Saturday saw Force journey to Plymouth Raiders in the last league game of the season, looking to secure their first play-off spot in only their 3rd season.

Due to player injuries and availability, Force travelled the three-hour journey with nine players and three die-hard fans (one of whom has managed to attend every game this season). The game itself was played in front of a full house, a 700-strong crowd.

Unlike the previous match-up, which saw 70 points scored in the first quarter, both teams started at a more reserved pace, playing their half-court sets and denying transition opportunities. The Force was able to control the game during the first quarter with good ball movement on the offensive end, which allowed them to finish the quarter with a 2-point lead (15–17).

The second quarter, however, was a different affair. Raiders came into their element and dominated the rebounds at both ends of the court through their size and experience. This domination allowed them to turn that 2-point deficit into an 11-point lead (43–32), behind huge rebounding numbers from Raiders’ Tom Elliot-Smith.

Halftime came at a good point—it stopped the Raiders' run and allowed the Force coaches to regroup the squad for the second half. Lukas York used the break to get a second massage to loosen a back injury sustained earlier in the game.

Force again tried to chip away at the Raiders' lead, and it did to some extent through the quarter, but another rebounding spree by Elliot-Smith allowed the Raiders to restrict the Force comeback to just 2 points, bringing the lead down to 9 going into the final quarter.

Oh, what a final quarter that was.

Force finally embraced the mindset of “It’s not how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get back up.” Led by Ollie Blake, players started putting their bodies on the line—taking charges from Raiders drives, refusing to back down at the basket, and diving after loose balls in an effort to both disrupt Raiders’ offence and win every 50/50 ball.

This desire was shown midway through the 4th quarter as Force reduced the Raiders' lead to under 5 points. A missed shot and fumbled defensive rebound by the Raiders saw the ball roll loose. Raiders’ Gillbard dived for the ball along with Kevin Lomboto, and they were then joined by other players, all scrapping for possession. The referees blew for a held ball, which sparked a group discussion between at least four players—all eager to be the one to hand the ball back to the officials. The exchange resulted in 2 unsportsmanlike fouls (1 per team) and two technical fouls (again, 1 per team).

The energy levels from both teams in the final stages were incredible, amplified by the noise of the 700 fans, cheerleaders, and benches. As Force battled to continue cutting into the Raiders lead, a couple of missed shots led to quick transition scores for Raiders—followed by two killer three-point baskets that ultimately allowed Raiders to come away with a 72–59 win and, with it, removed Force’s ability to control their fate in the race for that final play-off spot.

That decision would now fall to Oxford’s final two games—first, the following day at home to league leaders Crawley, and then away to Plymouth Patriots the next weekend. Oxford would need just one win to secure a play-off place, or two wins (including a 19-point win over Crawley) to take the league title and earn promotion on the final day.

Back to the “Power of 3” title of this report.

This game is 3 hours away.
Played with nine players.
Missing our #3 Victor and #12 Harry, who loves a 3-point shot.
Decided by crucial 3-pointers—both made and missed.
The last league game of Force’s 3rd season in D3.
Finishing all 3 seasons in 3rd place.
A coaching team of 3.
Watched by three die-hard Force fans.

A special shout out to our one Ultra Fan who has been at every game (you know who you are). Last—but definitely not least—a MASSIVE thank you to our outgoing coach, Daniel Fatomide.

Over his 3 years coaching the team from inception to now, he holds a league record of 78% wins and an all-competition record of 74.5% wins. On a personal level, he gave me the opportunity to get back into playing and training with the NBL team after a 20+ year break, and he has played a huge part in reinitiating my love for the game.

Daniel—you may be going, but you’ll always have a big place in my heart.

From all the Force Fans—THANK YOU.
And don’t be a stranger.

—
Report written by Andy Rowlands.
? from Gary Robinson - https://www.instagram.com/garyr0binson