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BASKETBALL:

OLDHAM Titans fell to a 67-53 defeat at home to Liverpool in Division Four of the Men’s North Conference.

The visitors made an excellent start and as the game threatened to get away from the Titans, a strong response and some good fortune in the final two minutes of the opening quarter narrowed the deficit to 19-15.

Liverpool showed the better offence in the second quarter, doubling Oldham’s score (21-10), and as the game got more physical, Titans knew they would have to fight fire with fire to stand a chance of winning.

Slowing the pace down well, Titans — who had Robert Mubiru to thank for his 22 points — forced Liverpool into keeping the ball for the majority of their maximum 24 seconds. The tactic worked to an extent, with the visitors only taking the quarter 14-12.

And, helped by some no-nonsense refereeing, Titans claimed the honours 16-13 as the game wound down in its last quarter, leaving Liverpool still comfortable winners. The Oldham outfit travel to take on Mold Magic in North Wales on Sunday.