East Kent Basketball Association celebrates its 50th anniversary

THE East Kent Basketball Association marked its 50th anniversary with a celebration dinner held at Kent CCC's St Lawrence ground on last Saturday evening.

Earlier in the day King's School recreation centre was the venue for the organisation's 2012 finals.

The first final of the day saw Herne Bay take on Canterbury Invicta.

Invicta started well, and Bay were caught on the break as Eman Madek scored eight quick points to give his side an early lead.

But Bay knuckled down and fought back, and at the end of the first quarter they had a slender lead, 20-19.

The second quarter saw baskets traded and at half-time Bay had increased their lead slightly to 34-31.

But Invicta hit back in the third period, Ken White leading the charge as, going into the final quarter, they had turned the game around to lead 46-45.

The result could have gone either way until the final minutes.

Herne Bay turned the ball over three times in quick succession to gift Invicta open lay ups and then found themselves chasing the game, Invicta holding on to collect the Adams Plate trophy, 68-82.

Paul Steele scored 30 points for Bay, while team-mate Gareth Oliver scored 12.

The second final of the day saw league winners Canterbury Wildcats take on league runners-up Canterbury Crusaders, the Women's Grove Cup up for grabs.

Crusaders made a disastrous start, scoring just 12 points in the first two quarters, as Wildcats galloped into a 36-12 half-time lead.

But in the third quarter Crusaders hit their stride, Danielle Muckian leading the fightback with three three-pointers.

Good defence restricted the Wildcats to just eight points and going into the final quarter their lead had been cut, Crusaders now trailing 44-35.

But any hopes of a dramatic comeback from the Crusaders were extinguished with an early run of nine unanswered points from Patricia Varela, Kristina Skaburskyte and, with two, from Louise Huddlestone.

All of which meant Wildcats won 58-45.

The final game of the day was for the Cook Cup and saw men's league champions Whitstable face runners-up Folkestone Saints.

The game was a tense affair from tip-off to last minute as the teams battled it out in fast and furious fashion.

In the first quarter the teams traded baskets and the lead changed hands eight times.

Julian Naci led the scoring for Whitstable but it was Saints, thanks to a three-pointer from Omer, who ended the quarter 17-13 ahead.

The second quarter saw Folkestone maintain the pressure, restricting Whitstable talisman James Harris to a relatively small quota of his trademark three-pointers.

Three-pointers from Craig Nicol and former Whitstable players Soran Moroianu and Rob Dagger gave Saints a 39-30 half-time lead.

Whitstable made a statement of intent at the start of the second half with three consecutive three-pointers from Nick Hubble.

But Thomas reeled off 17 third quarter points for Folkestone and going into the final quarter they were 64-50 ahead.

The final quarter saw Whitstable throw the kitchen sink at Saints, but despite notable efforts from Lee Butters and Dan Bicker it was not to be, Folkestone running out 76-63 winners.

AMONG the speakers at Saturday's 50th anniversary celebration dinner was John Ritchie, East Kent League founder. He recalled the league's beginnings, and also his time as a player with the Friars, who were based at Simon Langton School.

Past league chairman Ron Waters, of the Minic club, also spoke while also present were Eddie Garlinge and Johnny Rowe, both members of the Herne Bay team that won the very first Cup back in 1962.