The Rockets Academy at BMet College won their first EABL game of the season with a 78-73 success over Sheffield at Nechells Wellbeing Centre this afternoon.
Rockets controlled first quarter, with Nektarios Papadopoulos and Miles Moore proving a constant threat on the offensive end as Coach Paul Douglas’ side raced away to an early lead.
It was a lead they would hold for the remainder of the game but Sheffield reduced the margin to as little as four at one point as they tried to find a route back into the contest.
Indeed, our visitors had the better of the second quarter and but for a late Rockets surge the score could have been closer than the fourteen-point advantage Rockets took into the interval.
Rockets stifled the Sheffield offence with a 2-3 zone to start the second half before Sheffield’s 3-point threats found their range to cut the lead to nine.
Rockets responded well and extended the lead to 16 at 56-40 with threes of their own through Moore and Papadopoulos before another Sheffield rally reduced the lead once again.
Papadopoulous hit a shot on the third quarter buzzer to see us go in to the fourth with an eight-point lead.
In a nervy final quarter, Sheffield struggled to build on their third quarter momentum; allowing Rockets breathing room as the game edged towards its finale.
The lead was down to five as the clock ticked into the final minute of play, but Sheffield failed to score again whilst some smart game management from Rockets ensured our EABL side chalked up their inaugural win of the campaign.