Leeds Carnegie Basketball

Match Report
Leeds Carnegie II v Huddersfield Heat // 12th February 2012

Carnegie II can’t extinguish Huddersfield Heat

After Carnegie II’s massive victory over Durham this Wednesday in BUCS, they looked to follow up that victory against a much tougher Huddersfield Heat in National League Division Three. With the league’s leading points scorer Jason Swaine scoring a massive 34 points, the team could not defeat Huddersfield despite their 8-0 run in the final minute of the game. They eventually lost 98-93.

The first quarter was a very balanced offensive performance by Carnegie II, with 7 of their players getting onto the scoresheet. However Heat’s Irving and Swaine would score 9 points each to give them a 24-21 lead at the end of the quarter. In the second, Useckas would score 9 of his 25 points to as the team would keep up with Huddersfield, however Swaine would hit yet another three pointer to stretch the lead out to 10 points. 51-41 at the half.

Things would get worse in the third quarter as Carnegie would go down by 14 and their starting point guard Josh Scanlon would get fouled out. This however seemed to spark Leeds and more specifically Ben Cepulis into action. He would score 10 of Carnegie’s last 16 points of the quarter as Carnegie brought it back to 7 points heading into the final quarter.

As Huddersfield stretched the lead out to 11 within the first three minutes, Useckas would add another 2 to his points total, then it was Metcalf’s time to shine again, hitting back-to-back threes to pull Carnegie within 3 points. Huddersfield would then stretch out the lead to 13 points with some inside scoring from Huddersfield’s Gray. After Carnegie II last home game against Sheffield Saints coming right down to the wire, the team again didn’t disappoint the crowd. Going on an 11-2 run in just a minute and a half the game was again a three point game. With only 10 seconds left on the clock Chris McCann was forced to foul to send the opposition to the line. Heat’s captain and coach Perez would coolly knock down both. Carnegie would then fail to score and the game ended 98-93.

Top Scorers

Leeds Carnegie

*Cepulis – 26 Points

*Useckas – 25 Points

*McCann – 13 Points

Huddersfield Heat

*Swaine – 34 Points

*Gray – 19 Points

*Irving – 15 Points