LLJBC will take a break over the school summer holidays. Previously we have tried to maintain activity but numbers have always been limited such that we are unable to plan events or provide suitable activities and end up losing money due to the cost of hiring a large hall.

We will be back at on 1 September with a slightly new structure as we will lose some coaches and need to reorganise. We will consider options over the summer and let you know as soon as we have a plan. It looks like we should have league entry at U14/16/18 levels but please continue to show your expression of interest in the Poll so we can confirm we have enough commitment. Other ages are expected to continue as per this season.

I want to thank you all for your support over the last year - we love coaching youth basketball but it wouldn’t be the same without the attitude of the players and the support from the parents/careers.

We are actively looking for additional support - if anyone is interested or has friends that may be interested in coaching, finance management, admin support, web support, media or just helping out, please let me know - all assistance is gratefully accepted.

Enjoy your summer, whatever you may be doing.

Taking a break over the holidays

An U14 team from LLJBC competed in a 3x3 event hosted by JLC Wolves basketball club in Scunthorpe this weekend.&nbsp;

It was a really well organised event featuring 8 teams from Lincoln and Humberside regions, with a good variety of talent on show. Unfortunately our relatively young team only consisted of 3 players which meant no subs and a lot of effort required throughout the day, in addition, non of them had previous experience of 3x3 games.

They gained experience as the day went on and showed commitment throughout the tournament which resulted in Yanis being awarded a prize for ‘sportsmanship and commitment’ due to his unwavering energy on court. The lads had a great afternoon of basketball, experiencing new styles of play and learnt a lot about the game and themselves - we look forward to the next opportunity.

U14 3x3 event

LLJ U18s fell to a well drilled Phoenix which ends their playoff run for the season. Despite missing a few players LL put out a capable team but unfortunately, after a run of great team performances, they just didn’t click together on the night.&nbsp;

Phoenix were good on the break and LL struggled to effectively control the key allowing the opposition to secure too many offensive boards - the 1st quarter ending 8-16.&nbsp;

The 2nd quarter was much more controlled defensively as both teams struggled to score, our only points coming from the free throw line - the half ending 12-23 - still all to play for but frustrations were evident within the team.

The same pattern continued in the 3rd, ball movement didn’t happen and a static offence struggled to find a way through, other than repeatedly looking for Route1. Despite a couple of good 3s in the 2nd half, the third ended 20-35 and the 4th 26-48.

It was a good run, better than many other teams anticipated, but we know we could have done better. Next season the squad will be more experienced as it retains almost all players. Time to enjoy the summer scrimmaging and bond the team for next season.

U18 PLAYOFF RUN OVER

Wins for U16 v Phoenix and U18 v Comets&nbsp;

LLJBC U16 faced Rushcliffe Phoenix in their penultimate match off the season, with the opposition sitting one place above them in the league, this was another chance to show their progression over recent months. They started dominantly running the court the way we have practiced many times, outlets were fast and up-court distribution by Evans was effective, hitting the runners along the sidelines, and accelerating into the paint when gaps appeared in front of him. Korynickyj constantly prowling the side and baselines throughout the game, unnerving the opposition. As a team, they defended the paint, forcing Phoenix to take outside shots which were not falling. The team took a well deserved 14-2 lead into the end of the 1st.

The pace slowed in the 2nd as the opposition managed to get back into shape and defend the break more effectively. They clawed their way back into the game 20-11 at the half, a warning that LL should not be complacent.&nbsp;

However in the 3rd, it started to go wrong. The intensity in ‘D’ dropped, the running of the break didn’t happen and shot selection was poor. The players stopped playing as a team, they started dong their own thing, putting up hopeful shots that weren’t dropping, and jogging back to ‘D’ instead of running. Losing the 3rd quarter 2-11 they gave up their hard-earned lead and the match was tied.

An impassioned talk from the coach resulted, as players sat shell-shocked - ‘’play the way we train, play as a team, not as individuals” was the message. The 4th was tense, the intensity was on display from both sides, but layup misses were proving costly, fortunately some excellent free-throw shooting from Jennings kept the team in the game as he kept hitting his shots from the line. With 8 seconds to go and all square, LL took a defensive board and pushed the ball up the court. It fell to Carr at the half way, who took it toward the 3-point line and put up a shot with 3 seconds to go….it dropped, his first score of the game, and with no time to respond brought the win (33-30) which should move them to third in the league.&nbsp;

LLJBC U18 were up next. LL finished 8th in league regular season after a slow start, and although improving as the season went on, beating the 6th placed team, couldn’t climb the ladder after early losses. In the playoffs though, they have made their mark, with convincing wins over Hucknall and a well-fought loss to the league leaders. This time they were against the 4th-placed team - Chilwell Comets.

The 1st quarter didn’t go our way as the Comets showed why they had been so successful throughout the season, shooting well and hitting 3x 3-pointers they took a 10 point lead. There was renewed purpose in the 2nd, as Jagminas&nbsp;&nbsp;turned on his aggression, with the team feeding him the ball he ran the line and drove to the hole, scoring an amazing 13 points. The group defended better, closing the open players down quicker and restricting Comets’ options, they won the second by 11 taking a 1pt lead into the half.

The game was tighter and lower scoring in the 3rd with LL increasing their lead to 2-pts. The bench was rotated throughout the game but with 4 regular U18 and 4 U16s playing up, the older players took the majority court time as the younger players had already had one emotional, physical game. Hatherley led the team throughout with good decision making, distribution, and athletic play, he was also charged with pressuring the opposition playmaker. When Jagminas fouled out at the end of the 3rd, Jennings was charged with stepping up.

“Don’t let their key play-maker get the ball, and stop missing layups” was the message into the 4th - the team responded. Hatherley hit 14 in the quarter but the whole team knitted together to spread the opposition and provide the options. With about 3 minutes to go, a 6pt lead was established and the team slowed the offence, running the clock down, taking good shots. With 23 seconds to go and a 5pt-lead they looked after the ball and played the game out (57-52). A well deserved win against a strong opposition.&nbsp;

Next week we face either Rushcliffe or Derby who finished 6th and 7th in the league - teams we know we can beat if we play our game, but they will also be aware that we are on a roll.

2 CLOSE GAMES CLOSED OUT IN TENSE MATCHES

Another 2 good wins for the U16 and U18 teams against Hucknall in the Nottingham Central Venue League. The U16 match was a small affair with both teams fielding only 5 players but this didn't slow LL who started strong, running the break from the start. Both Korynickyj and Carr set the pace pushing the score at the end of the first to 14-4, despite a number of missed team layups. The second quarter saw little change, Jennings was strong under the boards, securing rebounds and pushing the ball up the court, with LL exploiting the gaps to the basket to keep the scoreboard ticking over and reach the half 25-8 up. Despite the good lead, LL refused to slow down leading to some tired passes being turned over and contested layups being missed as the team rushed to score, fortunately Hucknall were unable to convert enough of them but started to close the gap. For a short period at the end of the 3rd and early 4th, Hucknall were reduced to just 4 players which actually resulted in some of their best play. As the game closed out, all LLJ players got on the score sheet with 3 players hitting 3-pointers in the closing minutes and the game finished 43-21. Stand out player Korynickyj with unbounded energy throughout the game in offence and defence, secured 20 points.

Despite missing a few players the U18s had 10 players on the bench for the second game, although 4 were fresh from the U16 victory. Expectations were high after beating the same team 4 weeks ago. Charged with establishing a commanding 1st quarter lead, the team did just that with Hatherly and Jagminas tearing the court up on the break throughout the opening minutes closing the first 21-6. The bench was rotated in the 2nd but the momentum didn't sway despite a number of missed basic chances, with the team closing out Hucknall in throughout the quarter while adding another 17 to their total. In the 3rd LL were encouraged to rotate the ball and look for the gaps, this, alongside further player rotation slowed the game down as they stepped back a little from the first-look scores. Another close out led to a 10-0 score in the 3rd (48-6). In the 4th the challenge was pushed further with a threat of a bench for anyone missing contested layups or not cutting from established positions. This enforced rotation on the court, and off the bench, but paid dividends with another 20 points being put on the scoreboard, the points spread throughout the team. The closeout didn't happen though with Hucknall making 8 in the final quarter, 1 field goal and 6 from the line. The game finished 67-14 with Hatherly and Jagminas scoring 41 between them, mainly on the break - a tougher match awaits against Chillwell next week - a 'must win' to keep progressing through these playoffs.

DOUBLE VICTORY OVER HUCKNALL

The U14s played their first game for a month against Rushcliffe Phoenix who were sitting one place above Lincoln in the league. The game started well with Lightning managing to find spaces in the defence to drive to the hoop, but let Phoenix get too many rebounds for second and third chance shots. The first quarter ended with a promising 10-6 lead and LL entered the second with an intent to extend their lead. Unfortunately Phoenix stepped up and put pressure through the full court pushing LL into poor passes and gaining multiple turnovers, outscoring them 12-4 to take a 6pt lead into the half.

The third quarter saw more of the same as Lightning struggled to select the right passes and kept getting caught on the wrong side of the defence, they saw the lead extend to 12. Despite a good fight back in the third, where they tried to put more pressure on the Phoenix high up the court, the team just wasn’t as fast or as cohesive as they needed to be. The final score 26-37. They’ll meet again in 5 weeks looking for a different result.

U14 CVL vs Phoenix 

LLJBC took an U12 and U10 team to the Nottingham Wildcats Basketball Easter Tournament on Easter Saturday.

Unfortunately each team only had 6 players but that meant more court time for those that came along, which meant a lot of hard work and running.

Both teams represented the club exceptionally well against some very established Nottingham, Sheffield and Leicester teams in what was a slightly chaotic, fast paced event.

The U12 struggled for height but had 3 players with experience from the Notts CVL who were used to the pressure they would get from these type of matches. Unfortunately the strength and experience of the opposition meant they only took one win from their first 4 games and went into the 5/6 place playoffs. It was a very close game with LLJBC taking an early lead, but they were down to just 5 players for this match and the tired legs struggled to push through. The lead moved back and forth, but they ended losing by only 3 points. It was a terrific effort from the whole team, each player facing and overcoming their own significant challenges on the court.

Many of the U10 were playing their first game of basketball away from the Club and took a while to find their feet, learning as they progressed through the tournament. Their teamwork improved as the event progressed, and they learnt to play to their strengths, pushing the ball up the court, putting good passes into the paint, and demonstrating their shooting ability, reaching the playoff final. The final was a close affair, with no team managing to pull away and scores tied, or one score apart for much of the second half.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Our U10s also ended up losing by 3 points, but it was a fantastic achievement - gaining second place in the event - with a very brave performance from all players.&nbsp;

A special mention to Ted who was awarded an ‘Impact Player’ award, voted for by the officials for his efforts and impact throughout.

LLJBC U10,U12 play in Notts Easter Tournament

Chiltern Comets this season were 7W-1L sitting top of the league, LLJBC were 3W-5L, with 2 of the wins coming in the last 2 games. This win by LL showed the league just how much we have come on over recent months. It also means teams will be ready for us.

A scorebook never tells the full story of a game, it can show how many points a player scored and how many fouls they picked up. It doesn’t show the defensive effort, the rebounds, the runs down the line, the slick passes, the blocks, the bench players’ attitude. All of which are needed for a team to get the win.

Teams need to score to win games, but need to defend to stop another team winning.&nbsp;

In the first half LL held their own in the paint, pressuring the Comet’s attacks into the zone and forcing poor outside shots. Jennings was not the tallest player on court but commanded the defensive boards and blocked countless short-range shots, Korytnickyj’s energy on the top and his breaks down the line were immense, while Evans pierced the gaps in Comet’s D that had been generated by good LL offensive positioning. SRooney adding to the scoreboard too, with Carr a stable platform, enabling a 17-11 lead in a low-scoring half.&nbsp;

The bench was rotated with WRooney and Poppy playing well, maintaining the style the starters had set. In the third Q though the Comet’s clearly had a point to prove. Some poor finishing and decision-making by LL, and an increased defensive pressure from the opposition saw the scores tie briefly and lead slip to just 1 at the end. For a few minutes into the 4th, it was close, LL lost the lead by more than was comfortable, but then with 5 mins to go, following a time out - they turned it on again. A lead was set, extended beyond 10, then protected, closing the final Q 16-11 to win by 6 points and a more comfortable last 2 minutes.

MASSIVE WIN AS U16 OVERTURN LEAGUE LEADERS 

LLJBC were in action at U14, U16 and U18 this week, winning the first 2 games and showing great strength of character and improvement as a team in the last game.

The U14s started the night with a match vs Hucknall who were struggling for players, fielding only 5 - which should have set them on the back foot. They started well though moving the ball and attacking our defensive gaps, keeping up with the Kal K-Bates’ fast breaks and Mockus rebound tally, to end the 1st only 2pts down. Although Umaras and Brewin helped keep the score ticking over, LL eased off their defensive aggression in the second, and with Hucknall shutting the door to our drives they took a 4pt lead into the halftime break. With the third quarter drawn 10-10 that left LL with a lot to do in the last 10mins. Defensive intensity was stepped up, especially from Brewin and Ward, with the team restricting a tired Hucknall to just 2pts in the last Q, while LL pounded the floor on the break, to earn another 14. Closing out an 8pt win.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The U16s were out of the blocks fast against Rushcliffe who had a fully stacked bench. Racing the floor LL surprised the opposition with the pace of their attack, moving the ball wide and long, with Jennings hoovering up rebounds like a machine. The team played some of their best basketball taking a 17-9 first quarter lead. Rushcliffe are a good team though and they learnt from their errors, with both teams increasing defensive intensity snuffing out any activity in the paint. At 5-7 over the quarter, there were as many free-throws scored as field goals. With a 6 point deficit at the half, Rushcliffe showed their class, almost shutting LL out in the 3rd - they stole our play-book, turning the tables, they ran the break, exploited the lanes to the hoop and defended hard, scoring 2-14 points and reversing the score to lead by 6 going into the final 10mins. After a rather severe coach chat, the team went out fired up. Kal K-Bates repeatedly hit the lane, Jennings owned the defensive boards, Stachurski’s physicality pressured the top, Carr and S Rooney found their long-range ‘3’, W Rooney moved the ball effectively…the whole team fought for each other. With 2 minutes to go they had a 4 point lead, lost it regained it and then played the clock. A ‘3’ from their No8 with seconds to go got the pulses racing, but they played sensible keep-ball and held on for a 1pt win.&nbsp;&nbsp;Outstanding effort by all 8 players that contributed.&nbsp; &nbsp;

The U18 faced a season-long undefeated Cobras in their 2nd play-off match. The first few minutes showed why they had that record as they ran the floor repeatedly with LL unable to find a response at first. Cobras pressured the ball while LL passes were being picked off as they rushed to try and get points on the board. They eventually found their stride with Hatherley taking some good options in distribution and attacks, the rest of the team started to look more purposeful but they still struggled to contain the opposition, especially the big-men who were controlling the boards. The first quarter ended 16-5 down and the second 13-5, despite some aggressive basketball by Jagminas who was repeatedly hitting the paint, drawing fouls and getting to the line to score all LL points in the Q.&nbsp;&nbsp;Our ‘D’ was better in the 3rd but the team still struggled to get the ball past the ferrocious Cobra defence as our offence never managed to set up effectively. A reset at the start of the 4th saw a changed team, they pushed the ball wide, created more space and attacked the gaps. Biernacki started dropping points with contributions from Carr and Frangu, who along with Jagminas and Hatherley defended with all they had, while Perkins become ever more effective inside. The team outscored Cobras 10-18 in the last quarter, closing at 53-33. A tough game but an excellent challenge for the team who rose to the occasion as the game went on, others have suffered far heavier defeats. That’s our lifeline gone, all games are now must-win.

LIGHTNING GRAB A COUPLE OF WINS AND DEMONSTRATE IMPROVEMENT ALL ROUND IN CVL TRIPLE HEADER

After a very slow start from a rusty starting five, LL managed to secure a win over Hucknall in the first of the U18 playoff matches. Finishing errors costs the team significantly in the first quarter as they failed to convert simple chances ending it just 7-7. The team woke up in the second, improving their defensive rebounding, finding success on the break and with some good drives led by Jagminas they took a 19-11 lead from the half.

The third was a different story in D, the squad secured the paint and closed out Hucknall. LL ran the court better but still struggled to convert going 10-0. In the last, the game finally opened up, Frangu, who had played excellent defence all game, was fouled out early and although Korytnickyj stepped up well to bring defensive energy, Hucknall’s physicality meant they kept breaking through. Biernacki got some excellent finishes under the boards picking up 8 of the quarter’s points (18-12).

The game finished 47-23 but the score didn’t reflect the tension in the game. The prize of winning means they are back on it next week…against the undefeated Cobras - that will be a tougher game which will require significantly more discipline, but previous form suggests it’s not written-off.

Another victory for the U18s in the first game of the playoffs. 

The U16s won convincingly in the CVL against Hucknall after putting out their strongest team so far. Having beaten Hucknall earlier in the season LLJBC were looking to close the double over an under strength team. 

After a slow opening 3 minutes the team found their rhythm showing strength on the fast-break taking a 7pt lead into the first break. In the second quarter they capitalised on this with some great offensive rebounding that secured second-chance points. The scoring was accelerated by effective passing out of defence, advancing the ball up the court through effective passing with a speed the opposition couldn’t handle, out scoring them 29 to 5 in the second.&nbsp;

After half time, coach changed the tactics. The team slowed down, looked to run the clock and try to move Hucknall’s defence around and expose exploitable gaps. A difficult tactic, requiring&nbsp;restraint - allowing the team to see attacking options they may not have identified before. 

it was an impressive display and showed what the team is capable of - next up is Rushcliffe, on 23Mar, it won’t be so easy but hopefully lessons have been learnt.

U16 strong win 62-27 v Hucknall

The U18s pulled off a close win over Rushcliffe Phoenix

The game went to the wire after a good initial lead of 12 points in the first quarter, however Rushcliffe pulled back in the second and took the lead at the end of the third.

The last quarter saw both teams contesting every opportunity, it was a 1pt changing lead over the last 2 minutes. Lightning clinched a final 1pt lead with seconds to go then a steal to seal the match.

U18 clinch win

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In 2022 Sport England stated that basketball was the second most popular team sport in England after football. You have to wonder why there aren’t more clubs providing basketball for children in Lincoln, well never mind, you’ve found us.


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