RAF BASKETBALL MEN’S TEAM – INTER SERVICES 2011-04-21

The Men’s team went into the Inter-Services on the back of a winning streak of games during the season. A change of Head Coach (Flt Lt Richie Weeks) saw a change of direction for the team with fresh ideas and concepts to take on to the court. Flt Lt Weeks was supported throughout the season by FS Pete Clowes and between them, they developed a confident basketball team raring to show their talent at the Inter-Services competition, this year hosted by the Army at The Price of Wales Garrison in Grantham.

The first game for the RAF Men was against a young, talented Royal Navy side that included some excellent guards able to create strong offences that would fully test the RAF side. The Roayl Navy started the game with some excellent outside shooting ending the first quarter 2 points ahead of the RAF who saw their strong start eaten away by Navy accuracy. With their game heads back on the RAF team displayed what they were really capable of in the 2^nd and 3^rd quarters, creating the space for team captain Flt Lt Ant Walsh and Cpl Gareth Evans to take good 3 point shots. With the Navy in foul trouble, the RAF took advantage at the free throw line and went into the 4^th and final quarter with a demanding 20 point lead. In a commanding position, coach Weeks rotated players off the bench who made an excellent contribution to see the game finish with 76-62 to a dominate RAF team.

With a good win under their belt, the 2^nd and final game of the competition would be against a very athletic and strong Army squad that comprised a number of Combined Services players. It had been a decade since the RAF had claimed the Inter Services trophy and Coach Weeks delivered a passionate pre-game team talk that focussed the players’ energy and mind as to what needed to be done.

The game itself was a slow burner with only 24 points being scored in the first quarter as each team defended well and missed a few opening shots through nerves. The nerves were nowhere to be seen in the 2^nd quarter as the RAF produced some excellent offences to create easy lay-ups and stretch a 6 pt lead at the end of the half. The 3^rd quarter is end to end basketball but the Army are the stronger. The RAF miss 6 straight-forward lay-ups in this quarter alone and the Army take advantage to go into the final quarter just 3 points off the RAF lead. With the pressure mounting the RAF team struggled to keep pace with the Army who score 14 unanswered points and race to an 11 point lead with just 5 minutes to go. That lead is cut to 5 with only 2 minutes left but it isn’t long enough to pull it back and a dejected RAF team lose by 9 in the end having been the stronger team for most of the game.

At the end of the competition the Manager and Coaching staff selected their teams to represent the RAF in Munich at CC-Air along with those going to New Zealand in Jun to compete as guest nation in the NZ Inter-Services competition. Flt Lt Weeks was also selected as Head Coach for the Combined Services Basketball team.