Thunder lose first leg at Capitals

Capitals will come to the Leisure Centre on Saturday for the second leg needing only to lose by eight points to reach the final at Newcastle on April 29, reports Richard Amey.

Favourites Worthing, the English League Champions for a second year running, were knocked decisively out of their stride by the most intensive defensive performance any team has put up against them this season and it spelt their first defeat this year other than their losses in the finals of the National Cup and National Trophy to Reading on March 4 and Manchester on January 7, respectively.

Although Worthing won the last quarter by 10 points, and pulled back from a 16-point deficit, they got no closer than four points, at 73-69 with an Alfredo Ott three-pointer, before Capitals added a Marlo Saunders three pointer to stretch the advantage to nine. Marlo netted a second three after that but it failed to beat the final buzzer, otherwise Thunder would have had even greater leeway to make up in the second game.

That Ott three-point shot followed one from Ryan Marrast and with less than four minutes to play it looked momentarily as if Capitals might lose their momentum, their nerve, and crumble away. But two successive driving baskets by lightning point-guard Santa Ataha shot them back 70-69 in front and restored their self-belief.

Capitals' defensive effort had intimidated Worthing out of driving to the basket themselves, a malady only temporarily solved by the introduction of Daniel Midgley off the bench, and the Willesden-base outfit were markedly successful at preventing Worthing developing their devasting fast break.

They stifled the big guns of Janis Ivanovskis, Marcus Avant, Pat Bates and Ott, and the introduction of Daniel Hildreth at point-guard, in place of James Brame, who was unable to probe enough openings in the half-court offensive pattern into which Thunder were forced, arguably saved Worthing an embarrassment. Hildreth's energy, determination and tempo somehow helped keep them in the game.

Now Worthing have got something to prove as champions and the second leg will not be easy. What Capitals achieved on Saturday they did without athletic centre Ibrahim Gariba and he expects to be fit for the trip down the A24.

Capitals won't have their crowd, their african drumming or their hip-hop music but they will be adding Gariba to their power the crash the backboards and challenge Thunder's presence in height.

Leading scorers -

Capitals: Marlo Saunders 26, Marcus Saunders 20, Whalid Mumuni 10, Satna Ataha 10.

Thunder: Marcus Avant 20, Alfredo Ott 16, Ryan Marrast 16, Janis Ivanovskis 11, Pat Bates 8.

Get the Herald this week for full quotes for both teams, more from Richard Amey's report and Ian Muir's pictures.