By winning their opening three games inside 8 days at the pool stages, Rockets progress to the quarter final and a home game this Saturday 1st Oct at their new home venue of Loddon Valley Leisure Centre, Lower Earley.
Rockets began this eventful week with their first competitive game of the new season at Loddon against newly promoted Westminster Warriors. Rockets lit up the arena in the opening minutes as they took command of the tie with a 25-14 opening quarter as the new signings of Troy Cracknell, Jermiah Jenkins and Jordan Jackson imposed themselves. Returning for another season was the experienced Lewis Champion who hit three trebles in his thirteen-point haul coupled to 7 assists whilst new boy Finleigh Porter showed his potential with 10 points and 7 rebounds.
Rockets looked comfortable throughout but Jon Johnson was always a threat as he hit 30 of Warriors’ 74 points leading the battle for supremacy as Warriors fought tenaciously to stay in contention. However Rockets just had more strength in depth with all 4 Academy students getting much court time as new Head Coach, Samit Nuruzade ( returning to the club after 7 years back in his home country of Azerbaijan ) continued where he left off all those years ago, playing the youngsters on the premise that if they’re good enough, age doesn’t matter. The 100-74 win was a good start.
On Wednesday evening Reading Rockets traveled to St Albans where they played relegated Oaklands Wolves in what turned out to be a relatively one-sided affair as Rockets breezed to a 27-5 opening quarter as another Academy student Rhys Grocutt was added to the team and played the most minutes of any player as Nuruzade rested his senior guys for big swathes of the game giving the youngsters more exposure in a senior environment. Though Oaklands struck three consecutive trebles to give them encouragement, Rockets were never threatened with a loss and took another victory by 88-61 with the whole team contributing.
Everyone was waiting for the clash between last season’s league runners-up Thames Valley Cavaliers at Uxbridge College on Saturday evening with the winner likely to gain home advantage in the KitKing Trophy quarter-final. Rockets lit up the evening from tip off as they hit Cavaliers with a magnificent opening period where ex-Cavaliers player, Lewis Champion shone and the two American players ( Jermiah Jenkins and Troy Cracknell ) began to settle into the British game. The 29-10 lead was well deserved though Rockets knew that Cavaliers wouldn’t take that lying down, nor did they as they took the second period 31-19 reducing Rockets half-time advantage to 48-41. Cavaliers came out even stronger in the third quarter getting to within a single point of Rockets but another treble from Champion took the wind out of their sails and Rockets kept their 7 point lead throughout the period to go into the final stanza with a 65-58 advantage. Shaquille Lewis troubled the Rockets with his 22 points and 7 rebounds but a fired-up Rockets were determined to secure a home game at the quarter-final stage and took the game 87-72. Cracknell had figures of 27 points and 9 rebounds as 6’10 Jordan Jackson had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds though ex Cavalier Lewis Champion probably enjoyed the game most as he hit 22 points including three trebles coupled to three steals.
This has been a good start for Rockets but they’re under no illusion, the quarter-final will be a different affair and the league will be even more competitive as it starts in mid -October. Now though Rockets entertain Loughborough Riders on Saturday tipping at the unusual time of 2pm at Loddon Valley. Be there and experience the new arena and cheer Rockets to a semi-final stage early in the season.
