Exeter and District Division One

WEYMOUTH BANDITS 48 EXETER NOMADS 46

THE Mission Fitness Weymouth Bandits edged out Exeter Nomads in their first match-up of the season.

The first quarter began with both teams slow to start.

Craig Sorrell, Connor Doherty and Alex Fuhrmann scored to counter the Nomads' early points before the visitors put together a 12-point run to take the quarter 17-8.

With Weymouth not quite gelling as a team yet, the Nomads continued their scoring runs into the second period, mitigated only by Weymouth’s Jim de Bertrand and Chris Canham making mid-range baskets.

Towards the end of the quarter, Bandits’ Fuhrmann and Sorrell hit consecutive threes, sparking more assertiveness into the home side’s play, with the half finishing 34-21 in the visitors’ favour.

The Bandits were down but not out going into the second half with a 13-point deficit to reclaim.

Unfazed, the home side turned to their defence to flip the momentum of the game in their favour with Tom Storey keeping the perimeter threat in check, Doherty bringing his defensive intensity to bear on the inside and Jordan Daniels chasing down rebound after rebound cutting the Nomads second chances out.

Nomads were held to only four points in the quarter, scores from Sorrell, Carl Carter, Fuhrmann and Jordan Daniels reduced the deficit to five points going into the fourth.

In the final period, an early three-point make was countered by a 10-point run by the hosts with a second Nomads’ score bringing the game back to 43 apiece.

A three-point shot from the corner from Fuhrmann followed by a timely fast break from Jeff Robertshaw put the Bandits up by five going into the last minute.

The Nomads’ captain hit a three to keep the visitors hopes of claiming the game alive but the Bandits' defence stifled their efforts.

The Bandits reflected after the game that despite not quite gelling as they’d like to, they showed resolve to stay with the game and acknowledge that there is still plenty of room to improve as a team as the season continues.

Bandits: Craig Sorrell 17, Alex Fuhrmann 10, Connor Doherty 6, Jordan Daniels 5, Jim de Bertrand 4, Jeff Robertshaw 2, Chris Canham 2, Carl Carter 2, Tom Storey.

Weymouth MVP: Craig Sorrell