The weekend saw an extremely busy couple of days for our Rockets Youth teams with the standout result being the Under 16 Premier team’s 72-63 cup victory over Milton Keynes at Nechells Wellbeing Centre on Sunday.
On Saturday afternoon Rockets Under 16 girls produced an energy-filled, high-quality display to beat Bromsgrove Bears 87-54 with some great team basketball on display.
Tia May, Rhianna Shackleton and Beth Parnell-Lea led the way with scoring, although significant displays from Mateya Georgeiva and Aminata Kamara demonstrated the depth of quality in the Rockets squad.
The Under 12 team fought out a close game throughout with Leicester Riders before falling to a 4 point loss, 35-39. Wol Ring and Marley Lewis were a constant scoring threat for Rockets in a tight game that either team could have won.
The final home game on Saturday involved Rockets Under 18 Premier team who took on London Elite. Rockets’ young team produced a consistent offensive effort to record an 85-62 win. Miles Moore produced another excellent offensive effort, particularly in the first half, supported by Antwone Armstrong Wheatle with some important scores as London battled to gain a foothold in the contest.
On the road there were mixed fortunes with defeat at York Eagles 75-65 in the first game of the season for the Under 14 Premier team. Coach Tavares was left frustrated after the team matched their northern hosts for long periods of the game only to return to Birmingham empty-handed.
Rockets Under 18 Conference team endured an off day in their first defeat of the league season 73-40 at Wolverhampton Slam. After an excellent start to the season, the team lacked energy in this encounter, with Coach Dudley calling for the players to regain the early season consistency.
The Under 16 Premier team moved to 6&0 with a gutsy 80-69 win in Derby on Saturday. The team passed a stiff test as the Trailblazers pushed Rockets hard in the first half. The team responded though and are showing great attitude and ability to find the extra gear when required.
The Under 16 Conference team also took a win on Saturday, in more comfortable fashion with a 73-30 victory at Walsall Wizards. Coach Brunetti’s team improve with every game and are gaining confidence as they move to 3&1 in the midlands Conference.
Yesterday the cup win at home to Milton Keynes capped off off a fine weekend for the Under 16 Premier team. In an intense encounter, Keshawn Mensah produced a strong performance to match an athletic and quick Milton Keynes side.
Great shooting from Alan Grodkowski helped Rockets build a small lead at the break before Larry Duru wore down Milton Keynes late on to send Rockets through to the next round of the National Cup.