Threes. They’re what NBA basketball is all about these days. Greg Popovich said he wanted them banned, he was a bit late to the party on that one, and they have certainly changed the game in recent years. They’ve infiltrated every level of basketball with progressively fewer success stories the lower you go. In fact I might ban them from our U-13 CVL next year to shot the boys chucking up shit. I’m turning into a grumpy old man like Pops/
So Caitlin getting three, two at key times, and for her partner in crime Joanna to hit one to effectively seal the game was pleasing. The three points that the acting team manager picked up driving to Hemel wasn’t and will be discussed later. Possibly in front of a judge.
Unsurprisingly, the court was still next to Millwall (who still weren’t at home, which was a bonus), it was still too short and it was still freezing in there. So the fact that the game followed a familiar pattern to the other two against them wasn’t a shock.
Unlike the previous two games we did start well, Cait hit a three to open it (and then missed another, but I think she was 3/8 by the end which is fine) as they opened with a 7-0 run, but we got an early hint of what was to come with a couple of early foul calls on Thunder and it the game quickly became a series of walks to the foul line. The foul count ended up Wolves 25 Thunder 16, many were marginal at best. It ruined the game and the signaling from the refs was bordering on non-existent (not uncommon with recently qualified officials) which meant that everything was slowly explained to the table, so we went at a snail’s pace. Several of the calls were mad eon incidents in the paint that one ref managed to see from the other half and at one point both sides lined up for foul shots only to be told that the foul was offensive. Even Thunder looked surprised. It’s not a job I’d do, but clearly the refs weren’t in a rush to get home as the game took two hours and five minutes, despite only ten minutes for half time.
But anyway, we led 15-12 at the first break and after seven minutes of the second period it was still 15-12. I began to wonder if someone has painted the score on the scoreboard and it would never move again. Cait’s second three woke everyone up, and sparked a 9-2 run to see Wolves lead 24-14 at half-time. So, despite those triples, it really wasn’t the NBA.
The third period somehow managed to get worse. Thunder barely left the foul line, and and Wolves’ frustration grew. Just as Tor has told the players, I told the parents that we expected this shit on the road, the thing they need to do is learn to play through it. Cait picked up her fourth foul midway through the third period – Tor reckoned one was a legit call – and sat down where she managed the day’s second career first – a bench technical for saying “don’t worry Tiff, it was a trash call”. ah, my daughter… Seeing as Tiff broke her hand in that “foul”, she might have had a point. Cait was apparently crying by this point, and they missed the free throw and the voice that is rarely heard in junior games (genuinely, I sit/stand on my own muttering) was heard to mention that “the ball don’t lie”. We got a late basket to end a tortuous third period up by five but then let the score twice early in fourth period to make it a one point game.
And this is where the three is a thing of beauty as Cait’s third of the game noticeably lifted the team. The 1-3-1 zone helped. Tor hates a zone at that level because he says it teaches them nothing, but when all your key players are on three or four fouls, there was little option. The zone and the 20-1 saw the fouls dry up and Joanna’s triple ended the game as a contest with three minutes to go leaving the bench to see out the final two minutes. Somehow no one fouled out.
My claim that Cait and Joanna need 30 between them in any close game was wrong as the latter only managed that fourth period triple, but Jemima – my project back from the U-11 days with Herts – finished with 14 and showed what she could do if basketball really became her thing. Caitlin had 16 points, six assists, five rebounds, four steals (and a T) in 31:23.
Having tipped off 15 minutes late (same crew – it’s easy to see how it over-ran) we finished at 6.20pm, which gave us 40 minutes to make the trip to Hemel. which was rather unlikely.. Of course the reason i wrote this
I will take over the driving (my car’s banned from London) at this point as we make a mad dash to Hemel where Caitlin is statting their game against Loughborough
last week was because I drive quicker than Tracy. Too quick it turns out as the camera flashed me as I entered Rotherhithe Tunnel, but not quick enough to avoid us getting to Hemel 30 minutes late to find them four minutes into the second period. And only then did I see the missed call and messages on my phone saying that – after we’d let them know we had problems – they’d replaced Caitlin on stats. I’d have gone home at this point, I’m still pissed off about my own three pointer, but she stayed as an extra spotter. I hate being late for things. I missed tip-off at only two Leopards games (and clearly the second one mentally affected me late at Reading) but it was a reasonable watch, even if Storm made hard work of it before emulating Wolves U-16 girls by scoring the final 19 points to break open a tied game and win 104-85.
And after that, I remain unsure whether I like threes or not.
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