JERSEY performed a clean sweep over rivals Guernsey, winning all three Inter Insulars in an immense day for local basketball.
A brutally hot day meant for an even hotter sports hall at Beaulieu School, serving difficult conditions for the junior basketballers.
Nonetheless, Jersey Basketball’s finest youth players put on a show, with the help of an especially vibrant home crowd. The squeaks of the court floor were silenced by the Jersey drums, making for an electric atmosphere.
The under-16 boys kicked off the action-packed day with an emphatic 55-32 victory over the travelling Sarnians.
A packed Jersey squad faced off against a confident Guernsey side. Jersey led from start to finish in what turned out to be a comfortable victory for the hosts.
Assistant-coach Paul Graff was pleased with his side’s start: “Our defensive intensity was just far too good for them early in the game. So that kind of took the pressure off, it wasn’t an easy game, but we kept the intensity up the whole time.”
Rafael Hollywood took the plaudits, with his stellar performance driving the home team to victory.
The first quarter came to an end and Jersey held a 14-point lead. With Guernsey continuously struggling to find points, Jersey continued to power away.
Graff was especially pleased with the squad’s defensive performance: “Having a strong defence doesn’t come from just one or two players, it’s a team effort. We have worked so hard in training and that’s really helped us.”
That performance, drenched in defensive acumen and attacking prowess, helped the under-16s prevail over the travelling greens.
Then, Jersey’s under-16 girls faced Guernsey’s under-18 side, providing a challenging fixture for Time Kraft’s young prodigies.
However, the girls dug deep to overcome their opponents, in what was a thrilling clash that went all the way to overtime.
The young reds came out in fighting spirit from the first whistle, unfazed by the Sarnians’ evident height advantage.
Focusing on tactical acumen and technical ability, the Caesareans put on a brilliant display, showing immense promise for the future of women’s basketball.
Jersey shot into the lead in the first quarter, heading into the second with a nine point advantage.
Jersey’s young stars were shining as expected, with MVP Mia Kutvolgyi showcasing some excellent link-up play to drive the offence.
Their brilliant team performance didn’t let up, carrying into the second quarter.
At half-time, the hosts retained their nine-point advantage, standing them in good stead to see it out in the second half.
However, the elder Guernsey side showed signs of confidence in the third quarter, challenging the home side’s defence constantly.
Multiple free throws, alongside some sharp-shooting, narrowed the deficit to six points after the third quarter. An exciting final ten minutes loomed over the still-bouncing home support.
The final quarter was a simply outstanding viewing. Both sides showed immense passion and skill, impressing the crowds.
Guernsey drained four unanswered points in rapid succession, bringing the game to a two point deficit, Jersey still leading.
A much needed time-out was called, as an animated Kraft lauded instructions onto her players.
The game restarted in a scrappy manner, with both sides finding point after point.
Captain Vanessa Szajkowska led by example and expelled her talent onto the court, keeping Jersey in this tight contest.
The final moments brought Guernsey to the line, with 15.6 seconds remaining at 40-39 in Jersey’s favour, Guernsey had the chance to snatch the win.
Luckily for the home side, only one of the throws was converted, which meant another five minutes of basketball ensued for the tired youngsters.
Six unanswered points from Maya Kraft, Szajkowska and Kutvolgyi put Jersey in the clear, with little time remaining.
The match came to a close with Jersey dominating overtime, earning the girls a much deserved win on home soil.
Coach Kraft was unable to hide her excitement: “I am extremely proud. There were difficult moments in the game, but the girls did amazing they pushed themselves over the limit.”
“I kept them positive, which is the most important thing. I told them they can do this, I knew how tired they were, but keeping them positive kept their heads in the game.”
She was ecstatic with the performance of the MVP, Kutvolgyi: “She’s the little sixth gear of the team, she never stops, she always pushes the team, I am really proud of her. The team as a whole were brilliant, even the bench were just as important.”
Kraft discussed the difference in age between the two sides and prevailing with such a young squad: “They are under-18 and the maximum age of our girls is 16. We have 11 and 12-year-olds playing, I am just so proud of the team.”
The final fixture of the day was the under-18 boys clash. With heat only increasing, the sports hall was red-hot, similar to that of Jersey’s performance.
An incredible showcase of top-quality junior basketball culminated in a scoreline of 65-45, going Jersey’s way.
Both sides entered the contest riled up, ready to face off against their rivals. An evenly matched start saw Guernsey take the lead in the first quarter, with the Sarnians’ number 22 looking the most problematic for Jersey’s defence.
The introduction of the under-21 MVP, Micah Francis, helped sure up the reds’ defensive block.
Jersey’s Jesper Jensen put on a show in the second quarter. Utilising his immense height, he dunked Jersey into the lead, with two athletic leaps to the hoop seeing him slam-dunk emphatically twice over in the early stages of the second quarter.
A fantastic reply from the home side turned the tide in Jersey’s favour, leading 24-21 at half-time. Guernsey’s 22 continued to cause problems, levelling the score with his dialled shots from range.
However, the reds contain stars of their own. Francis was a nuisance from start to finish, constantly driving at the hoop through the Guernsey block to score point after point.
Jersey extended their lead from the halfway point to a seven point deficit, the scoreline showing 37-30.
With the game still effectively in the balance, the words of Bob Gouzinis ahead of the final quarter must have resonated with his squad. An invincible force entered the court in the final quarter.
Graff said: “Bob was just saying keep doing what we do in training. Keep the pressure, keep in our sets. You win games in your training sessions.”
Jersey ran riot over their neighbours for the final ten minutes scoring, 28 points to the greens’ 15.
The fourth quarter belonged to the duo of Francis and Lukundo Sikapizye, who were unstoppable. Sikapizye’s relentless pressing and agile dribbling was extremely effective, in harmony with Francis’ guile and precision, causing issues for the greens’ defence.
Graff was impressed with the duo’s performance: “After the third quarter it was still anybody’s game. But Lukundo pulled us out, which was great. That final quarter was amazing, they just ran riot.”
“Both Lukundo and Micah turned that eight points lead into a 20 point one, which in fairness made it a bigger victory than it was.”
The final scoreline showed a 20 point domination in Jersey’s favour, 65-45. Graff mentioned how far Jersey Basketball has come: “It has really come on in the last couple of years.”
“Up until about two years ago Guernsey had beaten Jersey in the juniors for about ten years in a row. To have three such great results is a testament to the coaching, it’s been fantastic.”
A proud day for Jersey Basketball, with these immense victories showcasing the young talent on offer.
