Saturday saw Portsmouth Force travel up the A3 to Guildford to face the Surrey 89ers, knowing that a win would apply pressure on league rivals Crawley and Oxford in the battle for the title and playoff spots.

Despite the early tip-off, the Force Ultras turned up in numbers, with some even making a full day of it by staying for the Super League game that followed.

Force started strongly, setting the tone in the first quarter with high-pressure defence and fluid offensive play. They quickly pulled out a double-figure lead. Midway through the quarter, a statement fast-break dunk from Israel fired up the team, while eight Force players contributed to the scoring early on. They closed the quarter with a commanding 35-20 lead.

In the second quarter, Surrey began its customary fightback, going basket for basket. Force continued its dominance inside the paint, with Brown and Grant entering the game to help pull down rebounds and limit Surrey’s opportunities at the rim. Despite Surrey’s resilience, Force maintained its 15-point lead, heading into halftime 56-41.

Surrey carried their momentum into the second half, cutting into the Force lead with a strong shooting performance from their guard, Pickford. A series of ill-timed fouls by Force sent him to the free-throw line multiple times, allowing Surrey to reduce the deficit slightly. By the end of the third quarter, Force’s lead had been trimmed to 73-60.

The final quarter saw Surrey continue to fight, closing the gap to just 6 points with under four minutes remaining. However, a quick catch-and-shoot three from Bello extended the lead back to 9, giving Force some breathing room. From there, Force traded baskets with Surrey down the stretch, eventually closing out the game with a 92-82 victory, securing their 13th win of the season.

With five Force players hitting double figures, this was one of the team’s most well-rounded performances of the season.
• Babalola – 22
• York – 16
• Derzi – 11
• Bello – 11
• Drahanchuck – 10
• Bates – 10

This Saturday marks the final home game of the season against the Plymouth Raiders. With the Under-16s playing beforehand and the MVP presentation happening pre-game, make sure to arrive early to secure your seat!

Get your tickets now and be part of the action. Click here to book.

Report written by Andy Rowlands.

Portsmouth Force Basketball Club

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