Luckless Arrows suffer OT defeat

Lady Luck was absent for the Arrows on Saturday who had victory snatched away by a freak shot late on from their opponents - for a second consecutive week.

Arrows were three points up when London Westside saw an errant long shot strike the backboard and drop in to send the game to overtime at 76-76 tied.

The Derbyshire side played well throughout and consistently had the better of each quarter before the dramatic late scenes. They would go on to lose the game 91-82.

It leave the Arrows with the threat of relegation looming large with five games to play. They begin their quest for survival with a trip to Newham Neptunes.

Kelly said: “I am very proud of the effort of my team we have battled hard these last two weeks we just need to see it home. We have plenty of talent and I sense a resolve to get the job done. Our best players are coming back into form and we face teams around us in three of the five games left.”

It had begun very differently for Arrows who claimed the first quarter 22-20 then led at half-time 42-37 and stretched it further at the end of the third to 61-54.

But the fourth quarter saw all the Arrows hard work come undone.

The teams were soon back locked in battle. A three pointer from James Kelly and a breakaway from Andreas Lycoudis again edged the Arrows ahead and they looked to be making it until the banked three pointer from London Westside sent the game into overtime at 76-76.

Although the Arrows were the first to score in the extra period it was soon clear that they were still stunned by the last second shot in regulation and London Westside went on to claim a victory by 91-82.

Arrows scorers: Joseph Baugh 16, Aaron Moseley 16, Matt Wilson 15, Denis Scott 12, Johnny Broodie 9, James Kelly 5, Andreas Lycoudis 5, Napthali Nembhard 4 .