From winning the tip we attacked with confidence but were not able to finish the first few shots, which seemed to set the tone for the rest of the game.

Oxford quickly took control and became extremely efficient at scoring baskets and applying pressure on the defence. Despite this, we continued to battle and showed moments of well-structured basketball and individual plays to the basket but consistently struggled to put points on the board.

After a shaky 1st quarter, the 2nd and 3rd showed improvements with more baskets finished and better defensive performance.

The final quarter basically summed up our 1st game away to a strong Oxford Hoops team, who continued to hit 3s, put back rebounds and effectively ran a pick and roll in the paint several times, which we struggled to adapt to.

However, considering it was a tough day at the office, the Portsmouth Force lads continued to battle throughout the game and represented the team in a professional manner.

As discussed in depth with the lads after the game, we were able to identify our strengths and weaknesses, which only left us more motivated to train harder and ready for the next challenge.

A good lesson learnt.