Rollercoaster for Oldham

BASKETBALL:

OLDHAM Titans’ latest outings in the Division Four Mens’ North Conference brought mixed fortunes.

A convincing 62-50 home victory over Mold Magic was followed by a 55-49 loss at Liverpool 24 hours later.

The Oldham outfit were in confident mood going into the contest against Mold, who had recorded just one triumph in their last seven matches, with the other six fixtures ending in defeat.

The first quarter ended with the vibrant Titans 18-11 to the good, with Connor Gent, Zac Allen and Luke Marston all on target.

Good zone defence play and further efforts from John Hunt and Adam Graham earned a comfortable 30-19 cushion at the break for Mark Hamilton’s men.

And despite a mini-Mold resurgence, which saw them score more than Titans in the third, Oldham entered the final quarter 46-38 up and they scored more than their opponents in the fourth to seal victory and pile more misery on Mold.

Top scorers: Connor Gent 18 points; Zac Allen 16; Adam Graham 14.

Liverpool only had six players present for their clash with the Titans, so the visitors were upbeat even before tip-off.

But it proved a difficult afternoon for the away outfit.

In the first quarter Liverpool kept a small lead despite James Harvey’s three-point shot, and the team from Oldham found themselves trailing 19-14.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with Titans pushing hard and temporarily enjoying a run of unanswered points, but they were still 29-23 down going into the third quarter.

Oldham managed to level matters briefly before their opponents got their noses back in front to lead 20-17.

Heading into the final quarter, Titans faced a nine-point deficit but still had an outside chance of claiming a draw or even pushing for a win.

And four minutes in there was everything to play for as parity was restored — but their joy was short-lived as Liverpool pulled away for the win.