Match Report
Oundle School Boys-U18A vs  Uppingham School
On: Saturday, 16 Sep 2023
Venue: at Home

Dear Mrs. Kerr-Dineen,

I am writing to you in regard of the First V basketball matches that took place against Uppingham on the 16th of September and Kings Cathedral School on the 21st .

The first V opened off the Michaelmas season against our rivals Uppingham in a draw. Opening the first quarter, Oundle went off to a slow start trailing by 9 points. Uppingham's offense exposed the gaps in Oundle's defence with screens and drives to the basket. Following a timeout, Oundle's demeanour shifted, managing to fight back in the second quarter, outscoring and shocking the now confident Uppingham 15-8. With the help of Henry Smith leading the example, scoring 10 points in a single quarter. As the game progressed, both sides felt the effects of the summer holiday's creeping up on them, leading to a very sluggish and scrappy second half. Oundle managed to claw their way back in the fourth quarter with the score at 33-36. In the final minutes, Oundle's desire to win took over the game, forcing Uppingham's offense into turnovers. This led to Timmy Whyte, scoring the game-tying basket. Unfortunately, in a rough exchange in the last play of the game Oundle missed the game-winning shot, ending the match in a draw.

The following week, Oundle were now in much better shape looking to get their first win of the season. This match took place against the Kings Cathedral school, which posed a formidable threat last year. To open the match, Oundle blitzed King's in a 9-2 run however, quickly exhausted themselves. The King's side managed to even the score, sliding and weaving through Oundle's defence to get to the basket. In turn, Oundle focused their efforts in the stopping the King's offense at half court, playing a rough defence. This constant effort on defence led the game to slow down drastically, ending the half at just 15-10 with Oundle leading by 5. Throughout the third quarter, Oundle built up a sizeable lead at 6 points. Suddenly, King's stunned the Oundle side in the fourth quarter, coming within 2 points and causing our centre to foul out of the game. However, through sheer effort and calm decision-making Oundle finished the game winning by one point.

This Michaelmas Season looks to be an exciting season for Oundle, with our debut in cup matches against new opponents, we look forward to the coming games.

Sincerely,

Ariff