Teesside Lions 68-56 Calderdale Explorers

Teesside maintained their prime position after beating second placed Calderdale by 12pts at Eston Arena in front of the biggest crowd of the season and gives the Lions a 2pt lead ahead of Sheffield Elite.

This top of the table clash caught the visitors off-guard as Matt Hughes fired the Lions ahead with a smooth finish prior to Thomas Wylie and Theo Turner connecting well to lead 6-0.

It would take the Explorers nearly four minutes to discover the basket and when they did it was via their star guard Rob Donaldson, who’s impact on the game had been minimised thus far by Jack Beresford.

In the fifth minute Gregor Gray hit a 3-pointer to stretch Lions lead to 7pts and with two minutes remining in the first period a 6-2 run inspired by Ross Wilson gave Teesside some breathing space 19-9.

The second quarter saw Lions build on their lead as Hughes and Wilson combined well and took the score to 27-10 by the third minute; a single free throw from Donaldson the only response, but this would soon change as Coach Jim Fry managed to fire up his team and thanks to a 7pt haul from Cyrus Dennis actually won the second period 21-22. Turner continued to impress for Lions with 13pts in this period alone, exclamated with a powerful dunk in the seventh minute, courtesy of another Wylie assist.

The third quarter was less enthusiastic from both sides. Lions were looking a little off the boil while Calderdale were seeming to burn out. Teesside were struggling with their scoring rhythm and while their defence was still solid, especially with the rebounding prowess of Turner and Wilson, their was a desire to do better at risk of slipping into frustration.

Explorers captain Aaron Kay ensured Calderdale, while tired, still managed to do enough to take the third period 14-15.

The fourth quarter saw Teesside turn up the heat again as the unstoppable Theo Turner hit an unanswered 6pts to extend the Lions lead to 14. Another slow start for the visitors meant they were always climbing a steep hill.

The powerful Allie Fullah who had been neutralised by Turner for the majority of the game came alive in the final quarter with 8pts, but it would be too little too late.

Teesside, despite not being at their best, produced enough to maintain a 10pt cushion throughout the game and deliver a more industrious performance in contrast to their previous 60pt victory over Sheffield Elite II during the previous home win.

A win though is a win and the result never looked in doubt as Lions ran out worthy victors to the joy of the large Teesside fanbase.

In a relatively low scoring game in terms of individuals the stand out performer was 7 foot centre Theo Turner who dominated the game for Teesside and produced an incredible 34pts, 22 rebounds, 2 assists & 4 blocks to accumulate an incredible 34pt efficiency rating.

Following the game Theo Turner said he is loving life on Teesside following his return to the area from Germany where he was playing for three years. The giant superstar said: “I am pleased with the win today and I was happy I played a key role for the team. We have so many good players and I am loving the Teesside Lions experience. The fans were great today and while Calderdale are an able side, we were worthy winners and I am pleased to see us remain top of the table. I think there is a lot more to come from us and I am already looking forward to our next game!”

Top Scorers

– Lions: Turner 34, Hughes 14, Wilson R 8
– Explorers: Fullah 15, Dennis 13, Donaldson 12

The Lions travel to Newcastle on Sunday 5th December following the postponement of the Sheffield fixture on 28th November. The next home game for the Lions is Sunday 19th December where they play Calderdale again in a game the visitors will be thinking they can do better and Lions must raise their game to ensure that doenst happen.

Tickets available now at www.TeessideLions.com

Teesside Lions v Calderdale Explorers

Sunday 19th December 2.30pm Tip

– Doors open 1.30pm with music, snacks and entertainment.
– Spectators must be seated 30mins prior to tip

Tickets Prices

– Adult £6.50
– U18 & OAP £4.50
– Family £16 (2 adults & 2 u18)

Tickets must be purchased in advance to allow the club to cater for the attendance in accordance with venue & government covid guidelines.