Kings in Belfast

We travelled to Belfast this weekend to play three games: two against the home team, Ulster Elks, and one versus Dublin-based DCU Saints. Though we lost all three games, making our pre-season record a shoddy 1-4, we were playing semi-pro Superleague sides without our top scorer, and last year's Player of the Year, Simon Flockhart, and a weakened squad of only nine players.

Our first game, after a quiet night in Belfast, was against Saints, who had played the Elks earlier in the day, losing 115-85. We stayed with them, but a combination of their aggressive defence, larger squad, and a collective 4th quarter mind fart on our part, meant that the Dublin side came out on top by about 14. With a further game to be played that day, against the Elks, things were looking rough. We resolved, then, to make sure we didn't embarrass ourselves against a team who had destroyed a side that had just beaten us by double digits.

We certainly achieved that, as we stayed with the Elks throughout. Two FTs from ex-King, Paul Cummins, put the Elks up 2 with only one play left in the game. We struggled to inbound the ball against their pressure, and were unable to run the play we'd tried for. One botched offense and a missed shot by yours truly later, and the Elks post a pretty fortunate win. A very encouraging performance from us, although Elks' ex-Maryland "Terp", Dave Neal, did torch us/me for 47 points!

The next day saw a rematch with Elks, after another quiet night in Belfast, and a further weakened Kings team. Captain, Laurie Costello, had injured his knee the previous day, so 16 year old Davie Rowan started in his place. In a game marred by strange refereeing, Davie picked up 3 fouls in the first few minutes, for perpetrating crimes that bore a striking resemblance to those deemed legal by the officials when committed by our hosts, and so we went further and further down our bench. The game was close throughout, and, although Elks opened up a 12 point lead at one point, we were able to claw it back to only a few points. After what would generously be termed "a few" more questionable decisions, Campbell Flockhart was ejected from the game in a bizarre incident, while Lee Pettet fouled out early in the 4th quarter. Luckily, Garreth Lodge went off in this game, scoring 34 points, and keeping us in it. Our crunch-time five of Garreth, Davie Rowan, Gary Beyer, Steven Dickson and myself, making possibly its one and only appearance on court, after Paddy Campbell had also fouled out, did well, and a free throw from Garreth brought the game within a point in the final minute. After a deliberate miss of the final FT, we were unable to get the offensive board, and Elks ran out winners by 4 points in a very closely fought match, in which the stars of the show, if only for entertainment value, were undoubtedly the men with the whistles.

Big thanks go to the Elks for their mini-bus service, and to Davie, The Captain of Our Ship.

Kings squad: Laurie Costello, Paddy Campbell, Davie Rowan, Garreth Lodge, Gary Beyer, Steven Dickson, Campbell Flockhart, Lee Pettet, Liam McCabe.