Stroud Sharks Basketball men’s team kicked off their 2023/24 campaign against a strong Gloucester Kings.
A fresh season brings new players, new rotations and a chance to see what level the Sharks can play at.
A nervous start for Sharks, and only scoring from the free-throw line, meant they dug themselves into a hole by the time the first quarter was up.
Picture: Mitchell Arinze
The second quarter, the Sharks brought more energy, tightened their man defence and improved offensively, working hard on the offensive boards and getting easy put-backs.
Half-time score: Sharks 18 – Kings 25.
The third quarter saw Sharks ball movement vastly improve, allowing for open cuts to the basket and space to drive into the Kings defense.
Defense came into play again, with Sharks getting a number of great steals leading to outlet passes and open layups to bring the game to within 5 points going into the fourth and final quarter.
Kings, however, applied greater defensive pressure in the fourth quarter, stopping Sharks momentum with some athletic blocks and ultimately picking up the win.
Final score: Sharks 51 – Kings 62
Stroud Sharks travel to play Malvern Mavericks for their next game (Friday 13th Oct).
Stroud Sharks host an Open Run at Marling Sports Hall, every Wednesday 20:30 – 22:00
£4 (Free for first timers).
