The match kicked off at 3pm, with Liverpool John Moores (from here on LJMU) taking the lead as they scored the first goal of the match, and appearing to direct the game as Newcastle fumbled their first few shots on the other side of the pitch. However, a switch was flipped as Newcastle scored their first goal, and five more relentless dubs followed this. The coordination between the wing attack and the goal attack was phenomenal, securing the team goal after goal, win after win, with the goal keeper on the opposite side of the court successfully blocking LJMU from scoring and leaving Newcastle with an insurmountable advantage by the end of the first quarter, with 16-5 points to Newcastle.
The second quarter saw the match speed up as LJMU desperately tried to bridge the gap between the two scores. They showed potential as they scored just a minute in, but then fell back behind as Newcastle, spurred on by the threat of their quick success, retaliated and took back control of the game, leaving them with only 7 to their 23 by the fifth minute of the second quarter. The chemistry between the Newcastle players once again proved an asset, as the goal shooter managed to redeem a missed shot by the goal attack. The last few seconds of the second quarter saw a desperate frenzy from both sides, accompanied by chants of "You've got time!" from the sidelines - which was validated by an LJMU goal in the last 20 seconds of the quarter, which was impressive until it was matched by an even more impressively timed Newcastle goal in the last four seconds of the quarter. By half time, the scores were sitting at 37-13, with Newcastle comfortably on top, having expanded their lead, and ready to fight through the last half of the match.
The chemistry between the Newcastle players once again proved an asset.
The third quarter began with, to no one's surprise, another Newcastle goal. This set the tone for the rest of the fifteen minutes, as they continued their streak with the ball barely leaving their side of the pitch. While LJMU did manage to get a few goals in, it seemed that they had already accepted defeat as the game massively de-intensified, and onlookers saw longer and slower passes and less fast-paced action play out. Even with several free throws to LJMU they no longer stood a chance against such a strong lead. The goal keeper managed to block their last attempts at scoring before time was called, cementing a probable Newcastle win, even with another quarter to go, as the board read 54-20.
The last quarter seemed to start up the pace once again, as the teams appeared to be revived after their short break. LJMU were scrambling for any chance to redeem their ranking, presenting more of a serious challenge than they had previously, but they were still ultimately unsuccessful, as Newcastle outdid their newfound energy and brought them down with a four-goal streak within the first two minutes of play. These last fifteen minutes saw the most chaos of the game, with falls, fumbles, and even a Newcastle goal made up of two missed shots and two catches - epitomising 'third time lucky'. The game ended on 68-27, a Newcastle win that was inevitable right from the first quarter of the game. A massive congratulations to the team, who not only have cemented their winning streak following weeks of wins against other universities nationwide, but stand a solid chance in the league.
I got the chance to speak to one of the players, who told me how they thought the game went from their first-hand perspective. Orla told me: "The game on Wednesday had energy the whole way through, we kept a lead as a team and there was consistent strength from our attack as they threw to our defence. Each quarter was a success and we seamlessly made loads of player rotations. We are currently on a winning streak so we are entering each game with high hopes and with any luck, we hope to win the league."
