On Friday evening, the Motorpoint Arena was filled to the brim with electric, thundering crowds as Nottingham Trent delivered two exceptional wins in what was the utmost tense and terrific night of varsity basketball action in a number of years.
Last year, Trent’s ladies in pink suffered a loss in a closely fought match-up with Uni of Nottingham, but this year they came back to inflict some splash damage. It was to be a night to remember.
The crowds were silent. The players were ready. The whistle was blown.
First Quarter: Magnificent Monakana
Trent managed to get the ball from the tip-off, but suffered a turn-over which resulted in UoN going on the counter offensive to begin the first quarter.
Uni of Nottingham’s Elle Allen dished out the first points of the game with a three pointer, followed by a finger-roll lay-up to take an early lead.
However, the early lead was cut short as Trent’s number 13, Janice Monakana, retaliated with a buttery-smooth three pointer administered deep from downtown. It was the first of many for Monakana, who delivered a clinical performance throughout the entire game.
Some tremendous shooting saw Trent take the lead, but this was followed by another lead change as UoN managed to edge it as the first quarter came to a close. The score 18-16 to the green and gold.
Second Quarter: Destruction from downtown
Trent violated the shot-clock three times at the start of the second quarter, but managed to hold off UoN until Trent’s Vicky Gray, who was selected for the Team GB under-20 squad last year, netted a swish, silky-smooth three pointer to take the lead.
The second quarter lacked points due to some exceptional zone-defence from both sides, notably Trent who managed to keep UoN out of the paint.
As UoN edged closer and levelled out the score, Trent’s Monakana nailed a nasty buzzer-beating triple to take the lead as the second quarter came to a close.
Third Quarter: Gray with the three-point play
Trent suffered a few knock backs in the third quarter after a lack of offensive rebounding, but some good points in the paint kept the score ahead of UoN. Monakana continued to remain hot, flames licking the ball as she hit some exceptional jumpers.
UoNs defence kept Trent on their toes, but Vicky Gray utilised a destructive Shammgod which sent her opponent into oblivion, leading to more points from a beautiful floater off the bank.
This was translated into a much-needed three-point play as Gray was fouled on the way up.
The score now 41-38 to Trent.
Fourth Quarter: Cling film?
In the fourth quarter, both sides suffered a lack of points almost as though someone had irresponsibly wrapped the hoops in cling film, but Trent retained the lead as they locked down Uni of Nottingham’s attacks with excellent defence.
As the clock ticked away, Trent’s number 15, Saez-Benito, dealt some thievery and intercepted the ball – leading to even more points for Trent as they led by three points with 52 seconds to go.
Trent managed a clutch lay-up off the rebound, which took the score to 53-48.
With mere seconds remaining, UoN had a late opportunity on the foul line but missed both shots, the crowd bursting into cheers as a win for the ladies in pink was inevitable.
Uni of Nottingham’s hopes of winning faded like that of Kobe’s signature fade-away jumper, as the ladies in pink won 53-48. The Trent crowd erupted into cheers, the players in pink jumping around on the court almost as though someone had shaken a blossoming tree in spring.
Men’s game:
After the women’s intense game had finished, the crowd was buzzing and alive, the noise was deafening as Motorpoint Arena continued to fill up, and the men’s game was almost underway.
Last year, Trent dished out a slam-dunk win on the green and gold as they won by a 10 point lead. This year was even tenser as Uni of Nottingham attempted to throw down some vengeance.
First Quarter: Throwdown!
Tip-off saw Trent obtain the ball and within a mere sixteen seconds Trent had stolen the ball twice which led to a monster dunk that almost shattered the backboard from number 44, Janes France.
The domination did not stop here, as UoN suffered four turn-overs within two minutes, leaving the score at 6-0 to the men in pink who were burning hot.
Another steal and dunk from Trent saw Uni of Nottingham’s first retaliatory points upon Josh Smith’s triple to stem further bleeding.
As UoN netted their first points, Trent’s Rhys Hill set alight from the three point line – Trent’s destructive offensive becoming an issue for the green and gold. At the end of the first quarter NTU led by a seven point margin. The score 18-11.
Second Quarter: Triple threat
Straight off the bat and into the second quarter, Trent’s Josh Monk sank a beautiful triple sending Trent’s lead to 10 points.
The chants from the crowds were vibrating the rafters of the Motorpoint Arena, the energy now explosive.
This was when the green and gold began to heat up, cutting the lead further with eight consecutive points upon numerous trips down the court, and a monster dunk that ignited the UoN crowd like an un-stable bomb.
UoN managed to nail some excellent three-point buckets and work the crowd, but a green and gold lead was prevented through solid free-throw shooting from the line by Trent.
The score 34 – 31.
Third Quarter: Tension on a knife-edge
The third quarter started out with Trent’s excellent number 14, Tom Ballantine, nailing a three pointer followed by Edgars Barbejs with a choreographed jumper off the rebound for two.
However, the points started to dwindle and the buckets remained empty and needed filling. Both sides were ice-cold and that ice needed breaking.
UoN then put fire to ice and knocked down some shots to decrease the deficit, despite Uni of Nottingham’s Josh Smith failing to sink both free-throw attempts, they retained a solid offensive.
All hell broke loose as UoN levelled out the score, but Trent’s stone-wall defence held off a final front as the green and gold pushed to break into a lead as the final seconds ticked away.
The score at the end of the third was 45-45. The tension leaving the Arena atmosphere on a knife-edge.
Fourth Quarter: The bank is open! France on the money
As the fourth quarter began, Trent’s stands were remarkably and eerily quiet as the opposing side was alive with vehemence.
Trent’s Janes France took to the court and looked to the quiet Trent crowd, signalling for them to support the team in pink as the game looked to go either way. France initiated the crowd and was ready to claim victory.
As just six minutes remained the teams were neck and neck once again, until Trent’s Ballantine took to the foul-line for one point.
Barbejs brought the fire back with a silky-smooth three pointer to take a further lead, both crowds now competing in an astoundingly loud shout-off.
The lead was then cut down again to just five as UoN went to the line after a foul, but Janes France was on the money with a crippling bank-shot – hovering in the air like a predatory falcon before firing as he looked to keep a steady lead.
With just two minutes to go, Uni of Nottingham’s Finney slammed Trent’s lead down to just two points with a barbaric throw-down.
Trent’s Hill and Ballantine fortunately kept the lead with some solid shooting from the line, with UoN still pushing for the win until the final few seconds.
Yet, just when the green and gold believed that had a chance, Trent managed to stave them off with stand-out performances from Ballantine, France and Rhys Hill with some Kyrie Irving-like handles.
The final score settled at 64-58 to Trent after a superb battle between the two sides, keeping Trent in the 2018 Varsity series by the skin of their teeth.
An excellent night for Trent, and a terrific display of basketball that will be remembered for years to come.
By Joe Locker
Photos by Sam Strutt