Blizzards end season in style (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Blizzards end season in style

4:00pm Tuesday 12th March 2013 in Sport By Dan Cooper

THE Basingstoke Blizzards clinched promotion after producing some dazzling basketball to record an emphatic win over Woodley.

The Blizzards ensured they ended the season in style with a 94-57 win that secured second spot and a place in the Wessex League Division One.

Rob Gerrard weighed in with 25 points, while there were high scores for Joey Haynes (16) and Gavin Frecklington (13).

Aaron Taylorson, Adam Paddon, Andy Richardson, Tom Mavronicholas and Jim Darlow also added their names to the scoresheet to complete the rout in their final game before the play-offs in April.

Having roared into a 12-0 lead inside the first three minutes, the ruthless Blizzards scored another nine points to lead 21-4 after six.

Further points from the starting five of Gerrard, Frecklington, Paddon, Taylorson and Rob Bloomer saw them with a 30-17 advantage at the end of the first quarter.

Haynes then provided a masterclass in finishing, hitting three consecutive three pointers just before half-time to give the Blizzards a commanding 60-29 lead going into the break.

They could even afford to ease off the gas and Frecklington and Paddon scored impressive threes as the points total racked up.

Coach Marcel Mavronicholas also got into the party spirit by coming on to make a rare appearance in the last quarter.

He said: “That was division one ball you saw out there, they were awesome.”