The Freshman team played The Heights Catholic School in their game as Wootton do not have a Freshman squad. Jayden Tanevski showed a mature approach to his game and was a threat from outside the three point line. Oscar Bradburn had his best game on tour, contributing well with some fast-break baskets. We looked better when we switched to a zone defence and denied Heights easy access to the hoop. The team definitely improved again at both ends of the court, even though we lost by 10 in the end. Connor Orr commented - "We limited our turnovers which is something we have been struggling with on tour. This will greatly help us in our final game. Hi mum!" The quarter scores were: 5-21, 19-34, 29-44, 45-55.
In the JV game Zac Curran was outstanding with an extremely high outside shooting percentage. He was determined to run hard off screens to open himself up for some good looks at the basket. Michael Liu commented after the game - "We worked some good plays in the first quarter but our shots didn't fall. After half time Wootton's defence was strong which forced a lot of turnovers. Overall it was a good game, even though we lost. In our final game on tour we need to play harder defence and finish our shots." The quarter scores were: 6-11, 18-29, 29-42, 36-56.
Despite our Varsity team being absolutely exhausted, the commitment, effort and spirit they displayed was inspirational. They put up a great contest for the first three quarters before they ran out of gas. Their determination has remained strong throughout the tour, hungry for a win and even hungrier to be better Basketballers from the experience. Every opposition coach has commented on how hard the boys have played right up until the end of each game, which is incredibly impressive given they are playing under a NBA schedule without the first class travel. Julian Blaschka commented - "We tried hard throughout the game. Our talk was better and our intensity was up. We are tired, but no excuses. We worked hard but our shots wouldn't fall. We are determined to win our last game in LA." The quarter scores were: 7-10, 15-24, 28-39, 31-54.
After the games we had a wonderful meal and fellowship with our hosts from Wootton. We again experienced the warm and generous hospitality that has been evident throughout our time in America.
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Best wishes.
