6:00pm Sunday 21st March 2010
WOLVES entered the defining part of their regular BBL season with one of the most emphatic wins in their 10- year history.
They crushed Guildford by 34 points and it could have been more as home coach Paul James finished the game with all his bench players on court.
Nine Worcester players registered on the scoreboard with Danny Gilbert (32) and Kastytis Normantas (31) leading the way.
Wolves had played at Shef-field the previous evening without playmaker Rod Mid-dleton and Harry Disy but both were passed fit and took their place on court for the start of the game along with Normantas and Gilbert as well as centre Giedrius Knysas.
Guildford who, like the Wolves, are battling to fill a play-off place only brought eight players and two of those, Oscar Ociepa and Lekan Popoola, took little part as their player-coach Chad McKnight rotated just himself and the other five Heat players. The visitors made a better start and opened a seven- point lead mid-way through the first 10-minute period.
When Disy left the game to rest his injured ankle, things looked ominous for Worces-ter. But Siman Stewart came off the bench to have his most effective game as he made nine points and four rebounds and was working in rotation with Devin Smith and Knysas under the basket at both ends of the court.
The game suddenly turned in the second quarter when Wolves produced their best spell of basketball seen at the University for years.
Guildford had extended their lead to nine at 34-25 and were looking comfortable but, prompted by some energetic play from Normantas and three-point shooting from Gilbert, who made a staggering seven successful maximums from just ten attempts, Wolves went on a run of 17-0.
Gilbert was magnificent ag-ainst his old club and hit a match-high personal total of 32. As well as his shooting, his defensive and link play was outstanding.
Disy was battling hard through the pain barrier and he made a good 20 points and Middleton was providing the high quality passes for all Worcester’s big scorers.
Half-time came but it did not stop the flow of brilliant play from coach James’ side. They produced another burst of 14-4 and were in total command at the end of third period as they led by 76 –55.
Still the Wolves poured the points and pressure on and the lead was 32 points with four minutes of the last quarter left.
It was too much for McKnight and he had to leave the game with five personal fouls.
The carnage continued even when the home bench joined in a towards the end of the game and the Lithuanian Normantas appropriately brought up the 100 with two free throws. He had by far his best game for Wolves.
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