Girls win again but boys need Christmas break

The Under 15 boys went down to their second defeat of the season, losing 83 - 49 to Highfield School in the County League. With Aidan out injured and Jamie turning his ankle in the second minute, the remaining squad of 6 found it difficult initially to deal with an excellent point guard and some good 3 point shooting from the Highfield team. Once we switched to a zone defence we looked more solid and grew in confidence. Ben Hackwood was outstanding, scoring 33 points, with the rest of the boys showing a real fighting spirit in difficult circumstances. Our final quarter performance (we outscored Highfield 13 - 11) showed a focus and ability to learn, particularly from our less experienced players. With a fully fit squad we should have nothing to fear from any of our other opponents and hopefully we can still reach the semi finals. Injuries to Aidan, Jamie and Josh Smithers could affect our season but hopefully the Christmass break will allow them to fully recover and be fighting fit for the New Year.

POM: BEN HACKWOOD

The Under 13 girls continued their impressive start to the season, beating a strong Longdean team 45 - 18. After a tentative start, where our shooting was rushed and lacked control, we settled into our passing game and began to convert our lay ups and rebounded shots. When marking our opponent closely and not getting drawn to the ball, our defence was very effective. The year 7 girls who made their first appearance should also be pleased with their start to Beaumont basketball. We passed the ball well, and began to use the fast break consistently in thesecond half. Olivia top scored with 23 points whilst Holly scored 10 and Morgan 8. The rest of the team now need to work on their lay ups and outside shooting as we will have tougher games and will need everyone to score if we aim to win the County League this year. A really good start to the season, well done girls!

POM: OLIVIA ALMOND 

Great week for the Boys and Girls teams

Last week saw the Under 15 and 16 boys, and the Under 13 girls all win well in their National, County or District League matches.
On Monday the Under 15 boys beat Verulam in a below par performance 64 - 54 to secure second place in the District League (Jamie Moroney top scored with an impressive 44 points)
On Tuesday the Under 16 boys travelled to Westfield in the Nationals and were playing extremely well, leading 56 - 30 until an injury to Josh meant the game had to be cut short. Westfield were very sporting to concede the game and hopefully Josh will recover in time for next terms matches. Kieron top scored with 34 points, an impressive total in just over 25 minutes of basketball. The whole squad deserve credit for a very impressive team performance
The Under 13 girls travelled to Westfield and were a little nervous as this was their first ever County League match. They need not have worried as they played extremely well, scoring 48 unanswered points in a 52 - 3 victory. Olivia Almond top scored with 22, with Holly Brando Hollahan not far behind on 16. Morgan Jeggo, Adi Milton and Steph King performed extremely well in their first ever game and this result bodes well for the rest of the season. Well done to all three teams.    

Under 18 Girls win against Westfield!

Well done to the Under 18 Girls squad who won their first game in the County League 53 - 21 against Westfield. Team captain Cleme Lewis top scored with 36 points but this was a real team performance. Aisha and Tati rebounded well, whilst the defence and passing from Holly, Rowen and Shriya created possession and space for the team as a whole. This was a very positive start which will hopefully lead to another County League Final and the chance to retain our title. Well done to the whole squad.

MOST IMPROVED PERFORMANCE: Tati Bee

Great performance for the Under 16 Boys

The Under 16 boys produced one of their best ever performances to defeat Sandringham 113 - 47 in their opening County League fixture. A dominant display on both offence and defence saw all members of the squad play with confidence and cohesion. Kieron, Aidan, Jamie and Luke rebounded well at both ends of the court with Jamie, Aidan and Jack driving the ball strongly to the basket. Josh and Ben brought the ball down the court with control whilst the whole team played as a unit on defence. Kieron shot well from the foul line and when we couldn't get the ball into the key Jamie shot well from outside. If we can maintain this level of performance we will be very hard to beat this season. Well done to the whole squad.

No game for year 7 this Friday

Unfortunately Sandringham can now not play us this Friday so there will be training until 4.15 instead. I hope to reschedule the match

Under 13 Boys back on track in the County League

An excellent 59 - 9 win against Sheredes tonight saw the Under 13 boys squad win their second game in the county league. Some much improved passing on offence, coupled with more structure to our play meant that 9 out of the 11 players scored. Joe Byers, Callum Walker and Zach West all developed their passing game at point guard, whilst Lewis, James and Jacob rebounded well at both ends of the court. This result means we are two more wins away from reaching a County semi final. Well done to the whole squad on their best team performance so far.

Under 13 boys start well in the county league

An excellent performance from the Under 13 boys saw us defeat Chauncy 72 - 20 in our first County League match of the season. Zach West captained the team in Will Moroney's absence and led the team well, rebounding strongly and scoring heavily. Lewis Montgomery Moore also rebounded relly well and drove the ball to the basket with strength and power. The whole squad contributed to a very encouraging all round performance and suggests that we should aim to be semi finalists at least in this competition. The squad should check their stats for the game on the under 13 page and vote for their player of the match and most improved player. Well played everyone!

Great result for the 15's against Sandringham

Well done to the Under 15 boys team who continued to improve their form with an impressive 90 - 61 win against a strong Sandringham team last night. Ben Hackwood who was Man of the match against Roundwood, played some excellent defence and brought the ball down the floor with control and purpose. Jamie (34 points) and Aidan (38 points) were our top scorers with Luke and Ben chipping in with 10 points each. Joe O'Shea intercepted the ball on a number of occasions and drove the ball very strongly. Jake took up some intelligent positions on the court and Chris rebounded well, particularly in the second half. Both players were unlucky not to score. Although our defence under the basket needs improving, this was a good performance, inparticular on offence where we were fluent and direct when breaking. A victory against Verulam will see us secure second place in the A Division.

Mixed fortunes in the District League for the Under 15 Boys

A mixed start has seen one win and one defeat in the District League. Our first game saw us take on St Columbas on the 20th Sept. Unfortunately with Aidan injured, Dan Kempsford ill and Jamie damaging his wrist in the first minute of the game we struggled to rebound effectively against a tall and powerful team. We went dowm 28 - 83 but showed a lot of character, working hard right to the final whistle.
Our second game against Roundwood Park on Monday saw Aidan return from injury and we soon raced into a 12 - 0 lead. With all of the squad players getting plenty of court time we began to play decent defence and moved the ball better on offence as the game progressed. Dan Kempsford palyed well in only his second game, rebounding strongly both on offence and defence. Joe and Ben drove the ball with purpose and Luke continued where he left off against St Columbas, competing well under the basket at both ends of the court. We eventually ran out 74 - 20 winners to get back on track for the season. Aidan who captained the team, top scored with 30 points.

2011/12 Season Fixtures and Training

The opponents fo the 2011/12 Season are now available for each age group on their age group page. Dates for District League matches and some County League matches are also on the blog.
Training is on Monday nights for the Under 13, 14 and 15 Boys, Thursday nights for all girls, Friday after school for all year 7 pupils and Tuesday lunchtimes for the Under 16 Boys and Senior Girls.
Lets hope this season is as successful as last season!

WELL DONE EVERYONE!!

CONGRATULATIONS ON OUR MOST SUCCESSFUL EVER BASKETBALL SEASON AT BEAUMONT!!

Make sure you look at your stats and our overall stats for the season.

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION THIS SEASON.

Under 12 squad reach County Rally Final

The Under 12 boys and girls squad demonstrated the progress they have made over the season by reaching the County Rally Final three to end the Beaumont basketball season on another high. We played four group games, defeating hosts Longdean as well as Bridgewater and Hemel comfortably. This meant we faced the other undefeated team, Cavendish in the league decider. As our points for record was stronger, we only had to avoid defeat to progress to the final. Cavendish led 4 - 2 after the first half and extended their lead to 6 - 2 early in the second. The score remained this way until 1 minute to go until Zach West and then Jacob Bockenhauer scored with seconds remaining to take us through.
We travelled to St Columbas and faced their B team and A team in a three way play off.
In the B team game, we started slowly and were 7 - 4 down at half time. The second 5 on battled back brilliantly, levelling the score at 7 - 7 only to lose to a break away lay up 9 - 7.
We then faced the St Columbas A team in our second game knowing we had to win to have any chance of winning the tournament. we started well and battled extremely hard narrowly losing 14 - 12. The whole squad made an excellent contribution with Will (c), Zach, Olivia and Jacob all scoring 10 points or more. Morgan played with control and Holly rebounded excellently.
Although St Columbas were technically stronger, we layed the ball up very well, rebounded strongly and worked extremely hard. I look forward to seeing how we perform in the County League next season. Well done to the whole squad!

Boys win County Treble and National Final!

A great season for Beaumont Basketball was capped by three County Final victories this week.
After a long and successful season, the Under 14 boys defeated Sandringham 74 - 61 in the County Semi Final (Aidan 34 points) to set up a meeting with St Columbas in the Final, having lost by 20 points in the final last year. In a very close and competitive game, we led by around 8 to 10 points from the first to the 3rd quarter. Jamie Moroney was then fouled out which saw the introduction of Dan Hartwell for the last 8 minutes. He worked extremely hard on defence and, once Ben Hackwood had the St Columbas point guard fouled out, we managed to hold on for a tense 66 - 64 win. Aidan Gastaldi Davies was our top scorer and was absolutely outstanding throughout the whole match. Well done to the whole squad for remaining unbeaten all season and becoming District and County Champions!

Beaumont Man of the Match: AIDAN GASTALDI DAVIES

The Under 15 and Under 18 Boys last Wednesday also played their County Finals, against St Columbas and St Georges Schhol respectively. For the majority of the Under 15 Boys this was at least their fourth game in as many days and it showed early on where we found it difficult to pull away from a strong St Columbas team. They rebounded strongly and we looked a little nervous when shooting. We picked up the pace a little in the final two quareters and with less than a minute to go we were on point up. We then set up a baseline move where we faked a screen away for Kieron Gastaldi Davies to cut back and score an easy jump shot. That gave us a three point lead which we held for the remainder of the game to win 57 - 54. Kieron not only rebounded well under both baskets, but top scored with 24 points to earn the Man of the Match award. Well done and congratulations to the Under 15 squad who emulated the Under 14 boys winning all of their games this season.

Man of the Match: KIERON GASTALDI DAVIES

The Under 18 squad were aiming to retain their County Final having won it last year in a close game with St Columbas. This years opponents were St Georges, who we had defeated in the League but who had beaten St Columbas in the semi final.
We started in a measured and controlled manner, leading 15 - 10 after the first quarter and 24 - 19 at half time. We then decided to play a full court press in the third quarter. This proved to be decisive with the captain Tayo Oyefusi hitting 17 points and the team 27 points, whilst conceding only 3. Andy Morgan and Owen McDermott both contributed with key scores, whilst Adam Luck had his most best and confident game for Beaumont. We kept St Georges at arms length for the remainder of the game and won relatively comfortably, 59 - 37. A special mention should go to the year 13 players who are leaving this year. Freddie Brown joined the squad last season and has developed into a strong player, particularly on defence. Joe Kaloczi has played right throughout his time at Beaumont and came back from a serious leg injury to play this season. He has always been a reliable and hardworking player. Duncan Maguire has stepped up to be our first choice point guard this season and has played some excellent defence and entertained with some great lay up attempts this season. Andy Morgan and Owen McDermott (vice captain) have also played throughout their time at Beaumont and are both very intelligent and skillful players. They have both helped lead the squad in the way they play and, particularly this season, the way they have conducted themselves on court. It has been a pleasure to coach them both over the last seven years. It has also been a pleasure to coach Tayo this and last season, who has really brought that extra athleticism and skill level to the squad which has allowed us to move from County Finalists to County winners and National finalists. He has been a great role model to the younger players and should be really proud of his acievements in such a short time at Beaumont. I wish all of the boys leaving this year the best of luck for the future and hope to see them in years to come for old boys games. Thank you all for a great season!

Man of the Match: TAYO OYEFUSI

The Under 15 boys came to their County Final a little tired due to the fact they had reached the National Schools Boys Basketball Championships Final after narrowly defeating Holy Trinity School from Crawley in the Quarters.
We travelled to Nottingham on the 26th March in preperation for two games on the Sunday at The Nottingham Wildcats Arena. We did not know our semi final opponents as their quarter final had to be replayed due to a dispute regarding the type of defence played in their original game. In a close and hard fought game Stantonbury(Milton Keynes) defeated Stockwell Park (London) and would play us in the semi at 1.30pm. We played a controlled and patient game and came out on top by 5 points, helped massively by the reintroduction of Jamie Moroney off the bench in the last 3 minutes of the game. This gave us a couple of hours to prepare for our final against Bluecoat School from Liverpool, who were last years winners.
Although they were a strong team, we started brightly and took an early lead. The game then became relatively close until our greater agility and pace started to tell. We began to defend our base line a lot better and, as the final quarter progressed, we started to pull away, eventually winning the game 69 - 57 to become National Champions! Aidan Gastaldi Davies was outstanding on offence, as was Jamie Moroney. The captain, Josh Smithers and Jack Nevin, played with control and worked extremely hard against their point guards when on defence. Ben Hackwood also contributed well on defence and Luke Hazelhurst rebounded the ball excellently in the semi final game. Kieron Gastaldi Davies was also superb on the boards, particularly in the Final which earned him our man of the match award.
The whole squad deserve great credit for their performances this season. They have remained undefeated all season, winning 15 games, scoring over 1000 points and becoming District, County and National Champions!! A lot to live up to next season!
Well done to all of you and good luck to those of you still involved in National Play Off's for your clubs.

National Finals Squad:
Josh Smithers (c), Kieron Gastaldi Davies, Jack Nevin, Aidan Gastaldi Davies,
Jamie Moroney, Ben Hackwood, Luke Hazelhurst, Joe O'Shea, Dan Hartwell

Under 15 Girls struggle in County Final

The under 15 girls side played a very strong Hemel side in the County Final on Thursday evening last week. Hemel had already defeated us in the League stages of the competition and we started slowly against a strong full court press defence. With Shriya not feeling well, Holly Seglah took on the responsibility of points scorer and was outstanding both offensively and defensively throughout the game. She was supported by Aisha and Jude who passe the ball well. Aisha was very competitive on defence and had her best game for school. A special mention should go to Bethan Llewellyn and Sioned Armstrong who played their final Under 15 game and move up to the senior squad next season. Although the final score was 116 - 35, the team were mainly made up of year 9 girls, compared to Hemel who had a mainly year 10 team with several County players and one England player. Becoming County Runners Up is real progress on previous seasons and the whole squad should be very proud of their season. Well done to all of you!

Player of the Match: HOLLY SEGLAH

Senior Girls win the County Cup for a fifth straight year!

Congratulations to the Senior Girls squad for an outstanding victory tonight in the Senior County Cup Final. We travelled with a young team (two year 9's and 7 year 11's) who were a little nervous about playing a senior final. However, we started very well and were soon 27 - 14 up. Cleme Lewis was scoring well inside with Karis Mimms and Holly Seglah playing some excellent defence. The fourth quarter saw Queens change to a zone on defence which made it much more challenging to get close to the basket. Queens began to come back and with only a two point lead we lost Cleme to injury. With only 1 minute remaining scores were level at 40 all and then Maddy Warbey rebounded a missed shot and scored to put us two points up. The Queens point guard then hit one foul shot to put the game on a knife edge. Some excellent defence saw us home in the tightest of games. Well done to the girls for showing a lot of character in a very well deserved victory!

Beaumont player of the match: CLEME LEWIS

Senior Boys make the National Final!

The Senior Boys team played a strong SEEVIC team in the National semi having defeated Holy Trinity narrowly in the quarter final. Having fought hard but lost by around 30 points earlier in the competition, we new the rematch with SEEVIC would be a challenge. We started strongly and led 17 - 16 at half time. Unfortunately our zone defence that had been so strong early on was breached too often in the third quarter where we conceded 20 points and scored only 8. Our fourth quarter performance was better but we could not breach the gap and lost 58 - 47. A much improved performance showing good quality team defence and good link up play between Tayo, Andy and Owen.

Beaumont player of the match: ANDY MORGAN

Although we lost the semi final, SEEVIC were unable to attend the final so we were invited to play Elsmere Port at the Nottingham Wildcats Arena. We travelled up by minibus on Saturday 19th March and played against the strongest team we have played all season. We found ourselves in foul trouble quite early on and this coupled with our opponents hitting around 90% of their three point shots, we were down 58 - 26 at half time. Although the points difference in the second half was similar (final score 117 - 52) we showed a lot of character and worked extremely hard. Tayo led the team well, working hard on court and encouraging his team mates whenever possible. Although we were a little outclassed in the final, the team deserved to be there based on their outstanding performances over the rest of the season. Lets hope a County Final win tomorrow night is compensation for this defeat!

Beaumont player of the match: TAYO OYEFUSI

Upcoming fixtures

The under 19 Boys National semi final and the Under 14 an 15 boys County semi finals are now arranged:

Under 19 Boys v SEEVIC, Thursday 17th March (Home, Francis Bacon)
Under 14 Boys v Sandringham, Thursday 24th March (Home)
Under 15 Boys v Sandringham, Monday 21st March (Home)

Please check the noticeboard at the gym for full details.

Under 15 Boys make the National Finals!!

Well done to the Under 15 boys who have not only won 11 out of 11 but have now qualified for the National Finals in Nottingham on the 27th March. Last night they played Holy Trinity School from Crawley in the quarter final. In a very close game, we took a 34 - 28 lead into the half time break but then Holy Trinity fought back in the third to make it 48 - 46 to Beaumont. We maintained our lead but were only two points up with less than a minute to play. Kieron Gasstaldi Davies then drove to the basket and was fouled. To put the game beyond Holy Trinity Kieron had to hit both foul shots which, although he was under real pressure, he did and we won the game by 4 points, 65 - 61. Kieron hit 11, with Jamie Moroney (11), Aidan Gastaldi Davies (17) also hitting double figures. Our defence improved as the game continued but will need to improve further if we are to be successful in Nottingham. Congratulations to the whole squad on an outstanding season so far and being 2 games away from becoming National Champions!

Seniors reach National Semi Final

Congratulations to the Senior Boys Squad who travelled to Holy Trinity School in Crawley and defeated them 65 - 58 in the National Schools Competition. This means the boys are now in the semi finals, an outstanding performance. We started poorly, going 10 points down, and the first half was sluggish and frustrating. We were 1 point down at half time but picked up in the second half and played more aggressive defence and moved better on offence. Tayo top scored with 38 points whilst Owen and Andy hit 13 and 12 respectively. A special mention should go to Jack Nevin and Max Robson from year 10 who really played with confidence and contributed significantly to the win. A great performance from all of the boys, well done!

Under 13 girls produce their best performance of the season

Our best performance of the season saw us run out 44 - 20 winners against a competitive Turnford side. We were strong defensively, rebounding well and always looking to steal the ball. Initially our shooting lacked composure but as we grew in confidence we began to not only hit our set shots but lay the ball up well. This was particularly the case for Olivia Almond and Naomi Baker who scored 18 and 12 points respectively. Holly and Ella rebounded well and Laura, Olivia, Georgia and Renae all worked hard and passed the ball well (Laura also contributed with 6 points). This was a very positive performance, demonstrating not only greater offensive team work but more competitive defensive play. Well done on our second successive County League win.

Under 15 girls one win from County Semi

The Under 15 girls won their third game in a row last night to move within one win of a County Semi final place. Holly Seglah and Shriya Mahatma both hit over 20 points in the impressive 49 - 18 win against Longdean. Emma Hodgson and Aisha Akinbinu both rebounding very well with Megan Gardner and Courtney Ward both played good defence and passing the ball with control. Well done on another excellent team performance, and thanks to Rowen Seglah, Cleme Lewis and Dan Angus for doing the table officiating.

Upcoming fixtures

Reminder:

Under 13 girls v Turnford is home tomorrow night (Wednesday 2nd March)
Under 18 boys National League Quarter Final v Holy Trinity, Thursday 3rd March
1.oopm leave
Next week on Monday we have an Under 13 Boys District Game v Sandringham and
Under 15 Boys National League Quarter Final (Francis Bacon, 4.00pm tip off) on Monday 7th March.

Under 13 boys Find District League opener a challenge

The year 8 basketball team had a great game against St Columbas even though they lost 103 - 28. We knew that it was going to be a very tough game as they were the best in the county. After not the best first quarter we started the second more aggressively. Danny, Alex, Joe and Ben started some great rebounding and got us some extra points. As each quarter progressed we played better and better. The whole team had a great work rate getting getting back to defend. There were many positives that came out of the game especially our defence which has improved massively since our last game. But, it still wasn't good enough to stop St Columbas scoring 103.

Written by Ed Anders (Year 8 squad captain)

WELL DONE EVERYONE!!

Well done and thank you to all boy and girl players who have played this season. This has been a very successful season so far with four of the six teams in the county league still in contention to reach finals. We also still have two teams in the National quarter finals. It has been a pleasure taking all the teams this season and let us hope we build on our progress next half term. Have a good half term break, only four games the first week back!

Under 14 Boys become the third team in the County semi's

Congratulations to the Under 14 Boys team who remained unbeaten for the season and reached the County semi finals with a comfortable 68 - 42 win against Richard Hale. Although our defensive play was not at its best, our full court press in the second quarter helped us win the ball back and score a number of unopposed lay ups. This gave us a 15 point cushion at half time which we were able to build on in the last 2 quarters. Well done to Jamie Moroney and Aidan Gastaldi Davies who both hit over 20 points. A number of players looked tired after the CED day activities but the win was generally comfortable and sets up a home tie in the semi final. Well done on an excellent season so far and lets hope we can reach our second County Final in two years.

Man of the Match - Jamie Moroney

Senior boys win take us to over 2000 points for the season

An outstanding performance against a strong Richard Hale side saw the Senior boys team remain undefeated in the County League and take us through the 200 points barrier for the season. Captain Tayo Oyefusi scored over 40 points, with Owen McDermott scoring over 30 in a 108 - 60 win. Max Robson from year played well as point guard, whilst Jack Nevin, also from year 10 played with control and confidence on his senior team debut. Adam Luck, Freddie Brown and Joe Kaloczi all played aggressive defence whilst Andy Morgan played with control and intelligence. A really good all round team performance see's us one game away from a home draw in the semi finals. Well played to the whole team!

Most Improved Performance - Freddie Brown

Under 15 boys reach the County semi's with an emphatic win

The Under 15 boys made it 10 out of 10 wins for the season with an outstanding 109 - 17 win against Turnford in the County League. Jack Nevin and Aidan Gastaldi Davies both hit over 30 points with Kieron Gastaldi Davies scoring 27 points and reaching 200 points in his age group for the season. The team now have a break until the 7th February when they play Holy Trinity in the National Quarter Final. Well done on reaching the County semi final as group winners, averaging 77 points per game!

Under 13 girls get well deserved first win

Their best performance of the season saw the Under 13 girls squad break their duck in the County League, beating Longdean 26 - 15. The whole squad contributed and, apart from the third quarter, we passed the ball with control and shot with confidence. Olivia Almond top scored with 10 points with Naomi Baker close behind on 8. Holly Brando played some excellent defence, as did captain Mei Plumstead. Well done to the whole squad who have stuck together through some heavy defeats and thoroughly deserve their first victory!

Most Improved Performance - Holly Brando

Under 15 boys remain unbeaten

Well done to the Under 15 boys who remain unbeaten in 9 games having beaten St Mary's 45 - 24 in a very physical County League fixture on Wednesday night. With a couple of absentees and players carrying injuries the victory was even more impressive. However, the squad will nedd to work harder on defence and turn the ball over much less on offence if they are to beat Turnford on Monday and Holy Trinity in the Nationals on the 7th March. Well done to the squad on reaching the County semi finals. A win on Monday will see us top the group and have an easier semi final draw.

Man of the Match - Kieron Gastaldi Davies

Under 12's finish the District League with a win

A strong first half performance saw the Under 12 basketball squad get their second District League victory of the season. Against a tall and athletic St Georges squad we moved the ball and created space very well and drove the ball aggressively to the basket. This meant we were 21 - 2 up at half time. St Georges picked up their defence after half time and we struggled to deal with the full court marking, narrowly winning 25 - 24 in a very second half performance. Will Moroney and ZXach West drove the ball strongly to the basket, with Morgan Trotman passing the ball with control. Jacob Bockenhauer rebounded well, particularly on defence and scored some important points. If we can replicate our first half play in the County rally later in the season we will be a match for most teams. Well done to the whole squad.

MAN OF THE MATCH: ZACH WEST

Under 15 boys make last 8 of the Nationals

Congratulations to the Under 15 boys team on joining the Senior Boys team in the last 8 of the Nationals. Having beaten St Columbas by 22 points in the home leg of a two game play off, we only needed to avoid defeat to progress. As with the first game, we started extremely well, leading 22 - 8 after the first quarter. With only 7 players available our aim was to maintain our lead, and with some controlled offence and good team defence we kept at least 10 points difference as we entered the last quarter. We started the fourth quarter strongly and pulled away, winning the quarter by 9 points and the game 65 - 47. A special mention should go to Ben Hackwood and Joe O'Shea who stepped up to play a year out of age, and played very well. The squad should be extremely proud of their performance tonight and I look forward to seeing how far we can now progress in the competition.

MAN OF THE MATCH: JAMIE MORONEY

Senior Boys suffer first defeat of the season

The Senior Boys team travelled to SEEVIC in essex for their second National League game last night. The opposition were very tall and athletic but, despite being a younger and much smaller team we played extremely well up to half time and only trailed by 2 points (35 - 33). Tayo and Owen linked up well on offence and the whole squad worked extremely well to prevent inside shots and control the ball on offence.
The final two quarters saw us put under much greater pressure by a full court press and trap which meant we did sometimes turn the ball over cheaply. The whole squad were a credit to the school and still qualify for the last eight but will have an away game in the quarter final.

MAN OF THE MATCH: OWEN MCDERMOTT

Under 15 Boys become our second District Championship Winners

Well done to the Under 15 Boys who became the second Beaumont team this season to become District Champions. Their comfortable 70 - 36 win against St Georges not only secures the District Championships but means they have won 7 out of 7 this season, averaging 78 points per game and conceding only 31. The Under 14 boys, our other District Champions, average 71 per game, conceding only 28. A win on Thursday against St Columbas will see the Under 15 team progress to the last 8 of the Nationals. Well done to the whole squad for an excellent season so far!

Another tough game for the Under 13 girls

The Under 13 girls went down 54 - 4 to a strong Westfield team on Monday night. Although we were outplayed in the first half, the signs were more encouraging in the last quarter, which we drew 4 - 4. The majority of the squad only took up the game this season and as long as they keep working hard they will see quick and significant improvement. It is unfortunate that they have had to play 3 teams that in previous years could have all won County Finals. It was great to see the whole squad positive at the end of the game and hopefully we can get our first win in one of our last two County League games.

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: NAOMI BAKER

Under 15 boys remain undefeated

A comfortable 78 - 18 win against Sheredes in the County league see's the Under 15 boys remain unbeaten for the season. Although not an easy game to play structured offence, at times we passed the ball with control and speed to open up easy scoring opportunities. Jack Nevin and Jamie Moroney both scored over 20 points in the game, with Jack driving aggressively to the basket and Jamie shooting well from outside. The performance should give the boys confidence as they go into a week when they could win the District League and qualify for the next round of the Nationals. Good look to the whole squad next week.

MAN OF THE MATCH: JAMIE MORONEY

Year 7 squad find it hard v STABS

A slightly depleated squad travelled to STABS last night in the District League. Lacking three of the starting five, we struggled to match our opponents athleticism and speed and this meant their fast break and rebounding were more effective. Despite this, at times we passed the ball well and individually played some good offence. We now need to work on our shooting accuracy and individual defence if we are to become more competitve. Morgan Trotman and Zach West played particularly well and scored the majority of our points in the 33 - 11 defeat.

Player of the match - ZACH WEST

Year 8 Boys secure their first County League win of the season

Well done to the year 8 boys team who, having had several narrow defeats in the County League, completed their first win against Chauncy School, 36 - 20. It is well deserved as the squad have trained regularly and worked very hard this season. Ben Allen and Danny Cutmore rebounded strongly and Ed Anders top scored with 22 points. Hopefully, with a little more shooting accuracy we can add to this win in future games.

Players of the match - ED ANDERS & DANNY CUTMORE

Under 15 Girls put in their best performance of the season

An outstanding performance saw the Under 15 girls win again in the County League, beating Westfield 70 – 17. The first quarter saw Shriya Mahatma and Holly Seglah drive the ball strongly to the basket to give us a 22 – 2 lead. As the game progressed we played a much better all round team game with Emma Hodgson taking up great positions under the basket and Aisha Akimbinu rebounding strongly. Tati Bee, Megan Gardner and Jude Greene all played excellent individual defence and passed the ball intelligently. The fourth quarter saw the team really move the ball well, producing some great passing plays to open up easy shooting opportunities. This was the squads best team performance and should give them great confidence going into their next County League game against Longdean on Wednesday 26th January. Well done to the whole team!

Most improved performance - TATI BEE

Under 18 Boys stun St Columbas in the National League

A superb squad performance saw the Under 18 boys team emulate the under 15 squad and beat St Columbas in their first National League fixture. We started strongly, leading 24 – 11 after the first quarter. Although not rebounding as well as we can, our team defence and excellent fast break saw us extend our lead to 43 – 27 at half time. We rebounded much more effectively in the second half and passed the ball extremely well on the break , eventually running out 100 – 61 winners, an outstanding performance. The only negative was an ankle injury to Tayo which we all hope is not too serious. Tayo, Andy and Owen were all excellent but a special mention should go to Jamie Moroney (year 9), Kieron Gastadi Davies and Max Robson (both year 10) who played with maturity and confidence against much older players. The final group game against SEEVIC is on Wednesday 2nd February and a win will see us progress to the regional finals.

Man of the Match - JAMIE MORONEY

Year 7 Squad beat Sandringham in the District League

The year 7 squad turned an 18 - 20 defeat in a pre season friendly into a 25 - 22 win in their second District League game last night. Sandringham started strongly but we began to rebound well and pass with more control, finishing the first half 15 - 8 up. The third quarter continued in the same vein and some good shooting and better man to man marking meant a 25 - 14 lead with a quarter to go. Our fourth quarter performance was not as strong but we held out to win by three with some intelligent defending in the last minute. Will Moroney played in a controlled and intelligent way as point guard and Morgan Trotman drove the ball to the basket strongly. Jacob Bockenhauer and Olivia Almond both rebounded well and scored important baskets which helped us to our first victory.
Well done to the whole squad, and hopefully this will give us confidence in our next District League game against Verulam.

Man of the Match - MORGAN TROTMAN

Last night in the home leg of the National league County Round, the Under 15 Boys squad put on an impressive display to defeat St Columbas College 68 – 46. Against a much stronger squad than in the District League game, the boys dominated the first half, finishing it with a 20 point advantage (35 – 15). The third and fourth quarters saw St Columbas come back into the game with a more determined defensive display, and we will need to defend as a unit with more sharpness if we are to defeat them in the second game and progress in the competition further. We should go into this game with great confidence next Tuesday as anything but a 22 point plus defeat will see us progress to the Regional round.
The whole squad contributed to an excellent all round performance and are developing into a very good side. Well done to Jamie Moroney from Year 9 who despite ending up a little battered and bruised top scored with 25 points. Individual and team stats for the game are on the Under 15 page.

Man of the Match - JAMIE MORONEY

The Under 14 Boys continued their unbeaten run to the season with an excellent
78 – 35 win against an athletic St Mary’s team. Another strong rebounding performance from the team, and some excellent movement off the ball meant that we were able to open up the St Mary’s defence and score a lot of unopposed points. Chris Stone and Jack Rintoul were our most improved players, with Ben Hackwood and Joe O’Shea hitting 8 points each. Jamie Moroney and Aidan Gastaldi Davies both hit almost 30 points, an excellent performance from both players.
Another win against Richard Hale School will see us qualify for the semi finals as East League winners and will give us a home draw against the second place team in the West Division.

Most Improved Performance - BEN HACKWOOD

Under 16 Girls complete double over Sandringham

Last night the Under 16 girls team completed a 55 - 26 win over Sandringham in a friendly home fixture, having played away and winning against the same team.
It was a very good team performance, with Cleme Lewis, Shriya Mahatma and Player of the Match, Rowen Seglah leading the team well when on court. It was extremely pleasing to see the younger and less experienced players growing in confidence and developing their fundamental skills by getting more court time in this match. Aisha Akinbinu and Emma Hodgson both rebounded extremely well, as did Bethan Llewellyn. Sioned Armstrong and Tati Bee both played smart and aggressive defence, whilst Courtney, Jude and Megan all began to position themselves well on defence and pass the ball more effectively on offence. Well done to the whole squad for an excellent all round team performance.

Most Improved performances - TATI BEE & COURTNEY WARD

A comfortable win for the Under 14 boys in the County League

A comfortable 92 – 30 win away to Chauncy School saw the Under 14 boys team open their County League account with an excellent all round team performance. Captain Jamie Moroney top scored with 36 points with Aidan Gastaldi Davies scoring 34 points. Joe O’Shea and Ben Hackwood both drove to the basket well whilst Luke Hazelhurst rebounded with greater confidence as the game progressed. Jake Andrew and Jack Rintoul had their best game for school and all 10 players should be very pleased with their performance and give them confidence for the rest of the season. Their next game is Thursday 13th January away, against St Mary’s School.

Most Improved performance - BEN HACKWOOD & JAKE ANDREWS