the quarter. Rich Pedley and Dan Hobden came off the bench to both knock down shots for Retford, and Dave Wright chipped in with a spectacular reverse lay up. However, more silly fouls led to more easy free throw points for the trailing team. Foulstone had their best quarter of the game, but despite that, trailed 25 – 36 at half time.

Foulstone changed their defence in the third quarter, and looked to apply pressure on Retford higher up the court. Although, this stifled Retford at first, they adapted to it better than in previous games, and despite a few turnovers, Retford continued to put points on the board helped by Rich Pedley’s 7 points in the period. This quarter however was owned by Retford’s Steve Harrison who showed the kind dominating form he showed last season, ripping down rebounds, and recording 10 points in the quarter. Steve attacked the glass, owned the post area, and even knocked down a three pointer to close out the quarter – just for good measure. Retford 51, Foulstone 38 after three.

In the final quarter you would be forgiven for thinking Retford had gone back 5 years. Three Retford veterans scored all the teams points in the quarter – Rich Pedley, Geoff Schwarz, and Bill Thorpe, playing his first game this season, took over the offensive side of the game, while a solid team effort on defence helped to close out the game.

Retford’s solid defence managed to hold a team known for their excellent shooting, to just 20% all game, and only 13% from three point range. On the opposite end of the floor, a patient offence, and improved shot selection helped Retford to an impressive, well balanced score tally.

Coach’s player of the game: Steve Harrison. An excellent defensive effort, stopping Foulstone from entering the paint and helping his team mates on the perimeter. This in addition to a 13 point, 12 rebound double double.

Retford 48 - 62 Storm (1st Dec 2011)

Retford were looking to extend their recent win streak to 5 games, when they met up with the team with the division’s worst record – Storm.

Retford started well with a couple of early baskets, Rich Pedley hitting a couple of jump shots, followed by a Dan Hobden lay up. Retford applied their full court trap and forced Storm to turn the ball over a number of times as a result of the pressure. This high intensity defence was wasted however due to poor execution on offence, and an excessive number of turnovers. Storm soon took the lead through getting out in transition and finished the quarter ahead. Retford 9 – 15 Storm.

In the second quarter, Retford’s secondary unit took to the floor along with Dan Hobden from the starting line up. This change of personnel brought fresh energy, and a change of defensive tactics, executing a 2 – 3 zone to good effect. With this unit on the floor Retford were able to put together a n 11 – 4 scoring run thanks to the excellent post work of Ben Coy. Dan Hobden and Geoff Schwarz managed to get out in transition following quick hands from Dan himself, and Matt Sadler coming up with 2 steals in as many minutes brought the game within 2 points. This hustle went un rewarded however, as a number of unnecessary fouls gave Strom an easy opportunity for points from the free throw line. Storm won the quarter and extended their lead to 29 – 20.

Retford went into the third quarter looking to turn things around, and quickly, with Gareth Moffatt attacking the basket, looking to make things happen. Unfortunately his efforts weren’t duplicated by others and a turnaround started to look unlikely. Retford’s offence became sloppy, and poor passing and movement lead to more turnovers from Retford. This frustration then transcended onto the defensive end of the court, with uncharacteristic lazy defence, and poor team rebounding. Retford were starting to lose focus, faith and fight, trailing 46 – 33 going into the 4th quarter.

After a couple of early baskets from Storm, realization hit Retford that an upset was in the making. Retford finally re-gained the level of defensive intensity they have shown so far this season, and set about making work hard for Storm – Dave Wright and Rich Pedley putting in an aggressive defensive performance, with Steve Harrison adding two of his game high 4 steals in the period. When Dave fouled out of the game, Dan Hobden returned to the court and brought with him an offensive spark, attacking the basket , hitting a big three pointer, and making 4 consecutive free throws. Although Retford came with an increased effort, and offensive fluidity, missed shots cost Retford down the stretch, and some late fouls, including a 5th and 6th on big man Ben Coy, saw Storm have 8 consecutive free throws to close out the game....

A big upset, and a season low in points allowed, sees Retford needing to regroup, and re-evaluate

Retford 66 - 44 Hornbury Hornets (15th Dec 2011)

Following a shock loss to Storm the previous game, Retford Raiders were looking to get back to winning ways, and maintain their league position – their opponent, Horbury Hornets.

In the first quarter Retford quickly got the start they wanted. After an early score by Horbury, Retford went on to score 14 consecutive points Dan Hobden and Club Captain scoring six points each during this stint. The story of the quarter however, was Retford’s excellent execution of their trap defence – holding Horbury to only 4 points all quarter. Retford led 16 – 4 after the first.

Horbury offered a little more in the second quarter but Retford’s second unit came good. Ben Coy and Geoff Schwarz kept the scoreboard ticking over, whilst at the same time, the team kept their defensive intensity. Retford achieved a season best for points allowed in a half, surrendering only a mere 14 points in the first 2 quarters. Retford led 32 – 14 at half time.

Retford started the third quarter with a solid offensive performance. They were patient with the ball, got inside and made things happen with Gareth Moffatt, Dan Hobden and Steve Harrison attacking the basket. Although Horbury kept fighting, when Ben Coy came off the bench to score 8 points in the quarter, their hopes were fading as they found themselves 30 points down going into the final quarter. Retford 56 – 36.

In the fourth quarter, Retford lost concentration a little, and their work rate dropped. Their previously smothering defence wasn’t of the same intensity and as a result Horbury started to knock down jump shots. Horbury had their best quarter of the game, while Retford had their worst. Horbury won the quarter 18 – 10, but it wouldn’t be enough. Retford won the game with a comfortable 22 point margin despite a poor finish.

Player of the game: Dan Hobden for an efficient offensive performance, scoring 15 points with no turnovers to his name.

Retford 44 - 45 Worksop (21st Dec 2011)

Retford went into their final game of 2011 not only competing for league points, but also for the Bassetlaw Shield. Their opponent - league leading, local rivals Worksop. With Worksop undefeated this season, and Retford hot on their tails in terms of league standings an explosive game was expected by all, and the game lived up to expectations.

Retford looked to apply their trap defence early, and forced Worksop into early mistakes. These were taken advantage of as Retford jumped into a 4 – 0 lead with scores from Gareth Moffatt and Dan Hobden. Worksop regained composure and put together a 6 – 0 run to take the lead, only to have Retford respond with their own 6 – 0 run. Four out of Retford’s five starting players scored in, what was a tight affair, and left Retford leading 10 – 8 after the opening 10 minutes

In the second quarter, with Retford’s second unit on the court, the team demonstrated their offensive abilities, keeping turnovers down, remaining patient and running their sets to perfection. This kept the scoreboard ticking over helped by an impressive 7 points in the quarter from Ben Coy. Worksop however traded baskets with Retford early in the quarter, and 10 free throw attempts allowed Worksop to edge ahead. Retford 22, Worksop 24 at the half way point

The third quarter started badly for Retford as Worksop went on an early 8 – 0 run to take a 10 point lead, before Coach Sadler looked to put a halt to Worksop’s momentum and called a time out to address the situation. Retford went to their big line up, and changed their defensive strategy to try and be more competitive in the rebounding category, while looking to get some points in transition – they succeeded with both aims. Steve Harrison went strong on the offensive boards and muscled his way to 6 points in the quarter, and both Rich Pedley and Geoff Schwarz managed to get out on the break. Worksop however found their shooting touch and managed to drop shots from mid range despite tough defence. Retford were to head into the final quarter with work to do, trailing 31 – 38.

Retford defence remained tight in the fourth quarter as the team stopped Worksop getting inside, forced turnovers and made them take difficult shots. Retford put in their biggest quarter score of the game, led by a monster performance from Steve Harrison. Steve hit clutch shots, ripped down rebounds, and played excellent defence in the quarter. Retford went into the final 1.30min of the game, down only 3 points. After a couple of nervy possessions from both teams, it was only fitting that Steve should score what would be Retford’s final basket to bring them within one point with 23 seconds to go in the game. Despite Worksop’s lowest scoring quarter, they hung onto the ball in the dying seconds, and by the time Retford could commit a foul it was too late. Worksop won the game 45 – 44.

Coach’s player of the game: Steve Harrison for a 12 point, 6 rebound performance whilst keeping a cool head in clutch situations.

Retford 77 - 31 Hornbury Hornets (18th Jan 2012)

Following a disappointing loss against Worksop in the last game of 2011, Coach Sadler had laid down a challenge for Retford to finish the remainder of the season unbeaten, in order to put pressure on the league leaders Worksop. Their first game of the New Year would see them facing Horbury Hornets.

Retford started the game slowly - clearly struggling to get back into the swing of things after an extended Christmas break. Despite 5 points from Dan Hobden Retford shot a dreadful 4 – 20 in the opening stages of the game. Their defence however kept them slightly ahead as they made it difficult for Horbury to get good looks at the basket. After a time out, Retford came out showing more aggression and finished the quarter strongly behind 4 points form Gareth Moffatt. 15 – 10 after the first quarter

In the second quarter Retford’s “bench mob” came into the game, with the aim being to get stops, and push the offensive intensity – and they succeeded. A fantastic effort on both ends of the court saw Retford go on a 27 – 6 run to blow the game open. Dan Hobden and Geoff Schwarz attacking in transition scored 10, and 6 points respectively, and were support by Ben Coy adding a further 5 points with strong post play. Retford led 42 – 16 at the half way point.

In the third quarter, with a clear lead established, Retford looked to utilize a new offensive set they have been working on during training. The new play clearly worked well for the Club Captain Richard Pedley, who, after a slow start, scored all 8 of his points in the quarter. Retford’s defensive dominance continued and they went into the final quarter up 55 – 23

The final quarter became the Geoff Schwarz show, who after having a strong second quarter wanted to continue his fine form. Geoff carried on his hot shooting streak scoring 12 points in the quarter, making plays for his team mates, and rebounding the basketball. Retford had another strong quarter adding 22 more points to their tally and closing out the game with an impressive 77 – 31 win.

An excellent start to 2012 saw Retford record their highest points total in a game for 3 seasons, and their brutal defence ensured a club record for the lowest ever amount of points scored against them in a game.

Player of the game: Geoff Schwarz, for what could quite possibly be his finest performance in a Retford vest recording 20 points to go with his 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals.

Retford 42 - 55 Sheffield Suns (26th Jan 2012)

After an excellent win in their previous game, Retford were looking to continue their form into this game against Sheffield Suns

Retford started strongly and a patient, disciplined offence saw them take an early 8 – 0 advantage. Suns worked hard to get past Retford’s tough defence, and managed to find some offence on the fast break to keep themselves competitive early, however strong showings from Steve Harrison, and Rich Pedley kept Retford their lead combining for 14 of the teams 16 points in the quarter. Retford led 16 – 9 after the first quarter.

Suns showed they still had fight in them, and came out aggressively to start the second quarter. They attacked the basket, resulting in free throws - aiding them to put together a 7 – 2 run to bring them to within two points. The teams exchanged baskets, for the remainder of the quarter, with Dan Hobden leading the way for Retford with 6 in the period. Retford finished the half leading 24 – 21

Retford looked to set the tempo at the start of the 3rd quarter, by reverting to their usually dangerous trap defence. However, poor timing and a lack of concentration meant instead of turning the ball over, Suns were able to benefit from easy baskets. Retford soon abandoned their trap, and exchanged baskets with for the next 5 minutes meaning they would head into the final quarter, up 35 – 34

Early scores from Geoff Schwarz and Dan Hobden saw Retford take a 39 – 36 advantage before things took a turn for the worse. Retford, known for their defence, lacked intensity protecting their basket giving up easy inside shots, and uncontested shots from distance. Their offensive game also suffered, and frustration showed leading to turnovers, poor passing and bad shot selection. Retford did look to force the issue, and attacked the basket drawing fouls – however, this was to be of no advantage as they missed 8 consecutive freethrows. Suns took advantage of Retford’s poor play and put together a 14 – 2 run to close the game out.

A surprise result saw Retford loose 42 - 55

Player of the game: Steve Harrison – 12 points, 5 rebounds on top of an excellent defensive performance.

Retford 42 - 46 Hillsborough (17th Feb 2012)

The last time Retford met Hillsborough it was a close game that saw Retford put on a late defensive rally, to come back from a fourth quarter deficit to win. Going into this game, short handed meant Retford would have their work cut out.

A cautious start saw both teams traded baskets early, but with the game level at 7, disaster struck as Dan Hobden went down hard, hurting his ankle in a drive to the basket. As he was helped off the court, it looked likely that Retford, already missing 3 players, were going to be shorthanded even further. Hillsborough put together a 9 – 0 run to close the quarter and take a 7 – 16 lead into the second.

To start the second quarter, Retford had a make shift unit on the floor, looking for damage limitation – but they got considerably more than that. A solid team offence saw Retford moving the ball, and finding the open man, time after time. Retford’s three lowest scorers Matt Sadler, Rob Bray, and Dave Wright all stepped up their offensive game and knocked down shots when they were most needed. Late in the quarter Dan Hobden surprised even members of his own team, when he returned from what looked like a nasty injury. He added 5 quick points to a free flowing Retford offence. Retford had their best quarter after scoring 17 in the period, but still trailed 24 – 28 at half time.

The third quarter started in a tense fashion, with both teams showing their defensive abilities, Hillsborough putting a haul to the offensive dominance Retford had shown prior to half time. Rich Pedley looked to get Retford going with 4 points in the quarter, but despite this Hillsborough were able to edge further ahead aided by unnecessary Retford technical fouls. Retford trailed 32 – 40.

An early 4th quarter score for Hillsborough saw Retford down 10 with much work to do. Retford looked to respond and excellent hustle plays from Rob Bray saw him pulling down offensive rebounds, giving Retford second chances to score. Steve Harrison took advantage and went to work inside, scoring 6 points in the quarter. Retford worked hard, and weren’t about to give up on the game – an excellent defensive showing, saw them limit Hillsborough to only 6 points in the quarter. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be enough, Retford missed shots down the stretch, and despite winning the quarter 10 – 6, they fell just short.

The final score Retford 42, Hillsborough 46

Player of the game: Rob Bray – required to play significantly more minutes than normal given the number of player missing, Rob responded with a 4 point, 8 rebound performance, played excellent defence throughout, and finished the game without a single turnover.